Category: Uncategorized

How to make caring routines for infants and toddlers prime times?

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Parents and teachers engage in caring routines with infants and toddlers on a daily basis. Examples are feeding, washing, dressing, and diapering.

It is important for the child to gain independence by developing acceptance of who they are and what they need. Some suggestions to ease the implementation of the caring routines are:

  • Be patient with the child as much as time permits.
  • Talk to the child by letting him/her know what is going to happen and how.
  • Propose options when the infant or toddler could contribute instead of doing everything for them. Have them take control of their bodies.
  • Accept the bodily wastes of infants and toddlers and remain positive when changing a child. Explain to them what you are doing so they could transition to taking control of their urges in due time with acceptance.
  • Respect children by not engaging in feeding or diapering while ignoring them. Feeding is the starting point of social communication with the child while taking meals as a family.
  • Acknowledge that you might have feelings and cultural beliefs about how children should be raised and be willing to review them if they impact negatively on the child.

To read more, refer to:

Greenman, J., Stonehouse, A., & Schweikert, G. (2008). Prime times: A handbook for excellence in infant and toddler programs (2nd ed.). St. Paul, MN: Redleaf Press.

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Play and assessment in early childhood education: Is it a paradox?

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Play is a main medium where teachers can learn about the children. It provides an opportunity for teachers to observe and assess children systematically and frequently. Depending on how much time teachers have, they could observe by taking detailed notes as events are unfolding or by writing short summaries. Teachers can also collect samples or take pictures of children’s work to save in a portfolio.

The assessment through play is developmental and incremental in nature. Children achieve differently depending on the time, activity, and context. Play activities mirror children’s interactions with material, handling of new instructions, engagement with peers, problem solving abilities, implementation techniques, and task closure. Agency and creativity are also transparent through play.

For further reading, refer to:

Ebbeck, M. (2016). Assessing children’s learning through play. In M. Ebbeck & M. Waniganayake (Eds.), Play in early childhood education: Learning in diverse contexts (2nd ed., pp. 42-59). Victoria, Australia: Oxford University Press.

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Challenging barriers to inclusion in early childhood education

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Educators who want to implement inclusion practices in early childhood education are challenged by three main types of barriers: personal, attitudinal, and organisational.

Personal barriers revolve around the educators’ feelings of discomfort in interacting with diverse children. Teaching strategies could be inappropriate due to missing background knowledge. In addition, educators feel threatened by the demands of differentiated teaching and the additional time involved.

Educators holding attitudinal barriers feel that inclusion will negatively affect children without disabilities. They perceive children with disabilities or children from different races, ethnicities, and socioeconomic backgrounds as a burden. This is often based on preconceived ideas about US and THEM with negative connotations associated with the OTHER.

Organisational barriers include lack of funding, resources, competent professionals, or commitment dedicated to inclusive practices.

Play is a developmentally appropriate medium to practise inclusion. It is a medium where all children can contribute when the activities are planned adequately.

Educators are advised to team up with families and other professionals in order to develop proficiency in practising inclusive education.

ALL children can succeed in a global world. To do so, they need to be given opportunities to build success starting in early childhood.

Reference:

National PSC Alliance. (n.d.). Inclusion fact sheet: Understanding inclusion. Retrieved from https://www.ecrh.edu.au/docs/default-source/resources/ipsp/understanding-inclusion.pdf?sfvrsn=6

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Children’s books on additional needs

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Children’s books have the power to take us into other worlds and to immerse us in other people’s lives.

It is important that children are exposed to stories about children with different strengths and needs.

Some books that involve children with special needs could be found under the following links:

An Animated Story of a boy who hates his disabled dog

Susan Laughs: uses a wheel chair

Disability in Picture Books | Fashioneyesta

Lucy’s picture (by Nicola Moon): Lucy made a book with tactile illustrations for grandpa.

Moses goes to a concert: group of children who are deaf go to an orchestra. Using sign language (7:55).

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Digital technologies and children: Guidelines for use

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Children from all over the world are using digital technologies. Early Childhood Australia issued a statement regarding the use of digital technologies by young children. The main points included the need for parents and educators to:

  • Engage children in digital technologies as a group activity with peers. The use of digital technology should not be an isolating experience.
  • Encourage children to take breaks, to practice active physical activity, and to rest the eyes.
  • Provide sleeping routines that do not include digital activities.
  • Help children develop a sense of online safety and an understanding of what could be shared in an online environment.
  • Guide children on how to seek assistance if they receive invitations from unknown people.
  • Select games, applications, and content that are age and developmentally appropriate.
  • Discuss with children the nature of their online activities and stay up-to-date with how to protect them.

For more information, check the Statement on young children and digital technologies.

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Bilingualism

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pexels-photo-247644Bilingual children speak two languages. This can be at home with each parent being a native speaker of a language or can be part of a child’s education. Children develop the skill of code switching according to the situation. To do so successfully, children need to be aware of the difference between the two languages and where words belong.

When children are learning the two languages simultaneously, they should be hearing the two languages frequently. Adults can help by pointing out to the child that there are different words that say the same thing. Children might mix words from two languages in everyday communication. In many cultures, this is an accepted practice and sometimes is a show-off practice.

When children are introduced to the second language later, they have already developed competency in the first language. Children will observe and listen to what the others are saying and participate in classroom activities. They might not initiate conversations and would respond using words and short expressions.

In learning any skill, children who are shamed when making mistakes or discouraged to bring their heritage in a classroom will not be confident in experimenting with languages and will feel excluded. Learning languages enriches lives and should be encouraged in a global world.

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Inclusive Education

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pexels-photo-220320In an early childhood setting, planning needs to be done with all the children in mind. Children with different backgrounds and abilities need to feel welcome and an integral part of the setting.

An art activity needs has to be planned so every child can participate. The same is true for science, literacy, math activities, and so on.

The child with an additional need should not be left excluded in a specific location. ALL children should learn that the world is a place where they are expected to contribute to with the best of their abilities. We should look at our strengths and not focus on our weaknesses, yet acknowledging that we all have both.

Though this is easier said than done, a partnership between parents, teachers, and the community is pivotal to a successful inclusive education.

For more information, refer to this article on inclusive education.

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Children’s Play

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Different cultures view play through different lenses. Sometimes parents ask their children to stop playing and start studying. In early childhood, learning is embedded in play.

By not playing and exploring the environment, children are missing out on important benefits.

Through play, children improve their communication skills, enhance their social and emotional wellbeing, develop a faster memory, and try creative solutions.

Most important, they live healthier and happier.

For more information, refer to the Parenting for Brain website.

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Children’s Literature in a Global World

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One way to help children develop a critical disposition is through children’s literature. Fairy tales are told differently in different cultures.

Children could be asked to read different versions of the same text, to point out the changes, and to examine the effects of those changes.

As an example, here are four versions of Cinderella:

The Egyptian Cinderella
The Disney version: “Cinderella – Lets Read Kids TV, Children’s Story Books Read Aloud”
The Korean Cinderella
The Mexican Cinderella, “Adelita”

By comparing the stories, children will notice the content, settings, and illustrations in different cultures and how people are connected globally through common and individual heritage.

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Education

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Education should go hand in hand with development. What is our role as parents and educators as children grow up?

A variety of topics will be presented. They will focus on harmonising education and development.

Yes, we want to think of where the child’s stage of development is as we plan activities. More important is to think how the child is different and how education can help him/her fulfill his/her potential.