This publication brings together current research on human development and cultural diversity. It explores issues of diversity in education that are essential for schools and teachers who are committed to quality education for all students.
Note: Please see the Companion page for updates and corrections.
The Diversity Kit
Entire book (2,470KB)
Part I: Human Development: A Multidisciplinary Approach
What is intelligence? How is human development affected by culture? How can our knowledge of human development inform our responsibilities as educators working with an increasingly diverse student population? We explore these questions, along with the social dimension of human development to include cultural anthropology, sociolinguistics, and sociology.
Entire section - Human Development (781KB)
Part II: Culture
The definitions of culture and cultural identity provide a basis for understanding the importance of exploring, valuing, and promoting students' cultures in the classroom, as an integral part of personal and academic development. We provide activities and vignettes that educators can use to illustrate the impact of culture on teaching and learning and the power of family and community involvement.
Entire section - Culture (907KB)
Part III: Language
Cultural differences are evident in communication style and language use and are factors in the developmental stages of second language acquisition. We discuss literacy and language assessment, differentiating between the often misunderstood areas of language difficulty and language deficiency.
Entire section - Language (1040KB)
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