Here at Florence Roche, we value inclusion and try to model that for our students in the classroom and beyond. As adults, we understand that not all differences are visible on the outside, but they exist nonetheless. Children are surprisingly receptive to this concept, and it helps them gain better insight to their own personal strengths and weaknesses without judgement. Diversity will be approached in developmentally ways every year through our Social Emotional Learning (SEL) lessons.
First graders are revisiting a theme we started in Kindergarten about diversity. Students are watching We’re All Different and participating in conversations about what that means. The early grades constitute an expanding universe for young children, whose former experiences may have previously been limited to home and family. But as they become more group-oriented and develop social skills, children begin to compare themselves to their peers, and take notice of differences. We’re All Different helps the youngest students understand that even though everyone is different in lots of ways, everyone is special because he or she is “one of a kind.” They also learn that while we are all different, we are also alike in many ways. With the help of an engaging puppet host and catchy theme song, the program makes the following points:
• Everyone is special in his or her own special way.
• Some people look different, and some can do things others can’t do, but we’re all the same in some important ways.
• Working together, different people with different talents and abilities can make things the best they can be.
• People from different places have different customs and eat different foods.
• It’s important to respect differences in people’s cultures and tastes.
• Just because people are different doesn’t mean they don’t have the same feelings as everyone else.
Talk to your child about what he/she has learned from the program. All children receive daily messages about the differences between themselves and others, and they need to identify, understand, and appreciate the similarities.
Suggested Reading: Whoever You Are by Mem Fox, The Colors of the Earth by Sheila Hamanaka, The Story of the Infinipede by Bridget Noel Welch Kamke.
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