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Book Reflection #1

Book Reflection #1- Diversity in Early Care and Education

Diane Gonzalez

Pacific Oaks Collage

HD 300 – Professor Bielecki

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Book Reflection #1

Book Reflection #1-Diversity in Early Care and Education

In the book, Diversity in Early Care and Education Honoring Differences by Janet

Gonzalez-Mena (2008) she discusses the issue of diversity. Gonzalez-Mena explains the role of

adults and teachers at home and in child care settings when teaching children to honor diversity.

She adds that it is important for teachers to understand the values of other cultures in the

classroom because children learn from what we model. The primary goal for teachers and adults

is to honor the diversity and values of the child by adding to what they already know and not

taking away anything from their home value system. Lastly, I will discuss my personal

evaluation about the book.

The first few chapters deliberates the topic of cultural pluralism. This idea is defined as

individuals maintaining their own “unique identities while maintaining their membership in the

larger social framework” (Gonzalez-Mena, 2008). In child development centers the idea of

cultural pluralism is influenced by what one considers to be “normal.” In this case the word

“normal” is defined as norms that relate to one’s race, social status, religion, sexual orientation

and socio-economic status. As a teacher it is important to understand the population that one

serves because parents must feel at ease leaving their children at the center. Parent’s values and

beliefs must always be taken into consideration when teaching the child. It is the responsibility

of the teacher to meet the needs of the children and their families in culturally appropriate ways.

Uri Bronfenbrenner is the theorist that “urged us to move our focus from the child alone to the

child in the context of the family and community” (Gonzalez-Mena,2008). As a result of his

theory, child development centers began to introduce the notion of “family centered”

environments. This was especially important because child development centers began to realize

the significance families play in rearing their children.

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Another important factor in learning about cultural differences is to practice good

communication skills with parents. Some skills may include learning about personal space,

smiling, eye contact, touch, silence and time because these skills vary by culture. How quickly

one learns about them depends on one’s willingness to ask questions and getting out of your own

comfort zone. Working with a culturally diverse population can be difficult at times so when

problems arise it is the teacher’s job to reflect, try to understand their perspective and yours and

negotiate a solution that works best for both sides. Most importantly, always keeping the lines of

communication open with parents.

The next several chapters discuss the differences between individualists and collectivists.

It also deliberates different perspectives about play and how culture can influences play. Then

Gonzalez-Mena gives some examples of both key issues. Individualists are people that value

building self-esteem. Parents who are individualists make an effort to recognize their children’s

hard work. “When the child responds with a show of pride, the individualistic adult sees

evidence that self-esteem is rising” (Gonzalez-Mena, 2008). For example, individualists believe

in allowing a child to self soothe because for them it is developing “inner controls” consequently

the child slowly learns independence. The collectivist values being part of a group and “de-

emphasize individuality and independence” (Gonzalez-Mena, 2008). A “group” could mean

being part of a family, team, school or work environment. For example, in the Vietnamese

culture a mother may feed her child longer than most American women. For them simple acts

like feeding their children and dressing them are “solidifying connections” with adults. For

collectivists, it is acceptable to relay on adults because their “top priority is strengthening

relationships and moving children away from their independent urges”(Gonzalez-Mena, 2008).
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When the issue of play comes into discussion, an individualistic and collectivistic have

differing perspectives as well. In addition, their cultures also determine how adults interact with

children. Some cultures wish to promote a calm, peaceful, less stimulating environments for a

child because they worry children will become overstimulated thus creating “intense

interactions” with children and adults. In contrast, other cultures trust in exploration because it

develops “problem solving skills” in children. They believe a child who is able to move and

explore their environment builds “self-discovery” in a child. Gonzalez-Mena adds that children

with special needs benefit from this type of play. “The idea is for the teacher to pay close

attention to one child…being responsive, not directive…to find out what the child is interested

in” (Gonzalez-Mena, 2008).

The last key issue in Diversity in Early Care and Education Honoring Differences (2008),

is related to power and authority. Early childcare programs wish to empower children. The

meaning of empowerment is “based on the idea that power, like love, comes from within”

(Gonzalez-Mena, 2008). It is meant to “encourage children to express themselves honestly”

(Gonzalez-Mena, 2008) in a safe environment. The job of the teachers and adults in this chapter

in regards to discipline is to respect and honor the different cultures in the center but always

keeping in mind that physical punishment is never allowed in education settings. Teachers

should educate parents on alternative methods to discipline their children.

Overall, the ideas expressed in this book value the importance of culture, respecting the

individual child, family and honoring the differences that make our classrooms unique. Every

culture is different but the same in many ways. It is the role of the teacher to communicate with

parents so that they feel respected and valued. Children must also feel to explore the

environment so that learning can happen and teachers can contribute to their learning but not
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Book Reflection #1

take away from their home value system. Lastly, my personal opinion about the book Diversity

in Early Care and Education (2008) by Janet Gonzalez-Mena is that it offers useful information

about exploring our own ideas of culturalism and how our own behaviors influence our

classrooms. I appreciate how Gonzalez-Mena encourages the readers to get of our own comfort

zone and learn how to interact and communicate with people outside our culture so that we can

be good role models for the children in our classrooms. It was a good read and I enjoyed the

many examples she used because it helped me visualize examples happening in my classroom.
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References

Gonzalez-Mena, Janet. (2008). Diversity in Early Care and Education Honoring Differences.

New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.