Multicultural Resources T here are many types of activities and resources that can enhance children's multicultural learning. Family stories, written by children and parents about themselves as families and shared in the classroom, can stimulate tremendous growth and sensitivity. Such stories might include historical anecdotes about ancestors, accounts of family struggles, and humorous incidents. Good children's literature addresses real problems and can be used as a basis for classroom discussion. Relating literature to concrete activities such as performing drama and making artifacts is essential.
Children respond enthusiastically to storytelling by parents, grandparents, neighbors, and teachers.
Such stories should be related to children's interest, developmental level, and cultural context. Videotapes, sometimes accompanied by companion books, provide a means for enhancing children's cultural understandings. Music and drama, either recorded or produced by the children themselves, are effective for supporting children's multicultural development. Families and teachers can use field trips to enrich children's ethnic, racial, and cultural understanding. Visits to local restaurants, museums, workplaces, churches, and government facilities offer beginning points for learning about community diversity.