Culturally Responsive Early Childhood Consultation

Abstract

ABSTRACT Racially disproportionate discipline compromises children’s rights and perpetuates racial inequalities that begin in preschool. This paper describes the use of culturally responsive early childhood consultation that may be used to reduce preschool suspension and expulsion, focusing on increasing early childhood teachers’ cultural competence and use of instructional strategies to counter the racist educational practices inherent in early childhood educational systems. School psychologists are poised to engage in culturally responsive early childhood consultation given their training in cultural diversity and their expanding role to indirectly and proactively support early educators. Specific competencies are presented for school psychologists to target during culturally responsive consultation with early childhood teachers. While complex and difficult, culturally responsive early childhood consultation has the potential to support early educators to reflect on their own cultural identity, shift their perspectives about Black and Brown children and families, and decrease the likelihood that they will use harsh discipline practices.