Release #97/23

early years are learning years

Starting small: Fostering kindness in the classroom
F o r most young children, being
a "classmate"at child care, at

a place of worship, or at
schoolconstitutes their first active

participation in an ongoing social

structure outside the family.The vision
of community that these experiences
provide can color a child's ideas and
expectations about equity, coopera
tion, and citizenship for a lifetime.

Affirming identity
Lead discussions and activities

that openly value racial and ethnic

diversity in the classroom (e.g.,
compare and contrast skin colors
and affirm the beauty of all of them).

Nurturing Justice

dren can work out their own conflicts,

or role-play conflict situations and in
clude a variety of ways to solve prob
lems.

Responding to Special Needs

Invite guests with special needs to
present activities in your classroom;
focus on their "regular" traits first (such
as job and family) and the activity they

Starting Small: Teaching Tolerance

in Preschool and the Early Grades is

Design learning activities that help

children explore the concepts of fair
ness and justice. For example, use
dramatic play, interviews, and puppets

an innovative multimedia resource

to talk about social and moral dilem

that illustrates how promoting empa

thy in young children can be achieved
in the early years through various

mas, or read selected children's litera

Coping with Loss

ture to discuss or act out hypothetical

social and moral problems.

teaching methods.

Fostering Gender Equity

The book component features

seven early childhood classrooms
(preschool, kindergarten and primary)
in which teachers are helping young
children build inclusive, caring com
munities across differences that too

Break down gender stereotypes

through your own actions (e.g., a fe
male teacher fixing a wagon or a male
teacher mending a doll's dress). It is
also important to inspect books, post
ers, and bulletin boards for gender

Provide opportunities for children

to commemorate loss through play
and work activities, such as making
memory gifts, planting a flower or tree,
lighting a candle, or creating a mural.

often divide. Each classroom narra

balance.

tive is followed by research-based "re

flections" addressing specific themes
or developmental aspects of teaching
tolerance. Practical applications are
also provided for incorporating the
concepts into activities.
The teachers featured in the book

Building Friendship Skiiis

Have children draw pictures of
themselves playing with friends, and
label and display the artwork.

Facing Prejudice

the seemingly safe confines of the

Take an active role against hurtful situ

ations that occur among children. For
example, if a child uses a racial epi

classroom, children can feel lost or

thet, determine his or her understand

frightened. Following are examples of

methods used in Starting Small. Par
ents will also find these strategies
helpful at home.

ing of the term. Explain that such

words are mean and make people feel

and video understand that even within

bad.

Encouraging Self-Discipline

will lead. Create a relaxed atmo

sphere for questions and answers

about disabilities and other matters.

The Starting Small resource kit is

available free of charge to elemen
tary principals, child care directors
and teacher education department
chairs upon written request. Quali
fied educators should mail re

quests for free materials on your

program's letterhead/stationery to
Starting Small, Teaching Tolerance,
400 Washington Ave., Montgomery,
AL 36104, ATTN: Order Depart
ment. Requests may also be sent
by fax to 334-264-7310.
For paid orders, send your re
quest with a check or credit card
authorization for $25 to the same
address. Purchase orders can not

be accepted.

Create "Peace Tables" where chil

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION for the EDUCATION of YOUNG CHILDREN Web: http://www.naeyc.org/naeyc

1509 16th Street, N.W., Washington, DC 20036-1426 202-232-8777 800-424-2460 FAX: 202-328-1846

Copyright 1997byNational Association for the Education ofYoung Children. Reproduction ofthismaterial isfreely granted, provided creditisgiven
to the National Association for the Education ofYoung Children.