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Sociocultural competence refers to how students view and understand other cultures. Building sociocultural competence means to expose students to ways of life and languaging that may be different than what they know and have experienced themselves.
Sociocultural competence refers to how students view and understand other cultures. Building sociocultural competence means to expose students to ways of life and languaging that may be different than what they know and have experienced themselves.
Ramadan and Cultural Holidays
Ramadan and Cultural Holidays
Last year, one of my Muslim students read this book to the class to share about her culture and explain what Ramadan was right before it started. This was a great opportunity for her to share about what it meant to be Muslim at this time of year, and we had a follow-up class discussion about other religious/cultural holidays that students might celebrate as well. Some students brought up Christmas and Easter, and how some people give up something for Lent.
While I may not have Muslim students in class every single year, I think this idea of sharing about students' own cultures and celebrations is a great way to build up our class community and build sociocultural competence in my students as well.
This is also an opportunity to utilize familial partnerships. If families are willing and able, sharing about their cultures, traditions, and holidays would be a great way to build community in the classroom while also building upon students' sociocultural competence.
Family Traditions
Family Traditions
In relation to holidays and cultural celebrations, students can bring their families' traditions to school as well. This gives students not only an opportunity to learn more about their language and culture at home, it also gives them an opportunity to make connections and relationships with peers at school. This helps to build strong a strong classroom community where students respect and understand people and cultures who are different from themselves.
This strengthening of the classroom community will help students build learning partnerships with their peers, and it will help me as the teacher know more about students' diverse backgrounds.
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