When I think of Child Development...

Anonymous

"Children are great imitators. So give them something great to imitate."

Lady Bird Johnson, former U.S. first lady

"Children are likely to live up to what you believe of them."

John W. Whitehead, founder, Rutherford Institute

"Children are the living messages we send to a time we will not see."

These quotes remind me that I have to be a good role model for children.  I have to give them something great to imitate.  I also have to make them feel safe and secure and assure them that they matter.  There is a child in my classroom whose brother picked him up from school one day and kept telling him that he is bad...he is not a bad child, he just makes poor choices.  I hope that in my classroom he knows that I believe he can do better and that he is a good kid!  The last quote reminds me that the lives I touch today will go into the future.  I need to make sure I am doing my best and giving them skills to use in their futures. 

Testing for Intelligence?

When I think about assessing children, I can understand that we need to know where children are not only academically, but also on a social-emotional level.  We not only need to make sure that young children can read and understand basic math, we also need to know that they are doing alright making friends and interacting with their peers.  They need to be able to work out differences with others and be able to enter a group and work together.  I do believe that some standardized testing is appropriate to find out where children are so that we can help them get to the level they should be performing at.  I also think about our reading this week and how everyone learns at different rates.  We need to meet children where they are or in their zone of proximal development and help them reach their potential.  We also need to help them with social skills and emotion regulation.  We also need to consider their culture and home life and work with families.  We have to build relationships with the children and their families to understand what each child may need to help them reach their full potential. 

I took a look at an article about high stakes testing in England.  The article is from 2008 and it talks a lot about how much standardized testing takes place in that country.  It mentions that schools are teaching to the tests (Cassidy, 2008).  I think we have also been accused of doing that here in the United States as well.  Children are put under a lot of pressure to perform and get high scores on these tests.  In England there seems to be a lot of pressure on students.  The article also talks about a parent that took her children out of the public school system and is home schooling her children because of the high amount of tests (Cassidy, 2008).  Her children were doing well, but now they are enjoying learning and are not under the pressure they once were.  The article also highlights testing in France, Italy, and Germany. 

I work for Head Start and I can remember when we were using the NRS or National Reporting System to assess our children.  This was a standardized test for preschoolers.  I was certified to administer this test and did so one year.  It was awful!  To sit and ask four year olds to answer questions and to subject them to this type of test was so not developmentally appropriate.  There are much better ways to find out what these children know.  I was so happy when they discontinued its use and we no longer have to administer this test.  There are reports that talk about how Head Start doesn’t help children and families and there are those reports that tell how much Head Start does.  As a teacher in this program, I know that we make a difference in the lives of the children and families we serve each year.  My own children remember their teacher and I know that she had an impact on their lives.  Not only did my children benefit from the program, I found a career path that I love! 

Reference:

Cassidy, S.  (February 8, 2008).  Our children tested to destruction English primary school pupils subjected to more tests than in any other country.  Retrieved December 10, 2011 from http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/our-children-tested-to-destruction-779790.html

Consequences of Stress on Children's Development

As a child, I dealt with living in poverty.  When I was very little my mom told me that we moved a lot!  I don't remember many of the moves.  I only remember the last three homes we lived in when I was little.  In one home we had rats and bats.  I remember waiting for my Uncle Gene to come pick us up one night because there were many bats flying around our house.  The next place we lived in was a single wide trailer.  It was very small, but we made it work for several years.  My mom didn't work, hadn't graduated from high school, and was not employed.  My dad was a fence installer and self-employed.  I guess I was fortunate that I really didn't realize that we were poor.  I think that the stressor that affected me the most was my dad making me feel ugly and fat.  At three years old, I remember getting a new easter outfit and feeling "fat" in it.  I had cousins that were tiny little girls and I think that my dad always compared me to them.  I grew up with being very self-conscience and feeling fat and ugly.  I think I coped with it by putting my effort into being a good student.  I worked hard to get good grades and to do my best.  I also started going to church when I was seven and found other people that told me how wonderful I was.  When I look back to high school, I realize that I wasn't any bigger than the other girls and I was pretty.  I have worked hard to be confident and feel good about myself. 

