Diversifying Pedagogy in Early Childhood Teacher Preparation Programspresents the underlying message of situating diversity at the core of early childhood programs. As such, faculty must first examine the practices that are at the center of each program. Of importance is for preservice teachers to know and understand the history, injustices, and struggles that communities of color endure. In order to increase that understanding, faculty who teach in teacher preparation programs must take the lead and discover ways to best reach preservice teachers which may take a shift in beliefs. This book presents examples of faculty taking the lead to help preservice teachers understand the social injustices in aspects of early childhood education. This move can lead to highly qualified early childhood teachers.

Mari Riojas-Cortez, PhD is professor and program chair of early childhood education, California State University Channel Islands. As an educational researcher, Dr. Riojas-Cortez examines Latino issues in early childhood including family engagement, childrens play and early childhood teacher preparation.

Preface

Foreword: Mary Esther Huerta, PhD, Associate Professor of Bilingual Education, Texas State University

Introduction

Chapter 1: Perceptions and Misconceptions: How Best to Prepare Early Childhood Teachers to Work with Dual Language Learners by Cristina Gillanders and Marlene Zepeda

Chapter 2: Preparing Generalist Early Childhood Teachers to Work with

Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Children Who Have Special Needs by Allegra Montemayor and Karen Walker

Chapter 3: Preservice Teacher Confessions: Why Should I Care about Parents? By

Tivy Nobles Whitlock

Chapter 4: The Early Childhood Teacher Self-Reflection Model by Mari Riojas-Cortez and Tivy Nobles Whitlock

References

About the Contributors

About the Author