Excellence and Equity in Early Childhood Education

This week, I have been researching the website of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). Our topic has been excellence and equity in education. This organization is dedicated to “excellence and equity in educating all young children” (NAEYC, 2011). There are many ways in which this organization supports this statement.

In addition to newsletters, magazines and a radio station, this organization is dedicated to early childhood research and puts out a quarterly newsletter with the results. In the March 2011 issue, Howes, et al. addressed peer interaction in the diverse classroom. They found that young children interacted better when there was dramatic play available, whether they spoke English or not. Dobbes-Oates, et al. concluded that “task orientation and behavior management each positively predicted children’s emergent literacy development, but not language development. There was a significant interaction between teachers’ behavior management and children’s task orientation in predicting children’s language development, such that high scores on both variables were associated with the most optimal language outcomes”. Another study concluded that parental control styles significantly influenced a child’s school readiness.

Ways they get directly involved in influencing teachers, administrators and policy makers in excellence and equity in education is to offer programs such as their 2009 series of three long distance learning sessions. This series was designed to “help educators, administrators and other stakeholders understand what’s new and what remains appropriate practice for teaching young children” (NAEYC, 2011). These three distance learning program video’s were released with the idea of revising and refining ideas that have surfaced within the past ten years about best practices and what is developmentally appropriate in the early childhood classroom. The first program addressed developmentally appropriate practices, the second program addressed intentional teaching and the third, play in the classroom. They released these videos to 100 state, local and regional agencies, held community forums and hoped to influence teachers, administrators and policy makers in developmentally appropriate practices in the field of early childhood education.

I found these tools on their website to be helpful to me as well:

Early Learning Standards Self-Assessment and Planning Tool http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/ecprofessional/StandardsSelfAssessmentTool.pdf

Early Learning Standards, Creating Conditions for Success http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/earlyLearningStandards.pdf

Good Toys for Young Children http://www.naeyc.org/toys

Self-Assessment and Planning Tool for Curriculum and Assessment http://www.naeyc.org/toys

Whether a teacher, administrator or policy maker, this site offers a plethora of information and research related to early childhood. It is a valuable resource and should be part of every early childhood educator’s resource list.

Dobbes-Oates, J. (March, 2011). Effective behavior management in preschool classrooms and children's task orientation: Enhancing emergent literacy and language development. Early Childhood Research Quarterly. NAEYC. Retrieved from http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6W4B-52B13G6-1&_user=10&_coverDate=03%2F06%2F2011&_rdoc=1&_fmt=high&_orig=gateway&_origin=gateway&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=bb67011138fdf1e8556a5f832d3978f4&searchtype=a

Howes, C., et al. (March, 2011). Classroom dimensions predict early peer interaction when children are diverse in ethnicity, race, and home language. Early Childhood Research Quarterly. NAEYC. Retrieved from http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6W4B-52C3RJM-1&_user=10&_coverDate=03%2F11%2F2011&_rdoc=1&_fmt=high&_orig=gateway&_origin=gateway&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=cc7841691637ca71f2c404e16b75b9db&searchtype=a

Kleisner-Walker, A., MacPhee, D. (March, 2011). How home gets to school: Parental control strategies predict children’s school readiness. Early Childhood Research Quarterly. NAEYC.Retrieved from http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/620184/description#description

Early Childhood Issues Around the Globe

This week, I explored the Harvard University’s Global Children’s Initiative website and gained some new insights about early childhood around the globe.  I was not aware of the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University or their work in the field of early childhood education.

“The Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University was founded in 2006 on the belief that the vitality and sustainability of any society depend on the extent to which it expands opportunities early in life for all children to achieve their full potential and engage in responsible and productive citizenship. We view healthy child development as the foundation of economic prosperity, strong communities, and a just society, and our mission is to advance that vision by leveraging science to enhance child well-being through innovations in policy and practice.

“Drawing on the full breadth of intellectual resources available across Harvard University’s schools and affiliated hospitals, the Center generates, translates, and applies knowledge in the service of improving life outcomes for children in the United States and throughout the world”.

The Center is focused on three objectives: to educate high-level decision-makers about the science of learning, behavior and health in children; to support research to expand the global understanding of how healthy development occurs;  and to “build leadership capacity in child development research and policy among individuals and institutions in low- and middle-income countries in order to increase the number and influence of diverse perspectives that are contributing to the global movement on behalf of young children”.

The Global Children’s Initiative is currently focusing on early childhood development, children in crisis and conflict situations and mental health in children. They plan to: “educate the leadership of key international agencies, publish and disseminate papers to establish a

strong scientific framework for global work, and conduct systematic communications research to identify the most effective ways to translate the science of child development for global policymakers. They plan to: generate and apply new knowledge that addresses the health and developmental needs of young children in a variety of settings” and assess “quality in early childhood environments and programs in diverse global contexts. They are going to pilot “outcomes linked to malaria control strategies in Zambia; and expand effective interventions to improve preschool quality in Chile”.

