Dimensions of Early Childhood 23 Vol 40, No 1, 2012 Interculturalism: Addressing Diversity in Early Childhood Early childhood educators work with children and families from a range of diverse backgrounds (Ladson- Billings, 2005). As society becomes increasingly multi- racial, multilingual, and multicultural, so too grows the need for educators’ abilities to support children’s devel- opment by instilling in them the tools they need to live together respectfully and stand up to prejudice. Teachers of young children play a pivotal role in laying this foundation (Gay, 2002; Hein & Miller, 2004), so they must be prepared to develop environments that are inclusive and respectful to all. Early educators have al- ready adopted multiculturalism and anti-bias curriculum frameworks to address issues of culture and diversity. • Multiculturalism focuses on the creation of equal educational opportunities and positive attitudes toward diferences (Banks & Banks, 2004). • An anti-bias curriculum, articulated by Derman- Sparks and Ramsey (2006), adds an emphasis on the individual’s actions in response to discrimina- tion and prejudice. he models to put both of these frameworks into practice generally follow a top-down structure in which teachers educate children about various cultures. Interculturalism adds a new layer for addressing diversity through its attention to the bi-directionality that is needed in an authentic sharing of cultural contexts. “Intercultural- ism is the sharing and learning across cultures that promotes understanding, equality, harmony, and justice in a diverse society” (Loyola Marymount University, 1990, unpaged). With interculturalism, individuals learn from each other and engage in an ongoing exploration of the historical and cultural contexts that inluence individual development. Instead of a top-down transmission of knowledge, an intercultural environment is one in which there are authentic and meaningful exchanges of infor- mation about each person’s individual experiences that transform all involved. Imagine an early childhood class- room where the teachers, children, and families learn together in an environment that facilitates a deep level of sharing about their cultural contexts. he intercultural approach realizes that no one indi- vidual fully represents an ethnicity or a race. Each person represents his or her own experience as a member of a group and within his or her cultural context. he phrase cultural context within the early childhood education setting is inclusive of all aspects of a child’s cultural identity that are unique and inluential: ethnicity and race, primary language, family composition, socioeco- nomic status, and special needs. Each individual can simultaneously contribute in multiple ways to the rich- ness of the cultural context. Making assumptions of similarities about children and families simply because they share a racial background can lead to erroneous conclusions. here is often more variation within a cultural group than between cultural Leslie Ponciano and Ani Shabazian As young children start to recognize human diferences, teachers can help them develop a foundation of respect and inclusion. What are the best practices to implement in an intercultural approach? What do they mean? • Multiculturalism focuses on the creation of equal educational opportunities and positive attitudes toward differences. • An anti-bias curriculum adds an emphasis on the individual’s actions in response to discrimination and prejudice. • Interculturalism is the sharing and learning across cultures that promotes understanding, equality, harmony, and justice in a diverse society. • Cultural context includes all aspects of a child’s cultural identity that are unique and influential, such as ethnicity and race, primary language, family composition, socioeconomic status, and special needs. • Reflection is the ability to think critically about oneself and others. It contributes to thinking about alternative perspectives and informs decision-making.