When I Think of Research

1. What insights have I gained from taking this course? Taking this course have helped me to better understand what research actually is. Research is about uncovering and enabling the emergence of new understandings, insights and knowledge (Mac Naughton, Rolfe, & Siraj-Blatchford, 2010). As I said previously, research is like an investigation into a given topic. I've discovered that research begins with a thought, question, or a concern. A few insights that I gained was the fact that participants have the right to withdraw from their participation at any given time during a research. I also discovered that consents of all participants must be in place before children or parents participate in research. Overall, I learned that there is a detailed process that must be taken before research begins. Research can be challenging but it is very rewarding in the end with new knowledge gained.

2. In what ways have my ideas about the nature of doing research changed? Before taking this course, I had no previous knowledge about research. This class has opened my eyes to what researchers endure before and after research is given. I never realized how personal research can be for children and families. Often families are sharing personal and sensitive information with the researcher and these families are trusting that that their personal information is confidential. I've learned that confidentiality and ethics are priority in research and most early childhood researcher are aware of the do's and don'ts of research with young children and families.

3. What lessons about planning, designing, and conducting research in early childhood development did I learn? I learned that research is nothing that takes place over night. Research takes careful planning and cautious procedures. When planning a research, the researcher must study the topic before hand. It is important to learn the viewpoints of others who have already researched the topic. The researcher may want to see if the topic is worth the research. Designing the research is key. The researcher must decide which type of research is he/she wanting to conduct. Choosing participants and locations of the actual research is very important as well.

4. What were some of the challenges I encountered-and in what ways did I meet them? One challenge that I had was making sure that the sources that I wanted to use were credible sources. There is so much information available about early childhood development. It is easily to be lead to non-credible information which can lead to invalid data.

5. What are some of the ways my perception of an early childhood profession have been modified as a result of this course? As an early care educator, I have gained the knowledge that children are a gift to this world. When children participate in research and display given data,  it should not be taken lightly. Potts and Brown (2005) point out that 'the term "data"' in its origins means "gift" (2005, p. 269) (Mac Naughton, Rolfe, & Siraj-Blatchford, 2010). As an preschool teacher, I feel privileged to be in the presence of children on a daily basis to witness them in action interacting with their caregivers and peers. The data that is collected is definitely a "gift".

Research Around The World

Early Childhood Australia: This is the Australian equivalent to the U.S. based NAEYC. You can access several links to early childhood research from the menu on the left side of the home page.
http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/

1.     What are some of the current international research topics?

New research commissioned by The Early Childhood Australia (ECA) shows that nearly 70 percent of individuals surveyed think affordable early education is more important than Paid Parental Leave (PPL) to young families. The research also shares that across all demographics, regardless of age, location or income, respondents where overwhelmingly supportive of affordable early education as having the biggest difference to families with young children.

2.     What surprisingly facts/insights/new ideas about early childhood did I gain from exploring this international early childhood website?

This year, the Early Childhood Australia celebrated 75 years of continued service to Australian children. Early Childhood Australia was created in 1938. It was originally called ‘The Australian Association of Pre-School Child Development.’ I also learned that educators in Australia receive very low salaries. The teacher education programs that these educators attend cost more than their annual salaries. In year 1955, educators’ annual salaries were equivalent of $7,490.00 and $13,579.00 of U.S. dollars. This demonstrates that the Australian educators were dedicated to their field of education regardless of their annual salaries. The issue pertaining to educator salaries is an on-going issue within the Australian education department.

3.     What other noteworthy information did I find on this website?

ECA has been very involved and instrumental in the establishment of many early childhood groups and initiatives in Australia and internationally. Under the supervision of Kay Kinane, Allan Kendall was responsible for the introduction of the children’s television program Play School (which he adopted to an Australian children’s audience from a British format). Allan Kendall was the first male to be awarded an Alice Creswek Scholarship. Originally a high school teacher, Kendall became, and remained interested in preschool education during his work for the ABC’s Early Childhood Unit of which he eventually became Executive Producer.

Research That Benefits Children and Families-Uplifting Stories

If I had the means and authorization to conduct a research topic, the topic would be parent/teacher partnerships and continuity of care. Years ago I operated a family home day care and seen the positive affects the children had by having one childcare provider. The children’s parents and I had a very positive relationship with one another and worked together as a team to provide the best child care and education services for their children. Most of the children I provided care for where enrolled in my program for up to 5-6 years. They were provided care in a family like setting. They attended my family celebrations and were considered as a part of my family. I believe that the benefits of continuity of care are the fact that children continue their education and provider care with the same provider. The children are comfortable and less stressed about changing providers. Children who have one provider over a period of time have a strong bond with their provider. Young children develop a secure sense of identity through consistent care practices, and an effective partnership between parents and early childhood teachers is imperative for achieving consistency (McBride, 1999).  

