Module 3: Living Inquiries – Well-Being and Belonging
Culture and Worldviews
All children’s cultures are welcomed, valued, and woven into programs in ways that are transformative.
Critically Reflective Questions
- How are children’s cultures welcomed, valued, and woven into my setting in ways that are transformative?
- How do policies, procedures, and administrative practices honour and strengthen connections to the diverse cultural communities in my region (including deaf culture, diverse ability culture)?
- Are community members invited and welcomed into my program to enhance
- Cross-generational learning
- Cultural learning
- Relational learning
- Think about styles and languages of communication including
- Gesture
- Eye contact
- Expression of feelings
- Independence
- Assertiveness
- How do these vary among different cultural groups?
Case Study: Culture and worldviews
At the pre-school, Hope and his mom are playing with a table full of pine cones, stones, and other items. Using the materials as inspiration, Hope creates a story related to his culture.
Hope’s Chinese New Year Story:
“Because the Chinese New Year is coming, all the forest animals hold a potluck. There are so many different kinds of Chinese traditional foods, like Chinese rice cakes, Chinese sausages, salted meat, and fish. The animals gathered for eating, singing, and dancing. They toasted to each other and said some kind words to each other.
There are so many activities to do: Guess riddles, enjoy hot springs, tree house adventure, climb the rock, and skiing. First, the dog came to Pine Cone. He picked one pine cone scale and there was a riddle there.
Here is the riddle: A small animal, hidden in the ground. His body is soft, and fish eats this animal. The dog is so wise! He knows the animal is an earth worm. He gets a bone to reward him. The snake and zebra enjoy warm spring weather and take a bath. They feel relaxed and comfortable. And the rest of the animals are skiing and climbing the rocks.
So, all of them have a happy New Year’s Eve.”
Reflective Questions
Hope’s culture is welcomed and valued in this preschool.
In what ways could you demonstrate connections to each child and each family in your practice?
How might you ensure parents/families, Elders, people of all cultures, languages, and spiritual knowledge keepers feel welcome in your program?
