3 Signs that a Preschool Celebrates Diversity

Whether you're part of a diverse family yourself or you just want your child to understand the importance of respecting and loving people from all walks of life, finding a preschool that celebrates diversity will be a great first step for your child. But how can you tell a preschool that really helps children learn about all races, cultures, genders and abilities apart from one which merely claims to? Here are three signs to look out for when choosing your little one's preschool.

1. Diverse Resources 

One of the first things you should look out for when visiting and assessing a preschool is diverse resources. Young children learn from a variety of different inputs, so it's important that session leaders utilise as many diversity-celebrating resources as possible. The books in the preschool library, for example, should feature children of all different types — ethnic minorities, disable children and children with atypical families.

Art supplies are another resource to look at. Does the preschool have 'multicultural' markers and crayons in a variety of skin tones? Don't forget about toys too. If there are dolls or figures in the toy collection, they should come in all shapes, sizes and colours.

2. A Diversity-Integrated Curriculum

While teaching special lessons about different types of people is one way for a preschool to educate about diversity, it's not necessarily the best way. Instead, a curriculum that has diversity woven throughout is a much better tool for helping young children understand and relate to people who are different to them. For example, information about Diwali (the festival of light) could be incorporated into a session about light and dark.

Likewise, when talking about important figures in the past and present, equal attention should be given to both men and women. Preschools who integrate these ideas into regular teaching sessions rather than singling diverse people out show that they understand the importance of showing children how everyone is the same on the inside.

3. Events for All Holidays

Most preschools in Australia will hold special fun days around Christmas time, but what about other cultural holidays? Nowadays, many preschools that are serious about diversity also host events for festivals like Diwali and Eid as well as other celebratory days like International Day of People with Disabilities.

A preschool acknowledging these special days shows that they're committed to showing your child all there is to know about the melting pot of Australia. Events that include making decorations, eating special food and perhaps even meeting speakers from other cultures also gives your child a more immersive and well-rounded understanding of the diverse world around them.