Incorporating conversations about race into the early childhood classroom gives children agency in exploring and embracing diversity in our society. Racial literacy, the skills needed to talk thoughtfully about race and to identify and respond to racism, is naturally incorporated into early childhood pedagogy when children are given the opportunity to notice diversity and the vocabulary to explore differences. Books can be gateways to meaningful dialogue, providing structure for exploration and prompting deeper inquiry.

In this interactive workshop, led by early childhood educator Crystal Elliott-O’Connor and children’s librarian Sarah Jo Zaharako, you will learn how to pair level-appropriate picture books with key language, prompts and activities that will give children agency in exploring the properties and qualities of racial differences and build on their natural sense of fairness and justice. 

Registration for the Early Childhood Enrichment Series is open to educators in all Alliance-member schools. Please sign up using the link in your 2023-2024 Member School Educator Program Guide. Contact us if you need a Program Guide or have questions about individual or school Alliance memberships.