Researched and Practiced Advice to Preschool Teachers and Families

In an article for the journal Young Exceptional Children, IDRPP education specialist Ankita Bhattashali outlines ways that educators and families can support children from marginalized backgrounds. She sat down with IDRPP’s media team to offer advice she has gained from her own research and practice. 

Bhattashali’s early childhood special education background began in India, where she worked with children with special needs. After coming to the United States, she gained her master’s at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and received her Ph.D at the University of Kansas, always taking an inclusive approach to teaching children and supporting their families. 

“One of the primary ideas is that each and every family has funds of knowledge,” Bhattashali said. “So, this is the intention, telling teachers to acknowledge that each family brings their own unique knowledge and experiences, and then collaborate with them to learn that what these families can offer, and how you can incorporate that into the classroom curriculum.” 

Her advice to teachers: Recognize that parents are the experts on their children. Make sure the questions you ask are respectful, that they come from a place of trying to better understand the child. Do all you can to remove barriers that stand between a student and the child’s full potential. Tell the families you are there to support them.  

Then, practice cultural humility. 

“When we talk about culturally responsive practices, we need to know that starts with our cultural humility. … Learning about one family may not give us all the information about the family's background. Like, just because I'm an Indian and you'll meet me as an Indian, you may not have the understanding of what all Indians are like. 

“I cannot know, living in America for 11 years, working with the people… I do not know all families, all professionals, all teachers. … Teachers may not and should not anticipate or assume that working with one family from one cultural background will give them information about all families.” 

Her advice to families: “Notice the laws that are there to protect the families and the children.” Not all families, particularly refugee families, will be familiar with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, for example.  

What if a family disagrees with a teacher? “Talk to that teacher politely and collaboratively, but at the same time, document everything,” she advised. “And then after every conversation, send a follow up email in a polite manner to the teacher: what you have discussed and … what would be the next goal if things do not get better.” 

Bhattashali’s article, “Refugee Families’ Intersectional Identities: Implications for Developing Equitable Family–Professional Partnerships,” was published in September.