Anti-Bias Curriculum

Children are aware very young that color, language, gender, and physical ability differences are connected with privilege and power. They learn by observing the differences and similarities among people and by absorbing the spoken and unspoken messages about those differences. Racism, sexism, and handicappism have a profound influence on their developing sense of self and others.

All children are harmed. On the one hand, struggling against bias that declares a person inferior because of gender, race, ethnicity, or disability sucks energy from and undercuts a child's full development. On the other hand, learning to believe they are superior because the are White, or male, or able-bodied, dehumanizes and distorts reality for growing children, even while they may be receiving the benefits of institutional privilege.

The "practice of freedom" is fundamental to anti-bias education. Curriculum goals are to enable every child: to construct a knowledgeable, confident self-identity: to develop comfortable, empathetic, and just interaction with diversity: and to develop critical thinking and the skills for standing up for oneself and others in the face of injustice.

Anti-bias curriculum embraces an educational philosophy as well as specific techniques and content. It is value based: Differences are good: oppressive ideas and behaviors are not. It sets up a creative tension between respecting differences and not accepting unfair beliefs and acts. It asks teachers and children to confront troublesome issues rather than covering them up. An anti-bias perspective is intergral to all aspects of daily classroom life.

For more information about the Anti-Bias Curriculum, please contact,

National Association for the Education of Young Children
1834 Connecticut Avenue, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20009-5786
(800) 424-2460
(202) 232-8777