Our children learn through play and are encouraged to explore the diverse world around them. At Banana Moon Day nursery, we have a bespoke Early Learning and Development Programme. It focuses on the environment changing to suit the children and their needs. With this framework in place in all our nurseries, we can adapt to topics children want to explore. At Banana Moon Day Nurseries, a child and their life is represented as much as we possibly can. Especially at an early age; being able to see elements of their own lives in the books they read or the toys they play with gives each child in our nurseries a feeling of belonging. This is something we implement daily, not just for specific events or months.
“Diversity describes differences in age, culture, family structures, disabilities, ethnicity, gender, religion and sexual orientation. Understanding of a diverse world also includes understanding technological and ecological diversity. There’s diversity in all communities. The more experience children have of being out and about in their community the more they are able to understand their community and make a contribution” –GOV.Uk
We make sure all our nurseries highlight the diverse world we live in. From an early age, children begin to grow their understanding of the world. From the different colours of leaves to buildings in their community, it’s all a diverse landscape that children are learning. For example, if a child wants to know about a religious building they have never seen before then we will discuss what the building is and what it is used for. Similarly, if a child wants to dress up in a costume, we do not restrict them to one type based on their gender, giving them equal opportunity to use all the resources at their disposal.
But why is it so important to educate children from a young age?
From the moment a child is born they are starting to figure out the world they live in. As young children, they are not yet aware of bias and therefore can learn more to prevent bias in the first place.
“One of the earliest stages of cognitive development begins with the infant’s ability to distinguish him/herself from others (Alcock, Carment, & Sadava, 2005).
By the time children reach toddlerhood, they can correctly discern racial diferences and use gender labels (Ramsey, 2004), yet they still struggle with understanding exactly what these constructs mean (Sprung, 2007).
Preschool children actively construct their own self identities by examining their similarities and diferences from others (Cross, 1991). Preschoolers ask questions about their own and others’ racial, linguistic, and gender attributes (Ramsey, 2004). Preschoolers are cognizant of family structure and socio-economic diferences and the values society attaches to them (Tatum, 2003).” – Interculturalism: Addressing Diversity by Ani N. Shabazian
So, at such a critical age of learning and understanding, we will always ensure your child is finding out about the wonderful world they live in and the amazing people they share it with.
