Early Pride Matters

Step 1: Gather materials.

• Books about diverse families (Consider adding some of the titles in our Inclusive Children's Books section to your classroom library, and incorporate books that highlight other aspects of family diversity as well. Represent the diverse families in your early childhood community, as well as other types of families that the children may not know about.)
• Books that reflect the diversity of the families in your early childhood program, as well as family structures that the children have not yet encountered or considered.
• A display featuring the different types of families in your early childhood community and/or their cultures and countries of origin.

Step 2: Introduce activity.

• Introduce this activity with a book share featuring children's books about different family structures such as Rainbow families, blended families, families with one caregiver, and large extended families.

Step 3: Engage children in activity.

• As you explore these books, point out the different family members and encourage the younger children to participate in back-and-forth exchanges about the featured families. Engage the older children in discussions about the families.
• During and after your book shares, explore questions such as:
  • Who do we see in families?
  • How do families look different?
  • How many members are there in this family? How does this compare to their families?
  • What are some of the things that families do together?
  • Who is younger and older in this family?
• Encourage the children to point at the family members in the stories, name the different family members, and ask questions about the families.
• Answer the children's questions clearly and honestly. Visit our Apply Your Knowledge section for ideas about how you might answer their questions about Rainbow families.
• Wrap up your book share by emphasizing that families are groups of people who love and care for one another.

Adaptations by age

Infants and toddlers

• When reading to the youngest children in your program, label the family members as you turn the pages. Use words for family members that are familiar to the children.

Two-year-olds

• Talk to the children about who they see in the illustrations.
• Compare the families in the illustrations with the children's own families, highlighting the similarities and differences.

Preschoolers

• Discuss what a family is and the many ways that families are formed.
• Encourage the children to share and compare their families' unique features and the types of activities that their families engage in together.