Anti-Bias Early Childhood Education in the works at Jefferson Elementary School   

ROXBURY, NJ (March 26, 2021) – When you consider it, anti-bias education helps support children to develop a truer and fuller sense of who they are and of the world as a whole. 

Amy Gallagher, Roxbury Schools Director of Special Services believes, “It is so important for our students to see themselves, their families, and their cultures represented in our classrooms to reinforce each person’s value. For our students to see the beauty in the diversity of race, religion, culture, gender, food, and holiday celebrations reflected in their daily instruction allows the purity of acceptance that is inherent in our youth to grow with them into adulthood.” 

So how do you accomplish such an important goal or value in preschool? First, you have to decide what the goal of diversity education is. In the Jefferson School Preschool program, we defined diversity education as a continuous approach to working with children, parents, families, and colleagues every day. The children in our program must learn about their own backgrounds, learn about people with backgrounds different from them, see themselves, their families, and their communities represented in their school, continually be exposed to activities and materials that destroy stereotypes, and learn to enjoy and appreciate and seek out differences. It’s a lofty goal for an anti-bias education program but when it becomes part of the fabric of a preschool curriculum, it is achievable. 

To help with this lofty goal, preschoolers at Jefferson Elementary School received new toys, books, and materials to play with. 

Preschool teacher Patti Klein shared, “The preschool students know they have some new toys and new books that they enjoy daily. They enjoy their new materials and never question the differences these materials represent. The children are simply glad to have new materials. It is as it should be completely unnoticeable in the eyes and hearts of young children.” 

PHOTO ATTACHED (courtesy of Jefferson School)

• Preschoolers Play with Anti-Bias Toys (L to R) Julianna Torr, Nicholas Rainho, and Guadalupe Martinez
• Julianna Torr plays with food
• Guadalupe Martinez plays with toys
• Sura McIntrye plays in dramatic play
• Gabriella Trujillo and Julianna Torr play house 

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For more information, contact: Roxbury Community School/Community Relations Coordinator Ann Rhodes at arhodes@roxbury.org or 973-584-7699.