The Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University has a wealth of information for the Early Childhood Professionals, parents, or those interested in the early childhood field. There were several sites on the website that include a wealth of information these include: Science of Early Childhood, Understanding Intervention, Global Development, and Foundation of Lifelong Health. I found all of the topics interesting but the one that stood out the most was Foundations of Lifelong Health. The article stated " Health in the earliest years—beginning with the future mother’s well-being before she becomes pregnant—lays the groundwork for a lifetime of vitality. When developing biological systems occur in an environment of positive early experiences, children have a greater chance to thrive and to grow up to be healthy adults." The article just goes to prove how important positive experiences are for young children. Many times parents think "oh, he/she is too young to remember this or that..but in reality each experience affects the child's development rather for the good or bad.
The Second topic that I found of interest was Understanding Intervention. Harvard University explains the importance of intervention and why it is needed within the field of Early Childhood Education. Intervention. Understanding Intervention also gives an understanding of why intervention is needed and the outcomes that could be produced if children were reached early on for early intervention.
The third topic that I found interesting was Science of Early Childhood. There were a few things in this section that I found to be helpful information. One topic in this section was talking about how experience build brain architecture. " Genes provide the basic blueprints, but experiences influence how or whether the genes are expressed." (Harvard University). This phrase reminds me of the importance of molding children in positive experiences. Children are so impressionable during the early years.
Harvard University 2011. Global Children's Initiative Retrieved from http//:www.developingchild.harvard.edu
Saturday, October 8, 2011
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Sharing Resources
The website that I am reviwing is the National Association of Education for Young Children. ( NAEYC.org). The website is filled with a wealth of information. I found many articles on the value of play. Play is an important part of a child's development. The NAEYC offers many resources to educators as well as to families on the value of play.
"Children are eventually going to learn to recognize letters. But learning how people work and what's in others' minds is much deeper and more profound learning. Ironically, parents who think they are helping their children by exposing them to flash cards with letters on them are doing less to help their chidlren than parents who expose their children to pretend play, read to them, and talk with them." (Dr. Alison Gopnik)
There are many resources on play that I found helpful when looking through the website. As a new Early Childhood Professional I found these articles to be important and the website to be a great resource.
"Children are eventually going to learn to recognize letters. But learning how people work and what's in others' minds is much deeper and more profound learning. Ironically, parents who think they are helping their children by exposing them to flash cards with letters on them are doing less to help their chidlren than parents who expose their children to pretend play, read to them, and talk with them." (Dr. Alison Gopnik)
There are many resources on play that I found helpful when looking through the website. As a new Early Childhood Professional I found these articles to be important and the website to be a great resource.
Saturday, September 24, 2011
A Look into Poverty
Childhood Poverty Research and Policy Centre (http://www.childhoodpoverty.org)
The country that I chose to look at was China. Three insights that I gained from the sight was:
1. 4.2 million Children live in absolute poverty and 8.7 million live in disadvantaged conditions. Both of these have declined since the 1900s.
2. "As the structure of the economy has changed, the social security system has had to adapt to protect people from different forms of poverty. Up to 1992, in urban areas, only people without work, with no savings and with no family to depend on were eligible for financial support. A Minimum Living Standards system has been developed since 1997 and by 2002 covered 23 per cent of poor urban households. Though this is the main form of social relief in urban China, there are concerns that the amounts allocated are too small to meet people's basic needs for food, clothing shelter, health and education and in particular, aren't enough to allow families to pay the compulsory education fee."
3. Between 4 and 8 per cent of the urban population, somewhere between 15 and 31 million people live in poverty
The country that I chose to look at was China. Three insights that I gained from the sight was:
1. 4.2 million Children live in absolute poverty and 8.7 million live in disadvantaged conditions. Both of these have declined since the 1900s.
2. "As the structure of the economy has changed, the social security system has had to adapt to protect people from different forms of poverty. Up to 1992, in urban areas, only people without work, with no savings and with no family to depend on were eligible for financial support. A Minimum Living Standards system has been developed since 1997 and by 2002 covered 23 per cent of poor urban households. Though this is the main form of social relief in urban China, there are concerns that the amounts allocated are too small to meet people's basic needs for food, clothing shelter, health and education and in particular, aren't enough to allow families to pay the compulsory education fee."
