Work with peers and leadership to provide and champion positive messages

Though educators may feel uncertain or lack specific training on body diversity, they don’ t have to do this work in isolation. By collaborating with peers and leadership, educators can ensure that children receive consistent, affirming messages as they grow and move from one setting to the next. To do so, educators can

› Establish positive language to use about body diversity across groups or classrooms

› Collaborate with colleagues to review books and materials, ensuring that every classroom or group has access to stories that feature diverse body types in joyful roles

› Ask program or school leaders to integrate resources and training centered on body diversity

› Share book lists and effective conversation starters with other educators

As children grow, they take in messages and opinions about their and others’ bodies from myriad sources. Educators can consider the following questions as they plan experiences and interact with young children:

› How do you currently talk to yourself about your body and the bodies of those around you? What are ways you can talk about the things bodies can do rather than what they look like?

› Think about the books you currently read to children. How do they depict physical traits and behaviors of characters?

› What are ways you can work with colleagues and leadership to develop consistent messaging around body diversity?

› How can you work with families to support their efforts at fostering a body-positive environment at home?

Photographs: © Getty Images. Copyright © 2026 by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. See permissions and reprints online at NAEYC. org / resources / permissions.

Anne Valauri, PhD, is an assistant professor in the Department of Elementary and Special Education and the program coordinator for the Birth – Kindergarten Teacher Education program at Georgia Southern University. Prior, she spent several years as a teacher / researcher at an early childhood center in the Midwest.

This article supports the following NAEYC Early Learning Programs standards and topics.

Standard 1: Relationships

Creating a Caring and Equitable Community of Learners

Standard 3: Curriculum

Planning and Implementing an Engaging Curriculum to Meet Meaningful Goals

Standard 4: Teaching

Teaching to Enhance Each Child’ s Development and Learning

Summer 2026 Educating Young Children 45