Document Type
Article
Publication Date
7-12-2024
Abstract
How do young children learn how to talk about ethical concepts, such as fairness and equity? The current research assesses the effects of philosophy-based anti-bias lessons aimed at three to five -year-olds in a laboratory preschool and explores the relationship between socioemotional skills, language development, and understanding of ethical concepts. The constructivist curriculum was grounded in storybook lessons with corresponding activities. In a pre-post test design, we interviewed children before and after lessons in fairness education that included book reading, related games, and philosophical discussions. We found that children showed a significant increase in comprehension of equity related terms and skin color awareness, and we found a positive relationship between children’s observed levels of community membership skills and their receptive vocabulary. In addition, receptive vocabulary skills predicted participant’s skin color awareness and their ability to tell a fairness narrative involving skin color following the lessons. The current study provides a framework for teachers to integrate ethical reasoning into a preschool curriculum and identifies some abilities occurring earlier than predicted by Jean Piaget. Given the divisive political climate surrounding anti-bias education, we hope that the present study encourages educators to put social emotional learning at the fore front of preschool pedagogy.
Published In
Carnahan, S., Trohn, C., Burkley, C., & Doyle, D. T. (2024). Teaching fairness in preschool: Evaluating the steps in an anti-bias education. Precollege Philosophy and Public Practice. https://doi.org/10.5840/p4202471027
Publication Title
Precollege Philosophy and Public Practice
ISSN
2576-9901
DOI
10.5840/p4202471027