Masters Thesis

Promoting Gender Equity: A Handbook for Early Educators

Statement of Intent: The intent of this creative project was to develop a practical handbook for early childhood educators that would assist them in the conscious promotion of gender equity in their everyday work with children and families. Although the handbook was targeted to educators specifically, it can be of use to anyone who cares for and works with young children between the ages of 0-8 years in a variety of settings and capacities. Scope of the Project: The handbook was created to provide a succinct yet comprehensive exploration of gender in early childhood. It offers background information on the origin of young children’s gender identities, outlines the typical developmental sequence associated with gender in the first eight years of life, as well as addresses many of the accompanying issues and challenges that frequently arise during this important developmental period. Practical strategies that have proven effective in the active promotion of gender equity are discussed, as is the importance of forming partnerships with families and taking into account the impact of culture as it relates to gender issues. The handbook cites additional resources that are available to readers who may be interested in learning more about the topics presented. Procedure: I began by conducting an in-depth review of the existing literature, drawing from material found in scholarly peer-reviewed articles, professional journals, academic textbooks, and other published works. I then used this literature review as the basis for writing the handbook, extracting the most fundamental information to inform teacher practice.

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