Assessing Children's Abilities

This week, we have studied the early elementary age group and have been discussing the current trends in testing and evaluating young children.  In the United States, there is much emphasis on the academic skill level of young children.  Teachers in early grades find themselves focusing on teaching the skills and concepts the children will need to know in order to pass the state mandated tests they face each year.  Teachers I know have told me that they feel limited in their creativity, ability to stimulate free thinking, and feel pressured to ensure their children do well in order to secure their own job.  They follow curriculum, but find that the children who learn at a different pace or in a different manner are falling behind early in the year and have difficulty catching up.

So it begs the question...what skills should be measured and how?  In early childhood, we evaluate children on basic skills like literacy, numeracy, gross motor, fine motor, and cognitive abilities like scientific and mathematical thinking.  I believe that these skills can be taught and attained in a play-based environment.  Children learn best through play, right?  When does that change to children learn best through direct instruction in chairs and desks? 



In addition to the skills listed above, I believe that it is important to invest in and assess children's social and emotional intelligence.  If a child is unable or struggles to interact with peers and adults, it will also be difficult to learn some of the key skills needed to pass standardized tests.  For example, if a child cannot regulate his or her emotions in a stressful environment, the child will struggle to attend to the tasks asked of him or her to practice the learning necessary to pass the test.  It seems like a complex example, but it is so common, even in our early childhood environments.

In the Republic of South Africa, children ages 7-15 are required to attend school. When I visited the country in 2000, we spoke with many teachers that told us of stories of children and families that struggled to send their children consistently because the family lived too far from the school or one or both of the parents had passed away from HIV and the child was sent to live with extended family. 

"By 2009, only around 2.5% of children aged 7 to 15 were not in school. Yet

this 2.5% represents around 200 000 children who are not in school when

they should be. There are many reasons why these children are not in

school. Some children live very far from a school. Others are children

who need special education and who get told that the local school cannot

offer them this. Nearly all those children who are not in school are from

poor homes, sometimes with no adults in the home." (Government Gazette, 2010).

According to the South African Government Information website, there is an action plan to improve the performance of students in the education system.  In the plan, one of the goals is to increase the number of learners in Grade 3 who by the end of the3 (Government Gazette, 2010).  They use a standardized test called the "Annual National Assessments", which focus on language and math.

year have mastered the minimum language and numeracy competencies

for Grade

References:

http://www.education.gov.za/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=DV%2bNwF3%2bM1s%3d&tabid=418&mid=1211

Stress in early childhood

This week, we have been asked to identify and reflect on different stressors in the lives of young children.  In this day and age, there are so many worldwide, from natural disaster to war and poverty.  The idea that children are resilient is common, but we are left to wonder about the long-term effects of stress on the developing child.

In my own childhood, I can recall very little stress.  My family was stable, always employed, and we were happy.  We didn't have everything we wanted, but we had everything we needed.  Living in the Midwest, there was little threat of natural disaster or war, however, I do recall being fearful of war.  When the US invaded Grenada in 1983, I remember watching the coverage with my dad and asking if we were going to war.  I was too young to fully understand the situation and how minor the incident was.  All I knew was that people died in war and I was afraid of a similar invasion of Minnesota.  This is a great illustration of the impact media has on young children.  I was lucky to have parents that responded to my questions and reassured me that there would be no invasion of Minnesota, but I internalized what I saw on TV in those days and remember feeling anxious whenever people would talk about it.

For children directly affected by war and violence, the impact can be long-lasting and early intervention is crucial.  In a study of refugee families in Australia that had experienced war-related violence and stress, the use of supportive play groups provided them with an outlet to process what they had experienced and gain a sense of stability (Jackson, 2006).  The study was an intervention that provided families with programming for the children and families.  It was intended to allow for the exploration of the events that had occurred in a safe and nurturing environment.  The children were enrolled in a supportive playgroup for five or more hours in the day and the families were given opportunities to participate as well.  The findings indicated that the structure and content of the playgroup, the relationships between the child and parent, and the sensitivity to separation anxiety in this population were some of the most critical factors in ensuring the success and protective nature of the project (Jackson, 2006).

It is important for us to remember that children are resilient, but for those that have seen tragedy, they need support and an environment in which to recover and feel protected.  War-related trauma is not a common issue in the lives of children in the U.S., but with their access to media and all that is happening worldwide, we need to be vigilant and sensitive to their questions about what they are seeing and hearing.

Reference:

Jackson, D. (2006). Playgroups as Protective Environments for Refugee Children at Risk of Trauma. Australian Journal of Early Childhood, 31(2), 1-5. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.

