Many have called for re-examination of the
‘‘colorblind’’ philosophy to which some early educators
have, tacitly or explicitly, adhered (e.g. Boutte et al. 2011;
Derman-Sparks and Edwards 2010; Husband 2012). It has
been argued that, while colorblind approaches may appear
to be politically neutral, they actually exacerbate racial
oppression. In this article, we advocate for a direct and
active approach to raising conversations about race with
younger preschool children. Based on the developmental
nature of young children’s concepts of self and of other,
our focus is on initiating discussions about concrete and
observable physical aspects of human diversity associated
with race. Young children notice and are curious about
differences in skin color, hair texture, and facial features.
Because these differences are salient, are accessible, and
are of interest to young children they can serve as an ef￾fective starting point. We suggest shared reading of high
quality illustrated children’s books, incorporating the
principles of dialogic reading, as a potent springboard for
discussions about race with very young children. Our
purpose is to equip children, very early in their schooling,
with a color-filled appreciation for and comfort with phy￾sical diversity of appearance. On that foundation, children
may better proceed on the course of developing anti-racist
attitudes.

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• Young Children’s Curiosity About Physical Differences Associated with Race: Shared Reading to Encourage Conversation

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