Enduring Effects: Name Mispronunciation in Early Learning Experiences - Session Recording
Facilitated By: Bonika Sok, Hons. BA, and Tina Bonnett, Ed.D, M.ECEd., R.E.C.E., Certified Trauma Integration Clinician
Recorded On: June 16, 2022
A person’s name is typically tied to their family, culture, and sense of identity. Consequently, when a child’s name is inaccurately pronounced or altered, a host of adverse consequences may transpire. This necessitates attention as name mispronunciation and change, although seemingly innocuous, perpetuates microaggressions ubiquitous to marginalized populations in care/education settings.
This session bring warranted attention to the implications associated with having one’s name mispronounced or changed in early childhood.
Facilitator Bio
Bonika Sok is a graduate of the Honours Bachelor of Early Childhood Leadership (ECL) program at Fanshawe College. In 2020, she completed an internship with Strive where she developed a blog post called What’s in a Name?. This blog embodied her story of having her name mispronounced and changed in her formative years, which led to others in the community sharing their similar experiences. The blog engagement led Bonika to focus on this topic for her ECL capstone research. This study, which is currently in the process of publication, gives voice to participants and Bonika’s lived experiences with having their names mispronounced and/or changed in their early years.
Facilitator Bio
Tina Bonnett is a faculty member of the ECL degree program at Fanshawe College. She supervised Bonika’s study and co-authored the research manuscript. Her Doctoral work examined the relatedness of relational leadership and infant care, and her master's degree focused on infant/caregiver attachment relationships and the primary care approach. She is also a Certified Trauma-Integration Clinician who works for a parenting organization as an Attachment Clinician.