Foundations of Early Childhood

                                           My Connections to Play    “A child loves his play, not because it’s easy, but because it’s hard.” ~ Benjamin Spock (pediatrician, author) “ Close observation of children at play suggests that they find out about the world in the same way as scientists find out about new phenomena and test new ideas…during this exploration, all the senses are used to observe and draw conclusions about objects and events through simple, if crude, scientific investigations.” ~ Judith Roden (lecturer, Canterbury Christ Church University College) As a child I enjoyed being outside playing with my sister and friends. Although, I am an asthmatic my parents insisted I go outside because the fresh air was good for me. I am so glad they did, playing outside gave me opportunities to develop physically as well as intellectually. Play in the ...

Relationship Reflection Relationships are an important aspect of feeling connected. I have great support from my family, friends, and professional colleagues. It is easy to share joyous times, heartaches, ideas, and concerns with someone you have a connection. My best friend is my husband, we will celebrate 40 years of marriage this month. He is always in my corner, encouraging me to pursue my dreams. We have three wonderful children and two adorable grandchildren. My parents always encouraged me to pursue my dreams. I have two sisters and a brother who I am very close to. We have always been close to one another. As young children we had disagreements but, they never interfered with our bond with each other. I admire them for their perseverance through the good and not so good times as well.  I am blessed to have such warm and compassionate siblings. My family cheers me on when the times are difficult. During my thirty plus years working with young children I have met an...

The work will wait while you show the child the rainbow, but the rainbow won’t wait while you do the work.                     ___ Anonymous                               The question is not whether we can afford to invest in every children; it is whether we afford not to.             ___Marian Wright Edelman,                      U. S. children’s rights activist       10x Inspirations-Quotes . (n.d.). Retrieved from NAEYC.org. Thank you for your  response and questions on the discussion board and the blog. I have gained new perspectives and knowledge fro...

Testing for Intelligence Continuous assessment affords the child and teacher an authentic view of the child’s strengths and weaknesses, thus providing an opportunity to implement experiences to facilitate and enhance these areas. Assessing children’s learning is necessary for planning experiences to expand a child’s learning and reinforce skills already mastered. All children learn in a style of their own. There are seven documented learning styles; visual, aural, verbal, physical, logical, social, and solitary  (learning-styles-on-line, 2011) . Some children learn using only one style and others use a combination of styles. According to Gardner’s multiple intelligence theory, the use of I.Q. testing results are limited in accurately assessing a child’s ability to learn comprehend. His theory states there are eight different intelligences that are found in adults and children  (Multiple intelligence, 2013) . Children who learn through different intelligences are s...

Consequences of Stress on Children’s Development: Natural Disasters.  May 27, 1997, there were a total of 20 tornadoes in the Central Texas area where I reside. I was at work when the sirens sounded. We immediately began our severe weather plan, getting the children into the safe areas and waited while the storm passed by. As one warning ended another began, which made for a long afternoon. The pressure that comes tornadoes produces a very eerie sensation. The air is very still and the air pressure is heavy and your skin feels as if it is going to burst. The rain was coming down heavily and the force of the wind seem to shake the building. Anytime there is a severe weather bulletin the memories of that day return and the emotions and feeling I experienced are present in my mind. Oklahoma Tornadoes Tornado activity as late as last night in Oklahoma have resulted in deaths of children and adults. This can be a stressor in the lives of young and old. With the frequency of the...

Childhood Immunization at Record High Childhood immunizations have risen over the past decade but there are 24 million children still immunized. UNICEF, the World Bank, and the World Health Organization   report that one in five children are not receiving routine immunizations against preventable diseases like measles, tetanus, and diphtheria. Recent declines in child death rates are a direct results of higher immunization rates. Worldwide measles deaths declined by 74 percent between 2000 and 2007 due to higher immunization. This improvement will not continue without continued attempts to vaccinate children around the world. Immunization is an issue that we face here in the U.S. and globally. Here in the U.S. reasons include lack of information, access to affordable health care, personal and religious preference, lack of funding is a primary reason in other countries  (Immunization state of the world's vaccines: Childhood immunization at record high, 2009) . The r...

Childbirth Here and Around the World Being a part of my grandson’s entry into the world brought me a tremendous amount of joy. My daughter has wanted a child for a long time and she was blessed with a perfect son.  Her pregnancy was categorized as high risk due to her age and prior to her pregnancy she was diagnosed with high blood pressure which required medication during, the pregnancy her blood pressure was perfect, she was instructed to discontinue her medication. She erred on the side of caution and chose to have the genetic testing done to assure the pregnancy was going well. Her test results were those of a twenty year old- she celebrated her 40 th birthday this past November.  The doctor’s visits, two each week one to her primary obstetrician and the other to the high risk clinic to monitor the baby as the pregnancy progress caused a bit of apprehension but her healthy lifestyle and the excellent prenatal care she received, her  healthy 8lb.1oz. son was de...