Cultural diversity in the early years

In the handbook, ‘Working with the revised early years foundation stage: principles into practice’, Julian Grenier emphasises the importance of high-quality settings who understand their communities and respect and value the different needs and experiences of their children and families and “celebrate [their] cultural and linguistic diversity.”  (2021: p.15)

Learning about the diverse world we live in, is part of the EYFS.

“Diversity describes differences in age, culture, family structures, disabilities, ethnicity, gender, religion and sexual orientation. Understanding of a diverse world includes understanding technological and ecological diversity.” Help for early years providers (gov.uk 2022)

Within the revised educational programmes, the importance of cultural diversity in the early years is also high-lighted:

“Understanding the world involves guiding children to make sense of their physical world and their community … In addition, listening to a broad selection of stories, non-fiction, rhymes and poems will foster their understanding of our culturally, socially, technologically and ecologically diverse world …”

EYFS statutory framework for group and school-based providers (2024: p.12) EYFS statutory framework for childminders (2024: p.9-10)

When talking about Cultural Diversity in relation to Shropshire’s Early Years settings, it is important that the culture of the children that attend the setting is represented and celebrated. For instance, instead of celebrating Chinese New Year you may choose to celebrate the Romanian or Welsh national day. These need to be approached in the same way as you would celebrate Easter, for example.

It is important that practitioners understand child development so that they can develop a sense of the children’s own cultural identity, whilst introducing a few quality experiences of less familiar cultures.

Top tips

• Reinforce and reflect the children’s own family life so that they can develop a sense of their own culture.
• Celebrate and value cultural, religious and community events and experiences.
• Plan small world play and role play opportunities as a way to include cultural diversity through dressing up clothes, dolls, food and kitchen equipment.
• Invite visitors from different religious and cultural communities to share their experiences with the children.
• Share books (fiction and non-fiction) to introduce young children to their own culture and that of others.
• Provide materials which reflect a cultural spread, so that children see symbols and marks with which they are familiar e.g. Chinese script on a shopping bag.
• Being aware of cultural differences in attitudes and expectations, for example, in some cultures, it impolite to give adults eye contact.
• Continue to explain practice with parents / carers, ensuring a two-way communication using interpreter support where necessary.
• Discuss the cultural needs and expectations for skin and hair care with parents / carers, prior to the child starting the setting, ensuring that the needs of all children are met appropriately and that parents / carers wishes are respected.
• Draw on a wide range of musicians and storytellers from a variety of cultural backgrounds to extend children’s experiences and to reflect their cultural heritages.

More suggested activities can be found on the gov.uk website.