Advancing Equity and Embracing Diversity in Early Childhood Education: Elevating Voices and Actions

Iliana Alanís, PhD, a native of South Texas, is professor of early childhood and elementary education in the department of interdisciplinary learning and teaching at the University of Texas at San Antonio. With over 20 years in the early childhood field, her work focuses on teaching practices in culturally and linguistically diverse early childhood contexts with an emphasis on the effect of schooling for language minority children in Spanish/English dual language programs. She is especially interested in forms of teaching that promote native language development and its correlation to second language acquisition. With over 48 refereed publications related to dual language education, her recent research focuses on higher‑order cognitive and linguistic interaction found in student–student exchanges. Dr. Alanís is former president of the Texas Association for Bilingual Education and former board member for the National Latino Children’s Institute. She’s served as a NAEYC Governing Board member and an Early Childhood Advisory Board member for Scholastic Education. As a member of the Dual Language Training Institute, she facilitates professional development for teachers in dual language classrooms across the country. Dr. Alanís is coauthor of The Essentials: Supporting Dual Language Learners in Diverse Environments in Preschool and Kindergarten (NAEYC, 2021). Iheoma U. Iruka, PhD, is research professor in public policy and founding director of the equity research action coalition at the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Dr. Iruka is engaged in projects and initiatives focused on how evidence‑informed policies, systems, and practices in early education can support the optimal development and experiences of children who are from households with low income, ethnic minorities, and immigrants. She is focused on ensuring healthy development and excellence for young diverse learners, especially Black children, through classroom and family tools, the examination of nontraditional pedagogical approaches, public policies, and publications geared toward early education practitioners and policymakers. She is an author of several books, including Don’t Look Away: Embracing Anti‑Bias Classrooms (Gryphon House, 2020). Dr. Iruka serves or has served on numerous national boards and committees, including the Brady Education Foundation, the American Psychological Association’s Board of Educational Affairs Task Force on Racial and Ethnic Disparities, and the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine committees on Supporting Parents of Young Children and Applying Neurobiological and Socio‑Behavioral Sciences from Prenatal through Early Childhood Development: A Health Equity Approach. Susan Friedman is senior director of publishing and professional learning at the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). In this role, she leads the content development work of NAEYC’s books, periodicals, digital content, and professional learning teams. Early childhood educators rely on NAEYC’s award-winning content to stay current on research and best practices they can implement in their classrooms. Susan has extensive prior experience in content programming as well as editorial oversight and production with many years of experience creating content on play, developmentally appropriate uses of media, and other topics for educators and families. She has presented at numerous educational conferences, including NAEYC’s Professional Learning Institute and Annual Conference, the South by Southwest Education (SXSW EDU) Conference & Festival, and the School Superintendents Association’s Early Learning Cohort. Susan began her career as a preschool teacher at City and Country School in New York City. She holds degrees from Vassar College and the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

• AcknowledgmentsContributor ListNAEYC’s “Advancing Equity in Early Childhood Education” Position Statement IntroductionIliana Alanís, Iheoma U. Iruka, and Susan FriedmanPart 1: Reflections on EquitySection 1: Reflections on Ourselves Chapter 1: Looking Inward: Reflections from Early Education Professionals on Their Journey to Reduce Bias and RacismIheoma U. Iruka, with Anthony Broughton, Michael Gonzalez, Jillian Herink, Steven Hicks, Tamara Johnson, Jen Neitzel, Karen Nemeth, Nicol Russell, and Shannon WanlessSection 2: Reflections on Our Profession Chapter 2: Why History? Educating the Early Childhood Workforce for Equity Barbara T. BowmanChapter 3: Quality Includes Removing Bias from Early Childhood Education EnvironmentsFelicia L. DeHaney, Carla Thompson Payton, and Alandra WashingtonChapter 4: Being an Equity LeaderJohn Nimmo, Debbie LeeKeenan, and Louise Derman-SparksChapter 5: Recognizing Shortcomings of a Traditional Professional Knowledge BaseTonia R. Durden and Stephanie M. CurentonPart 2: Responsive Pedagogical PracticesChapter 6: Creating Caring Communities in Early Childhood ContextsGarnett S. Booker IIIChapter 7: Focusing on What Really Counts: How Noticing and Appreciating Simple, Ordinary Moments in Early Childhood Care and Education Can Enrich Human Relationships and Promote Professional EquityJunlei Li and Dana WintersChapter 8: Developing the Three Cs of ReciprocityZeynep Isik-ErcanChapter 9: What About the Children? Teachers Cultivating and Nurturing the Voice and Agency of Young ChildrenBrian L. WrightChapter 10: Equity, Diversity, and Child Development: Implications for PracticeIliana Reyes, Mimi Gray, and Teresa AcevedoChapter 11: Equitable Learning Opportunities for Young Bilingual Children: Strategies to Promote Oral Language DevelopmentDina C. Castro and Ximena FrancoChapter 12: Creating High-Quality STEM Experiences for All Young Learners: What Do Teachers of Young Children Need to Know?Jie-Qi ChenChapter 13: Developing Meaningful and Relevant Writing with K–3 Dual Language Learner StudentsDaniel R. MeierChapter 14: Providing Responsive Supports to Dual Language Learners with DisabilitiesLillian DuránChapter 15: Making Thinking, Learning, and Development Visible and Inclusive Through Authentic AssessmentHilary SeitzChapter 16: Learning Stories: Observation, Reflection, and Narrative in Early Childhood EducationIsauro M. EscamillaPart 3: Moving Forward as a ProfessionChapter 17: The Work: Promoting Equity and Justice in Early ChildhoodJen NeitzelChapter 18: Agency and Power in Young Children’s Lives: Five Ways to Advocate for Social Justice as an Early Childhood EducatorJennifer Keys Adair and Shubhi SachdevaChapter 19: Creating Anti-Racist Early Childhood SpacesRosemarie Allen, Dorothy L. Shapland, Jen Neitzel, and Iheoma U. IrukaChapter 20: Early Childhood Teacher Educators’ Critical Role: Preparing Culturally Efficacious Early Childhood TeachersBelinda Bustos Flores, Socorro Herrera, and Janelle Beth FloresAppendix: A Note on Terminology Used in this BookAbout the EditorsIndex

NAEYC’s position statement on advancing equity is not just words on paper, it is the heart and soul of who we are as people who care for all children. In this book, editors Iliana Alanís, Iheoma Iruka, and Susan Friedman have gathered stories and insights from dozens of early childhood education professionals, leading us forward into a beloved community framed in social justice.