Tips for Teaching Cultural Diversity in Your Homeschool
Most people hold a general misconception that homeschooled kids do not benefit from interacting with other kids and do not learn enough about different cultures. However, it is easy to incorporate cultural diversity into your kids’ homeschool routines. Considering that 41% of non-white and non-Hispanic households homeschooled their kids in 2020, this topic is crucial if you’re interested in teaching cultural diversity. That said, here are practical tips for teaching your homeschooled kids cultural diversity.
Teach cultural festivals from different countries
The Chinese Lantern festivals, Yuki matsuri of the Japanese, and the Navratri of the Indians are just a few examples of cultural festivals celebrated among these racial groups. There are many more celebrations, but that will depend on which cultural group you wish to explore. Teaching your children about different cultures helps them appreciate and respect the diversity concept very early in their lives.
Culture has several nuances that contribute to effective teaching and exploration. For example, you can touch on the concept of traditional names and why people feel compelled to attach meanings to their kids’ names. For example, if you teach your kids about popular Middle Eastern names, you will realize that Abdul and Adil topped Arabic boy names in 2020. Furthermore, it will be a great moment to teach them the meanings of these names.
Visit museums with kids
The museum is an excellent place to show your kids artefacts and other items of a specific period in the past. Sometimes, it’s not enough to see pictures in books or downloaded videos from the internet. Your kids deserve the chance to see firsthand what you’ve been talking about. Therefore, help your kids understand that the museum’s primary purpose is to gather, preserve and exhibit items of mostly cultural significance to the public. Although some museums are for scientific displays only, your focus must be on those that aid your cultural diversity teaching.
Unfortunately, some people believe that museums are boring places that do not deserve your time and attention. On the contrary, these places hold a tremendous amount of information contributing to knowledge building and cognitive development in children. Furthermore, you can turn this into a game for your homeschooled kids to heighten the excitement. For instance, when you take them to the museum on a specific day, allow them to place items they see to a particular era or people. This should be an educational but entertaining way to develop your kids’ interest in the museum.
Food
This is perhaps the most accessible and fun aspect of the cultural diversity teaching series in your homeschool. It’s an opportunity to try out different dishes that various cultures indulge. For authentic traditional meals from different cultures, you may want to try out a native restaurant or a chef specialized in those dishes.
Depending on where you live, you can drive out with your kids to attend international food fairs close to you. Otherwise, you can get creative by cooking these meals at home. However, be sure to use the right ingredients you find from the international aisle at the grocery store. Fortunately, you will find countless online cookbooks to provide guidance and make learning easier and more exciting.
Music
Music is indeed food for the soul, and there are countless resources to learn from. You can teach your kids how native traditional music instruments give peculiar sounds to songs from different cultures. For example, the shepherd’s pipe, oboe, sistrum, and rattles tend to give Egyptian songs a unique sound that aids in easy identification. Another example is the bagpipe which is typically used in traditional Irish folk songs. Indeed, there are several more cultural music forms out there, which can be an exciting topic for your kids to explore. Because you want to turn this into an edutainment, you can also play specific musical instruments on the internet and ask your kids to identify each one by sound.
Books
Fortunately, you will find countless children’s books that teach about different cultures and cater to kids in all age brackets. You only need to go to Google and type children’s books on diversity, and you will find an array of short stories from various authors around the world. Moreover, books nurture creative minds and help your kids improve upon their imaginative powers, making them a tool to leverage.
Lastly, learn about arts from different cultures and teach your kids how they impact people’s way of life. Indeed, art houses a profound explanation of culture and how it permeates into the fabric of society, making it imperative to teach your kids about this area of cultural diversity.
Always Remember You’re Beautiful!
-Lola
