Cultural Diversity and Early Education

1. CULTURAL CONTEXTS FOR LEARNING 1

   The Challenge of Cultural Diversity, 1

   Origins and Purpose of the Workshop, 3

   The Role and Meaning of Culture, 5

   Assumptions About Children and Learning, 8

   The Report, 8

2. CULTURAL DIVERSITY AT HOME 10

   Parental Beliefs, 11

   Home Experiences that Support Learning, 12

   Social Conventions, 15

   Summary, 16

3. WHAT CHILDREN BRING TO SCHOOL 17

   Exposure to Early Learning Experiences, 18

   The Social Context of Learning, 21

   Effects on Children, 24

   Summary, 25

4. IMPLICATIONS FOR EARLY EDUCATION 27

   Goals of Early Education, 28

   How Teachers View Their Role, 29

   Effective Instruction in Diverse Classrooms, 30

   The Role of Parents, 31

   Summary, 33

5. DIRECTIONS FOR RESEARCH 34

   Children as Cultural Brokers, 34

   Bilingual Language Instruction, 35

   Effective Educational Practices, 35

   Nonminority Children as Beneficiaries of Cultural Diversity, 36

   Sampling Strategies for Studying Culture and Social Class, 36

   The Community Context of Multicultural Education, 37

   Research Capacity, 38

REFERENCES 39

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