3. Between 4 and 8 per cent of the urban population, somewhere between 15 and 31 million people live in poverty
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Sharing Resources
The website that I chose to share was the NAEYC. (www.naeyc.org)
Founded in 1926, The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) is the world's largest organization working on behalf of young children with nearly 80,000 members, a national network of more than 300 state and local Affiliates, and a growing global alliance of like-minded organizations.
As I read through and explored the website..I found some information on Childhood Obsity and prevention. Childhood Obesity really interests me and I find it sad that more and more children are having to face this issue. In 2010 the NAEYC received a grant from the Robert Johnson Foundation that helped spread the word about Childhood Obesity and prevention. Through the grant, NAEYC was about to work with state and local affiliates to provide resources to advocates and early childhood programs. Here is a small list of the many resources that I found helpful:
Early Sprouts": Establishing Healthy Food Choices for Young Children (Young Children, Vol. 64, No. 4, 49-55. Copyright © 2009 NAEYC)
As I read through some of the resources and about the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, I was really amazed at the devastating impact childhood obesity really has on children. The changes have to start some where and start small in order to see an improvement in this epidemic.
Founded in 1926, The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) is the world's largest organization working on behalf of young children with nearly 80,000 members, a national network of more than 300 state and local Affiliates, and a growing global alliance of like-minded organizations.
As I read through and explored the website..I found some information on Childhood Obsity and prevention. Childhood Obesity really interests me and I find it sad that more and more children are having to face this issue. In 2010 the NAEYC received a grant from the Robert Johnson Foundation that helped spread the word about Childhood Obesity and prevention. Through the grant, NAEYC was about to work with state and local affiliates to provide resources to advocates and early childhood programs. Here is a small list of the many resources that I found helpful:
Early Sprouts": Establishing Healthy Food Choices for Young Children (Young Children, Vol. 64, No. 4, 49-55. Copyright © 2009 NAEYC)
- The Food Friends: Encouraging Preschoolers to Try New Foods (Young Children, Vol. 61, No. 3. Copyright © 2006 NAEYC)
- HAPPE: Toddlers in Physical Play with Extra: Ideas for engaging toddlers in indoor and outdoor physical play activities (Young Children, Vol. 61, No. 3, 32-34. Copyright © 2006 NAEYC)
- Healthy Lunches and More (Teaching Young Children, Vol. 2, No. 4, 24-27. Copyright © 2009 NAEYC)
- The Impact of Teachers and Families on Young Children's Eating Behaviors (Young Children, Vol. 66, No. 2, 84-88. Copyright © 2011 NAEYC)
- Increasing Children's Physical Activity (Teaching Young Children, Vol. 4, No. 3, 6-7. Copyright © 2011 NAEYC)
As I read through some of the resources and about the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, I was really amazed at the devastating impact childhood obesity really has on children. The changes have to start some where and start small in order to see an improvement in this epidemic.
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Website and Professional Contacts from Around the World
The website that I chose to use as a resource is Zero To Three: National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Familieshttp://www.zerotothree.org), ZERO TO THREE is a national, nonprofit organization that informs, trains, and supports professionals, policymakers, and parents in their efforts to improve the lives of infants and toddlers. I really enjoyed researching this website because of my love for Early Intervention.
The Professional Resources:
I chose the Global Alliance of NAEYC to contact professionals from around the world. The Four professionals that I chose to correspond with are:
Ireland
OMEP Irish National Committee
Nippa - the Early Childhood Organization
Siobhan Fitzpatrick
Email: siobhanf@nippa.org
Haiti
Step by Step Program / Tipa Tipa
Dominique Hudicourt
Email: tipatipa@hainet.net
Romania
Step by Step Centre for Education and Professional Development
Carmin Lica
Email: carmenlia@dnt.ro
Netherlands
International Step by Step Association
Sarah Klaus
Email: sklaus@issa.nl
I just started this project so I have yet to hear back from any of the four professionals.
