April 2014

The Office of Head Start National Center on Cultural and Linguistic Responsiveness (NCCLR) is pleased to announce the launch of the new Spring to Spring Series, Advancing School Readiness with the Office of Head Start’s Multicultural Principles. This series has a similar format as the Fall to Fall Series on Relationship-Based Competencies, which was developed by the National Center on Parent, Family, and Community Engagement.

The Spring to Spring Series is designed to help programs develop culturally and linguistically competent systems and services. Every other month, the series will highlight one multicultural principle. It also will provide corresponding NCCLR resources on the Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center (ECLKC). Staff will learn to use culturally responsive practices when supporting children’s progress toward school readiness.

Multicultural Principle 1

Every individual is rooted in culture. Every person is raised within a cultural group that has knowledge, rules, traditions, values, and beliefs specific to that group. As children, we consciously and unconsciously developed and learned cultural “rules of being.” As adults, we may choose to pass on some aspects of our culture while rejecting others. Some may come to think and feel that their “way of being” is the only right way. However, all cultures share certain similarities. Culture is shared through spoken language and behaviors, instruction, stories, sayings, songs, and poems.

Self-reflection and awareness help build cultural responsiveness. They can broaden understanding and acceptance of cultural attitudes and practices different from our own. Remember that the differences in people within a culture are much greater than in people across cultures.

Featured Resource

Multicultural Principle Learning Extensions: Principle 1 – Every Individual Is Rooted in Culture

These activities will help program staff extend and apply thinking around the first principle. Use the “What Is Culture?” poster to define and describe culture in your classroom. This resource also offers strategies to help staff connect with the home cultures of the children and families in the program.

The Revisiting and Updating the Multicultural Principles for Head Start Programs Serving Children Ages Birth to Five page contains PDFs for each principle, as well as a full version of the resource.

How to Subscribe

Select this link to subscribe to the series: http://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/hslc/tta-system/cultural-linguistic/center/spring/index.html

Please share this message with all staff in your program who may be interested in participating.

Questions?

If you have questions about these resources or the Spring to Spring Series, please contact NCCLR at ncclr@bankstreet.edu or ncclrinfo@edc.org.

Source: the National Center on Cultural and Linguistic Responsiveness and the Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center