UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- As the nation celebrates African American History Month, many parents are trying to teach children the value of diversity. While most young children aren't ready to grasp such abstract concepts, a researcher in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences says children as young as preschool age can be taught the basic principles of equity and fairness.

Starting at about two years old, children have no problem noticing and appreciating the differences in the people around them, says Patreese Ingram, associate professor of diversity education in the department of agricultural and extension education. That's also an important time for developing attitudes based on feedback from those around them, including family and educators.

"Children learn not only from our direct attempts to instruct them -- they learn even more from observing our behavior," she says. "If we squeeze our child's hand and clutch our purse while crossing the street to avoid teenagers of a race or ethnicity different from our own, we are teaching our children to fear certain kinds of people without ever saying a word.

"If we don't take the time to point out stereotypes and cultural misinformation depicted on television and in other media, we are, by our silence, telling our children that what they have seen is an accurate representation. Parents are modeling behavior and attitudes all of the time. Children are learning from and patterning their attitudes based on the models portrayed by their parents."

Parents can take several steps to help their children become comfortable with diversity:

--Face our own biases. "If we work to overcome them, we are less likely to pass them on to our children," Ingram says. Distance and silence feed misunderstanding, fear and hostility, so talk openly about differences in race, ethnicity, religion and culture. Be ready to talk about diversity issues when they come up; avoid making certain topics taboo.

--Make multicultural books, toys and experiences available in your home . Include your child in play groups with children from differing backgrounds. Invite people from different backgrounds into your home, and visit shops that have a variety of ethnic foods and people.

--Help your child explore their own cultural heritage . "Helping a child to develop pride in their own heritage is helpful, because people are more likely to appreciate someone else's culture if they can appreciate their own," she explains.

"The United States is already one of the most diverse societies in the world," Ingram says. "Our children will inherit an even more diverse society, and the ability to communicate and work effectively with people from different racial, ethnic and cultural backgrounds is becoming an important employability skill, as essential as the ability to use a computer."

Parents in search of more information can request a copy of Diversity Discussion Starters , a 23-page booklet for teachers or other educators to use as a basis to discuss diversity through stories and poems. Each section is set up as an activity that includes a brief discussion and several thought-provoking questions. Single copies can be obtained free of charge by Pennsylvania residents through county Penn State Cooperative Extension offices, or by contacting the College of Agricultural Sciences Publications Distribution Center at 814-865-6713 or by e-mail at AgPubsDist@psu.edu. For cost information on out-of-state or bulk orders, contact the Publications Distribution Center. Parents can also visit Penn State's "Dimensions of Diversity" Web site at http://diversityeducation.cas.psu.edu.

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EDITORS: Contact Patreese Ingram at 814-863-7439 or via e-mail at pdi1@psu.edu.

Writer-Editor:

Gary Abdullah office 814-863-2708 e-mail gxa2@psu.edu