The Professional Resources:
I chose the Global Alliance of NAEYC to contact professionals from around the world. The Four professionals that I chose to correspond with are:
Ireland
OMEP Irish National Committee
Nippa - the Early Childhood Organization
Siobhan Fitzpatrick
Email: siobhanf@nippa.org
Haiti
Step by Step Program / Tipa Tipa
Dominique Hudicourt
Email: tipatipa@hainet.net
Romania
Step by Step Centre for Education and Professional Development
Carmin Lica
Email: carmenlia@dnt.ro
Netherlands
International Step by Step Association
Sarah Klaus
Email: sklaus@issa.nl
I just started this project so I have yet to hear back from any of the four professionals.
Saturday, August 6, 2011
My Supports
The greatest supports that I have would be my family, close friends, cell phone and my laptop. With out these things I feel at a loss. My family is my greatest support. I know that I can always turn to them when I am having a bad day or if I am excited about something, they share in that experience with me. My husband had been a great support to me. He has encouraged me to keep going when I felt that I just could not go any further. My two precious babies also support me just by their little smiles and hugs. My friends are also huge supports that keep me going. I do not know what I would do with out these special people in my life.
My cell phone is a great support for me too. ;) I feel at an utter loss if I forget it at home. I have been known to turn around and go back home to get it. I use my cell to keep in touch with family, friends, co-workers, and anyone else that I may need to contact.
My lap top is another support that I have. I use it for keeping in contact with friends across the states as well as for school.
Challenging supports:
My challenging supports is feeling at a loss if I do not have the support from family or friends. I could not imagine not having someone such as my supports-to me that would be a great challenge.
My cell phone is a great support for me too. ;) I feel at an utter loss if I forget it at home. I have been known to turn around and go back home to get it. I use my cell to keep in touch with family, friends, co-workers, and anyone else that I may need to contact.
My lap top is another support that I have. I use it for keeping in contact with friends across the states as well as for school.
Challenging supports:
My challenging supports is feeling at a loss if I do not have the support from family or friends. I could not imagine not having someone such as my supports-to me that would be a great challenge.
Saturday, July 23, 2011
My Connections to Play
Quotes that summarize what play meant to me as a child:
“We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.” George Bernard Shaw
“You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation.” Plato
Two essential items that were essential to have when I was a child:
As a little girl my bike would take me anywhere. I remember my siblings and I would have bike races and ride for hours.
Barbies were the THING to play for hours and hours. My sister and I use to sit for hours on end playing with our barbies. We would have fashion shows, camping trips, school, or whatever else our little imaginations could create.
People supported play by letting me just play for hours and hours. As a child I spent many hours playing outside catching lightning bugs with my siblings and cousins, building forts with my cousins, riding my bike, roller blading, and anything else that would be "fun" for the moment. My mother encouraged play as much as possible but if we dare uttered the words "Im bored" she found us some chores to do-especially during the summer time. Now days play is different than when I was a child. The world is much more dangerous so parents worry about letting their children outside to play. That is the reason many children play inside on video games, watch TV, or play games on the computer. It is a shame that the innocence of play is destroyed because of the ignorance of the world.
“We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.” George Bernard Shaw
“You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation.” Plato
Two essential items that were essential to have when I was a child:
As a little girl my bike would take me anywhere. I remember my siblings and I would have bike races and ride for hours.Barbies were the THING to play for hours and hours. My sister and I use to sit for hours on end playing with our barbies. We would have fashion shows, camping trips, school, or whatever else our little imaginations could create.People supported play by letting me just play for hours and hours. As a child I spent many hours playing outside catching lightning bugs with my siblings and cousins, building forts with my cousins, riding my bike, roller blading, and anything else that would be "fun" for the moment. My mother encouraged play as much as possible but if we dare uttered the words "Im bored" she found us some chores to do-especially during the summer time. Now days play is different than when I was a child. The world is much more dangerous so parents worry about letting their children outside to play. That is the reason many children play inside on video games, watch TV, or play games on the computer. It is a shame that the innocence of play is destroyed because of the ignorance of the world.
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