Last updated: 29 Apr 2009

Knowledge and understanding of the world is a key component of the foundation stage curriculum. In this area of learning children are developing the skills and understanding that help them make sense of the world. They do this through exploration, observation, problem solving, prediction, critical thinking, decision making and discussion.

This area of learning should also help children explore and question issues of difference in gender, ethnicity, language, religion and culture. All children, whatever their cultural heritage, should have learning opportunities that enable them to value cultural diversity. Early years settings that develop a culturally diverse curriculum are well placed to affirm the languages and cultures of newly arrived pupils.

Challenging racism and negative responses to new arrivals

Developing children's knowledge and understanding of the world will also help challenge racism and negative attitudes to those whom a child may perceive as different. Research indicates that children as young as two or three distinguish between different skin colours and attach different social values to them (see Derman Sparks, cited below).

The EYFS curriculum provides opportunities for children to explore values such as sharing and respect.

Persona Dolls

Persona Dolls provide a non-threatening and enjoyable way to raise equality issues and counter stereotypical and discriminatory thinking with early years practitioners and young children. The dolls have their own personalities, families and cultural backgrounds, and likes and dislikes. Children quickly bond and identify with the dolls and see them as small friends; they are happy and sad for them, and talk about their problems. Persona Doll Training is designed to provide hands-on experience in using the dolls, raise awareness and offer opportunities for reflection and discussion of issues including racism, gender, disability, health, culture, religious and other equality issues.

Teaching and learning suggestions

• Use resources that depict different ethnic groups doing everyday things like shopping and cooking. Teachers can purchase resources that reflect people from different backgrounds, including reading books, dolls and posters. Some suppliers are listed below.
• Themed work might focus on life in a different country with which teachers or the children have links.
• Children can celebrate different festivals including Christmas, Easter, Eid-ul Fitr, Hanukkah, Diwali
• Children should have the chance to hear different languages so that everyone understands we are a multilingual society. Teachers might want to teach all children a few words or a song in a different language.
• Consider focused visits that highlight diversity, for example to shops selling different types of groceries, for example.
• Cooking, too, can provide opportunities to explore diversity, for example children might cook noodles or a Caribbean dish.
• Circle time and show and tell time can be used to share events and artefacts from different cultures.
• Parents can provide a diversity of insight into faiths, cultures, history and places, for example when cooking in the home corner or when visiting places such as a market. Their ongoing involvement ensures that children learn from the breadth of parents' experiences.
• Events such as Refugee Week provide an opportunity to develop knowledge and understanding of the world. Many early years settings have organised storytelling from different communities during Refugee Week.
• Have confidence when dealing with racist name-calling and fights among young children. Verbal abuse should not be ignored. A useful way of dealing with abuse is to ask the children how they would feel if they were spoken to that way.
• Early years settings should not ignore physical differences in clothing or skin colour but be open and positive about people's differences.

Refugee Week is an annual event that celebrates the contribution of refugees to the UK and promotes understanding about the reasons why people seek sanctuary. It features arts, cultural and educational events that take place  across the UK.  The Refugee Week website provides information on running successful events in schools.  There are also free curriculum resources to download.