 A benefit that the parents had where the fact that I complied with the way they wanted their children to be cared for. If a parent wanted homework completed before play, which is exactly what was done. If a parent wanted their child to rest before play, which is exactly what I made sure happened. Parent and care providers are the driving force that helps to educate and care for the well-being of children. Successful partnerships have been shown to have a positive impact on the care and education of young children (Owen et al., 2000; Pelo & Davidson, 2003). Excitingly to say, the majority of the children that I provided care for are successful college students. One student is studying to be a fireman, another student is in the air force, and another student received a full scholarship to play college football. I believe that these are the positive effects of continuity of care and great partnerships between the parent and child care provider.  

Reference

De Gioia, K. (2009). Parent and Staff Expectations for Continuity of Home Practices in the Child Care Setting for Families with Diverse Cultural Backgrounds. Australasian Journal Of Early Childhood, 34(3), 9-17.

Your Personal Research Journey

The topic that I have chosen to study is Poverty. Poverty has been seen in just about all parts and areas of the world. It is devastating to see children and families have to suffer without having their everyday normal needs met. I have chosen this topic because as I mentioned before, I work at a preschool that serve many families who live at or below the poverty line. Many of my students and their families live from welfare check to the next welfare check. The funds that they are granted are barely enough to maintain their families for the entire month. As a teacher, I personally see the effects poverty have on my students. These children are unfocused, late to school, delayed in their education, stricken with disabilities, in lack of parental guidance, and in need of lots of love and resources that are available to them.

I understand that parents who are in poverty often have to deal with the daily stressors of caring for their family. When stress is in their home, often children are neglected unintentionally. Parents are often busy trying to make ends meet or fighting with one another from the pressures of life. This is when then relationships of children and their families take a dive for the worse. This can sometimes lead to parents separating or divorcing which also affects children lives.

Not having the proper nutrition can also be devastating to children. This alone can affect the wellness of children's developmental stages in their lives. Children's performance in school can also be affected by poverty. When children are a part of families who are fighting, hungry, cloth less, and struggling at having their basic needs met, they are not prepared for school. Often these children are not focused, delayed, aggressive, angry, depressed, and suffer from many other issues. I am sure that doing research about the different aspects of poverty will be interesting to research.

Getting to Know Your International Contact - Part 3

UNESCO

(http://www.unesco.org/new/en/education/themes/strengthening-education-systems/early-childhood/

The website that I reviewed was the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). This organization advocates for early childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programs that attend to health, nutrition, security and learning and which provide for children’s holistic development. Their mission is to provide international leadership to create learning societies with educational opportunities for all populations, provide expertise and foster partnerships to strengthen national leadership and the capacity of countries to offer quality education for all. Their mission is to also work as an intellectual leader.

An insight that I discovered is the fact that UNESCO genuinely cares about children who are less fortunate, especially those who are most vulnerable and disadvantaged.  This relates to my heart for children who are immigrants. I often have many Hispanic children who enroll in my school program. Often these children are disadvantaged because they do not speak any English and have to try to understand many new concepts in two different languages. This is the reason why I am in favor of all classrooms having at least one staff member who is bilingual to assist the students who are disadvantaged in the classroom. UNESCO, with the help of participating countries committed themselves to “expanding and improving comprehensive early childhood care and education”.  

I discovered that every now and then UNESCO has job vacancies. At this moment the vacancy is for a project officer. The duties of the project officer are to provide capacity development for education for all. The education sector sometimes needs extra services provided by people other than their day to day staff. They like to bring in new staff who can share their outside expertise as needed.

The UNESCO website has much valuable information to share with individuals who are interested in international advocacy. The biggest similarities between my professional goals and UNESCO mission are providing quality and equal education opportunities to children of many different cultures. That is what I try to do on a daily basis as a preschool teacher. UNESCO and I both have a certain level of advocacy that we give to the field of early child development. Of course my advocacy work is not as great as theirs but my profession goal is to increase my advocacy work so that I can be an active voice for the students that I educate.

 

Blog Responses   

Cotati Thomas-Crompton – http://cothomas-crompton.blogspot.com

Parker Swanson – http://parkerandrew.blogspot.com

Brittany Tomek – http://btomek1813.blogspot.com

 

Sharing Web Resources

The website that I chose to review during the beginning of class was The National Black Child Development Institute. nbcdi.com

When visiting the site, the outside link that I discovered was titled Engaging Families and Promoting positive health Practices. The mission of this specified project is to improve and advance the quality of life for Black children and their families, thru education and advocacy. This link shared how in America, poor nutrition practices in children and their families, and the lack of affordable and accessible healthy foods, have contributed to the rise in childhood obesity and hunger. Due to childhood obesity, Wal-Mart has partnered with nbcdi to develop a project that will enforce healthy nutrition and physical activity among Black children. There have been special activities put together in the efforts of eliminating obesity: Y's Healthy Kids Day, Come Zumba with Dad and Me, Yoga Your Stress Away, fitness event, Parent/Kid healthy Families event, and Father and Daughter Luncheon.

Unfortunately, the link that provides the newsletter would not open. I've tried on several occasions but it's not operating.

