Anti-Bias Education

Why do we practice Anti-Bias Education in preschool?

We practice anti-bias education because we live in a society where biases are deeply ingrained. From infancy, children absorb social messages about who and what is considered important, and they are exposed to stereotypes that stigmatize or associate negative imagery with certain bodies and social groups. Children are injured when they receive messages about themselves—or others—that say they are not fully capable, intelligent, or worthwhile. Dr. Beverly Tatum describes racism as like the “smog in the air”: it’s all around us, and we can’t help breathing it in. We can’t raise children who are “innocent” or “removed” from racism and other biases, because biases pervade our media, culture, institutions, laws, relationships, and our own internal values and beliefs. However, we can actively counter bias through continuous learning and ongoing, age-appropriate conversations with children.

When teachers and families integrate the four anti-bias education goals into teaching and childrearing and engage children in positive, informative conversations about human diversity, children develop the conviction that who they are is valued and important. When adults help children notice and address unfairness, even very young children are able to be strong and clear in standing up for themselves and others.

Preschool is a critical time to introduce anti-bias education because it is during these early years that children begin forming their understanding of themselves and the world around them. Preschoolers are naturally curious about differences and similarities among people. Anti-bias education taps into this curiosity, helping children explore diversity in a positive, constructive way, before stereotypes and prejudices take root. 

Anti-Bias education in preschool helps children:

  • Appreciate the uniqueness of themselves and others

  • Disrupt the formation of negative stereotypes

  • Develop important social and emotional skills

  • Feel safe, valued and included.

The Four Core Goals of Anti-Bias Education

Young boy in a red hoodie holding a small earthworm in his hand, standing on a ground covered with brown wood chips.

Goal 1: Identity -“I’m okay.”

This goal means supporting children to feel strong and proud of who they are without needing to feel superior to anyone else. It means children will learn accurate, respectful language to describe who they and others are. Teachers will support children to develop and be comfortable within their home culture and within the school culture. Goal 1 is the starting place for all children in all settings.

Children walking on a shaded forest trail, some holding hands, with an adult nearby, surrounded by green trees.

Goal 2: Diversity - “You’re okay.”

This goal means guiding children to be able to think about and have words for how people are the same and how they are different. It includes helping children feel and behave respectfully, warmly, and confidently with people who are different from themselves. It includes encouraging children to learn about how they are different from other children and about how they are similar. These are never either/or realities because people are simultaneously the same and different from one another. This goal is the heart of learning how to treat all people caringly and fairly.

Four young children are hugging and holding hands in a classroom, smiling and happy.

Goal 3: Justice - “That’s not okay.”

This goal is about building children’s innate, budding capacities for empathy and fairness, as well as their cognitive skills for thinking critically about what is happening around them. It is about building a sense of safety, the sense that everyone can and will be treated fairly.

Children and adults participating in a Pride celebration at a classroom or community center, holding rainbow flags and artworks.

Goal 4: Activism - “Okay, what are we going to do about it?”

Goal four is about giving children tools for learning how to stand up to hurtful and unfair biased behavior based on any aspect of social identity. Biased behavior may be directed at oneself or another. It may come from another child or adult or from children’s books, television, and films. This goal strengthens children’s development in perspective taking, positive interactions with others, and conflict-resolution education. When children have experiences of making change happen, and making unfair things fair, they develop a sense of individual and collective power that counters 

Anti-Bias Education in Action with Children 

  • Here are some examples of an anti-bias education in action →

    Names have been changed or removed to protect children’s privacy.

  • “This Water Table is For Girls Only”

    Children are playing at the water table. A child who often leads play announces, “This water table is for girls only!” A teacher overhears and notices that a gender-fluid child begins to walk away. The teacher joins the group and asks, “What about gender-fluid people?” The children pause. “They can play too.”

    The teacher continues, “What if a boy wanted to play?” “Well… they could.”
    “Were you thinking everyone here is a girl?” “Yes, because we are all girls.”
    “Remember that you can’t tell just by looking. The only way to know if someone’s a girl, or gender-fluid, or an inbetweener, or nonbinary, or a boy, is by what they tell you!”
    Another child adds, “I’m actually an inbetweener. And a girl.”

    “Look at all the wonderful genders in our community!” says the teacher. “Is it okay to change your gender?” The children say yes. “Is it okay to exclude people because of their gender?” The children say no.

    Follow-Up Actions

    Later, the teacher used a puppet show to explore what it feels like to be excluded. During group time, they introduced a song celebrating many gender identities and invited (but didn’t require) children to share theirs.

    Without pressuring anyone to share publicly, the teacher compiles a list of different identities on a chart: inbetweener, girl, boy, nonbinary, transgender, everything, spider, witch, golden power-ranger, and Elsa. 

