The 21st century has given rise to a great deal of reflection on the forms of education to be favored to live in a pluralistic society (UNESCO, 2017). Among the forms of education, so-called inclusive education is sought after because it tends to offer equity in terms of the support to be provided to children to succeed in their educational paths (MEES, 2017). In addition, it is the responsibility of the educational community to lay the foundations for inclusive education (Gosselin-Gagné, 2018). This can take shape through the provision of an educational environment that considers the diversity of children (Andrys, 2019), particularly on the ethnocultural and linguistic levels. However, in their study to understand how teachers were working to foster inclusion within a strongly culturally diverse group of children, Buchori and Dobinson (2015) stated that "building an inclusive culture in a school is paramount" (p.77). To follow up on their study, this article presents an approach implemented by 4 educators to build an inclusive education in their educational setting, including addressing the ethnocultural and linguistic diversity of 3-5 year-olds through 1) awareness and deployment of culturally sensitive practices; 2) reflection and design of an instructional design that highlights the cultural diversity present in children; and 3) design of a curriculum based on activities aimed at valuing differences and understanding their richness. The discussion invites reflection on the development of culturally responsive practices (Gay, 2002; Spanierman et al., 2011).

Authors:
Manon Boily, University of Quebec in Montreal, Canada
Isabelle Deshaies, University of Quebec in Trois-Rivières, Canada
Nathalie Goulet, University of Quebec in Montreal, Canada
Sara Lachance, University of Quebec in Montreal, Canada
Nawel Hamidi, University of Quebec in Montreal, Canada

About the Presenter(s)
Dr. Manon Boily is a professor of early childhood education management at the University of Quebec in Montreal. Her research focuses on the development of the multicultural pedagogy competence of early childhood workers (4-5 years old).

Connect on Linkedin
https://www.linkedin.com/in/manon-boily-5807ab243

Connect on ResearchGate
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Manon-Boily-2

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