My Learning Partners

Living in poverty is by far one of the worst human conditions imagineable. Children living in poverty is shocking and shameful for our world, our society in which people-adults-live, eat, work, are happy, healthy and prosperous. We must each take our responsibility seriously and take action to end childhood poverty now!

I am currently researching the effects of poverty in America and around the world. I have met some professionals in other parts of the world an am discussing current trends and issues in early childhood education.

Sonia Chavez is an Early Childhood Coordinator in Canada. She is in charge of municipally owned child care center in Toronto. When asked what poverty is like in Toronto Sonia said:

“There is a mix of social classes where the centre is located. The child care centre is in the basement of a Toronto community housing building. This is subsidized housing for the poor. However, across the street, there are nice condos and working class families and other professionals. Many new immigrants, lots of Chinese new professionals.

“Child care is expensive in Toronto so, the government has a subsidy system for those who cannot afford the fees. 100% of my clients are subsidized. Some pay more than others and most don't pay a cent. I do not have access to that info so we don't know how much each family pays.

“We provide 4 nutritional meals per day: breakfast, lunch, afternoon snack and late snack. Our menus are designed by a nutritionist and all meals are prepared on site. We only serve whole wheat pasta and breads, brown rice, and locally grown fresh produce. We don't give them juice or colas, only water and milk. Most children come with no breakfast in the morning.

“Some children go to school, Jr. and Sr. KG. We walk them to our local school, about 15 minutes every day. We don't qualify for a bus. Some children do not have proper shoes or outer wear.

“Evidence of poverty is seen on a daily basis. Children not properly dressed for winter, no extra clothes in their cubbies, poor hygiene, no diapers, eating unhealthy snacks from home; poor oral health; parents with low income, low education or none; some signs of neglect; many young children in the family despite of the income being low and mom gets pregnant again and again; many single mothers, many unemployed parents.

“Does poverty touch me personally? Yes, of course because I struggle providing the best care we can in a community that is hard to serve with limited resources. We don't have enough spaces for the huge demand for child care in the area and many children have to stay with neighbours so that parents can go to school or work for a minimum wage. Some clients are violent or aggressive, some are rude to me, some come late to pick up their children and ignore you (we don't charge a late fee); some abuse the system and take advantage of what they receive. Some clients have mental health issues and it's difficult to work with them.

Our centre is inclusive and we have children with special needs integrated with the typical kids. The children with special needs usually wait for a long time for services, therapies, equipment, materials, etc.

“In Toronto we have a universal health care system. All children have access to free health care and some medicines. Some medications are not covered and parents need to buy them on their own. This can be quite expensive.

“I am not sure of what the children get at school, may be a snack at mid morning, a fruit or something. Lunches have to be provided by the parents. Some schools provide a hot lunch with a minimal contribution from parents, $5 p/month or so.

“Some families receive help from the Salvation Army, Goodwill, local churches, or other organizations like this. They may get groceries, clothes, food vouchers, etc. In order to qualify for this, families need to apply for social assistance and wait for services.”

Shannon Richards is a Registered, Certified Designated Early Childhood Educator in Canada. When asked if there is much poverty in her area or if she sees evidences of it on a daily basis, Shannon said:

“Actually no.”

Patricia Gotor teaches French and English in Spain to all ages and I haven’t heard from her on this topic yet.

According to Childhood Poverty.org http://www.childhoodpoverty.org/ “over 600 million children world-wide live in absolute poverty - an estimated 1 in 4. In many countries, rates are much higher with over 60 percent of children living in households with incomes below international poverty lines. Over 10 million children under five still die every year from preventable diseases - the vast majority of them in developing countries. As one of the most powerless groups in society, children often bear the physical and emotional costs of poverty.  

“Poverty denies opportunities to people of all ages. Lost opportunities in childhood cannot always be regained later - childhood is a one-off window of opportunity and development. Poverty experienced by children, even over short periods, can affect the rest of their lives. Malnutrition in early childhood, for example, can lead to life-long learning difficulties and poor health.