NBCDI has been dedicated to supporting the development of a high quality, accessible, affordable, and aligned system of early care and education for children's birth through age eight. During this course, the subject has seen around access, affordability, and availability of early care education for young children. NBCDI is and has support of federal, state, and local efforts to provide increasing numbers of low-income children with access to quality early education and care; efforts to create a strong and supported early childhood workforce; and efforts to promote developmentally and culturally-appropriate standards curriculum instruction and assessment that are aligned within and across the early childhood to early continuum.

My new insights that I've learned is the fact that poverty has taken on a new face. In the past poverty was pretty much one set of people or individuals but that's all changed. I believe that poverty has effected many different cultures and even now more transient families are being recognized for living in poverty. What this tells me is that educators and school systems need to be prepared for the drastic change. We need to be trained on how to met these families where they are and have resources available for them. The founder of NBCDI, Dr. DeHanay sits on a panel that works together to come up with solutions to help families who are living in poverty. Dr. DeHaney says that schools need to prepare and adjust in a non-traditional way at dealing with the new face of poverty.

Getting to Know Your International Contacts-Part 2

The center on the Developing Child at Harvard University was founded in year 2006. The center believes that healthy child development is the foundations of our world's prosperity, firm communities and social justices. Their mission is to advance the vision by the use of science to enhance the development of young children. The Children's Institute has 3 main focused objectives.

1. To refrain public discourse about the early childhood period by educating high level decisions underlying science of learning, behavior, and health;

2. To support innovative, multidisciplinary research and demonstration projects in selected countries or regions to expand global understanding of how healthy development happens, how it can be derailed, and how to get it back on track;

3. To build leadership capacity in child development research 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.

• Early Childhood Development

For this area, the goals is to educate the leadership of key international agencies about the importance of assessing quality in early childhood environments an programs, piloting assessments to measure child development outcomes in Zambia; expanding effective intervention to improve preschool quality in Chile.

• Child Mental Health

An urgent need to identify the scope of the problem within and across multiple countries. The workers of the Harvard faculty is developing an agenda in research, education, and public engagement to address the gaps in the delivery of services

• Children in Crisis and Conflict Situations

The main goal is to work alongside of other countries with a science based approach to assess and manage the well being of children who suffer from crisis's. The focus is on immediate circumstances and long-term adaptations.

The Global Children's Initiative website is a great resource t be aware of all the Harvard University is doing to help children and communities in different countries. Issues and trends are not only taking place is the U.S., but there are other countries who are suffering and need support from their fellow countries.

Sharing Web Resources

For the past couple of weeks, I've had the opportunities to study different websites that shared information about poverty. The website that opened my eyes was the childhoodpoverty.org website. This website gave visual pictures of children who lived in poverty and shared the stories of the children's individual lives. The story about a young man who gave up his education to provide for his family touched me dearly. It gave me a clearer understanding of how deeply poverty effects the lives of children and their families. Again, for the past few weeks, I learned about how different professionals are working harder at providing funds to assist with those who are stricken by poverty. Finances, educators, and programs are very much needed in the efforts of curving poverty.

What I found controversial is when I learned that economist look at things in units or commodities. This idea did not sit well with me. Children are people and should not be looked upon as a number, unit, or commodity. Yes, I understand that economist are looking at children/childcare as a future investment but there should be a more sensitive approach to it. I believe that politicians are out for what they can get. They may say they are for children but are really out to get what they need to get the votes that they want.

The childhoodpoverty.org website helped me to understand that poverty very well does exist throughout the world. Poverty is even worse in other countries. I've always thought that the poverty in my locality was severe but I had the opportunity to see worse. Precious children working sun-u to sun-down trying to provide for themselves and their families. Children denied the opportunity to play and simply be children. Having to take on adult roles just to survive was not pleasant to view. Poverty is large and from my understanding, it's going ton take a nation to help with the elimination of poverty. The president has made a proposal to end poverty. He wants to place more money into schools, job placements, childcare, and health care. I am awaiting the day for these changes or proposal to take effect.

Getting to Know Your International Contacts-Part 1

Unfortunately, I have had the worsts luck with making contact with any international professionals. I received a reply email stating that there was an enormous amount of emails from Walden students and they could not help me. Then the person emailed me back with a colleagues information and I tried contacting that individual and still have not received any feedback.

I decided to visit the childhoodpoverty.org and research the country of India. I read a story about a 17 year old boy named Banwari. Banwari is a very smart young man who had to stop attending his education due to his fathers illness and the cost of his education. Banwari reached a very high level of education but could not continue. He dropped from school and began his journey of helping to provide for his family. Banwari was born into a poor family who did not earn very much wages in a days work. He was 1 child of 6 brother and a family of 10. When Banwari dropped out of school, he decided that he wanted to take up carpet weaving. He trained for the first year and then got his first job as a carpet weaver. Banwari says that carpet weaving is a very long and tiresome job. He says that he sits on the loom for 8 hours a day with a 1 hour rest period. His daily pay rate is Rs 45-50. Banwari said that normally it takes up to 3 months to complete a carpet. With the uncomfortable sitting on the loom, 2 months is a long time and hard on his body. He says that one day he would like to seek a better job. one day Banwari wants to return to school some day so that he can earn better wages.