I was interested in the affects of war/terrorism on the development of children.  We have been affected here in the United States and I can't imagine being a small child in Iraq or Afganistan.  What I have read tells me that if children have a good support system they may be able to adapt and have little distress.  Without that support system children face lots of stressors.  Not only is there a war going on around them, but they may have lost a parent or both parents, they may not have anything to eat, and they may not have a place to stay.  When they do have their families and a good support system it must be hard.  They would have to think about bombs and gunfire going on around them.  I also wonder what they think of the soldiers that they may come into contact with.  Do they regard them as good guys or bad guys?  Parents have a strong influence on their children all around the world, so that will be a factor in the lives of these children.  Some children may show signs of PTSD

Child Development and Public Health

This week, I choose the topic of breastfeeding.  This is important to me because I feel that it is important for all women to try to breast feed.  I breast fed each of my children but only for a short time.  I never really got the hang of it and I didn't have a lot of support from their father, so I only did it for a couple of months at the most.  I alwasy felt that what I did do would help with their immune systems and to help with other areas of development.  I have learned that even the little bit I did do was great for them.  I also found information about breastfeeding around the world.  In the developing world, people need access to clean water, milk or formula, money, a way to store the milk or formula, clean containers and these supplies can be difficult to obtain.  It is also a more cost effective way to make sure infants get the proper nutrition they need.  Formula can cost a lot of money, but mothers milk is free.  There are also benefits to a woman's health.  Woman who breastfeed reduce the risk of breast and ovarian cancer.  I found this information at http://www.breastfeedingbasics.org/cgi-bin/deliver.cgi/content/International/his_intro.html. 

Childbirth––In My Life and Around the World

I have given birth three times and came home with three amazing children.  I wanted to be a mom for so long...we started trying for our first child just before we got married.  After being quite unsuccessful we sought professional help and went through lots of testing when they told me that they didn't think I was ovulating, which made sense to me.  So, now I had a reason and we would fix this...two weeks later, I called the doctor and told them I was pregnant!  I was so excited and overjoyed.  Now we had the wait until our baby made her way into the world.  On October 8, 1992 I went to work just like any other day, she wasn't due until October 27, when I started having a terrible back ache.  I didn't think much of it as it seems a lot of women have back pains while pregnant.  By the time I arrived home that day I was in a whole lot of pain and I sat rocking on my livingroom floor waiting for my husband to get home.  We then went to the hospital and we were admitted right away.  They thought my water had broke much earlier and there was some concern, but labor took it's course and four hours later I had my baby girl, Ryann Nicole.  She was perfect and beautiful!  I remember how much pain I was feeling and how I couldn't wait to hold my baby.  I choose this example because it was my first child, they were all memorable though!  My thoughts regarding birth and its impact on child development is that we hope things go well and that the baby doesn't experience any trauma during delivery.  I also hope that children come into the world being loved and feeling safe. 

I found an article in Parents magazine about giving birth around the world.  The author, Lara Schalken, moved from Texas to the Netherlands with her husband and gave birth to their son.  Most births there are performed by midwives and the majority of births occur at home.  They also desire a natural child birth with no drugs.  Germany has similiar customs with midwives being highly respected.  In Germany, a woman takes leave six weeks before giving birth and cannot work for eight weeks after and can take up to three years unpaid leave and still have her job.  The last year is a floating year and either parent can take that time!  The Japanese also regard having a natural child birth without drugs highly desirable although doctors are recommending epidurals to help ease pain.  In Brazil and Turkey there have been higher rates of cesarean births.  Each of these countries also have customs in regards to visitors and special foods or drinks that are shared after the birth of their child.  There are many differences, but also many similarities.  We have midwives here, but they aren't as respected and sought out.  I saw a midwife when I had my third child and if I had had a fourth, I would have opted for a home delivery.  In some of these countries, mom and child stay in bed for almost a month!  In some they are sent home within hours of their delivery.  We get sent home usually after 24hours, but we certainly don't get to stay in bed for a month...there is always so much to do!  I found it very interesting to read about other countries and how women around the world give birth. 