“Today's poor children are all too often tomorrow's poor parents. Poverty can be passed on from generation to generation affecting the long-term health, wellbeing and productivity of families and of society as a whole. Tackling childhood poverty is therefore critical for eradicating poverty and injustice world-wide.

“The international community has committed itself to meeting the Millennium Development Goals by 2015. This includes halving poverty rates, cutting by two-thirds the deaths of children under five and ensuring that all children in the world complete at least primary education. Already progress is slower than is needed - only substantial policy and action.

To prioritise, not to ghettoise children
“Children in poverty are often seen as one of many disadvantaged groups, all competing for resources, or they are characterised as children with special needs such as street children, orphans, or child workers. In partner countries and through its global programme of work, CHIP focuses on and draws attention to the ways in which poverty affects large numbers of urban and rural children, not only particularly disadvantaged groups such as street children or child-headed households.  The CHIP programme emphasises the importance of preventing poverty in the particularly vulnerable first years of life thereby reducing the chance of poverty persisting over an individual’s life course or through the generations.  The materials on this website all take this broad, intergenerational view of childhood poverty.”

You can find information on poverty and ways you can help by going to any of the following webistes:
The Children’s Defense Fund. http://www.childrensdefense.org/

National Center for Children in Poverty.  http://www.nccp.org/

Insittute for Children, Poverty and Homelessness http://www.icphusa.org/

United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).  http://www.unicef.org/

Issues and Trends: Changing Demographics and Diversity

As an early childhood educator, I like to stay informed about current trends and issues in the field. As a result, I have joined several professional organizations including the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).

The organization’s website offers help to early childhood educators in the areas of: accreditations, conferences, research, public policy and developmentally appropriate practices (DAP). Their publications include: Young Children, Teaching Young Children/Preschool, Early Childhood Research Quarterly and Voices of Practitioners and NAEYC Radio. I subscribe to Teaching Young Children/Preschool. This magazine is very useful to me in keeping up with current trends and developmentally appropriate practices. I would recommend this site and publication to anyone teaching or interested in the field of early childhood.

In Teaching Young Children/Preschool, Vol 4, No.1, you can find:

A glossary of early childhood terms;

Reflective questions for educators;

Conversations with lead teachers;

Ideas for supporting dual language learners;

Easing the transition from home to school;

Ways to utilize materials more effectively in the early childhood setting;

Parents supporting their child’s learning;

What children do and learn in the educational setting;

Resource lists for books and magazines to read with children;

Ideas for balancing work and life; and

Information for Professional Development

Articles include: Powerful Interactions Begin with You; Engaging Families in Preschool Programs; Children’s Transitions with Personalized Books; Listen, Talk, Answer – Support Your Child’s Learning; Magazines in the Preschool Classroom; Teaching Preschoolers to Think Optimistically; A Trip to the Vet; The Friendly Frogs Visit Second Grade; and Work-Life Balance.

I was drawn to a new feature called “A Glossary of Early Childhood Terms”. This issue’s term is reflective teacher. The article states

 “A reflective teacher considers what she knows about a child or situation, child development theory, and past experiences, then uses new knowledge and insights to plan next steps in teaching and learning.

            “In action a reflective teacher watches children’s play, documents children’s conversations, studies notes and photos to learn what is significant, reads professional literature, exchanges information with families, and applies this new information to plan ways to engage a child and encourage learning.

           

“Reflective teachers are curious about and delight in children’s perspectives. They are eager to discover and use multiple approaches to support the amazing process of children’s development. Their professional development takes place daily in their classrooms as they watch and think about their work with children.” (NAEYC)

            Too often times, I think I miss this reflection in the busy-ness of my daily routine and eagerness to get it all done. This article reminds me to stop and reflect on each child in my classroom and to be abreast of current child development theories and best practices. I currently enjoy exchanges with families of my students and applying new information to engage children in the learning process. I will take time this week to stop and delight in a child’s perspective and remember that professional development takes place daily in my classroom.

You can find more information at: http://www.naeyc.org/

Resources:

National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) (October/November 2010). Teaching Young Children/Preschool, 4(1), p.5.

