Help Children Develop a Secure and Accurate Identity

“It is a well-known fact that there is much more diversity within any large group than between two groups, whether the group is based on gender, race, ethnicity, income, age, ability, profession, or national origin,” writes Francis Wardle in the book, Cultivating Curriculum in Early Childhood Organizations. “For example, my wife is African American, her mother was Catholic, she attended K-12 Catholic schools, and her family has a proud heritage of college graduates. She is also enrolled in the Chickasaw tribe.”

Writing about early childhood programs, the author states: “There are many ways we can honor this wonderful complexity… Activities that are particularly helpful in developing and solidifying children’s identity include painting, music, dance, dress-up, dramatic play, face painting and hair care, looking at picture books, reading (and being read to), crafts, writing songs, writing personal journals, painting murals, and creating literary and photographic records of the family and of the community.” 

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