This paper focuses on the literature related to the formation of stereotypical racial attitudes in children and then organizes and reviews strategies for modification and prevention of such stereotypes. Racial attitudes of preschool and early school age Anglo, Black, and Chicano children towards themselves and each other are included. A brief overview of the evidence suggests that racial awareness is formed by ages three-four, and that by the age of five children hold prejudicial attitudes towards members of other races. The paper addresses and evaluates efforts to modify such attitudes in children, divided into what is labeled curriculum approaches and reinforcement procedure approaches. Six curriculum programs are reviewed which variously use multi-ethnic readers, stories portraying minorities in favorable positions and statuses, black consciousness curriculum, films, art activities, and other experimental curriculum activities involving skin color. Seven reinforcement based modification studies, which attempted to change children's responses to white and black stimuli are evaluated. As a whole these strategies have not been effective, although they have shown that children's racial responses are malleable in the short run. Studies with the longest involvement of time, integrated curriculum classroom approaches, and highly dedicated models are the most likely to reach success. This literature suggests that an approach geared to giving children early positive identification of various racial groupings and configurations is a potentially useful preventive strategy with preschool children. (Author/BMW)