After reading about Banwari, it made me thin about how there are many children who give up their schooling to provide for their families. This is exactly what Banwari did. He made a sacrifice for his family. I understand that young men like Banwari is old enough to help their families but their education should not become compromised.
I viewed a couple of younger children in India to see what types of works or labor they are apart of and I was pretty awed. There was a picture of a very young girl who was selling ice cream. The child appeared to be only 4 or 5 years old. How could she know and understand the business of selling ice cream. Another were pictures of children fetching water, grazing cattle, childminding (babysitting), embroidery, and many other chores or works for young children. There was one picture of a child playing in muddy water in the middle of the road. I thought about how clean the water was that she was playing with sand then how safe was it for her to play in the middle of the road. I did not see any adults supervising her.

I have learned that poverty has its different degrees depending on the country. What I do know and understand is that poverty very much does exist and there are very loving and generous individual who are making great efforts at  curtailing poverty.   

Sharing Web Resources

The National Association for the Education of Young Children
http://www.naeyc.org/
(Review also the position statements: http://www.naeyc.org/positionstatements

 

The website that I chose to study was NAEYC. This website is a very common website to teachers and families. This organization supports early childhood care, teachers, and families with their efforts of nurturing and caring for young children. I am a member of naeyc and receive a monthly newsletter that I appreciate. This week I researched an article that shared the importance of family engagement. In many of our childcare centers, we see that families are important and are very much involved in their children’s education. I’ve noticed that programs are even requiring families to participate in the planning, organizing, and implementing a family engaged curriculum. The article I red shares the importance of family engagement.

Engaging Diverse Families:

This article shared 6 effective principles that support family engagement in preschool programs and environments.  Principle 1: Programs invite families to participate in decision making and goal setting for their child. This principle encourages families to act as advocates for their children. Parents are encouraged to participate in making individual education plans for their children. During orientation, it is the time for parents to share with the teacher about their family’s culture and beliefs. During conferences, parents have the opportunity to engage in a joint goal-setting process.

Principle 2: Teachers and programs engage families in two-way communication. Communication is very necessary between the teacher and the parent. During all forms of communications, information is exchanged. The article shares that environments have to be warm and welcoming to parents in order for a relationship to be established. Families are more likely to become involved when they feel warm and accepted at their children’s schools. The best way to communicate is always in the family’s home language. With the large scale of diversities, teachers and classroom must have staff that is able to communicate in a second language. Amongst the many ways of communicating, 2 ways stand out the most. Face to face communication, and written communication. Face to face communication takes place when the teacher meets with the family in their home during home visits. Face to face takes place during parent-teacher conferences. Personally I would prefer that face to face communication. I believe that face to face is warmer and inviting than any other type of communication. It is also a more personal style of communication. Written communication takes place during daily logs, handouts, bulletin boards and therefore. Written communications are great for infant toddler programs. Parents are able to take information home that shares their child’s day.

Principle 3: Programs and teachers engage families in ways that are truly reciprocal. This principle allows teachers to educate their children and their families. During this time, the teacher collects important information which allows them to incorporate into the curriculum and lesson planning. The article shared how the Rainbow School and Sunnyside child Care Center at Smith share their parents unique gifts with the children and families of their school. Many parents have special talents and gifts that are shared. Some of their families have the gift of music. These families are able to schedule days to come in and perform music selections for the children. Another great way to engage families is to share the life of the staff. There are centers that have photos of their staff posted by their classrooms and a small bio about the staff. It’s great to share with families the life that their children’s teachers have. Providing staff updates and successes makes programs a more family oriented which leads to bring families and staff more closely together.

Principle 4: Programs provide learning activities for the home and the community. This principle focuses on sharing community resources with families. Communicating with families about the many resources that are available for their children such as libraries, parks and recreations, book stores, children concerts are great ways to encourage parents to further support and engage in their children’s learning experiences. Offering adult education course is another great way to support families in supporting their children by receiving a higher or better education. There are many families who are divers and speak a second language. Offering ESL courses during the evenings would be a great program tool for bettering families.

Principle 5: Programs invite families to participate in program-level decisions and widen advocacy efforts. The NAEYC understands the importance that families play in their children’s lives. Family members are welcomed and invited to be a part of and sit on formal boards and become the voice of key decisions regarding program policies, tuition process, and staff decision planning. Parents are also invited to be actively engaged in social and educational planning. The article shared how one school formed a diversity committee. This committee applied for a grant to update their children’s library. The school was awarded the grant and gave their school library a diversity makeover. The committee purchased many diversity books and materials in the efforts of supporting diversity at their school.

Principal 6: Programs implement a comprehensive program level system of family engagement. The article shared how in order for programs to be strong, they must involve their families. The leader or director of programs must evaluate their program carefully and understand what’s best for the divers group of families the program serves. With diversity being at a high, leads must assure that their staff is divers as well. The diversity of staff welcomes families of diversity. Implementing anti-bias curriculums sets the stage for effective family engagements. This approach helps children and families feel secure in themselves and the culture from which they are a part of. Programs should always make sure that all families feel welcome and appreciated for their individuality.

