2.5 hour workshop

Hope and Direction: Helping Children Understand Diversity

Children notice differences in others starting at birth. This includes awareness of variances in physical appearance and abilities, gender, culture, and families (Derman-Sparks, L., 2009 & York, S., 2016). Teachers may notice that children use stereotypes and social labels when interacting with others (or avoiding them). As cognitive abilities advance, children question differences regarding race and culture. During this time, a child’s experiences and perceptions influence the development of acceptance or prejudice.

In this workshop, we will explore stages of children’s developing awareness of differences from infancy through age 5. This will include discussion on children’s developing awareness of diversity, attitudes toward race and culture, and their tendency to exclude and include others based upon certain stereotypes. Participants will explore strategies to teach children about diversity and a respect for differences.
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Upon enrollment in this workshop, you will have 2 weeks to complete all course content and submit your evaluation. Once the training is successfully completed, a 2.5 hour training certificate will be issued.

100% of this training will address the issues of “diverse learners”

Learning Objectives

Upon successful completion of this workshop, participants should be able to:
    1. Discuss children's developing awareness of differences from birth through age 5.Discuss children's developing awareness of differences from birth through age 5.
    2. Illustrate influences on children's attitudes toward others and impact on exclusion or inclusion of others 
    3. Explore and use strategies to teach children about diversity and a respect for differences.

The Institute for Education and Professional Development, Inc.

The Institute for Education and Professional Development, Inc. was established in 2005 to provide professional development and consultation services to early childhood programs and educators. We work collaboratively with programs, educators, and agencies to improve the quality of education and care for young children and families.

IEPD has master instructors who provide training, coaching and mentoring services. Each of the IEPD instructors receives training on adult learning principles, training design and delivery, and evaluation. All of the IEPD instructors have worked in the field of early childhood education, bringing their own experiences and "lessons learned" to the training.

Our trainings are fun, engaging, and are filled with important information and resources. We want to work with you, hear your stories, successes and challenges, and provide assistance to help you in your work.
Patrick Jones - Course author
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