Key Points and Reflection: Teaching Young Children in Multicultural Classroom Essay

One of the key points discussed in Chapter 10 is the impact of culture on learners. According to Melendez and Beck (2019), “because culture influences the raising of children, learning about child-rearing patterns opens doors to an understanding of the family’s and child’s behavior” (p. 274). Another important theme in this section is ways of engaging the community and families in facilitating a multicultural classroom. The more information an educator has about the families in their class, the better equipped they will be to collaborate effectively (Melendez & Beck, 2019). Teachers can create various tools to help them learn more about their learners’ backgrounds. For instance, they can design their questionnaires and assessments tailored to their communities’ specific needs. The last subject learned in this book is how to create a positive relationship with this group. Melendez and Beck (2019) argue that any good partnership relies on effective communication. Generally, educators are usually in a place to lay the groundwork for a productive and long-term rapport the first time they meet the parents.

I am a voluntary prekindergarten program (VPK) teacher with four-year-old children. Previously, I thought that culture and multicultural classroom issues do not impact learning at preschool levels. However, after starting to volunteer, I realized that families impact the learners even at a younger age. Knowing about family history helped me avoid confrontation and discrimination. Essentially, many groups have put their differences aside to live together and educate one other in their unique ways in the past, and this can be done in a classroom. Melendez and Beck (2019) argue that as educators, we must recognize that teaching the whole child includes considering their cultural background. Generally, the school environment is the finest venue for teachers and children to accept diversity.

Reference

Melendez, W. R., & Beck, V. (2019). Teaching young children in multicultural classrooms: Issues, concepts, and strategies (5^th ed.). Cengage Learning.