Our suitcases…where do we come from? Families’ personal stories/family trees

4-6. The activity targets children attending early childhood education settings

Basic criteria

• It focuses on pedagogy and school climate

• It includes activities aiming at utilization of linguistic and cultural diversity in the kindergarten

• The activities can be easily applied to any kindergarten class, whatever its composition is 

Objectives and skills

The activity aims at multiculturalism and utilization of linguistic and cultural diversity in the kindergarten

Moreover, it

•      engages family involvement 

•      is considered an integrating process

Through the creative exploitation of the multilingualism of the class and its potential, the intercultural cooperation amongst the children, the participation of the families and their communities we lead the childrens’ “bilingual awareness” as they discover the various advantages of bilingualism for all.

The cultural and linguistic resources of the families are seen as positive points and wealth of the school reality through

•      The enhancement of cultural and linguistic diversity

•      Children's personal texts

•      The involvement of the family

Activity in steps

• Some of the childrens’ thoughts as they expressed their ideas, can be wrote down by the teacher in the question: “Why do you think it is good to speak languages?”  For example the children can think some key points:
  

“To be smart”

“To practice our memory”

“To travel”

“It helps us find a job in another country”

“You can you go to many countries to make friends”

“If you learn many languages, you can do it all. You can                speak in whatever language you want!”

 “If I do not know other languages and I do not understand…then  I feel alone and sad”

• The children find out the languages that their classmates speak, their first languages, the languages of origin.
• They draw their favorite words and they made a dictionary with their drawings
• They  translate the words in the languages of the class with the use of ICT and the help of the family.
• They make their family trees
• They make their “suitcases” identifying the origin(s), language(s) and  their unique stories
• The project ends by collecting the stories of the families and presenting them to the whole school

Possible further improvement/development

The further involvement of parents with cultural and linguistic difference. For example, the children can call their parents in the classroom or alternatively they can record their parents while reading books in their language and bring the recorded material to class.

Technological support

•      Learning approaches based on ICT

•      Using ICT, they sought the privileges of bilingualism, related definitions, etc.

•      They listen to other languages; they can translate words or phrases with the help of the teacher of the class, or their family.

Link to the detailed program

Literacy skills, the use of theater, ICT and as a project it can link to Geography, History or other subjects.

Connect with sources

http://www.polydromo.gr/index.php/en/research-initiatives/hellenic-arabic-project

Baker, C. (2000) The care and education of young bilinguals. Multilingual Matters

Cope, B. & Kalantzis, M. (2000) (eds) Multiliteracies – Literacy Learning and the Design of Social Futures. London & New York: Routledge.