Kindergarten: Building Children's Cultural Competence

Queenslandkindergartenlearningguideline

Professionaldevelopment|Module2:Examine

Buildingchildren’sculturalcompetence

Thisdocumentprovidesideastohelpplanarangeoflearningopportunitiestodevelopchildren’sculturalcompetencethroughouttheyear.Itisimportantthatplansremainflexibleandopentochangeinresponsetochildren’semerginginterestsandinteractionswithotherchildren,andfamilyandcommunitymembers.Itisalsoimportantthatteacherspurposefullyintroduceideastobroadenchildren’sunderstandingandappreciationofdiversity.

Whenselectingexperiences,teacherscanavoidpresentingculturalstereotypesorpracticesasexoticby:

• sharinganddiscussingimages,storiesandinformationaboutboththetraditionalandcontemporarylivesofdiversepeoples

• drawingattentiontothestrengthsofculturalpracticesandwhythesepracticesarevalued

• findingoutaboutandrespectingprotocols,e.g.identifyingwhocanshareaculturalstory,waystoappropriatelydiscussparticularculturalpracticesandwhetherculturalobjectscanbehandled.

Tohelpchildrenbuildconnectionsbetweentheirownexperiencesandnewlearning,teacherscandrawonfamilyandcommunitymembers,whocancontributetopromotinglearningaboutdiversityinauthenticandrespectfulways.Documentingchildren’slearningaboutdiversitythroughouttheyear(e.g.usingphotographsandcaptionsorrecordinglearningstories)alsohelpsmakeconnections,aschildrencanrevisitpastlearning,makelinkstonewlearningandsharethisknowledgewiththeirfamiliesovertime.