The Whole Child

This week, we have been asked to look closely at one topic in the public health arena related to young children.  I chose to focus on mental health in mothers and fathers and the effect it has on the development and functioning of children and families.  As an educator and administrator, it is important for me to understand where families are coming from, what stressors they are experiencing in their daily lives, and how it affects the overall performance as parents and the support network for the child.  It reminds me that the child does not exist as an isolated being...that there are many factors that affect their development and success.

In Taiwan, there was a study that shows the state of mental health of the mother and father have an affect at different ages and stages of development, and that it is important to note the age and education level of the parents as well. It examined the impact of the growing trend of mothers returning to the workforce and the need for fathers to play a larger role in child rearing.  If a father is experiencing any sort of depression, it tends to increase the presence of behavior problems, especially in sons.  However, the presence of the fathers also offsets stress and depression in mothers, creating a positive impact on the family.
The role of age and education at childbirth should also be examined. For instance, children of older mothers have better social development at 6 months of age, but children of older fathers have worse overall development at 6 months of age and improved social development at 18 months of age.  This highlights the importance of preparing parents of any age for the role they are to play.

In Australia, a different study showed the impact of the behaviors and emotional development of children diagnosed with autism on parents.  It found that there is more stress felt by mothers, but that fathers experience more stress that those of children without a diagnosis.  This study highlights the importance of both early intervention for the child and adequate and abundant support for the families.  We often forget that families take on the stress that a child with special needs presents and it is part of our job to support them in their journey to find resources, services, and support groups.

Currently, I see a need for increased support for families.  We may have become "experts" in teaching their children, but we need to remember that our commitment is to the success of the child and the child does not come to us as an individual.  There are parents, extended family members, and friends that are part of the child's life that have an effect on that success.  In the future, I would like to be able to provide more extensive support to families in simple ways such as support or networking groups, newsletters, trainings, and connections with community resources for them.

References:

Lung, F., Shu, B., Chiang, T., & Lin, S. (2009). Parental mental health, education, age at childbirth and child development from six to 18 months. Acta Paediatrica, 98(5), 834-841. doi:10.1111/j.1651-2227.2008.01166.x

Herring, S. S., Gray, K. K., Taffe, J. J., Tonge, B. B., Sweeney, D. D., & Einfeld, S. S. (2006). Behaviour and emotional problems in toddlers with pervasive developmental disorders and developmental delay: Associations with parental mental health and family functioning. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 50(12), 874-882. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2788.2006.00904.x

New Life

I have had the opportunity to be part of two births, other than my own.  The first was a child that could not wait to travel to the hospital so he was born at home while I took care of his older sibling and dad and the paramedics assisted mom.  The other occurred in a hospital, though without the use of drugs.  When I think about each of them, I remember the various emotions I felt, from fear to joy and everything in between!

As I took care of the sibling in the first experience, I had to remain calm for him, yet support dad until the paramedics arrived.  I remember him asking me to go get a shoelace and thinking "What for????".  I learned later that it would have been used to tie off the umbilical cord.  As a 23 year old, I was learning more than I really wanted to about the miracle of life.

In the hospital with my close friends that had invited me to be part of the birth of their second child, I was again reminded of all the emotions that go along with such an event.  I met them at the hospital at 11:30 in the morning and Lucas was born at about 3:00.  It was a long 3 hours for me, but even longer for her as she progressed so quickly, regretted not getting the drugs, and managed to have this beautiful baby boy regardless.  At one point, I was encouraging her through a contraction and the phrase I had used again and again was "You've got this."  She turned to me and said "I DO NOT HAVE THIS!"  It was time for me to either find a new phrase or just be quiet and hold her hand.  We joke about it to this day.

Compared with a "home birth" in Ghana as described our text from this week, it seems that, because the process is more widely practiced, it is a calm and quiet time for both mother and newborn child.  "The baby did not cry, not because there was any problem, but because it was a gentle birth" (Berger, 2009).  In my experience, the mom I observed was a calm as she could be, but because it was progressing unexpectedly fast, there was panic and tension.  Notably, the child has developed typically and has no lasting effects of the birth, except an incredible story to tell.

Final week of class

I've come to the end of my first graduate course and it has been a wonderful beginning to the journey.  I have learned from resources and classmates a wealth of information that I would have never accessed if not for this program.  I can feel the unrest in me and it is a good thing.  It means that I am not content to continue the day to day operations, but that I am being pushed and pushing myself to do and be more.  I am looking forward to the next course and, while I know that there is a lot of work ahead of me, I know that I am on the right path and haven't been this excited about anything for a long time!
Good luck to all of my fellow classmates!  I hope to cross paths with you again and wish all of you the best of luck in finding your place in the field of early childhood.  We have much work to do!

Sincerely,
Katie

Ethics and Ideals

In the field of education, there are several codes of conduct that govern the professionals who work with children and families.  This week, we reviewed two documents that outline some of those rules.  They both served as a reminder of the importance of professionalism, advocacy, and leadership.

