ADL Logo
ADL Logo

122 Results

Why We Need Diverse Books

Tools and Strategies
Preschoolers - Mayor's Book Club
For parents, families and young people Topic SummaryIn recent years, there has been a lot of attention paid to the diversity of children’s books, shining a light on the lack of diversity and amplifying the need for more children’s and young adult literature that reflects our multicultural society. In 2014, an organization named We Need Diverse Books formed, following a regularly trending hashtag with the same name (#WeNeedDiverseBooks) that helped bring attention to the issue. We…
Read more about Why We Need Diverse Books

Education Podcasts

Tools and Strategies
For Educators | For Parents, Families, and Caregivers As part of our ongoing efforts to provide current, relevant and quality educational resources in various formats, ADL offers a free podcast series that you can listen to at your convenience. Each podcast offers a rich and inspiring conversation with a specialist in the field or children's book author. The podcasts assist educators in building inclusive and respectful classrooms and provide timely and important information on curricula…
Read more about Education Podcasts

5 Things to Know about the Jewish High Holidays

Tools and Strategies
L'Shana Tova High Holiday Art
For Educators | For Parents, Families, and Caregivers Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, the High Holidays, are celebrated by Jewish people all over the world. The High Holidays fall on different days each year. For the specific dates each year, check our Calendar of Observances. These and other Jewish holidays fall on different days in our calendar because they follow the Jewish calendar, which has a different number of days than our calendar. The Jewish calendar is a Soli-lunar calendar.&nbsp…
Read more about 5 Things to Know about the Jewish High Holidays

Myths and Facts about Muslim People and Islam

Tools and Strategies
Young Muslim European Girls
There are 1.8 billion Muslim people worldwide and an estimated 3.45 million Muslims living in the United States. Islam is currently the second largest religion in the world next to Christianity. Despite the fact that there are so many Muslims in the world, in many places there is a lack of understanding about Muslim people and Islam. In addition, the increase in anti-Muslim rhetoric and the unfortunate conflation of terrorism with Muslim people contributes to biased attitudes and…
Read more about Myths and Facts about Muslim People and Islam

What Bullying Is and Is Not (In English and en Español)

Tools and Strategies
Combating Bullying and Cyber Bullying
Table Talk: Family Conversations About Current EventsBullying is a phrase we hear regularly and often: in the media, on TV shows and movies, in schools and in conversations among both adults and children. Parents, students and schools are rightfully worried about bullying. It is a problem and cause for concern but may not be as widespread as many think because the term “bullying” is often used as an umbrella to describe all kinds of mean behavior—from a rude comment to a…
Read more about What Bullying Is and Is Not (In English and en Español)

Why Not Focus Only on Our Similarities?

Tools and Strategies
Early Childhood Question Corner For Educators | For Parents, Families, and Caregivers In Anti-Bias Curriculum, Louise Derman-Sparks (1989, 6), an educator and specialist on child development, explains that many adults assume that young children do not notice color and other differences among people; she claims that children actually do notice and show curiosity about differences. Further, Derman-Sparks asserts that adults need to avoid only talking about similarities among people because while…
Read more about Why Not Focus Only on Our Similarities?

How Can I Use Books to Address Bullying Among Young Children?

Tools and Strategies
Early Childhood Question Corner For Educators | For Parents, Families, and Caregivers Children’s literature can be an effective tool for addressing the growing concerns about physical, verbal, and relational bullying in schools. Though bullying has been traditionally dismissed by some as “just a part of growing up,” most educators today understand that it is a pervasive problem with harmful and damaging effects on all members of the school community. The use of literature to…
Read more about How Can I Use Books to Address Bullying Among Young Children?

What Can I Do About Bullying Among Young Children?

Tools and Strategies
Early Childhood Question Corner For Educators | For Parents, Families, and Caregivers Research shows that bullying can begin in preschool and that adults play an important role in prevention and intervention (Barker, 2008). Bullying is the repeated actions or threats by a person or persons who are perceived to have more power or status than the targeted individuals, with the intent to cause fear, distress or harm. Bullying occurs in various forms among young children including hitting or…
Read more about What Can I Do About Bullying Among Young Children?

Hate Symbols (In English and en Español)

Tools and Strategies
Swastika Brooklyn
Table Talk: Family Conversations About Current Events For Parents, Families, and Caregivers | 13 and upTopic Summary We see symbols every day in all aspects of our lives. Symbols are used to convey ideas, qualities, emotions, material objects/products, opinions and beliefs. Unfortunately, symbols are also used to convey hate and bias. Lately, we have seen a lot of hate symbol graffiti in public spaces and specifically the swastika, which in most circumstances is understood as an expression…
Read more about Hate Symbols (In English and en Español)

Religion in the Curriculum

Tools and Strategies
For Educators Public schools may not teach religion, although teaching about religion in a secular context is permitted.1 The Bible may be taught in a school, but only for its historical, cultural or literary value and never in a devotional, celebratory or doctrinal manner, or in such a way that encourages acceptance of the Bible as a religious document.2 SPECIFIC ISSUES & QUESTIONS What distinguishes "teaching religion" from "teaching about religion"? Religion may be presented…
Read more about Religion in the Curriculum

