Meaghan Smith

10/16/15

1
A. Description of diversity evaluation activity

I did my diversity evaluation at an after school program at an elementary school. I

observed 16 Kindergarten-First grade students during their after school activities. The
part of the day that I was evaluating included circle time, snack time, recess, homework
time, free time, and art. There were children from several different ethnicities present.
The classroom was very bright and cheery with a wall that was all windows and
children's art work posted throughout the classroom. The teacher used a puppet when
speaking with the kids and passed the puppet around during circle time so that the student
holding the puppet was the one who was allowed to talk. The teacher played culturally
diverse music and had a wide range of culturally diverse books for the students to read.
The teacher greeted the students in more than one language, on this particular day the
teacher used English and Spanish. There were plenty of diverse art supplies, dress up
clothes, instruments, books, and posters to make everyone feel represented and included.
B. Findings
Diversity in the ECE Classroom Checklist
Select Items from the ECERS (Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale)
Promoting acceptance of diversity
Books, pictures, toys, print and AV materials:

Races
Cultures
Ages
Abilities
Gender

Props:

Dress up clothing (representing different countries and customs)

Dolls and puppets (representing people of different cultures)
Small toy people representing various ethnic groups, for use with
blocks

Meaghan Smith
10/16/15

o
o
o
o
o
o
o

Play food representing different cultures

Cooking utensils representing different cultures
Baby carriers from different cultures
Play money from different countries
Pieces of fabric or blankets typical of different cultures
Real equipment used by people with disabilities
Equipment for dolls representing certain disabilities

Diversity as part of daily routines:

o
o

Ethnic foods are served often as meals or snacks

Staff use some words in different languages to talk about routines
Music from varying cultures is used at naptime
Staff say hello or good bye in different languages
Family traditions and utensils are provided at meals and snacks, if
desired

Diversity as part of play activities:

o Cooking activities, foods representative of other cultures are

prepared by children

o Bingo is played in different languages

Children regularly dance to music from various cultures
Art materials and activities associated with different cultures are
used colored

Sands for sand paintings, clay for making pottery, origami paper
folding activities

Meaghan Smith
10/16/15

Musical instruments representing various cultures

Children celebrate winter holiday of many different cultures
o People come in to teach children folk songs of different countries
Children learn dances from different countries
o Children see a video of games children play in other countries

IMPORTANT:
2 or more different races, cultures, and ethnic groups are represented
Presence of diversity must be in classroom and obvious
All categories of diversity listed need to be included to some degree
Activities are done with children at least 4 times a year

Books and Pictures

A wide selection of:

Fantasy
Factual Information
Stories about People
Stories about Animals
Nature/science
Different races and cultures
Different abilities

Additional language materials used daily to encourage children to communicate

Posters and pictures

Flannel board stories in book area
Picture card games
Recorded stories and songs

Meaghan Smith
10/16/15

o
o

Listening center with CD / tape player

Puppets in book area
Small figures in block area
Animals in block area
Telephones
Dramatic play props
Dolls

IMPORTANT:
A wide selection of books (3-4 examples of each type), rotated to maintain
interest with at least 3 relating to current theme, are organized in a reading center
and are accessible for a substantial portion of the day. (At least 20 books for a
group of 15 children plus one extra for each additional child)
Books, materials, and activities do not show violence in a graphic way and are
appropriate for children in the group.
Book should include simpler books for younger children, large print books for
visually impaired, books in the primary language of children, rhyming games for
older children.
Staff reads books to children informally daily. (During free play, at nap time, as an
extension of an activity)
C. Recommendations

A few recommendations that I have would be for this classroom to invest in some
books/toys that represent disabilities. I would also recommend that they invest in more
culturally diverse play food, play money, and utensils. I would also suggest maybe having
a word of the day from a different language. I know the teacher already incorporates
different languages in her greeting, but it could be fun for the children to learn other
words or phrases in different languages as well.

D. References

Meaghan Smith
10/16/15

Browne, Kathryn. Gordon, Ann. 2014. Beginning and Beyond: Foundation in Early
Childhood Education. 9th ed. Washington DC: NAEYC.

E. Reflection on Learning
I was surprised at the amount of culturally diverse books and toys that were in the
classroom I went to. I thought this evaluation was really helpful for me especially in
editing my classroom design and choosing what kinds of things I would like to have in
my classroom. I have learned that the checklist in our textbook will be a very valuable
tool to me as an educator. It is so important to be sure that even if we as teachers do not
know everything about a particular culture or disability that it is still our job to make
students from a different culture or with a disability comfortable and included in our
classroom. I know that I will definitely strive to make my classroom as diversity friendly
as I can.