Professional Contacts: This week again I was not able to receive any contact or feedback from any of the professionals I reached out to. I did receive an email from a young lady by the name of Tamara stating that she would not be able to help due to the overwhelming replies from Walden students.

 

Getting Ready-Establishing Professional Contact and Expanding Resources

The 2 countries that I decide to learn more about is South Africa (Africa) and North America (Canada). In my attempt to locate 2 professional I have not yet receive an email response. For South Africa, I emailed Mr. Eric Atmore. Mr. Atmore is apart of The National Early Childhood Development Alliance. The address is P.O.Box 2363 Clarinch, 7740 South Africa. Before I was able to send an email to Mr. Atmore, I had to establish a POP3 e-mail. Once the e-mail was established I was then able to introduce myself and request the honor of corresponding back and forth with him regarding the various issues and trends that the children in his country may be faced with. if I do not receive a response in the next day r so I will proceed to the alternative to part 1.
My second professionals name is Yvonne Dionne. I too have not yet received a reply regarding y interest in establishing a relationship to learn more about the country of South America. Yvonne Dionne is in association with the Canadian Child Care Federation. Hopefully I am able to receive a response this week.

The website that I chose to study and review is the National Black Child Development Institute. This organization along with others have the mission to improve and advance the quality of life for Black Children and their families through advocacy. Even though the organization is geared more to Black children and families' it's overall envision is a society that ensures a successful future for all children. The National Black Child Development Institute holds conferences and workshops for educators and parents. They offer employment opportunities within their organization. They also have a 24/7 resources line. This organization has a powerful and effective voice on issues related to the education care, and health of Black children and their families. One thing that this website did not offer was a newsletter. The organization also serve as a national resource agency providing programs, publications, advocacy and trainings related to early childhood care and education: k-12 education, health and wellness, literacy, family engagement, and child welfare. The reason why I chose this website is because I have never heard of it before. I wanted to choose a much familiar website but I decided to research something new. It seems that this organization is established and is a pillar in the community of Black children and families

My Supports

My Supports

When I first begin to think about the word support, the first thought that comes to my mind is my family. Without my family, I would not be able to do or be a part of any of the things that I am involved in. My family means the world to me and I value the daily support that they give me. Another factor within my environment is my role models. In the field of early childhood, I have met multiple women and men whom have inspired me to continue in this field of education. I have friends, aunts, and uncles who have labored in the field of nurturing and educating young children. Their endurance and support of young children has motivated and inspired me to be an active advocate and educator of young children.

My family, mentors, and relatives all have encouraged me on the roughest of days. I am married and have three children, and I am very active in my church home. These responsibilities alone are a huge job. Not to mention that I work full time and am a student. Sometimes I get weary in all of my responsibilities, but I am grateful that my support systems are there when I need them. They somehow know when I am feeling tired and weary and all of a sudden at least one of them will share an inspiring story by text or give me a call to check on my well being. I am so grateful for them all. Without each one of them, It would be nearly impossible to complete the goals that I have for my life. I am grateful!!

My most inspirational support is my father God!! I love my Lord and by his strength I am able to do all things. It gets tough some days but with God, my husband, my children, my family, and role models when I am, weak THEY help me to become stronger. Having each of these supports systems will enable me to finish the race that I am in. It’s a slow race but it is very steady. If I did not have any of these support systems, I don’t believe I would be where I am today. I would have probably stop going to school years ago. I would have settled for less. In my family, there are not that many people in my generation that have gone to college. Most of my cousins and relatives who are my age have settled for smaller things in life and that’s not what I want for my life. I especially want to be a great role model for my children. I want for them to understand that they can do and be anything that they want if they work hard for it and that’s what I’ve been doing for the past 21 years.

Remember, I was a mother at an early age and according to statistics, I was not suppose to graduate from high school but I did. I have exceeded what statistics have measured me to become. I am grateful for God and my family supporting each and every one of my dreams.

As for a challenge, I thought about how would I make it or succeed if I did not have God or my immediate families support. It would be devastating if I was married to a man who was jealous and did not want me to pursue my dreams. There are many husbands who do not want their wives to follow after their dreams. They want them to settle for being the house wife and taking care of children and the home. I am pleased that my husband is not that way at all. He supports my educating and career. He helps me with our children while I attend workshops and study for my classes. This is one challenge that I am grateful that I don’t have. When it’s all said and done, I will owe all of my gratitude to my Father God, husband, children, family, and mentors.

"My Connection to Play"

“My Connection to Play”

1. In our play we reveal what kind of people we are.

Ovid
Roman poet
43 BC–17 or 18 AD

2. Play gives children a chance to practice what they are learning.

Fred Rogers
American television personality
1928–2003

3."Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children play is serious learning."