Establishing Professional Contacts

I am currently working on a master's degree in early childhood. Part 1 of my assignment this week was to make contact with two early childhood professionals outside of the United States. I have spent over 15 hours on the internet and have made little progress. I have become overly frustrated by this process. I have been contacted by a teacher from Spain, but she teaches high school English. I have even joined two organizations in hopes of making contact.

Just tonight I was contacted by Shannon. She serves on the local school board as a registered designated ECE for the Associaton of Early Childhood Educators in Ontario, Canada. I look forward to getting to know her and to become familiar with the unique challenges of her position. She is a member of the Association of Early Childhood Educators, Ontario (AECEO). http://www.aeceo.ca/

I hope to hear from someone else this coming week.

Part 2 of the assignment is to peruse the website of an early childhood organization. I am a member of three different organizations. The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) is my personal favorite. They are a national organization dedicated to "issues related to early childhood education practice, policy, and/or professional development for which there are controversial or critical opinions." http://www.naeyc.org/ This organization offers professional development in the form of conferences for early childhood educators. It offers several resources, including a quarterly publication called Young Children and NAEYC Radio. It works to ensure that professionals and families are provided the necessary resources to aid in the high quality development of young children. NAEYC works at the local, state and federal levels to positively impact policy change as it relates to early childhood. I encourage anyone in the field of early childhood to join the NAEYC and become part of something greater than yourself.

My Supports

I am supported in a variety of ways in my personal life. First and foremost, I am supported by God. My faith gives me a great deal of strength and comfort.

My family is very supportive. They are verbally encouraging. My children and husband support me by doing housework and running errands when I am tired. They buy me presents and take me places We have fun on trips. We read books and discuss them. They give me foot rubs and back rubs. They call me daily or send me little text messages. My girls plan meals and bake. They often grocery shop. My husband takes care of our home and property, as well as our two dogs and four vehicles. He can and does fix anything and everything that breaks or doesn't work. He gives me advice when I need to take the van to the shop or can't make a decision. He works two full-time jobs and supports me financially. My girls and I would not be where we are without his generosity and kindness.

My family also supports me emotionally and spiritually, They attend services with me and engage in meaningful conversations about life, faith and life after death. They encourage me when I am down and compliment me when I do good things. My girls depend upon me for help, and that makes me feel needed and wanted - like I have real purpose and meaning in my life. They tell me I am smart and are proud of me. My husband constantly tells me how beautiful I am. My husband and children have never raised their voice to me. They don't fight with me, but rather ask me to sit down and have discussions with them when things aren't going so well.

I have a large network of friends that I can call on at a moment's notice. They are always there for me, again, emotionally, socially and even financially. My daughter battled cancer for 8 years, and our church, friends and family all raised hundreds of thousands of dollars to ease our financial burden.

My colleagues at work support me in teaching. We plan cooperatively, and are a team. We give each other verbal encouragement and help each other by taking on duties when someone is absent. I can go to any one of these teachers and ask for something, and they will deliver. My administrators, secretaries and support staff are all a great help and encouragement. I could not do my job effectively without their support.

My doctor supports me in my physical health. He is there when I need him. He can make a diagnosis, write a prescription or refer me to a specialist. It is a real comfort knowing that an expert can help me stay in good health.

God, through the Bible, gives me emotional encouragement and support. He gives me lessons for living the best life and practical ways to deal with hurt, anger or frustration. I often turn to scripture when I need to uplifted or make a decision.

Walden University is currently supporting my efforts to want to further my career. I am engaged in a course and pursuing my master's in Early Childhood Education: Teaching and Cultural Diversity. I have many resources at my disposal with which to research, learn and grow as an educator. I also have very knowledgeable professors and colleagues that support my efforts. I also have a great deal of professional development opportunities which support me in my career, as well.

