Creating a Multicultural Environment at Home

TIPS

When creating a multi cultural environment, consider all areas of a childcare program (i.e., add baskets and ethnic materials to coloring area, kitchen area, building blocks area, etc.).

Ask yourself, "What can I share of myself to enrich children's lives?"

Make cultural learning part of the everyday routine to avoid a "tourist approach."

GUEST BIO:

Alec Colchico appears daily on A Place of Our Own as the series Imagination and Activity Expert. She has been a child development specialist for over 15 years, with a particular emphasis in early childhood education curriculum and social emotional development. Colchico has facilitated numerous workshops to Pre-K educators, childcare professionals, and family child care providers on a wide variety of child development topic areas, and has also been a guest speaker and professor at local community colleges and other early education meetings and conferences.

Some of her workshops have focused on the key elements of creative art for young children, developmental writing, physical environments, children's books and multiculturalism just to name a few. Alec lives in Southern California with her husband and her two young children.

For more information, go to www.aplaceofourown.org.