Mr. Rogers

“Play Items”

 

                                     

 

 

                                              

“Supported Play”

When I was a child, play was supported just about by every adult whom I had contact with. Whether by my parents, grandparents, or relatives, play was almost demanded by the adults. I’m not sure if they wanted the children out of their way while they cleaned the house or prepared meals, all children where encourage or told to play outside. I can remember as early as 2 years old running and playing in my huge backyard. By the time I would return back inside of our home, I was filthy with mud, dirt, and dust. I consider these day by best days. I was free to be messy and unclean and my mother did not mind at all. When I was old enough to play outside alone, my mother would send my siblings and I outdoors for hours at a time. We were encouraged to run and play with our friends. My mother and father would purchase dolls, doll clothing, writing paper, pencils, crayons, coloring books, bikes, balls, jump ropes , and so many more items to support our play efforts. It seemed like every one of my birthday, I received some sort of new play item.

I can remember playing at my friend’s house next door. Her father worked for the train company and always brought home big old tires, ropes, and many other strange looking items for us children to engage in. We would play hide and seek inside of the tires. We would play tug of war with the large ropes. WE had so much fun. My parents and the other parents of my childhood somehow understood the importance of play without having to study. They made sure that we all received plenty of outdoors time for play and they supplied us with lots and lots of play materials tom male our play experiences more enjoyable.  

As a child, play helped me to understand who I was and what I wanted to do as an adult. As a child I did not realize but now I do. When I was a little girl, I always found myself playing “teacher” with my siblings and friends. I would give each of my friends made of assignments and I would even correct them when they were all done. I always wanted to play house. Meaning, I would have myself be the mother of the children. I would organize our child created playhouse area. Sometimes it would be made out of an old sheet or blanket thrown across a couple of outdoor chairs. I would sweep the dirt outside of the house. I would organize the dishes and other household items that we had to play with. My mother would give me her old pots and pans to keep outdoors for our play. Taking care of the children and nurturing and feeding them. I believe that these play experiences directed me into the field of child development. As a teenager, I started babysitting my neighbor’s younger children on the weekends. My love and excitement of caring for others grew humongous.

“Play Today”

            Play today is the same and then it is different from play when I was a child. Today play is very important in many programs and children are engaged in different types of play experiences. When I was younger, I played most of my days. I had my academic assignments but while at school we had 2-3 recess. Today’s play is different because many parents do not allow their children to play freely as they choose. Children are isolated in homes glued to video games or cell phones. When I was growing up, we did not have those gadgets. Our sole entertainment was playing outdoors and making up our own entertainment. Then again, my mother was a stay home mom who was home early in the day to where I could play outdoors. Now days, children are raised in homes where either parents work all day or there’s only one parent in the home who works many hours. Children are enrolled in after school programs and daycare which does not get the children home early enough for outdoor activities. Times have surely changed and it has affected the role play has in the lives of our children.

My hopes for the young children of our future is for each of them to stick to the roots of playing with peers, building cars and airplanes, creating play houses, imitating role models, and so much more. As one of my Colleagues mentioned in an earlier post, play allows the child to learn in a natural way. Learning is not forced or guided, but learned in the most respectful way “natural”.

Relationship Reflection

In my 37 years of living, I have been in many kinds of relationships. I have been in a relationship with my God, my husband, my children, my relatives, and my friends. Each of these relationships have been instrumental in the developing of my life. The role of these relationships give me the strength to do what I believe God has called me to do. Love! God is love and I believe that the love God has for me has inspired the above relationship to be positive ones filled with love.

At an early age, I gave my life to Christ Jesus. I learned that it was He who have saved me from all of my sins. Every since I was a young girl, I have loved God and have developed a loving relationship with Him. I have dedicated my life to sharing his love with whomever I come across.

In year 2000, I met my husband Isaiah. From the first time we went on our first date, I knew he would someday be my husband. In 2001, we were married and have developed a strong relationship with one another. What I have learned in this relationship is patience, respect, love, and humbleness. I believe that our relationship is strong because we both respect each other as individuals, we are humble and very patient with one another, we are humble and understand that God is the reason why our relationship is as strong as it is, and we love each other.

We have three children whom I love so dearly. Parenting can be challenging but it's also rewarding. my children and I have a special bond with each other. Some may say that I show favor to one child more than the other but that's not true. I love all of my children and have a special unique love for each of them. I am the type of mother that's always concerned about my children. I want the best for them and have always encouraged them to do their best in all that they do. When I was growing up, my parents inspired me and encouraged me to continue in school in-spite of the small hurdles i had to face. I want to be that same parent that my parents were to me. Always available and encouraging my children with lots of love to reach for the stars.

I have a great relationship with my the relatives that I do have contact with. I only wish that the relationships were stronger than they are currently. Every since my grandparents passed away, our family has separated and do not have the close relationships that we once had.  We don't get together for family reunions or gatherings like we did before. It seems as if the only time we truly get together is for funerals. my grandparents were the glue to our family. They made sure that the family stayed closely together but now that they have passed on, there is no one who is willing to get our family back to where it once was.

The relationships that I have with my friends are special. I have grown up with 2 young ladies and we have been the best of friends forever. We trust each other and never have let each other down. We have joined motherhood together, we have raised our children together, we have cried on each others shoulders, we have been through a little bit of everything. I am very grateful for my two friends. They have supported me in many of my decisions and have helped me through some very rough times in my life. These relationships I hold closely to my heart.

