Cultural Practices When Communicating With Diverse Families

[momotayeasmin]

Give two examples of cultural practices Educators need to consider when communicating with families and community members from diverse cultural backgrounds.
A preschool in NSW, which has no Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander children enrolled at present, decided that it was very important to enrich children’s understanding and respect for Indigenous cultures. So, the educator invited a local Aboriginal Elder to spend a day talking about the surrounding area—its history, foods, stories and language—and how Aboriginal people had cared for the land for centuries. The children were fascinated and continued to talk about what they’d learned for ages. Karen then invited the Elder back and asked the children’s families to come as well. Staff and parents said they learned an enormous amount and ‘it changed my attitudes about some things’
Uses Dreaming Stories in picture books and film to share Indigenous values, responsibilities and spiritual beliefs with children from a range of cultural backgrounds (Connor, 2007). They have found that children from very different cultural communities can relate to the stories, unpack the meanings and make connections to their own family and cultural beliefs..


is that correct?

[Lorina]

When spoken or written English is a barrier, interpreters or translated material can help educators and families communicate with one another. When working face to face with interpreters, always remember to talk to the family not to the interpreter. Ask questions to ensure families understand what has been said. It can be helpful to provide additional time to listen to families and allow them to ask questions too. Respect for diversity is also communicated by the environment and resources at an ECEC service; so it is helpful to be mindful of the messages your environment sends about diversity.

Cultural Differences

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Lorina