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Start with a Difference

Start with a Difference: Promoting Race Equality in the Early Years. By Julie Taylor. (Jewish Council for Racial Equality, 15 plus 3 p&p, 020 8455 0896) Reviewed by Gina Houston, vice-chair of Early Years Equality
Start with a Difference: Promoting Race Equality in the Early Years. By Julie Taylor. (Jewish Council for Racial Equality, 15 plus 3 p&p, 020 8455 0896)

Reviewed by Gina Houston, vice-chair of Early Years Equality

This is a well-organised practical publication which can be used in all settings which are forming their equality policy and developing anti-racist practice. Written from a Jewish perspective, it outlines the most recent anti-racist legislation and gives clear reasons why all settings must take action on promoting equality and inclusion.

References to theories of how children learn negative attitudes and stereotypes from an early age are useful to practitioners for discussion in training and team meetings.

While recognising the importance of multicultural education and giving some good practical examples of how this can be promoted, the author emphasises throughout the book that multiculturalism can be tokenistic and more damaging if attitudes and the 'hidden curriculum' are not addressed.

Although the practical examples given at the end of the book, on how an anti-racist, multicultural environment can be implemented, are not new, they are a good starting point for settings beginning to work in this way or for practitioners new to this area of work.

This book should be widely used in settings, as it shows evidence that young children learn to be prejudiced from a very early age and gives the responsibility to the practitioners for ensuring that any negative attitudes, prejudice and racism, including their own, are challenged in the early years setting.