Social Justice Booklists – Critically reviewed selection of multicultural and social justice books for children, young adults, and educators.

Social Justice Books: Guide for Selecting Books By Louise Derman-Sparks – Based on “Ten Quick Ways to Analyze Children’s Books for Racism and Sexism.” Updated in 2013.*

American Indians in Children’s Literature – Dr. Debbie Reese of Nambé Pueblo and Dr. Jean Mendoza provide critical analysis of Indigenous peoples in children’s and young adult books. Here you’ll find blog posts, articles, book reviews, and more.

The Diverse Bookshelf – A collection of resources from Reading Rockets that offer guidance on finding high-quality fiction and nonfiction books. Here you can also hear from children’s authors about their own experiences growing up and the books they write for young readers.

Everyday Diversity for Children: 55+ Kids’ Books for Preschool Through Primary Grades – A booklist showcasing diverse characters in everyday situations of contemporary life. These books show children interacting with clothes, toys, food, relatives, friends, fears, hopes, and all the other things that go along with being a human child. The message is that diverse children are all around us, and the books allow those children to see themselves mirrored in these books.

♦ Indica que los recursos están disponibles En español

♦ NAEYC: Advancing Equity in Early Childhood Education Position Statement – Available in English, Spanish, and Mandarin

Talking to Children About Differences and Similarities – Explore how children’s ability to notice differences and similarities around them is key to their development. In this Head Start resource, learn how adults can facilitate children’s observations of the world.

♦ Side By Side: A Playbook on Centering and Promoting Equity in Early Education – Equity in early childhood care and education is a word we hear often, but what does it look like at the start of life? What does equity mean to the people most impacted by racism, marginalization, and other systems of oppression? This playbook was developed by School Readiness Consulting and centers powerful stories from families, providers, and ECE leaders sharing the triumphs and challenges of those who have committed to giving children a strong start.

♦ Multicultural Principles for Early Childhood Leaders – This Head Start resource is divided into 10 chapters and each chapter presents one multicultural principle, the research and guidance to support that principle, and questions and/or discussion activities. Programs may download the individual chapters, or the entire resource, in English or Spanish to use for their professional learning activities, or for personal professional development. 

Research to Practice Brief: Delivering on the Promise Through Equitable Policies – This publication, among many others, is the work of the Equity Research Action Coalition at the UNC Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute. Their mission is to conduct research that informs practices and policies aimed at protecting, promoting, and preserving the health, economic security, and cultural excellence of Black and other minoritized children and their families.

Tools  for Educators / Herramientas para educadores

Anti-Bias Classroom Observation Checklist: Environmental Evaluation

Checklist: Planning for a Multicultural Child Care Environment

Resources for Early Learning: Honoring Diversity – Best Practices

Resources for Early Learning: Honoring Diversity – Self-Assessment

Specific Strategies to Support Dual Language Learners (DLLs) When Adults Do Not Speak Their Language – Find tips classroom staff and home visitors can use when they do not speak the languages of the children in their care

♦ Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Tip Sheet Series – These tip sheets from the Illinois Early Learning Project provide practical strategies for early care and education professionals.

Resources for Families / Recursos para familias

Equity in Action: Tips for Parents and Caregivers – This tip sheet encourages parents and caregivers to reflect on the things they already do with their children to help them learn and practice equity. Building on these ideas, this resource suggests additional activities that families can make part of their routines to build a strong sense of social justice as children grow up and form their own identity. 

♦ 10 Tips for Teaching and Talking to Kids About Race – These tips from EmbraceRace are designed to help parents of all backgrounds teach and talk to their children about race early and often by lifting up age-appropriate activities that can be incorporated easily into your daily life.

♦ Indica que los recursos están disponibles En español

Head Start Early Childhood Learning & Knowledge Center (ECLKC) – Here you can find a collection of resources covering topics related to the fair and just treatment of all children, families, and those who support them — enabling everyone to achieve their full potential.

Cultural Diversity Toolkit – This online toolkit from Brookes Publishing provides links to essential resources for supporting cultural and linguistic diversity in your work with young children. You’ll find information on screening and assessing culturally diverse children, resources for working with families, tools for building culturally responsive classrooms and practices, and so much more. 

Inclusive Schools Network – The Inclusive Schools Network, sponsored by Stetson & Associates, Inc., is a web-based educational resource for families, schools, and communities, providing information and resources that facilitate inclusive education practices.

Promoting Racial Equity in Early Childhood – A collection of resources from Zero to Three that offer insight and guidance on racial justice and equity issues in early childhood.

♦ Nuevo Amanecer MAG – Bilingual Education Magazine. Make ourselves known as a magazine for educators and share stories and reinforce our main teachings. Publicize small education businesses in the Milwaukee, WI community Coming directly to homes and digital. Carmen Hernandez (Director of Proveedoras Unidas in Milwaukee).

Resources for Families / Recursos para familias

Parenting for Social Justice – A collection of resources from Zero to Three for families who want to raise children who stand up against racism and injustice

♦ Sesame Workshop – Here you’ll find a variety of resources to help children celebrate and understand their diverse world.

♦ Colorín Colorado – A bi-lingual site for educators and families of English language learners.

Is My Skin Brown Because I Drank Chocolate Milk? – TEDx – Dr. Beverly Tatum, author of the book Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? and Other Conversations about Race, discusses the importance of responding to children’s questions about race

School Suspensions are an Adult Behavior – TEDx – There is an epidemic of school suspensions in the U.S. and the downstream consequences are severe. Adults suspend students, and while that may sound obvious, Dr. Rosemarie Allen realized that the problem might be the solution. When dealing with the difficult behaviors of children, what if we turned our focus inward?

Honoring Diversity Module – In this 45-minute, self-paced tutorial from Resources for Early Learning, you will explore best practices in honoring diversity. Three short videos will show seasoned educators using best practices in action. After watching each video, you’ll review and reflect on what you’ve seen and heard. 

Getting Families Involved Module – In this 45-minute, self-paced tutorial from Resources for Early Learning, you will explore best practices in building positive and collaborative relationships with families. 

Reflecting on Anti-bias Education in Action: The Early Years – This film, produced by Debbie LeeKeenan and John Nimmo,  features vignettes of anti-bias strategies in early childhood classrooms interspersed with teachers reflecting on their practice. Also included is a resource page filled with helpful tools, articles, and resources.

Implicit Bias Module Series – This course from the Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race & Ethnicity will introduce you to insights about how our minds operate and help you understand the origins of implicit associations. You will also uncover some of your own biases and learn strategies for addressing them. Each module is divided into a short series of lessons, many taking less than 10 minutes to complete.

Don’t Look Away: Embracing Anti-Bias Classrooms – This recorded webinar from Boston University – Wheelock welcomes Boston Public Schools and lead authors of the book, Don’t Look Away: Embracing Anti-Bias Classrooms for a conversation on the importance of all early education professionals learning as change agents in the lives of young children and their families.

Advancing Racial and Ethnic Equity in Head Start – This webinar series promotes anti-bias and anti-racism strategies that Head Start and Early Head Start programs can use in their practices, services, and systems.