references:
Shalken, L.  Birth customs around the world.  Parents.  Retrieved November 4, 2011 from http://www.parents.com/pregnancy/giving-birth/vaginal/birth-customs-around-the-world/?page=1

Examining Codes of Ethics

The three ideals that are meaningful to me from NAEYC's Code of Ethical Conduct are:
P-3C.3 - We shall develop and maintain comprehensive written personnel policies that define program standards.  These policies shall be given to new staff members and shall be available and easily accessible for review by all staff members. 

This is meaningful to me because although we do have policies and procedures, and they are written, they are not easily accessible.  This is something I want to change in our program.  With a past employer, I always knew where to look and I could easily find what I was looking for, I struggle with that and so do many other employees. 

P-1.1 - Above all, we shall not harm children.  We shall not participate in practices that are emotionally damaging, physically harmful, disrespectful, degrading, dangerous, exploitative, or intimidating to children.

This is the most important thing to remember when working with our little ones.  In my former role of support teacher, I saw too many times when I saw how staff talked to children.  I made sure I also followed another standard of conduct and talked to the staff member and their supervisor about what I witnessed.  We should always treat the children in our care with respect and dignity. 

I-2.3 - To welcome all family members and encourage them to participate in the program.

I want parents and family members to feel welcome to stay and participate with their child whenever they have a free moment.  This year I am fortunate to have a couple of parents that are staying to play with their child.  That is how I got started down this path and I would love to see others do the same. 

From DEC's Code of Ethics the ideals that are most meaningful to me are:

1.  We shall demonstrate the highest standards of personal integrity, truthfulness, and honesty in all our professional activities in order to inspire the trust and confidence of the children and families and of those with whom we work. 

I think this is an important part of all aspects of our lives and I do strive do be truthful and honest and to form relationships of trust and respect with the families I work with and with my co-workers.  I want to be able to be open and honest with my co-workers so that we can be on the same page and be a great team!

2.  We shall support professionals new to the field by mentoring them in the practice of evidence and ethically based services.

I remember being new to the early childhood profession and needing guidance and having a lot of questions.  As I further my career, I want to reach out to the new professionals and share my knowledge and guide them and answer their questions.

3.  We shall empower families with information and resources so that they are informed consumers of services for their children.

We want our families to be able to be an advocate for their children.  We have to provide them with the right information so that they know their rights and how to be a voice for their own children.  Our program provides supports for families as they attend IEP's and let's them know what kinds of questions to ask and how to make sure their child is receiving the services they need.  We also give them information about other resources in the community as well.

Growing My Collection of Resources

Position Statements and Influential Practices

• NAEYC. (2009). Developmentally appropriate practice in early childhood programs serving children from birth through age 8. from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/dap
• NAEYC. (2009). Where we stand on child abuse prevention. from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/ChildAbuseStand.pdf
• NAEYC. (2009). Where we stand on school readiness. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/Readiness.pdf
• NAEYC. (2009). Where we stand on responding to linguistic and cultural diversity. from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/diversity.pdf
• NAEYC. (2003). Early childhood curriculum, assessment, and program evaluation: Building an effective, accountable system in programs for children birth through age 8. from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/pscape.pdf
• NAEYC. (2009, April). Early childhood inclusion: A summary.  from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/DEC_NAEYC_ECSummary_A.pdf
• Zero to Three: National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families. (2010). Infant-toddler policy agenda. from http://main.zerotothree.org/site/PageServer?pagename=ter_pub_infanttodller
• FPG Child Development Institute. (2006, September). Evidence-based practice empowers early childhood professionals and families. (FPG Snapshot, No. 33). from http://www.fpg.unc.edu/~snapshots/snap33.pdf
  
  Note: The following article can be found in the Walden University Library databases.
• Turnbull, A., Zuna, N., Hong, J. Y., Hu, X., Kyzar, K., Obremski, S., et al.  (2010). Knowledge-to-action guides. Teaching Exceptional Children, 42(3), 42–53.
  Use the Academic Search Complete database, and search using the article's title. 

