Abstract
Multicultural education is still a difficult practice to define and even more so to effectively implement for most teachers in the USA. The lack of diversity among teachers in the USA puts further road blocks in the way of teaching culturally relevant curriculum as they often come to the practice with little or no multicultural experiences themselves. Even for those committed to multicultural teaching, the path to achieve this is often unclear. Mariana Souto-Manning’s book, Multicultural Teaching in Education in the Early Childhood Classroom: Approaches, Strategies and Tools, Preschool–2nd Grade does more than define multicultural education and justify the need; it offers examples of practical strategies to use specifically in Early Childhood classrooms to implement multicultural education. According to Souto-Manning, “While this book proposes a collection of approaches, strategies, and tools in action, it takes a crucial and situation perspective” (p. 8). I will begin with an overview of the book, followed by my own critique as a teacher educator.
Overview
The book begins by taking on the daunting task of defining multicultural education. The author calls out teachers who claim to be multicultural educators simply because they provide multicultural materials in their classroom. She challenges the reader to be “critically multicultural,” facing their own bias and stereotypes and resisting the idea that diverse individuals come with deficits or are in some way inferior. The book stresses the importance of focusing on the idea of fairness with children, as this is a concept young children can relate to easily. The aim of multicultural education is to teach children to care and to understand the importance of social justice in the world to increase equity for all students. The teachers whose stories she brings into this book believe that teaching is a political act, taking action to make a difference. The idea of taking action is one then transferred to the students through engaging and meaningful exploration of similarities, differences and inequities.
The second chapter looks at transformative education as it relates to self, teaching and society. Multicultural education is transformative teaching by nature according to Souto-Manning. It takes a progressive stance for reimagining and transforming education. The book acknowledges the institutional influences and the need to work within the system. Teachers are encouraged to know the Common Core State Standards well in order to find the wiggle room to teach culturally relevant curriculum. Facing the issues of power and understanding how this marginalizes groups is a goal of multicultural education. For example, the author refers to “Mainstream American English” as the “power code” for the dominant culture and the importance of respecting the ability to code switch as needed in diverse contexts.
Chapters three through eight look at multicultural education through the lens of teachers. Effective multicultural teachers from diverse classroom contexts describe and discuss strategies they use in their own classrooms. Samples of multi-pedagogical strategies in action specifically for Early Childhood Education give the reader what feels like a hands on experience of multicultural education in action. Chapter three explores the use of interviews in the Early Childhood classroom. Through interviewing family members and community experts, children gain new perspectives from authentically multicultural sources. The knowledge they gain can spark future inquiry based on their own interests and personal connections to a topic. Chapter four discusses the need for critical inquiry in the classroom and how teachers can support the children’s investigation. The touching story of a classroom of 2nd grade children’s inquiry into where clothing is made that lead to research on unions, labor laws, and strikes brought to life the extent to which young children can engage in meaningful critical inquiry from a multicultural perspective. Chapter five introduces “culture circles” as a strategy for multicultural teaching where children come together to discuss an unfair issue and how they can plan to take action to create positive change. The book not only convinces the reader of the usefulness of starting these discussions with children’s literature, but offers a comprehensive list of multicultural children’s books to include in the classroom.
Chapter six puts the focus on the community and home. The child cannot be separated from the greater context of their environment outside of the classroom. The knowledge gained in the home and in the community should have equal value in the multicultural classroom even if the rules of participation in each context are different. Making the connection between home, school, and community is the goal of a multicultural educator. This begins with home visits before school starts according to the 1st grade teacher highlighted in this chapter. The focus needs to be on creating relationships and bridging the gap. In chapter seven, the use of technology as a tool for mediating multicultural teaching is described by a 2nd grade teacher. She shares her real life example of her students creating podcasts to reach listeners around the world, creating a multicultural and international experience for those children. Technology can be the key to exploring the world beyond your classroom and community. In chapter eight, a kindergarten teacher reflects on storytelling and story acting as strategies for multicultural teaching. “Story acting is about coming together as a community – not to see who is better or faster, but to co-construct a rendition of a story and perhaps move toward change” (p. 114).
Voice of a teacher educator
From the perspective of a teacher educator in Early Childhood Education, this book offers a concise, practical and engaging map for understanding and navigating multicultural teaching. It has never been a challenge for me to impress upon my students the importance of multicultural teaching, but as is the case with most methods taught in education, they want to see it in practice in order to understand how to enact it themselves. The open, honest examples by practicing teachers in this book allow the reader to recognize their own ability not only to understand multicultural teaching – but to implement it in a way that makes sense. The author begins where multicultural education should, by challenging teachers to face their own personal biases and privileges first. She encourages them to engage in critical reflection of their own practices.
Perhaps one of the most impactful pieces of this book for teachers feeling the pressure to teach to tests is the reassurance that culturally responsive teaching does not have to come at the expense of academic rigor and meeting the Common Core State Standards (p. 8). The list of multicultural children’s books and the “plan to get started” are greatly beneficial to jump start the practice of multicultural teaching. I especially appreciated the discussion of the importance of respecting languages in the classroom that are not Mainstream American English as well as the importance of home visits. These are two issues that are often brought up when discussing the perceived challenges of working in inner city schools. Overall, I can say that I would be pleased to use this book in teaching Early Childhood preservice teachers as I think they would connect well to it. I find it comprehensive, informative and practical.
Conclusion
The author admits that this book is not a “how to” book. It does, however, offer examples of realistic strategies used with young children in the classroom. The teachers’ stories are the book’s most impactful piece. This book stands out largely due to the practicality of the strategies for application in the classroom. The discussion of the meaning and importance of multicultural teaching is powerful and inclusive of multiple perspectives. It encourages teachers and students to engage together in the critical reflection and take action for equity and social justice. This would be an excellent book for preservice teachers as well as those practicing teachers who wish to practice multicultural teaching in an appropriate and meaningful way. As Souto-Manning notes, Mostly, engaging in multicultural education is about embracing a perspective common to all strategies, tools, and approaches explored in this book, a critical multicultural perspective – listening to children, learning from them and their families, and creating spaces for multiple perspectives and points of view to expand the curriculum (p. 118).