Identity, Sex, Culture, Religion, Race, Nation
Books in this strand
These texts support identity, anti-bias work, and Montessori's vision of peace.
Why identity work belongs in early childhood
Even when adults avoid “difficult topics”, children are already noticing patterns: who gets called on, whose celebrations are marked on the calendar, who is teased, who is protected.
Montessori education for peace does not mean pretending everyone is the same. It means making room for every child’s story while teaching deep respect for others.
Principles for hard questions
- Stay curious before you answer. Ask, “What made you think of that?”
- Answer simply. Offer one clear, honest sentence at a time.
- Align with family values. When you are not the parent, invite partnership.
- Protect dignity. Never turn a child or family into a “lesson” while they are present.
Sample micro-scripts
On bodies and sex (early childhood):
“Our bodies are private and important. We use correct names, and we keep private parts covered except with a trusted adult who is keeping us clean or healthy.”
On culture and religion:
“Some families pray, some do not. Some have special clothes or foods on certain days. In this room, we do not laugh at or copy anyone’s special practices. We listen.”
On race and unfairness:
“People have many skin colours and histories. In the world, some groups have been treated unfairly because of this. Here, we practise treating everyone fairly and speaking up when someone is hurt.”
Use cases from everyday life & social media
- Comment sections: a child scrolls past unkind comments about someone’s identity.
- School playground: a child’s lunch from home is mocked.
- Family gathering: relatives use stereotypes or slurs casually.
For each case, we can pause, name what we see, and model a different way. Over time, children learn both inner clarity and outer courage.