If I did not have my husband, I can't imagine what life would be like. Yesterday, I attended the funeral of a friend's husband. She woke up last Sunday and he was dead. She is just 5 years older than me. Charlie is my mainstay. I don't function well when I don't have him around. He used to travel with work, and actually worked in another state once for almost a year. I felt very alone. Charlie is my rock. He can take care of anything and everything that I cannot. He makes me feel loved more than any other person alive. He trusts me and depends upon me. He is a faithful, loyal, godly husband. He is a fantastic father to my two girls. He is so great, in fact, that at 19 and 23, they are not yet interested in young men or dating. They compare every man they meet to their father and no one has measured up yet. Without Charlie I would lose 3/4 of my income. I would lose the emotional and physical support as well. I would lose my best friend and the world would lose a great man!

My Connections to Play

Quotes about play

“Play is the beginning of knowledge.” Anonymous

“It is paradoxical that many educators and parents differentiate between and time for learning and a time for play without seeing the vital connection between them.” Leo F. Buscaglia

My Connections to Play

The role of play in my life was the central focus of my days. I spent all of my playtime outside, when the weather permitted. The minute I got home from elementary school, I would eat the snack my mom made and be outside. I wouldn’t come in until she called me to supper. I did not own many toys. My toys were my mother’s pots, pans and spoons. When I was very young, I remember banging on them and pretending to be in a band. I would pretend to cook and arrange and organize dishes in the kitchen. I would lead my siblings in singing church hymns and nursery rhymes, while making music. My mother would let me dress up in her clothes, high heels and hats. I would prance around the house with my sister. I remember putting on her gloves, carrying a purse and pretending to go to church. I would carry on lengthy conversations with myself and my sister. I loved to swing and play hopscotch at school. I could spend all day on a teeter totter or merry-go-round. My family spent two weeks every summer at the lake. I loved to explore, swim, hike and fish.  

My father was a carpenter and made us child-sized furniture at a time Little Tykes wasn’t even thought about. My grandmother gave me a doll, and my parents set up a little house in the long washroom of our home. I was always the mother, a doctor or a nurse. We had a little table and chairs, doll bed, stove and refrigerator. I loved playing house. This was my favorite place to be in the winter. I could dress and undress my doll for hours.

My mother stayed home and kept children, while other mothers went to work. Our house was always filled with other children, so we always had someone to play with. When it was warm, I played church and school in the street, lining up the neighbor children on the curb and teaching them things I thought they should know. My father built a small playhouse in the backyard and I spent many hours decorating and hosting clubs. I spent long hours playing card games with my grandmother in her kitchen. When my cousins visited, we would play tag, explore and ride bikes. I played jump rope and chanted all those little jump rope poems. I was very good at Double Dutch. My mom gave me jacks for Christmas once. She taught me how to play with them on the kitchen floor.  

During the long summer days, my little brother, sister and I would explore the neighborhood, picking up bugs, turning over rocks hoping to see a snake. We would play with horned toads and chase grasshoppers and butterflies. We often found tarantulas. We would kick rocks and cans. We would play with balls and pop bottles. We would play cops and robbers. Nights would be filled with trying to catch fireflies; smashing them between our fingers and watching our fingers glow in the dark. We would go outside, sit in the dirt and make mud pies and grass and rock stew. We could walk around for hours, swatting at weeds with sticks. My sister was a great tree climber, but I was very afraid of heights. There was a small pond at the end of our dirt road, and we would go there every day to see what we could see. We would pick dandelions and blow them in the wind. My favorite plants were the cattails in the pond.  We would try to catch the frogs and often brought home box turtles. We would blow bubbles and chase them. We rode bikes everywhere. While studying the ground, I once found a dollar bill buried in the dirt. You would have thought I won the lottery!

Play was a vital part of my childhood. My family did not watch television. I can’t imagine spending hours in front of the boob tube, texting on a cell phone instead of talking, playing video games instead of board games and sitting for long periods instead of running, riding bikes and organizing neighborhood baseball games. I easily went a mile from my home most days. It was natural to be outside. Most people were back then. These days, our children are missing out on so much real play.

