Building Respect and Equity Among Young Children Series – The importance of language
These tip sheets are designed to help all professionals who work with young children to promote respect and gender equity in their work.
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Words we use with children carry important messages about gender, power and respectful relationships. Language can be used to let children and adults know what we assume is and isn’t normal for different genders. These messages can limit how children engage with a particular setting or service and with each other.
Supporting children to have respectful and equitable relationships when they are young can help them grow into resilient, caring and well-functioning young people and adults, and is a key step towards preventing family violence and all forms of violence against women. This involves nurturing children and helping them learn the skills to acknowledge and accept difference, resolve conflict and solve problems. It is also about challenging gender stereotypes, so children of all genders grow up feeling heard, valued and respected.
Partners in Prevention and City of Melbourne have co-designed a series of tip sheets to help all professionals who work with young children to promote respect and gender equity in their work. The series covers seven topics:
- Whole of service approach
- Support children’s sense of identity
- Intentional teaching
- Teaching for care
- The importance of language
- Observing and documenting
- Working with families