  • “Spanish Is One of My Languages”

    Three Backyarders are playing “Puppies” during Twilight Time. These three play together often.

    Elis: I’ll be “Ruff!”
    Orin: And I’ll be “Blue!”
    Du: I’ll be “Mik-ae-lee-a!”
    Elis: No Spanish names in the puppy game.
    Du: That’s not fair!
    Orin: Yeah, Elis, that’s not fair!
    Teacher: Elis, why did you say no Spanish names?
    Elis: Because I started the game, so I get to choose.
    Du: That’s not fair. I can pick whatever name I want.
    Orin: Elis, you don’t get to choose other people’s names for them.
    Elis: Yes, I do! Because I started it. I don't want you to have a Spanish name.
    Du: Well that makes me mad because Spanish is one of my languages and when you say that it makes me feel like grumbling and kicking!
    Elis: Okay. You can pick a Spanish name, but it has to be your favorite one.

    The teacher did not say anything else in the moment, as Du had advocated for herself quite effectively. 

    Follow-Up Actions:

    The teacher shared this interaction with their coworkers and they brainstormed ways to incorporate and validate Spanish and other languages besides English at school. They found bilingual books and books that incorporated Spanish phrases in the text, and learned multi-lingual songs to sing with the children.

  • Conversations About Skin Color and Racial Identity

    CCC teachers engage children in open, age-appropriate conversations about skin color and racial identity, helping them appreciate diversity and build a positive sense of self and community.

    How We Explore These Topics

    * Inclusive Reading: Books like All the Colors We Are / Todos los colores de nuestra piel spark discussions about where our skin color comes from — our ancestors, biological parents, and melanin.

    * Art Projects: Children explore their own skin tones through art, fostering creativity and self-awareness.

    * Positive Representation: Stories, songs, and images highlight Black and Brown joy, strength, and beauty.

    Language We Use
    Teachers use inclusive, factual language adapted from the National Museum of African American History and Culture, such as:

    We all have skin — it keeps our insides in, and it comes in many beautiful shades from dark brown to light cream.

    Our skin color comes from our families and ancestors, and even within one family, people can have different shades.

    People may call themselves Black, White, Latinx, Asian, or use other names that reflect their family heritage. The best way to know what someone prefers is simply to ask.

  • Acknowledging Indigenous History and Presence

    Ohlone Land Acknowledgement: Teachers want children to know that CCC, Berkeley and our whole big country is on land that was once unfairly stolen from Indigenous peoples by European settlers. Not only that, Indigenous people’s names and languages and games and stories and way of life were also unfairly stolen. We also want children to know that Indigenous people still live here and are part of our CCC community. 

    Sharing Indigenous Stories: We talk about how this place where CCC is was once called xučyun (Huchiun- (Hooch-yoon)), and that for thousands of years, Chochenyo (Cho-chen-yo)- speaking Ohlone (Oh-low-nee) people lived here until it was unfairly stolen. Teachers read Rumsien Ohlone Stories told & illustrated by Linda Yamane, introduce Indigenous storytellers on the listening station, read books about modern-day Indigenous children and families, and sometimes incorporate persona dolls.

    Community Involvement:  We also talk about how many people are helping to make it fair. People are remembering and practicing the languages and games and stories and way of life that were stolen. People are giving the stolen land back and giving money to live on the stolen land. Sometimes we help to make it fair by going to marches and writing letters and telling government leaders our opinions. We ask children how they think we can make it more fair? 

    Cultural Exchange: All families at CCC are invited to share family traditions including cultural traditions with our community. Families of Indigenous descent have shared traditions and invited Native drummers and dancers from their community to visit CCC.

  • Water Is Life

    During the Standing Rock action in 2016, a teacher invited a friend who was planning to travel to Standing Rock to come and speak to the BY class about what was happening there and why she was going to help. Teachers began the discussion by reading “Water” by Frank Asch and asking children, why do we need water? After the discussion, children dictated messages to the water protectors at Standing Rock and made collage fish. Teachers and participating parents and family members helped write the messages on a banner and sent with the friend to deliver.

  • Using Persona Dolls to Talk about Big Topics: Palestine

    We know young children are aware of what’s happening around them—through news, family, and community—and are regularly exposed to global issues. Our teachers aim to create a space where kids can safely discuss important topics, such as Palestine and Israel in 2023–24, fostering empathy, justice, and empowerment. They also recognized that, aside from books, we lacked Muslim representation at school.

