While exploring NAEYC's website further I came across "Useful Links for Anti-Bias Educators", then I found National Association for Bilingual Education (NABE). This organization has affiliations in 20 states and has been operating since 1975.
NABE researches DLL issues and the current state of the DLL teaching practice. It provides professional development, advocates to raise awareness, secure funds, and it creates policies.
This week I chose to focus on NABEs publication Perspectives. Perspectives targets all education stakeholders and has a similar format to NAEYCs journal Teaching Young Children. However, it is only published 4 times a year. It provides information about bilingual education and DLL children.
One of the articles feature in the most recent issue is "Did I Say Your Name Correctly? Strategies for creating a culture of respect". This very interesting article emphasizes the increasing diversity in the USA and that 10% of the total school population is made of English Language Learners. Therefore it is crucial to have a respectful, welcoming environment to receive and accommodate this population, and the first step is to learn to say/pronounce children's name correctly.
The rationale in the article is that one's name is one's identity and "by pronouncing students’ names correctly, you can foster a sense of belonging and build positive relationships in the classroom, which are crucial for healthy social, psychological, and educational outcomes." But how does this small initiative help all? It fosters cultural awareness, respect, and appreciation for diversity.
It also mentions that skilled cross-cultural teachers validate and celebrate these rich cultural differences, while employing a variety of techniques, strategies, and approaches, thus successfully reaching families, serving as role models and establishing strong partnerships with diverse families.
http://www.naeyc.org/publications/books/supplements/antibias
https://www.xcdsystem.com/nabe/files/NP_Vol40_Issue1_2016_R5.pdf
Renata,
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed reading your post. The article you shared was very interesting. I also find it very important to have a respectful and welcoming environment in an effort to increase diversity. Saying one's name correctly, I believe, is one of the highest forms of showing respect to the individual. I agree that it does give the individual a sense of belonging when their name is known and is accurately pronounced.
Thanks for sharing.
Angela.
Renata,
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed reading your post. The article you shared was very interesting. I also find it very important to have a respectful and welcoming environment in an effort to increase diversity. Saying one's name correctly, I believe, is one of the highest forms of showing respect to the individual. I agree that it does give the individual a sense of belonging when their name is known and is accurately pronounced.
Thanks for sharing.
Angela.
Thank you for your contribution this week, Renata. I love when a site supports professional development, advocates to raise awareness, secure funds, and creates policies. These are important aspects we are looking for to help the young children that need it the most. Something you mentioned was respect - this is one of the most important aspects in our classrooms. The little'est of respect could move mountains. Especially towards a culture that is not your own. Our classrooms are filled with diversity, and if it isn't yet, it will be very soon. The sooner we educate ourselves and get our teachers trained, the easier. Great post! =)
ReplyDeleteWhat a great find! I will admit I am terrible at pronouncing names correctly and I feel bad every time. I usually ask them to say it for me the first time and I work really hard to pronounce it right after that. Thank you for sharing .
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with you that the first step in creating a welcoming environment is to pronounce the child's name correctly. It seems so simple but sometimes we forget how often this happens. I for one have a name that has many spellings. While I don't mind if my name is spelled incorrectly from time to time, it hurts more if it's a consistent issue. I have had employers and coworkers spell my name wrong on official documents or via email repetitively. It was most hurtful when my name was stamped on the bottom of each of my emails and they didn't take the time to spell my name correctly. As an adult this bothered me. As a child, this could do so much more harm, especially if the child does not have a common name. It is definitely not a welcoming feeling.
ReplyDelete