Each of the relationships are special in my life. Without these relationships, I don't know where or what I would be today. I believe that God places these special relationships into our live to help shape and mold us to what he has planned for our lives. Relationships can often become challenging when individuals are not open and understanding to the needs of others. Relationships are not one sided but it takes two individuals to perform their part in order for the relationship to be positive and successful.

Cotati Thomas-Crompton

A Quote About Children

Children are the flower of life
Let's be kind to them,
let's make them happy
and let's help them to save the child inside
to the rest of their lives!
www.rishikajain.com

I really enjoyed reading this quote! Children are truly like flowers. They need lots of TLC each and every day of their lives. Children are delicate and need to be handled very gently. Just as the flower needs soil and water to blossom so does children. Educators are the soil and water of the lives of the children whom they come in contact with.

School-Age Assessment Tools

I believe that children should be asessed in the 7 domains of development:self and social development, language and literacy development, english language development, cognitive development, mathematical development, physical development, and health. Assessing in the above 7 domains will help an individual who is assessing better understand where a child ranges holistically. The agency that I work for uses an assessment tool called Desired Results Developmental Profile which is a great assessment tool to gauge where a child is in the many domains. This assessment tool is first used within the first 60 days of the child being enrolled in the program. The assessment tool again is used 6 months into the program to gauge the progress of the child.

Assessment tools are an asset to educators, children and families. Assessment pinpoint out the areas a child is acheiving high in and pinpoints out the areas of which the child struggles. After assessments are taken, educators are able to individualize their curriculum or leson plans to meet the individual needs of each student.

The country or region that I chose to research was Tanzania. Tanzania is a country that lacks the best of education services to their children. In Tanzania there is an assessment tool used annualy to gauge where their children are academically. The assessment tool is called the UWEZO asessment. Assessments in Tanzania are performed very differently than in the U.S.A. Each year volunteers are trained to assess children. The volunteers are not opaid for their services. The assessment tool is performed in the homes of the children not like in the classrooms her in the U.S.A. The assessment is not performed on just one particular age group but is performed on all children between the ages of 5-16 years of age. Tanzania parents also have the right to refuse or decline assessments on their children.

The assessment tool consist of 3 test. The first test is called the Kiswahili test, the second test is called the English test, and the third test is called the Mathematics test. The Kiswahili test is an assessment to see if the child/ren are able to speak and read their home language. The English test is given to see if the students are able to understand English letters, writing, and sentences. The third test is used to see if the child is able to understand basic mathematic such as addition and subtraction.

Surprisingly, children with educated mothers perform better than those who do not have educated mothers. This is very simular to my country. Children who are raised in families who are educated perform better in school. In Tanzania, girls perform better than boys in all subjects. This was very surprising to me. I would have to imagine that boys are more focused on the work of the land with their fathers and girls have more time for studying. Not sure!! Urban based children perform better than rural-based children.

My research has informed me that assessments are valued in different countries. Assessments are used to help children succed academically. Tanzania's assessment did not focus on social, physical, health, or self development like I would have liked it to. Assessing holistically is a better aproach to knowing where a child fully stands in their development.

Stress On Development (Spousal Abuse)

Spousal abuse is a stress that can be damaging on a child's development. As a child, I had a neighbor who was abused often by her husband. Her daughter and I were very close friends. often I would listen to my mother and my friends mother discuss the issues between her husband and her. She afraid of him and did not want to leave her home. She was the kind of woman that depended on her husbands financial support for their family. This violence or abuse really hurt the development of my friend. She would arrive late to school on many occasions. Sometimes she would be absent for days at a time. Whenever she was at school, her mind would be way out in left field. She would want to be alone during recess. My mother always suggested that her mother recieve help from the community or even from our church. My mothers friend would always suggest not. This violence took place over a period of years. My friends emotion well being was torn apart. She was a very unhappy young girl who loved both of her parents.

One day surprisingly, my friends mother seeked help from a local abuse organization that supported her and her chidren. She was able to attend meeting to help build her self esteem and give her a sense of her wealth. One night the husband returned home drunk and started a fight as usual. The mother fought back and left her husband. She and her children moved in with relatives across town and started a new life without the father. This was the best move the mother could have ever taken. The mother shortly after found a job to help support her family. My friend and her sibblings all bagan to do much better in their schooling. Their attendance was strong!

Spousal abuse effect not only the spouse but the entire family. Sadly to say, but often children have a harder time adjusting to anyform of abuse. I am grateful that my friends mother is doing much better. She is living independently with her children. They found them a small home of their own and is doing just great. I've heard that the father has pleaded time and time to reunite with the family but the mother has denied his request. 

In Mexico city, thousand of women are abused by their spouses on a daily basis. 4-10 women in Mexico has suffered some form of violence from their partner. In dating 58% of women between 15-19 years of age had an incident. Of the capital's this kind of violence, 64.3% did not take any legal actions against their attacker, only 35.7% did. Greatly to say now, 75% of the six thousand women reported being assaulted by their partner now lived independently and away from their attacker. These women recieved help and support from family violence programs which gave them therapeutic support, medical monitoring, emotional support, and job training.

