Our Transitional Kindergarten class got to learn more about a family tradition that is celebrated in a classmate’s home. The child brought a book to read in class called Dia De Los Muertos. She also shared a picture of the altar she set up at her grandma’s house.
Dia de Los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is often celebrated in Mexico or the US on beginning on October 31st and ends on November 2nd. Day of the Dead is a celebration and event in which people take the time to remember and honor family and friends who have passed away. It is a joyful time that helps people remember the deceased and celebrate their memory.
Here at Children’s Village Preschool, we love when children and families share their values and traditions. According to the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), “to form positive self-concepts, children must honor and respect their own families and cultures and have others honor and respect these key facets of their identities too. If the classroom doesn’t reflect and validate their families and cultures, children may feel invisible, unimportant, incompetent, and ashamed of who they are… Helping children to see themselves in your pedagogy, curriculum, environment, and materials enables them (and their families) to feel welcomed and valued.”
