Free Reproducibles
Little Learners, Big Hearts
A Teacher’s Guide to Nurturing Empathy and Equity in Early Childhood
Embrace challenging conversations, confront biases, and shape learning from an early age with Little Learners, Big Hearts. This book equips early childhood educators with the necessary tools to become kind, caring forces, fostering meaningful connections with young children and families.
Benefits
- Promote empathy for and understanding of backgrounds, cultures, and identities that are different from what students may be used to.
- Use mindfulness and reflection to move past discomfort and engage in challenging conversations.
- Engage in an ongoing process of acknowledging and confronting biases.
- Shape young children’s learning in a way that allows them to draw their own conclusions.
- Be kind, caring, and meaningful forces in the lives of all students and their families.
Table of Contents
Introduction: Supporting Our Youngest Learners
Chapter 1: Racism and Antiracism: The HEART+ of the Matter
Chapter 2: Early Childhood as a Foundational Time
Chapter 3: Bias in Early Childhood
Chapter 4: Families and Antiracism
Chapter 5: Antiracist School Culture
Chapter 6: Bias-Related Teasing, Peer Aggression, and Bullying in Early Childhood
Chapter 7: A Rhythm to a Rhyme: Challenging Stories, Literature, and Curricula
Chapter 8: Promoting Heart, Curiosity, and Self-Determination
Epilogue: A More Just and Inclusive World
Appendix: Our Stories
REPRODUCIBLES
Introduction
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
- Figure 5.2: Examining Key Features of Antiracist School Cultures Through a Five Cs Lens
- Chapter 5 Discussion Questions
- Chapter 5 Challenge Questions
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
SUGGESTED RESOURCES
Books
- Mason, C., Rivers Murphy, M. M., & Jackson, Y. (2018). Mindfulness practices: Cultivating heart centered communities where students focus and flourish. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.
- Mason, C., Rivers Murphy, M. M., & Jackson, Y. (2020). Mindful school communities: The five cs of nurturing heart centered learning. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.
- Nichols, H. (2022). Finding your blind spots: Eight guiding principles for overcoming implicit bias in teaching. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.
Websites
- The University of North Carolina Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute
- Othering and Belonging Institute
- The Implicit Association Test
- Everyday Democracy
- National Coalition for Dialogue and Deliberation
- Diverse Book Finder: Identify and Explore Multicultural Picture Books
- Ethnic and Multicultural Information Exchange Round Table
- Goddard-Riverside Children’s Book Awards for Social Justice
- Coretta Scott King Book Awards
- Carter G. Woodson Book Awards
- American Indian Library Association
- International Latino Book Awards
- Boston Children’s Museum
- List of Children’s Museums in the United States
- Playful Learning Landscapes
- Coming to the Table sessions
- HeartMind eNews
- Compassion Action eNewsletter
- Hair IAT
- Ezra Jack Keats Foundation
- Embrace Race