Culture and Diversity External Resources

How does settlement impact families?

The newest edition of AMSSA's Migration Matters info sheet series, Family, Migration and Settlement, is full of facts and insight to help you better understand how and why integrating into Canadian society impacts parenting and family dynamics.

The Young Dual Language Learner Video Series: A Peek into Quality Early Childhood Programs for DLLs

Teaching At The Beginning has recently released a series of 20 short videos to support educators of young DLLs. The videos can be used as tools for observation, study and professional development, and are separated into three helpful categories: Teaching Strategies, The First and Second Languages of Young Children, and Parents, Family and Community Engagement.

A Guide for Newcomer Parents About School in Canada

The Canadian Multicultural Education Foundation has a guide that will help to address some of the questions that immigrant and refugee parents may have about the school system in Canada, and give them the opportunity to address how their parenting role may be different in Canada than it was in their home country.

Video: How to Develop Literacy Skills With Dual Language Learners

Find ideas for helping young dual language learners with their expressive and receptive language skills through reading, writing, and speaking in this helpful video.

Impact of Second Language/Bilingualism at An Early Age

Many children grow up hearing and using more than one language. Parents, educators and legislators alike take an interest in research findings on child bilingualism in a concerted effort to ensure that bilingualism does not put children at any intellectual or emotional risk. Research has shown that bilingualism actually has some significant socio-cognitive advantages. Read more

How Discrimination Impacts Children from Immigrant Families in the Early Years

Many children from immigrant families experience discrimination in school during their early, impressionable years. This report describes how discrimination in the early years can affect a child’s development, outlines the types of discrimination that young children of immigrants may experience, and concludes with recommendations that focus on training teachers, building relationships between schools and immigrant communities, and encouraging more varied, culturally sensitive learning experiences.

What factors influence how well an immigrant family functions?

Moving to a new country is a significant event in a child’s life. It is important to have a good understanding of the factors — both in the host society and in the immigrant family — that create opportunities, benefits, and difficulties in the development of immigrant children. Read more

New Research Study on the Impact of Discrimination on the Immigrant Child

The past 15 years have seen a surge in research examining the discrimination of the children of immigrants, and what the psychological and educational consequences are. This report focuses on incidents of direct discrimination, as perceived and noticed by the child—incidents with identifiable educational, psychological, physical, and social repercussions.

Four reasons children should learn their home language

To speak or not to speak? How important is one’s home language or mother tongue? These are questions that immigrant families ponder. While there is no clear answer to the questions, here are four factors to consider. Read more...

How to Engage Newcomer Families in Your Early Childhood Program

Parent involvement is important in early childhood education. Many creative opportunities exist for parent involvement in early childhood programs, but there is often a lower percentage of parent participation from parents in the diverse community. Find ideas for helping parents become more involved here...