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!

My Supports

I have many supports in my life.  The most important one is my family.  Without my mom and dad in particular, I can't imagine what my life would be like.  They have always been there for me emotionally and finacially.  We have such a great relationship, and recently it seems that it is getting stronger.  My life has been very stressful the past 6 months, that I have really had to count on them.  They have never disappointed me, and my mom is great at giving that tough love speech!

Another support I have are my friends.  Unlike my parents, I can tell my friends all the intimate little details that happen in my life.  I share so much with them, and they are great for lending an ear when I need one.  We have all been friends since 6th grade, so we know each other very well. 

The last support I have is my church/faith.  I feel that my faith has really carried me the past 6 months.  My church family has really been there to pick me up when I felt alone.  My parents live 2000 miles away, so I depend on the church for emotional support.  With the help of them and my belief in God, I know that there is nothing that I can't handle.  I have learned to take everything with a grain of salt and to take everything day by day. 

My Connections to Play

                                                                                                                                                         

Famous Quotes on Play

It is a happy talent to know how to play.

--Ralph Waldo Emerson, philosopher, poet, essayist

Play gives children a chance to practice what they are learning....They have to play with

 What they know to be true in order to find out more, and then they can use what they

 learn in new forms of play.

--Fred Rogers of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood

Play is a major avenue for learning to manage anxiety. It gives the child a safe space

 where she can experiment at will, suspending the rules and constraints of physical and

 social reality. In play, the child becomes master rather than subject.... Play allows the

 child to transcend passivity and to become the active doer of what happens around her.

--Alicia F. Lieberman, author, The Emotional Life --

of the Toddler

When I was growing up as a child, I was always on the go!  From the time I woke up until the sun went down, I was outside running, riding my bike or playing group games with cousins and friends.  I was encouraged, along with my peers, to be creative and imaginative.  I still remember my favorite game to play was kick the can.  It was hide and seek with a twist.  In fourth grade, my best friend and I had imaginary friends.  We would talk to them all the time.  Adults didn’t think we were crazy or that we had problems, they went along with it.  It was a healthy developmental stage that children go through.  I remember my brother and I loved the show Lost in Space.  We would watch an episode, and then go outside and throw a Frisbee (representing the spaceship) and then act out scenes from the show. It was fun!

Unfortunately, play today lacks imagination.  Video games and technology has robbed our youths of this important concept.  Children struggle now to find ways to occupy themselves if there is a power failure – what no TV or computer???  Children are also becoming so obese because of the lack of exercise.  Children don’t go outside and run and jump like they use to.  They complain because it’s too hot and they want to stay in the air conditioning.    I love to see children outside riding bikes in my neighborhood – I give them credit because I know how easy it is to stay in and play videos.  I also give the parents credit for making them go out and be physical.  I hope that these children will keep these habits up in life.  I worry about school budgets being reduced because sports are usually one of the first things to get cut.  We really need these programs for kids.

I strongly believe that my being active as a youngster has greatly contributed to me being a physically active adult.  I still ride my bike and would prefer the outdoors to the inside.  I hope that I set an example to kids by being an active person; that they realize just because we get older doesn’t mean we sit in front of the television.

                                     

Loved board games!                                                            Played school/house all the time!