10 Ways Youth Can Engage in Activism

Tools and Strategies
Dream Activist
For Educators Our country has a long history of youth-led movements that brought about significant social change. Young people have advocated for child labor laws, voting rights, civil rights, school desegregation, immigration reform and LGBTQ+ rights. Through their actions, the world has changed. Because young people often have the desire, energy and idealism to do something about the injustice they see in the world, they are powerful agents for change. Our work in education helps…
Read more about 10 Ways Youth Can Engage in Activism

Can We Talk? Tips for Respectful Conversations in Schools, Workplaces and Communities

Tools and Strategies
Emotional Asian Woman Talks in a Group
Being able to have respectful and constructive conversations is the bedrock of any relationship—whether those connections take place at home, school, work or in communities. However, when controversy or conflict arises, the discussions can quickly become polarized, heated and personal, making it very difficult to have a conversation where different points of view are aired and discussed. These conversations can be about something controversial like politics, current events, moral…
Read more about Can We Talk? Tips for Respectful Conversations in Schools, Workplaces and Communities

Let's Talk Politics: Bias, Dialogue and Critical Thinking

Tools and Strategies
Vote Election Diverse Voters Sitting
Teachers may want to engage young people in conversations about presidential and other elections and provide opportunities for students to learn more, ask questions and understand what they see and hear. Below are tips and strategies for engaging in these potentially contentious conversations in the classroom and doing so with a critical thinking and anti-bias lens. These strategies can also be used with other controversial issues that arise in your classroom. It is critical that students…
Read more about Let's Talk Politics: Bias, Dialogue and Critical Thinking

How Can I Prevent Gender Bias in Young Children?

Tools and Strategies
Early Childhood Question Corner For Educators | For Parents, Families, and Caregivers The foundation for gender identity formation gets established during the preschool years (Derman-Sparks and Edwards, 2010, 91). By age three, although most children can identify their gender, they are still sorting out the concept of gender (Roberts and Hill, 2003). “The support they get or do not get in their preschool years lays the foundation for the rest of their gender identity formation,”…
Read more about How Can I Prevent Gender Bias in Young Children?

How Can I Plan Inclusive Holiday Celebrations?

Tools and Strategies
For Educators | For Parents, Families, and Caregivers Most people love a celebration! Adults flutter around busily preparing for the festivities. Children are abuzz with excitement. Special foods are eaten, special heirlooms brought down from the shelf. Traditions are passed down from generation to generation. While children should have an opportunity to learn about and share information about the important holidays and celebrations in their lives, celebrating specific holidays in a school or…
Read more about How Can I Plan Inclusive Holiday Celebrations?

11 Ways Schools Can Help Students Feel Safe in Challenging Times (In English and en Español)

Tools and Strategies
5th graders posing for a group shot in their classroom
In recent years, we have seen alarming images and biased language in schools and universities: name-calling, hate-filled taunts, vandalism, racial slurs and epithets, offensive graffiti on desks and bathroom walls. In addition, many young people—especially those whose identities have been targeted publicly with words and actions—are fearful and worried. Teachers have had to work overtime to console those students and provide resources to get help. Schools must be places where…
Read more about 11 Ways Schools Can Help Students Feel Safe in Challenging Times (In English and en Español)

How Can I Help Children Appreciate Diversity?

Tools and Strategies
Early Childhood Question Corner For Educators | For Parents, Families, and Caregivers You can help children embrace differences by exposing them to diversity as early as possible. This can be a natural part of everyday living as children develop relationships outside their family. Answer children’s questions about differences openly and honestly as they come up, and if you don't know the answers, seek them out. Another way to ensure diversity in children’s lives is to…
Read more about How Can I Help Children Appreciate Diversity?

How Can Educators Effectively Involve Families in Anti-Bias Efforts?

Tools and Strategies
Early Childhood Question Corner For Educators | For Parents, Families, and Caregivers Incorporating family members into early childhood program’s anti-bias efforts is integral to its success. When children see their teachers value their families’ lives, they develop pride. They also have an opportunity to learn about other children’s families and the diversity inherent in them. Family members can be from various racial and ethnic backgrounds, speak multiple languages and…
Read more about How Can Educators Effectively Involve Families in Anti-Bias Efforts?

Respect is a Summer Camp Essential

Tools and Strategies
Summer Camp Diverse Kids Sitting on Grass
A Guide for Counselors and Camp Administrators For Educators | For Parents, Families, and Caregivers Summer camp is a wonderful time in children’s lives when they get to spend time outdoors, meet new people, have novel experiences and gain insight into themselves. There are about 12,000 day and resident camps in the U.S. and each year more than 11 million children and adults attend camp. According to an American Camp Association (ACA) report, parents cite the following reasons as the…
Read more about Respect is a Summer Camp Essential