Play today

Today’s free play among children is virtually nonexistent. Play is scheduled and organized by parents and adults. Play is often considered a waste of time. Play is expected to end in some resulted learning experience. Every minute of every day of a child’s life seems to be planned and scheduled. Parents buy more and more toys, trying to keep their children entertained. Children aren’t allowed to freely explore because of stranger danger. Children often don’t know each other, because our society is so mobile. Neighborhood sports have been replaced with organized games. When I ask my first grade students what they play, I always get the same answers: PS2 or X-Box. Children don’t understand or use their imagination. Children just don’t know how to really play anymore. Research shows that play is vital to healthy physical, social, emotional and cognitive development. As a society, it seems that more we stress learning, academics and testing, the more dismal our scores become. Increasingly schools are denying preschoolers and kindergarten children to play and expecting them to sit, read and write all day. Maybe if we let our little kids be kids and allow children to play, they would be more committed to their formal schooling experience. I recently read an article that said students who do not have formal reading and writing in kindergarten aren’t as smart and aren’t as successful in life as those who attend a formal kindergarten. I wonder what Plato, Socrates, Einstein, George Washington or Abe Lincoln would have to say about that?

Pictures that represent my childhood playtime

            

Malnutrition

The Impact of Nutrition / Malnutrition on Child Development

As an educator and mother of two, quality nutrition is at the heart of my ability to properly care for and nurture those under my care. Poverty is an on-going global crisis which contributes to malnutrition. The implementation of Title I, free and reduced breakfast and lunch, in our public schools is an alarming necessity. I have taught in a place where children had nothing to eat, other than the meals they were served at school. 

Good nutrition is said to be the “cornerstone of good health”. Poor nutrition leads to disease, impaired mental and physical development, lowered immunity and lack of productivity. Nutrition is considered the foundation for overall health and physical and mental development. Healthy children are able to learn and thrive. Health adults are better educated, stronger, more productive members of society and help break the cycles of poverty and malnutrition.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO) “Nutrition disorders (malnutrition) can be caused by an insufficient intake of food or of certain nutrients, by an inability of the body to absorb and use nutrients, or by overconsumption of certain foods. Examples include obesity caused by excess energy intake, anemia caused by insufficient intake of iron, and impaired sight because of inadequate intake of vitamin A. Nutrition disorders can be particularly serious in children, since they interfere with growth and development, and may predispose to many health problems, such as infection and chronic diseases.

WHO also reports that “Chronic food deficits affect about 792 million people in the world (FAO 2000), including 20% of the population in developing countries. Worldwide, malnutrition affects one in three people and each of its major forms dwarfs most other diseases globally (WHO, 2000). Malnutrition affects all age groups, but it is especially common among the poor and those with inadequate access to health education and to clean water and good sanitation. More than 70% of children with protein-energy malnutrition live in Asia, 26% live in Africa, and 4% in Latin America and the Caribbean.

“Malnutrition is a major health problem, especially in developing countries. Water supply, sanitation and hygiene, given their direct impact on infectious disease, especially diarrhea, are important for preventing malnutrition. Both malnutrition and inadequate water supply and sanitation are linked to poverty. The impact of repeated or persistent diarrhea on nutrition-related poverty and the effect of malnutrition on susceptibility to infectious diarrhea are reinforcing elements of the same vicious circle, especially amongst children in developing countries.

“Clinically, malnutrition is characterized by inadequate or excess intake of protein, energy, and micronutrients such as vitamins, and the frequent infections and disorders that result.

“People are malnourished if they are unable to utilize fully the food they eat, for example due to diarrhea or other illnesses (secondary malnutrition), if they consume too many calories (overnutrition), or if their diet does not provide adequate calories and protein for growth and maintenance (undernutrition or protein-energy malnutrition).

“Malnutrition in all its forms increases the risk of disease and early death. Protein-energy malnutrition, for example, plays a major role in half of all under-five deaths each year in developing countries (WHO 2000). Severe forms of malnutrition include marasmus (chronic wasting of fat, muscle and other tissues); cretinism and irreversible brain damage due to iodine deficiency; and blindness and increased risk of infection and death from vitamin A deficiency” (WHO 2008).

Ways in which we can help end this crisis are: educating people about healthy diets; improving access to good water and nutritious food supplies throughout the world; better sanitation and hygiene training.  

World Health Organization (WHO) June 2008. Retrieved January 12, 2011 from http://www.who.int/topics/nutrition/en/