ABSTRACT
Almost half of the children in the U.S. are under eight years old, with 30.7% of these children being five years of age or younger (National Kids Count, 2018b). In 2017, approximately 51% of children under the age of five were from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups (including bi- and multi-racial children) with Latino/Hispanic (26%) and Black/African American (14%) representing the majority of the children in this group (National Kids Count, 2018a). Despite the increase in the number of children from diverse racial and linguistic backgrounds, teachers are struggling to provide a responsive, high-quality educational experience for culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) children (Durden, Escalante, & Blitch, 2015). Generic, high-quality teaching alone is not sufficient to educate a diverse population 40of young children entering educational and childcare settings. To provide a positive learning environment, teaching practices must incorporate the cultural knowledge, experiences, learning, and communication styles of CALD children. This chapter will examine the need for culturally responsive teaching in early childhood educational settings to promote equity and opportunity for young children (Figure 3.1). Children learning together. https://s3-euw1-ap-pe-df-pch-content-public-u.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/9780429458354/c1019382-b92f-4f18-b94b-e9edd19fe838/content/fig3_1_B.jpg"/>
