This second edition of the classic text retains its original focus on children's understanding of race, socioeconomic class, culture, and gender, while also expanding to include moral development, economic diversity, environmental concerns, and consumerism. This book provides practical suggestions and examples of how to incorporate a multicultural perspective in all of our day-to-day interactions with children -- from making up classroom rules to planning field trips. There is also a valuable appendix of "Suggested Books for Children."
Ok so this book is 10 years old now, but practice in the field of early childhood mostly has not caught up to it yet. Everyone who wants to work meaningfully with children (rather than just babysitting) ought to read it. It is simply written in short sections you can easily dip in and out of and avoids polar answers (but does call persuasively for a more inclusive and deeply respectful approach).
It looks at race, class, gender, sexuality, culture and ability and it is a great starting point for any more in depth focus on any of these (but they all do intersect anyway)
While this book contained a lot of good information about teaching in diverse environments, I found it to be a little too idealistic and naive when looking at the current climate many teachers are teaching in today. It would be wonderful to live in a world where public school teachers had the freedom to really get into the ideals of this book. I'll definitely use it as a goal to keep in mind in my own classroom.
This was a required text for my course and I was surprised how much I enjoyed reading it.
This book is a must-read for all teachers. It will challenge your thinking and encourage you to analyse your teaching practice regarding how you cater for chilren of different cultures in the classroom. A great read.
It was a required text in a class, but I chose to read it and have really enjoyed my journey. Prior to reading, I couldn't see the value in beating a dead horse so to speak-but the book opened my eyes to a lot of issues I had not considered. If you teach, its a must read!