Start Seeing Diversity Blog: "We Don't Say Those Words in Class"

In my group, I have one child (3 years of age) who has a small amount of language and doesn't speak as clearly as some of the other children or as much as the other children in the school. This particular day, I was watching an interaction he was having with another older boy (4 years of age). During the course of this interaction the older boy was waiting for a friend to come and ride on this particular bike with him and he was holding onto a trailer that could be attached to this bike. The child from my group was just sitting next to him playing with the hole where the trailer could attach to the bike. I decided after a couple of minutes watching them to walk over and see what was happening because both of them were silent. The boy in my group began to point to the hole and say, "Daiah, look!" I acknowledged that he knew where the trailer was supposed to go. I asked the older boy what was happening. He told me that he was just waiting for a friend to come so he could ride bikes with her. I then asked him why he was just holding onto the trailer and not attaching it to his bike. He then said that he was worried that the younger boy might take it. I then told him that he should share that information with the younger boy so that he knew what he wanted to which he replied, "But he doesn't have any words." My inclination wasn't to tell him, "We don't say that." It was to share with him that this was a good opportunity to offer him some words so that he could learn how to use them as well as the older boy. I think children have an acute awareness of differences and instead of criticizing them for their observations of things that look different, we need to seize opportunities like this one that allow them to explore those differences and really think about how their responses affect others. After having this interaction the older boy did share what he wanted to have happen with the younger boy and I think it was a good opportunity for them to be encouraged by one another. The older boy had to trust that this younger boy, although not having as many words as him, was going to listen to his request and the younger had to be willing to hear and receive the message that was being given to him. They were both learning how to be a part of an equal exchange even though their abilities were different and I think that is one of the most important parts of this learning process.