Global Support for Children’s Rights and Well-Being

• Article: UNICEF (n.d.). Fact sheet: A summary of the rights under the Convention on the Rights of the Child. from http://www.unicef.org/crc/files/Rights_overview.pdf
   
• Websites:
  • World Forum Foundation http://worldforumfoundation.org/wf/wp/about-us
    This link connects you to the mission statement of this organization. Make sure to watch the video on this webpage 
  • World Organization for Early Childhood Education http://www.omep-usnc.org/
    Read about OMEP’s mission. 
  • Association for Childhood Education Internationalhttp://acei.org/about/ Click on “Mission/Vision” and “Guiding Principles and Beliefs” and read these statements.

Selected Early Childhood Organizations

• National Association for the Education of Young Childrenhttp://www.naeyc.org/
• The Division for Early Childhoodhttp://www.dec-sped.org/
• Zero to Three: National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Familieshttp://www.zerotothree.org/
• WESTEDhttp://www.wested.org/cs/we/print/docs/we/home.htm
• Harvard Education Letterhttp://www.hepg.org/hel/topic/85
• FPG Child Development Institutehttp://www.fpg.unc.edu/main/about.cfm
• Administration for Children and Families Headstart’s National Research Conferencehttp://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/opre/hsrc/
• HighScope http://www.highscope.org/
• Children’s Defense Fund http://www.childrensdefense.org/
• Center for Child Care Workforce http://www.ccw.org/
• Council for Exceptional Children http://www.cec.sped.org//AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home
• Institute for Women’s Policy Research http://www.iwpr.org/index.cfm
• National Center for Research on Early Childhood Education http://www.ncrece.org/wordpress/
• National Child Care Association http://www.nccanet.org/
• National Institute for Early Education Research http://nieer.org/
• Pre[K]Now http://www.preknow.org/
• Voices for America’s Children http://www.voices.org/
• The Erikson Institute http://www.erikson.edu/
     

Selected Professional Journals Available in the Walden Library

• YC Young Children
• Childhood
• Journal of Child & Family Studies
• Child Study Journal
• Multicultural Education
• Early Childhood Education Journal
• Journal of Early Childhood Research
• International Journal of Early Childhood
• Early Childhood Research Quarterly
• Developmental Psychology
• Social Studies
• Maternal & Child Health Journal
• International Journal of Early Years Education

Additional Resources:

• Hall, N.S. (1999).  Creative resources for the anti-bias classroom.  Albany, NY:  Delmar Publishers. 
• A wonderful website full of ideas and printables – www.makinglearningfun.com
• Shelley Lovett’s website www.childcareland.com
• http://preschoolteachingaidsbycarolyn.com/

Words of Inspiration and Motivation

' If formal instruction is introduced too early, too intensely and too abstractly, the children may indeed learn the instructed knowledge and skills, but they may do so at the expense of the disposition to use them'

Lilian Katz

Experts generally agree that taking all opportunities to read books and other material aloud to children is the best preparation for their learning to read. The pleasures of being read to are far more likely to strengthen a child's desire to learn to read than are repetitions of sounds, alphabet drills, and deciphering uninteresting words.

Lilian Katz

Of course children benefit from positive feedback. But praise and rewards are not the only methods of reinforcement. More emphasis should be place on appreciation—reinforcement related explicitly and directly to the content of the child's interest and efforts.