Public Health (Breastfeeding)

Breastfeeding is a very common and natural way for a mother to feed her newborn infant. There are multiple benefits of breastfeeding. These benefits are not only for the child but also a benefit to the mother as well. One way to assure that an infant receives the appropriate nutrients is for a mother to breastfeed. Children who are breastfed are less likely to become obese. They are well protected from diseases. They are less likely to become sick. They are less likely to have asthma and decrease allergies. They have fewer cavities than children who were not breastfed. Breastfed children have better vision, less ear infections, and higher Q's.

Mothers who breastfeed have a closer connection or bonding with their infant. The infant has the opportunity to be close to the mothers bare skin of her chest during nursing which forms the necessary bonding during the most critical time in an infants life. Mothers who breastfeed do not have to worry about getting up during the night to sterilize nipples and bottles. The mothers breast milk is naturally sterile which eliminates stress on the father or other household members.

Ideally, nutrition starts with colostrum, a thick, high calorie fluid secreted by the m others breast at birth (Berger, 2012). Compared with formula based on cows milk, human milk is sterile; always at body temperature; and rich in iron, vitamins, and other newly discovered nutrients for brain and body (Drover et al., 2009). breast milk is especially protective for preterm babies; if a preterm baby's mother cannot provide breast milk, physicians recommend milk from another woman (Schanle, 2011).

Currently, breast-feeding is practiced worldwide, but it is no longer the only way to feed infants and each culture has particular practices (Berger, 2012). Breast feeding ion China is at it's lowest. There is an overwhelming lack in support for mothers to breastfeed. Formula companies are stressing the mothers the importance of formula feeding their infants. Chinese mothers are rushed to return to work after 4 months of maternity leave. Many of these work cites do not have an adequate place for mothers to breastfeed or pump the breast for milk which makes it very difficult for the mother. even Chinese pediatricians are encouraging mothers to formula feed instead of breast feeding.

Most Chines families want their infants to be chunky and chubby shortly after birth and this is one reason why these mothers want to formula feed. They are not sure if their babies are getting enough to eat to remain chunky. Their doctors and others are suggesting that the formula will fatten up their infant.

This information about breastfeeding is very beneficial to me. I can definitely use it in my work force. I will be able to encourage new mothers of the importance of them breastfeeding their infants. I will be able to share the benefits of the breastfeeding. It provided a close bond and connection between the mother and child and it will also prevent the child from becoming ill with many of the childhood diseases.

Child Birth Experience

When thinking about my personal birthing experience, my memory takes me back to a room filled with crying infants. I do not know whether it was my actual day of birth or one of the days that I spent in the hospital before being released to my mother. The room was very dark and infants as well as myself were crying for a long period of time. I can remember that my bed was in one corner of the very large room. I would see many nurses walking around in the room but not attempting to pick up any of the crying infants. It seems like I cried forever then suddenly this sweet nurse walked over to my little bed and picked me up. She held me and comforted me from my crying. Still till this day I remember the comfort that I felt once I was picked up b y that nurse. This is the only memory that I have as an infant. As an adult I asked my mother if my bed was in a corner area of the nursery and she says that it was. I chose this example to show that infants are aware of how individuals handle and care for them. Often individuals may believe that infants are babes and are not aware of their surroundings but that is not true.

The birthing process is very unique and a special event. I believe that when a mother is mentally and physical well, the chances of her having a joyous birthing experience is great. Socioeconomic status has a huge impact on. Births are tied closely in to child development. The results of birth and any experiences that take place during birth will effect a child. If a mother did not receive the proper amount of nutrition and supplements, the chances of her infant being born under weight are high. If a mother had proper medical care and necessities, likely her infant baby will have great child development experience. But then again, both scenarios can be vise-verse for no given reason.

I studied the birthing process of mother who are from South Africa. These mothers are very strong women. African mothers mostly give birth without any type of medical treatment from hospitals or doctors. African women have been know to give birth of their children sometimes alone. In a squatting position. These women do not have the fine and fancy luxuries as modern women who have 5 star rooms to give birth in. African women do not have central air and heating just the warm heat or cold misty weather to add to the top of their already uncomfortable bodies. I also learned that in 2012, more than 170,000 African women died in pregnancy and child birth due to the lack of medical attention. This is very disturbing!

The similarities of birthing between Americans and African women are the idea of home birthing. American women often choose to give birth in the comfort of their own homes just as African women. American women often opt out of taking medications to ease labor pains and enjoy the natural experiences of giving birth just as African women. The differences is that African women do not have the appropriate medical facilities nor resources for pregnant women who are in labor. African women have to deal with an awful amount of pain without any sort of pain relief. African mothers infants are given to their mother directly after birth and the mother provides all of the nursing and care. These women do not have anyone to take on their duties as a mother while they rest up.

I have come to learn that birthing experience do matter in a child's life. Infants are meant to be welcomed into this world with loving parents who are ready to give their infant much love, attention, and guidance.