Raising Mindful Kids through Early Childhood Family Education

Did you know that research shows…

• Infants as young as three months notice race and prefer like-race faces. 
• By age two, kids start to attach attributes to race.
• By preschool age, children may exclude their peers of different races from play and other activities 

In Richfield’s Early Childhood Family Education (ECFE) class, Raising Mindful Kids, we work with young children and parents to discuss race and raise awareness. Our children’s teacher, Shanyn Hill, and our parent educator, Stacey Koehler, plan lessons with learning targets that put Richfield’s equity policy into real, hands-on action. Families learn Black history in meaningful ways that connect to their own lives.

Children create self-portraits with “people-color crayons,” play with gluten/wheat free people-color playdough, and read Young, Gifted and Black by Jamia Wilson. This book has a mirror at the end for young children to see themselves, and is an adaptation of Nina Simone’s 1969 hit song. In 1972, Aretha Franklin re-made the song and won a Grammy award in 1972.

In addition to the children’s activities, adults engage in essential conversations about how to talk to their young children about race.