How to Bring a More Inclusive Perspective to Your Kids’ Education

What does it mean to bring an inclusive, diverse perspective to your children’s education, and why is that important to you?


Our family is African American, and it’s been important to my husband and I from the beginning that our children learn about our own background. When we were growing up, a lot of the curriculum we read and learned in school was taught from a Eurocentric perspective. We learned, for instance, about Christopher Columbus and the Pilgrims, but not much about the people who originally lived in this country. I learned about African American culture, music, and art at home, but it wasn’t something I was taught in school, and I was not taught about different cultures in Africa until college.



When it comes to my children’s education I want them to learn about the world from a variety of perspectives. It’s important that our kids grow up knowing they’re not the center of the universe. I want to teach them inclusivity, and that other people and cultures have value. I want them to learn this when they’re young so that they see and admire differences in other children!



I also want my children to love their culture and to develop a healthy sense of self as they grow up. When I was a child, straight, long hair was seen as beautiful and tightly curled hair like mine was not. I want my kids to grow up valuing African-centered beauty standards and feeling confident about their hair and skin. My children haven’t been exposed to the stigma surrounding being Black in the United States, and have a level of unapologetic confidence that neither my husband nor I had as young kids. They have a strong sense of self, and we want to keep that going.


What subject areas might parents want to focus on?


While science, math, and reading are important, I think it’s critical to teach children about history, art, and music, as well! My son loves to read and I make it a point to include books that reflect children from a variety of racial and ethnic backgrounds. (Might we suggest you introduce some of these 16 books to bring racial diversity to your child’s collection?) Recently, I was working on the syllabus for an art class with our homeschool co-op and when I looked at a sample syllabus, I noticed a lack of diversity in the featured artists. In the United States we tend to study European artists—the Monets and Picassos of the world—as well as American artists, but artists from other backgrounds are not appreciated as much as I’d like. So I edited the list to include artists from Japan, China and Native cultures, as well as African American and Mexican artists. Similarly, it’s important to diversify music education. Again, in the U.S. we tend to study the same composers. But it’s so easy to bring diversity into your music collection these days. Another way we integrate culture studies in our homeschool is to participate in cultural events! I enjoy exposing my children to cultural and religious celebrations that are not their own. My children still remember the Chinese New Year celebration we attended last year and look forward to participating in a Diwali celebration this year.


What are some of your favorite resources for kids?


These books all include realistic pictures and are full of photographs. In these books, young children can see and learn about children just like them and learn about their unique instruments or traditional dress.

National Geographic People of the World

A Life Like Mine: How Children Live Around the World

Children Just Like Me: A New Celebration of Children Around the World

This is My World



Food is another way to introduce different cultures into your child’s world. I enjoy exposing my children to food from around the world! And with young kids, toys are an important part of learning. I make sure that the figures and dolls we have in our home have different color skin and hair textures. In our play kitchen we like to include different cuisines as much as we can. My kids enjoy using their pretend food to make sushi, croissants, pita sandwiches, and pasta.


What do you recommend for parents who aren’t necessarily homeschooling, but want to make sure their kids have exposure to this type of curriculum?


With so many kids learning from home right now, this is a good opportunity for parents to take ownership of their kids’ education. We trust administrators and teachers to know what’s best for our kids, but when they’re doing school right in front of you, it gives you the chance to take a step back and ask yourself, what are they really learning? If you think it can be better, you can diversify the materials and supplement what they’re being offered. If you want to see change in your child’s school, remember that parents have the biggest voice, especially if they get together as a collective. Schools will change if there is a demand for it. The materials are out there. We all want to prepare our children for the future, and the future is not homogenous. We’re a global society, and it’s important for kids to have an education that is founded on a global perspective.