Lilian Katz

Access to many different playmates promotes young children to develop an interest in their peers and affords them many opportunities to develop play skills that are more advanced, more complex, and more coordinated with those of their peers.
Virginia Buysse

Louise Derman-Sparks talks about her passion being just as great today "because children are still trying to figure out all their different identities..."

Louise Derman-Sparks

"It's not all about you, you've got to take your ego out of it and think about what's best for this child"

Renatta M. Cooper

My Personal Childhood Web

There are many people who influenced my early childhood.  The most important person in my early years was and still is my mom, Diana.  She was only 16 when she had me, but she did her best along with my dad to instill strong values and to teach me right from wrong.  We have always been very close and I have always been able to talk to her about anything and everything.  She has supported all of my decisions and I know that she is proud of who I have become. 

My dad is another big influence in my life.  As a young child he was the one who played outside with me and pointed out all that nature provides.  He worked hard so that my mom could stay home with me and to provide us with all of our necessities.  He also made sure that we took vacations every summer.  Because I am an only child, my parents made sure I had other children to play with and allowed me to have friends over.

My grandparents also played a role in my early years.  We visited them often when I was growing up and I would spend time with my grandma when they would let me spend the night.  I remember telling my parents that we slept in the "closet".  It was actually a third bedroom that my grandma used for storage with a pullout couch that we slept on.  But in my way of thinking it was a closet!  My grandma was always nice and never yelled at us kids.  We knew the rules at grandma's house and followed them because we wanted to please her.  Grandpa liked to tickle us, but it usually hurt because he would grab too hard.  But I loved him anyway and when we would visit, I would put the teddy bear in his bed to keep him company if I was staying the night and would take grandma away.  He remembered that many years later and I now have that bear. 

Some other people that influenced my early childhood were my great grandparents and my great aunt Ruby.  Aunt Ruby taught me how to tie my shoes when I was little and also taught me how to play several card games.  My great grandparents listened to my stories and made me feel special when I was around.  My great grandpa always saved pennies in an aerosal can lid and when I would visit with my grandma he would give them to me.  We also had a neighbor that I would visit when I was little.  He lived across the street from us and I would carry my stuffed animals and dolls over there and sit on his porch and play.  He always listened and never asked me to leave.  He would often have to help me carry my things home, but he always had a smile on his face.  Looking back, I'm not sure if I enjoyed his company more or if he enjoyed mine! 

I grew up in a small community and all my aunts and uncles lived close and were an influence on my development and so were many of my teachers through the years.  I also was involved in girl scouts when I was young and participated in a youth group at church.  I was and still am a very lucky person to have so many people be a part of my life!  I guess I wouldn't be who I am today without each one of the people that have been in my life.

A children's book I love and what I love about it!

Again, this was very difficult to narrow down to just one!  I have many favorites, but I think my most favorite is Green Egggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss.  I love this book because it is fun to read and it keeps the children's attention when I read it.  I think that because I love this book, the kids are more interested because I read it with so much enthusiasm.  I also like how the story talks about trying new things and that in the end he decides that he does like green eggs and ham and is glad that Sam got him to try them.  There are also many other Dr. Seuss books that are fun to read and also have a good message, like, What Was I Scared Of. 
          

a meaningful quote about early childhood

I was supposed to pick just one quote, but I just couldn't do it...so I choose 3 that I felt had a lot of meaning to me.
1.  "If a child does not learn the way we teach her, let us teach her the way she learns" (sorry, don't know who said this). 
2.  "People don't stop playing because they grow old; they grow old because they stop playing." I believe it is so important to take time to play each day and a lot of us in the early childhood field get paid to play!
3.  "Use what talents you possess.  The woods would be very silent if no birds sang except those that sang the best" ~ Henry Van Dyke  The children don't care if we can sing perfectly or how we dance, they just want us to sing and dance!