In the Code of Ethics of the Division for Early Childhood (DEC) for the Council for Exceptional Children, the one that resonates with me is "we shall empower families with information and resources so that they are informed consumers of services for their children" (DEC, 2009).  Parents of children with special needs are faced with so many obstacles when they are navigating the education system.  It has recently become clear to me that we are not only responsible for the present care and education of the young children in our program, but we must also support families and prepare them for their future in education and provide them the tools to access all of the necessary resources to help them be successful.  This might be public school services, PCA services, or evaluations that will allow them to access that support.

In NAEYC's Code of Ethical Conduct and Statement of Commitment, there are two ideals that are significant to me and my professional role.  The first outlines my responsibility to the employees of the program.  It states that we are "to encourage and support continual development of employees in becoming more skilled and knowledgeable practitioners" (NAEYC, 2005).  As a supervisor of teachers and support staff, it is important that I be able to recognize the strengths of each employee and identify areas of growth.  I believe that we have much to learn from each other and I encourage my team to share knowledge with one another, while evaluating areas in which to provide additional training.  Some of the areas we have begun to focus on is how to best incorporate curriculum standards, creating a responsive classroom, and working with challenging behaviors in an inclusive environment.
The second ideal that resonates with me is the one that states that we are "to work through education, research, and advocacy toward an environmentally safe world in which all children receive health care, food, and shelter; are nurtured; and live free from violence in their home and communities" (NAEYC, 2005).  this is a comprehensive summary of why I chose to enter this masters program.  I am passionate about working in a field that does everything it can to educate not only children and families, but the surrounding community about the importance of investing in young children.  It is my hope that I can have a broader scope of influence in the field of early education.

References:

The Division for Early Childhood. (2000, August). Code of ethics. Retrieved May 26, 2010, fromhttp://www.dec-sped.org/

 NAEYC. (2005, April). Code of ethical conduct and statement of commitment. Retrieved May 26, 2010, fromhttp://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/PSETH05.pdf

Resources for the Early Childhood Educator

This week, we have been exploring the variety of resources that are available to educator and professionals in the field.  Here is a list of some of them:

NAEYC. (2009). Developmentally appropriate practice in early childhood programs serving children from birth through age 8. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/courses/56607/CRS-CW-4744594/educ6005_readings/naeyc_dap_position_statement.pdf

NAEYC. (2009). Where we stand on child abuse prevention. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/ChildAbuseStand.pdf

NAEYC. (2009). Where we stand on school readiness. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/Readiness.pdf

NAEYC. (2009). Where we stand on responding to linguistic and cultural diversity. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/diversity.pdf

NAEYC. (2003). Early childhood curriculum, assessment, and program evaluation: Building an effective, accountable system in programs for children birth through age 8. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/pscape.pdf

NAEYC. (2009, April). Early childhood inclusion: A summary. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/DEC_NAEYC_ECSummary_A.pdf

Zero to Three: National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families. (2010). Infant-toddler policy agenda. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.zerotothree.org/site/PageServer?pagename=ter_pub_infanttodller

FPG Child Development Institute. (2006, September). Evidence-based practice empowers early childhood professionals and families. (FPG Snapshot, No. 33). Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.fpg.unc.edu/~snapshots/snap33.pdf

National Association for the Education of Young Children
http://www.naeyc.org/

The Division for Early Childhood
http://www.dec-sped.org/

Zero to Three: National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families
http://www.zerotothree.org/

WESTED
http://www.wested.org/cs/we/print/docs/we/home.htm

Harvard Education Letter
http://www.hepg.org/hel/topic/85

FPG Child Development Institute
http://www.fpg.unc.edu/main/about.cfm

Administration for Children and Families Headstart’s National Research Conference
http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/opre/hsrc/

HighScope
http://www.highscope.org/

Children’s Defense Fund
http://www.childrensdefense.org/

Center for Child Care Workforce
http://www.ccw.org/

Council for Exceptional Children
http://www.cec.sped.org//AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home

Institute for Women’s Policy Research
http://www.iwpr.org/index.cfm

National Center for Research on Early Childhood Education
http://www.ncrece.org/wordpress/

National Child Care Association
http://www.nccanet.org/

National Institute for Early Education Research
http://nieer.org/

Pre[K]Now
http://www.preknow.org/

Voices for America’s Children
http://www.voices.org/

The Erikson Institute
http://www.erikson.edu/

There are local resources that I have depended on for information.  The Minnesota Child Care Resource and Referral Network has provided trainings for the programs I have worked in, as well as the Eager to Learn program (http://www.eagertolearn.org/).  In my work in inclusion, I have referenced the Center for Inclusive Child Care for information and training (http://www.inclusivechildcare.org/).

In addition, there are resources that are not necessarily published or tangible.  These include mentors and colleagues and your owned shared experiences.