Gender, Expectations, and Social-Emotional Development in Early Childhood Programs

What does it mean to be a boy or a girl–or something else? How do we support children to love their gender, and to talk about what can feel restricting or harmful about it? As early educators how do our own experience of and education about gender impact our ability to support gender diversity and healthy social-emotional development in our classrooms?

In this eye-opening webinar, participants will learn about the importance of creating gender inclusive early learning environments and the concrete actions they can take to create environments that support all children’s healthy gender development. The presenters will guide you to reflect on you own gender identity, expression, and embodiment and how your perception of gender impacts your expectations of children. You will learn about the impact of strict gender roles and stereotypes on young children and adults. The constellation theory of gender development will be introduced as a more inclusive understanding of gender that is big enough for us all.

Presented by some of the authors of Supporting Gender Diversity in Early Childhood Classrooms: A Practical Guide, this webinar will share concrete action steps early childhood professionals can take to create early learning environments that support children of all genders to help them build a foundation of positive self-esteem and prosocial development. The presenters will share authentic stories that will bring to life how early learning teachers committed to gender justice are supporting children’s healthy gender development through play, gender inclusive classroom materials including children’s literature, and through their communication with parents and families. You will leave with a greater awareness of how to respond to gender-based segregation, exclusion, teasing and stereotyping, as well as how to create inclusive, reflective, and responsive school/program communities where all children are supported in their authentic gender selves.

After participating in this webinar, you will be able to:

• Define the gender binary and identify its limitations.
• Recognize how gender diversity impacts social-emotional development during the early childhood years.
• Identify at least three strategies you can use to create gender-inclusive early learning settings for children and families.

All sessions are 1.5 hours long and include a brief announcement from our sponsor.