    To address this, one teacher introduced a persona doll named Noor, who has Palestinian and Afghani heritage. Persona dolls aren’t toys but teaching tools that help children engage in conversations about identity and fairness in a safe, respectful way. Read about using persona dolls

    Noor first joined the class by sharing her likes and dislikes, asking questions, and building friendships. Later, she shared a story about olive harvesting in Palestine, which led to tasting Palestinian olive oil and learning about her keffiyeh, a scarf symbolizing both Arab heritage and solidarity with family in Palestine. Through Noor, children learned about different cultures, built empathy, and expressed their own thoughts and feelings.

    Persona doll stories often start with everyday themes—potty accidents, joining play, expressing emotions—before introducing social identity topics like fairness or bias. This helps children connect with the dolls as full, complex people, not just representatives of a group. The dolls also let us talk about sensitive issues that may be unfolding at CCC or in the world without singling anyone out.

    Using persona dolls like Noor helps us nurture an inclusive community where children explore big ideas and grow into compassionate, thoughtful learners.

A colorful illustrated tree depicting values and principles related to sustainability, equity, and community, with roots labeled 'Embrace Discomfort,' 'Acknowledgement Subjectivity & Bothe and,' and 'Systems Thinking,' and branches with words such as 'Sustainability & Equity,' 'Direct Constructive Feedback,' 'Partnership & Power-sharing,' 'Community,' 'Make Mistakes,' and 'Appreciate Diversity.'

What Anti-Bias Education Looks Like in Practice with Adults

Commitment to Ongoing Learning

CCC teachers are committed to continuous learning and self-reflection, recognizing the importance of unpacking biases, individually and as a community, even when it feels uncomfortable. Our Diversity and Equity team, comprised of families and staff, plays a crucial role in creating opportunities for families to connect, reflecting on identity, oppression, privilege and social justice.

Opportunities for Connection in the CCC community:

  • All-school meetings:  We invite guest speakers on equity topics, sparking meaningful conversation.

  • Practice sessions, book clubs, discussion groups, and online threads: These platforms allow for deeper exploration and dialogue on important issues.

  • Staff and team meetings and in-service days: Monthly meetings ensure that learning and reflection are integrated into our daily practices.   

Unpacking White Supremacy Culture:

At CCC, teachers and families work together to address and dismantle white supremacy culture within our community.  To counteract these harmful influences, we actively reflect on and adapt our community culture, policies and processes. We emphasize community, sustainability, equity, partnership,power-sharing, constructive feedback, and the importance of learning from mistakes. We believe in embracing discomfort and recognizing diversity as a strength, ensuring that our cooperative values continuously evolve toward equity and inclusion.

Supporting Social Justice Causes:

Beyond the confines of CCC, teachers and families actively support each other in advancing social justice causes. Together, we explore age-appropriate ways for children to participate, extending the commitment to justice beyond the classroom.

illustration by Teacher Allie, based on work by Tema Okun et al.

Moving the Work Forward

In the 2023-2024 school year, CCC created an Equity Initiative uniting parents and teachers and including board chairs, teacher directors, membership chairs, school treasurer, and other parents in the community to advance three goals:

  1. Evolution of Tuition Structure: Continuing the previous year’s project, we work towards creating a new tuition structure for CCC that shifts from a charity model to a mutual aid approach.

  2. Ongoing Education: The Diversity & Equity team provides opportunities for education on Anti-Bias Education topics with focus (this year) on themes exploring class, defining mutual aid, and asking: How do we come together across differences and get our needs met?

  3. Research on BIPOC Family Barriers: A new research project to identify and address barriers that BIPOC families may face in participating fully at CCC, ensuring an inclusive and accessible educational experience. 

Meanwhile, building on our creation of a new mission statement for CCC in 2023 that recognizes diversity and empowerment as crucial to the education of young children , teachers and a parent representative used our fall in-service day to clarify our school values including anti-bias values. Teachers also worked to articulate Anti-Bias Education goals, curriculum, principles and values to our full community.

Citations

This text incorporates language from:

  • Anti-Bias Education for Young Children and Ourselves, 2nd Edition. Louise Derman-Sparks and Julie Olsen Edwards with Catherine M. Goins. NAEYC: 2020.

  • “Understanding Anti-Bias Education: Bringing the Four Core Goals to Every Facet of Your Curriculum.” Louise Derman-Sparks and Julie Olsen Edwards. NAEYC: 2019. Available online at: “https://www.naeyc.org/resources/pubs/yc/nov2019/understanding-anti-bias

  • "What Young Children Need to Know About Skin Color, Racial Identity & Injustice: From the National Museum of African American History and Culture Early Childhood Education Department." Julie Olsen Edwards. 

  • Teachers, staff, children and families at CCC (in the examples)