Family engagement is a key component of a successful culturally responsive early childhood classroom. Learning about the diversity of cultures of children and their families can help educators to create engaging curriculum and learning activities that support young children’s emergent literacy.

Family is also a key theme in many children’s books. Watch this video of Faith Ringgold, a NYC artist, author, and activist, read Tar Beach, a story about her own family.

Next, read Wanless and Crawford (2016) Reading Your Way to a Culturally Responsive Classroom.

Sharing a Family Artifact

For this assignment, you will create a short video on Flipgrid to share a family artifact with the class. You will find my video there as well. If the link doesn’t work, go to: https://flipgrid.com/7c9de364. The Join code for this assignment is: 7c9de364.

What is a family artifact?

In Patricia Polacco’s book, The Keeping Quilt, the family artifact passed down through the generations is a handmade quilt, created from scraps of clothing. In this video, Polacco talks about the quilt, how it came into being, and what it has meant to her family through the years:  

A family artifact  communicates a story about your family’s history. It might be a cultural object, an object with historical value, or simply an object with sentimental value to your family. A family artifact may be very old or relatively new, something passed down through generations or something more recent. It can be a beloved photograph, a letter, a book, an article of clothing, or a cherished family recipe.

Objects that my students and I have shared include a packet of letters written between grandparents (while they were still courting) during WWII, a handcrafted lace tablecloth passed down from generation to generation, a large iron pot used for cooking rice, an old wooden doll, a prom dress, and a variety of special recipes for everything from Irish soda bread to pot roast, from spanakopita to Jamaican cornmeal porridge. 

Why do we share these items?

Our artifacts have great meaning for us and they also have great value in the classroom:

• Building relationships between the classroom and the children’s home and family
• Fostering deeper cultural understanding
• Sparking curiosity
• Reinforcing the value of inquiry-based curriculum that emerges from children’s experiences and interests
• Providing students with an opportunity for self-expression

Preparing for your presentation

• Think about why you chose this artifact. What does it mean to you and/or your family?
• Find out as much as you can about the history and meaning of the artifact.
  • Whose hands has it passed through?
  • What is it used for? How old is it?
  • How did it come into your possession?
  • What are the stories that you were told about it?