How Culturally Diverse Preschool Programs Benefit Young Children

Many parents seeking a Brookline preschool or Brookline childcare program prefer one that includes the same cultural diversity found in the community, among other reasons. The presence of diversity in the setting and curriculum used by Brookline preschool or even Brookline childcare centers carries many benefits for the families as well as the children.

For many families, the neighborhood in which they live is more culturally diverse and they want their child to attend a preschool in Brookline or Brookline childcare center that reflects the same. Others may simply prefer their children attend a preschool in Brookline that reflects their diverse cultural heritage.

Generally, by the time children reach the age 4 they are becoming aware of differences between themselves and other children in their neighborhood or in their Brookline preschool. This can include differences in skin color, religion, or spoken language. Therefore, when a child attends either a preschool in Brookline or daycare in Brookline it provides the perfect opportunity for them to learn cultural diversity.

Programs rich in cultural diversity benefit youngsters by helping them develop broader language skills, increased cultural awareness, and instill a feeling of cultural pride. In addition, programs of diversity helps build a sense of connection with the surrounding community.

Because language and culture are intertwined, preschools in Brookline and programs for children in daycare in Brookline that promote diversity offer bi-lingual programs. Typically, programs are in English and Spanish or English and another language. These programs are of obvious benefit to children who speak another language, but they’re also beneficial to children who don’t because they provide all children a richer opportunity to develop language skills including sentence structure, vocabulary, and grammar.

A culturally diverse Brookline preschool program is not just about language however, it’s also about celebrating similarities as well as differences. The focus of culturally diverse programs includes languages that are spoken, foods that are eaten, toys that are played with, and holidays and unique cultural celebrations.

Activities such as singing songs in other languages, playing musical instruments, eating foods, or reading fairy tales from another country or culture make daycare in Brookline, or a preschool in Brookline lively and interesting places to learn for students. Exposure to different cultures through attending a preschool in Brookline that offers programs and the diversity of the students themselves serve children well in the long run, giving them the skills to flourish in the increasingly culturally diverse world around them.

By: Jane Bartlett

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Jane Bartlett is a retired educator who spent much of her career in leading Brookline preschool programs and providing daycare in Brookline. She now writes extensively on early education issues and remains active locally in Brookline's preschool community.