Getting to know International Contacts Part 2

I have had no luck in making any connections with my contacts.  Therefore I took a closer look at the website on Global Children’s Initiative.  On this site I found an article titled Reducing Developmental Barriers in Learning.  According to the article, the Early Childhood Innovation Partnership (ECIP) is a collaboration among four organizations that work together to help reduce barriers in learning.

Even though investments in training and curriculum are important, we are still seeing gaps in learning.  Neuroscience research has now proven the emotional, social and behavioral issues are a leading cause to gaps.  With this information, ECIP will focus on developing a group that will create new strategies that will help relieve the gaps in learning. 

One way of doing this is by the formation of a group known as the Frontiers of Innovation.  With this group one of their goals will be to develop a community that will then develop, implement and test interventional models.

With the help of analysts, policymakers, scientists and entrepreneurs from public and private sectors, the ECIP is planning on building upon strategies and techniques that will help the future of our children.

Resources:

Center on the Developing Child-Harvard University-Global Children's Initiative. (2011). Reducing Developmental Barriers in Learning.  Retrieved at http://developingchild.harvard.edu/initiatives/global_initiative/

Economists, Neuroscientists and Politicians as Early Childhood Advocates

In an article I found online in regards to NAEYC, it had a section on how to implement high quality programs in the early childhood field.  I find this an important professional development topic for myself.   The artcle mentions how certain types of funding are being used in various states to achieve a high quality program. 

In Connecticut, the School Readiness Program can be funded only if it meets current NAEYC Accreditation requirements.  
In Massachusetts, their "universal pre-k program requires recipients of classroom quality grants to be accredited by NAEYC' (NAEYC, 2010).  They have the most accredited prekindergarten programs in the nation.

Another initiative being used are tax credits.  Arkansas and Maine both give families a tax credit if their child attends an accredited program.

Through funds/initiatives of private and public sectors a program can become accredited.  Again these programs ensure a high quality environment for our children.

After reading the article, it made me stop and think about how our early childhood programs could be if it was required for all to be accredited.  I know from my own experience that NAEYC is very structured and strict with their practices.  I wonder if this would be a good thing for all the states to mandate.  Massachusetts feels that it is a great opportunity for their youngsters.  It surprises me that other states have not followed them. 

This contributes to my understanding of how economists/neuroscientist/politicians support ECF in that we have private and public sectors that are willing to help fund these programs.  One organization that was mentioned by name was United Way.  I feel that these organizations are not going to spend funds if they feel they are not worth while. It is obvious to me that groups/organizations are willing to help our young children.  The accreditation process is expensive and time demanding.


Reference:

NAEYC. (2010).  State and local quality improvement support efforts.  Young Children Vol. 65(1) January, 2010.  Retrieved from www.oldweb.naeyc.org

Getting to Know International Contacts

I have been unsuccessful in getting a response from my international contacts.  Therefore, for this assignment I visited the website www.childhoodpoverty.org.

From this site I chose to take a look at poverty in India.

India Poverty

India has the second largest population under China.  With a population in 2001 estimated at 1.03 billion and a total of 260.2 million people living in poverty as of 1999-2000, we can see that the country has a definite poverty issue.  The majority of the poverty is located in rural areas.  Research shows that this is due to a lack of access to assets, skills, low education and health. 

There are approximately 400 million children between the ages of 0-18 years old.  Of this amount, 62 million are under the age of 5yrs and are malnourished; another 34% of the newborns are underweight. 

Although the country has seen an increase in primary school age enrollment, India still has the largest number of children workers in the world with nearly one third of the children working ages 16 and under.  Girls tend to make up more of the work force because they are less likely to receive education and healthcare.  India discriminates between the genders.  Boys are viewed as permanent members of a family whereas girls are seen as temporary.   Girls are more likely to be neglected as children.

From learning about the issues of poverty in India, my heart goes out to these people.  From my own experience dealing with families of poverty and the readings I have done, poverty is a cycle that just keeps repeating.  In India, the treatment of girls is terrifying.  Both genders need to have the education behind them in order to break free.  It is so sad that Child Labor Laws are not universal.  All children need the opportunity to go to school and learn.  My hope is that the India government will keep working on trying to put a stop to poverty.  From the site, it sounds like they are making some leaps in the right area, but they still have a long ways to go.

Issues and Trends

I chose to explore the National Association Of Young Chidren (NAEYC).  I chose this organization because their focus is on developing appropriate curriculum and guidelines for children from birth to age 8. I have experience with their guidelines for a quality environment .  Many daycares attempt to be accredited by the NAEYC because they are viewed as a very exceptional organization.

The NAEYC has two very distinct journals that they publish.  They are Young Children which is published 6 times a year and offers research based articles relevant to the Early Childhood field. Teaching Young Children is published 5 times ayear and is directed forwards preschool educators.  They also sponsor the journal Early Childhood Research Quarterly which is published 4 times a year and offers research topics in the ECF.

I have been trying to decide which journal I would like to get a personal subscription to, and I think it is Young Children.  The assisitant principal I use to have had a subscription and she highly recommended it.  The issues I have read, has had many topics that I found beneficial to me and for my classroom.

From the most current issue I found an interesting article on promoting prosocial skills  in young children.   According to the article, prosocial skills include but is not limited to:  empathy, sharing respecting others and cooperating.  Why are these skills important? According to the article if yung children develop these skills early,  they will continue into the primary grades.  So how do we as educators  promote these skills?  The authors listed five ways:

1.       Build secure relationships.

2.       Create classroom community.

3.       Model prosocial skills.

4.       Establish expectations.

5.       Support families.

In this same publication, there was an article relating to dual language learners with challenging behaviors.  I was not able to access that particular article.  Once I get the subscription I will be able to share the information.

References:

Hyson, Marilou & Taylor, Jackie L.  (2011).  Caring about caring:  What adults can do to promote young childrens prosocial skills.  Young Children July 2011.

The website for the organization is:

www. naeyc.org

Establishing Contacts

During this first week I have attempted to make several contacts with professionals outside the United States.  Using the Global Alliance of NAEYC, I contacted the Phillipines, Honduras, Singapore, Romania and Haiti.  Some of these attempts were returned to me because the email address is invalid.  As of date, I have not had any response from the others.  I am hopeful that I will hear something by mid week.  If not, then I think I will need to do the alternative assignment.

For part two of this assignment, I chose to follow the NAEYC.  I chose this organization because I am familiar with them.  I have enjoyed many of their publications in the past and value their information.  The daycare I use to work at actually tried to become NAEYC accredited.

Stay tune for further developments on these contacts!