Focus:Howarepeoplethesameanddifferent?
Broadfocusquestions
•Howarepeoplethesameanddifferentfromeachother?Howiseachchildsimilartoanddifferentfromtheirfriends(e.g.eyecolour,skintone,haircolour/length,boyorgirl,age,interests,abilities)?
•Whyarepeopledifferentfromeachother?Howarepeople’sculturalheritagesevidentinwhattheydo,say,wearand/oreat?
•Howiseachchild’sfamilysimilaranddifferenttootherchildren’sfamilies?
•Howdopeopleshowrespectforandvaluediversityinwhattheysayanddo?
Linkstothelearninganddevelopmentareas
Identity:Buildingaconfidentself-identity
•Prideandconfidenceinwhotheyare,theirfamilyandculture
Connectedness:Showsincreasingrespectfordiversity
•Waystorespondtootherswithrespect
•Interestintheirownandothers’culturesandheritages
•Exploringaspectsofcultureandsimilaritiesanddifferencesamongpeople
•Awarenessofbiasandstereotyping
Focus:Howarepeoplethesameanddifferent?
Exploreculturalobjectsandimages
Createdifferentdisplaysofobjects/imagesthatlinktochildren’sculturalbackgroundsandlocalcommunityandthelocalAboriginalcommunityorTorresStraitIslandercommunity.
Focusesforlearning:
•Describeandcomparetheobjects.
•Discusshow/why/whentheymightbeused.
•Discusswhytheymaybeimportanttoaparticularculturalgroup.
•Identifythevalueandstrengthsoftheobjects/images.
•Makelinkstochildren’sownpractices/lives.
•Discusswaystocarefororhandletheobjects/images,showrespectandfollowculturalprotocols.
Listresources
•List—people,texts,posters,games,songs,materials
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•
Explorediverselanguages
Explorediverselanguagesusedbychildren/families/visitorsbyintroducingabookorlearningasongthatincludeswordsfromvariouslanguages.
Focusesforlearning:
•Explorereasonswhypeoplespeak/write/communicate.
•Explorelanguagesspokenbychildren/families/thecommunity.
•Explorewaystocommunicateifyoudonotspeakthelanguageofanotherperson.
•Learnandusewordsfromvariouslanguagesforrealpurposes,suchaswordsfromalocalAboriginallanguageorTorresStraitIslanderlanguage,oralanguagespokenbyafamily,e.g.greetingsandlabelsforplaces,objectsoractions.
•Explorewayspeoplerecordideas,e.g.differentcharacters/scripts,theuseofsymbols,pictures,ormovements.
Listresources
•List—people,texts,posters,games,songs,materials
•
•
Explorediversityinlifestyles(includinghow,whenandwhypeoplewearparticularculturalclothing,eatparticularfoods,celebrateandsharebeliefs)
Inviteafamilyorcommunitymembertoshareaspectsoftheircultureorheritage,suchasaculturalstory/songorfood,andexplainhow/when/whythestory/song/foodmaybeshared,e.g.aspartofacelebration,becauseitisaspecial/hard-to-preparefood.
Focusesforlearning:
•Discusstheculturalandfamilypractices/experiencesandwhytheyareimportanttopeople,e.g.acelebration,awayofteachingyoungerpeople,wayspeoplespendtimetogether.
•Makeconnectionstosimilar/differentpractices/experiencesinchildren’slives,e.g.celebrationswheretheywearspecialclothes,eatparticularfoods,doparticularthingsorgoplaceswithagrandparent/specialperson.
•Discusshowthepracticesorexperienceslinktootheraspectsofpeople’slives,e.g.waystostayhealthy,learnorlookafteryounger/olderpeople.
•Identifythevalueandstrengthsofthepracticesorexperiences.
•Discusswaystoshowrespectfordifferentpractices,e.g.showinterestinthefoodsfriendsliketoeatorfamilyactivities/celebrationstheirfriendstalkabout.
Listresources
•List—people,texts,posters,games,songs,materials
•
Focus:Howarepeoplethesameanddifferent?
Explorecultureexpressedthroughvisualarts,danceandmusic
Shareimagesinbooks,fromalocalmuseum/gallery,onlineorinvitelocalAboriginalartistsorTorresStraitIslanderartistsorartistsfromotherculturalgroupstoshare/performartworksimportantfortheirtraditionalandmodernlives.
Focusesforlearning:
•Viewanddiscussvisualarts,e.g.sculptures,masks,paintingsandexperiencedanceandmusicfromvariousAboriginalcommunitiesandTorresStraitIslandercommunitiesandotherculturalgroups.
•Makelinkstochildren’spersonalexperienceswithartworks,dancesandmusic.
•DiscussthesubjectmatterorlifeexperiencesrepresentedintheartworksbyAboriginalpeopleand
TorresStraitIslanderpeopleandwhytheyareimportant.
•Discussthesubjectmatterorlifeorlifeexperiencesrepresentedinartworksfromarangeofculturalgroups,particularlythosethatareconnectedtochildren’slives.
•Discusswhyparticularsymbols,movements,andmusicareimportanttoparticularculturalgroups,andwaystoshowrespectforthese.
•Describe/explorewaystocreatesymbols,e.g.usingcolour,line,gestures,seriesofmovements,useofvoiceorparticularinstruments.
•Supportchildrentocreatepersonalsymbols(ratherthancopyingsymbolssignificanttootherpeople)torepresentwhatisimportantintheirworld/life(e.g.waystorepresentfamily,friends,theirhomeandlocalplaceswhenpainting,dancingandmakingmusic).
Listresources
•List—people,texts,posters,games,songs,materials
•
•
Exploreculturaltoolsandtechnology
Sharefictionandnonfictiontexts,viewitemsfromamuseum,searchwebsitesorinvitelocalAboriginalelders,familyorcommunitymembersorTorresStraitIslanderelders,familyandcommunitymemberstosharethetoolsandtechnologiesthatareimportantfortheirtraditionalandmodernlives.
Focusesforlearning:
•Identifytools/technologieschildrenarefamiliarwithanduseintheirdailylives.
•Exploretraditionalandmoderntools/technologiesusedbyAboriginalpeopleandTorresStraitIslanderpeople,orpeoplefromarangeofculturalbackgrounds.Makelinkstochildren’spersonalexperiences.
•Discusshowandwhypeopleindifferentcommunitiesmayuse/haveuseddifferenttools/technologies.
•Invitefamilyorcommunitymemberstohelpchildrenuseparticulartools/technologiesforarealpurposewhilefollowingappropriateprotocols,e.g.tocook,eat,write,drawormakemusic.
Listresources
•List—people,texts,posters,games,songs,materials
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•
Exploreculturalstories
Shareavarietyofculturalstoriesrelevanttochildren’sinterestsandotherlearningexperiences,e.g.animalsorgardening,anaturaloccurrencesuchasarainbow.
Focusesforlearning:
Invitefamily/communitymemberstoshareculturalstoriesandexplainwhythestoryisshared/whyitisimportant.
Shareanddiscussculturalstoriesinbooks,onDVDsoronwebsites,andmakelinkstochildren’spersonalexperiences,e.g.whendoesyourfamilycometogethertosharepersonalstories/experiencesfromthepastorpresent?
Provideopportunitiestoexperiencestoriessharedindifferentways,e.g.verballyorthroughsong,recordedinbooks,toldwhiledrawingsymbolsinthesandorwiththehelpofobjects,usingdanceordramatotellthestory.
Share‘told’AboriginalstoriesorTorresStraitIslanderstories,suchasTiddalicktheThirstyFrog,an
Focus:Howarepeoplethesameanddifferent?
AboriginalstoryfromtheMurrayRiverregion.Explainwhotoldthestory,towhomitwastoldandwhy,
Exploreculturalstories
e.g.toexplainanaspectofthenaturalworld,asocialruleorimportantculturalpractice.
Innovateonculturalstoriestohelpchildrenunderstandthemessagesorpurposesofthestories,e.g.substituteacharacter/situationsochildrenseetherelevanceofthestorytotheirownlives.
Invitechildrentorespondtopartsofculturalstoriesbydrawing,painting,moving,dramatisingorretelling.
Listresources
•List—people,texts,posters,games,songs,materials
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