Learning about religious and cultural diversity at ...



Learning about religious and cultural diversity at Rosshall Nursery

Headteacher: In our nursery it’s important for us that children are able to make a connection within their learning so we always start with what the children already know and then we build on that and that’s particularly important with learning about festivals. We always choose our festivals very carefully according to the children we have in the nursery so we’re celebrating festivals within the nursery that they would be celebrating at home with their families. Children can then bring their own knowledge to share with the other children in the nursery. We use a variety of contexts to teach the children what it means to celebrate a festival within a different culture. We might use stories and books, we might use food, so the children might be tasting different types of food. We quite often use the internet so we can be looking at websites that would be able to give the children more information.

Child Development Team Leader: The lead up to all the celebrations is a wee bit of background knowledge and then we just build it up in every area of the curriculum. So, for instance for the Chinese new year we did the talk about how the Chinese years are named after all the different animals, we did painting but we used the colours of the Chinese new year, we introduced some examples of Chinese writing so the children could see how other people write, we brought out books that have dual language so we could read them but also show them the symbols.

Headteacher: While children are learning about different festivals there are lots of opportunities for children to talk to each other about what happens at home and to share experiences and also for staff to talk to children and to encourage children to talk to each other as well, to provide opportunities for children to do that and some examples of that are snack time and group time. Child Development Officer: Can you say happy New Year in Chinese? Boy: No Child Development Officer: No. Kung Hey Phat Choi, Kung Hey Phat Choi, say it fast. Kung Hey Phat Choi.

Child Development Officer: We use that time to talk to the children, to promote sharing and caring and that’s a time when the children open up to us as members of staff about things that they do in their lives as well.

Parent: They know from an early age that there are different festivals, different cultures, different beliefs so when they get older and they get to school they say ‘do you know, don’t laugh at this person because they have to wear specific things or they have hair that has to be long, that’s their belief’.

Parent 2: I think probably if they have questions about these things and they’re asking them when they’re here and the nursery are excellent at addressing these things that there isn’t an awful lot for them to question when they come home because they know they can freely ask the staff here if they do have questions and that they’ll be answered, they’ll not be fobbed off. That’s why they’re so comfortable being around different cultures outside of nursery as well because to them, they’ve had any queries answered already.

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