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.

Publication Title

Precollege Philosophy and Public Practice

ISSN

2576-9901

DOI

10.5840/p4202471027

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