With regard to children’s mental health, they are: “assessing the state of child mental health services in China; developing and evaluating family-based strategies to prevent mental health problems in children affected by HIV/AIDS in Rwanda; and addressing child maltreatment and mental health outcomes in three Caribbean nations (Barbados, the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, and Suriname)”. They are currently working with the François-Xavier Bagnoud Center for Health and Human Rights at the Harvard School of Public Health to assess the well-being of children in natural crises. They are looking at children of post-earthquake Chile and Haiti and addressing the acute malnutrition.

Finally, they will focus on “building a sustainable infrastructure to support the productive engagement of Harvard students and faculty in a diversity of global settings. The second dimension focuses on developing opportunities to provide leadership training for individual

researchers, policymakers, and institutions, primarily in the majority world”.

I was very encouraged while researching this website. I had no idea the extent of the global initiative to raise awareness of issues related to early childhood.

Center on the Developing Child. (2011). Harvard University. Retrieved from  http://developingchild.harvard.edu/initiatives/global_initiative/

Sharing Web Resources

As a professional, early childhood educator, I am always on the lookout for information relative to my profession. One such organization that provides this kind of support is the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). The NAEYC can be found by visiting www.naeyc.org.

The NAEYC offers a variety of support for teachers of young learners. Periodicals include: Young Children and Teaching Young Children. In these magazines and/or e-magazines, teachers will find a variety of helpful topics and issues that relate to the early childhood classroom.  These publications are offered in English, as well as Spanish. The site offers information on all topics related to early childhood educators such as: accreditation, professional development conferences, current public policy, books and related materials, quality early learning programs, educational links, current research and even has its own radio program.

In this recent publication, Teaching Young Children/Preschool, the NAEYC explores the topics of engaging families in programs; easing children’s transitions; powerful interactions; supporting your child’s learning; play as it relates to language, literacy and social/emotional development; periodicals in the classroom; and teaching young children to think optimistically (2010). Specific information that is particularly relevant and of interest to me was “Powerful Interactions Begin with You” and “Revisiting Learning Centers: What children do and learn”. In the article on interacting with children, the authors address building and deepening relationships with children in the classroom. Dombro, et al., state that “Meaningful and lasting learning depends on a strong personal relationship between teachers and learners” (2010, p. 12). Getting down on the child’s level, speaking in a pleasing voice, asking them questions, using interesting language, using their name often, using mirror talk, spending one-on-one time, being supportive and showing care and respect all build this meaningful relationship. Mirror talk is complimenting or stating what the child is doing specifically. Instead of just saying “good job”, the teacher might say “You have added a lot more blocks to your high tower since the last time I look at it, Rachel!” (2010, p. 13). The article also focuses on supporting dual language learners. This is of particular interest to me since I work in a school of over 95% Hispanic/Latino children. I find myself using expression like “good job” often in my classroom. As a result of this article, I am going to challenge myself to use mirror talk this week.

Another article that caught my attention was an article on how play builds a child’s understanding of science and math, language and literacy, and social/emotional skills. Colker focuses on using the block center as the foundation for teaching and discovering basic math concepts, such as: shapes, colors, patterns, size, etc. while also deepening the child’s language and vocabulary (NAEYC, 2010, pg. 16). Building this vocabulary will then translate into strengthening literacy for the child by connecting the child personally with books about structures and shapes.

I found no controversial articles on the website or in the periodical. However, as mentioned above, my thinking was challenged by the article on meaning relationships with children. Early childhood education is becoming increasingly important at the state and federal levels and the NAEYC website keeps me informed about: federal developments; state trends, workforce initiatives and offers me ways to be an effective advocate of early childhood education.

I didn’t discover any new insights from this particular issue of Teaching Young Children/Preschool, but did deepen my understanding of my relationship with children and how it affects and influences their ability to learn and grow, cognitively, socially and emotionally.

I highly recommend this site as a source of support for early childhood educators and parents of young children.

Colker, L. (October/November, 2010). Revisiting learning centers: what children do and learn. NAEYC. Teaching young children/preschool. (4)1, 16-17.

Dombro, A., Jablon, J., & Stetson, C. (October/November, 2010). Powerful interactions begin with you. NAEYC. Teaching young children/preschool. (4)1, 12-14.

NAEYC. Teaching young children/preschool. (October/November, 2010). (4)1. Retrieved March 26, 2011 from http://www.naeyc.org/

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!