“The Impact of Working Mothers on Child Development” is an article written by David Pelcovitz. The article expounds on the effects of long-term maternal employment. For instance, it provides a scenario in the United States in which over 75% of the mothers spent their full time away from their children. According to this article, the majority of the employers in the US grant their employees a four-week maternal leave, an act that contributes to infant negligence. Some families also leave a Kollel life, life that involves the full-time engagement of husbands in education and full-time engagement of mothers to their respective works.
In the article, Pelcovitz addresses the result of the research carried out by the National Institute of Child Health and Development in 1991. According to the research carried, it is evident that there is a great relationship between maternal employment and various challenges experienced by children. Various factors contributed to character adjustment in children. For instance, children who were neglected by their parents before attaining the age of three months experienced numerous behavior problems. This was reported by not only their caregivers but also their teachers. Children whose mothers participated in part-time employments were also not exceptional. However, their effects on the development of their children were not comparable to the preceding. Part-time maternal employment impacted with the behaviors of the growing children slightly; the children developed a few disruptive behaviors (Pelcovitz, 1).
According to this article, most mothers that participated in full-time employment showed great concern for their children. For instance, they invested much of their money on their children by providing them with higher-quality substitute childcare to meet the prescribed demands children. Although most mothers who participated in full-time employment showed a high degree of sensitivity to their children, it is evident that they failed to provide ample care to their children because of depression.
Early maternal employment has also some great significance to child development. On most occasions, it rescues most families from economic challenges and family breakdowns. It is also evident that children of working mothers portrayed high levels of intelligence; most of them achieved well in school. Additionally, the involvement of their mothers in employment hampered their behaviors significantly. The majority of them developed low levels of internalizing behaviors. The presence of working mothers enhanced the existence of stress-free families. Mother employment was also associated with negative behaviors in children. Families that consisted of mothers with early full-time employment portrayed high levels of indiscipline; the association contributed significantly towards child behavioral difficulties in society. According to this article, child spoilage does not take place while the child is a toddler. Most children develop uncouth characters when they are still attached to their full time employed mothers. Their unusual characteristics are associated with subsequent difficulties that their mothers experience while at work (Pelcovitz, 1).
The effect of parents’ unemployment is also significant to the growth and development of children. However, its negative impacts on children by-passes those enacted by maternal employment. On most occasions, children who are brought up by full-time employed mothers from their early childhood slightly change their behavior as they grow. Thus, child spoilage is slightly associated with maternal employment.
In his article, Pelcovitz provides pieces of advice that ought to be observed by parents in raising their children. According to him, it is advisable for mothers to consider working part-time during the early stages of their children. Working part-time will enable them to have ample time with their children. Additionally, he also recommends fathers to provide parenting to their children by adjusting their learning timetables. It is also crucial for the grandparents to be recruited to take care of their growing grandchildren. This will enhance the good growth and development of children.
Critique of the article
The article of Pelcovitz is so influential. It provides detailed information on what ought to be done by parents in raising their children. Its emphasis on the effect of mother employment is so crucial. Most parents have the tendency of neglecting their responsibilities in the name of seeking wealth. The gap between parents and children as a result of employment contributes negatively to the development of children. Most children end up developing un-societal characters.
Just as the article expounds it, it is crucial for mothers to reconsider working part-time so as to have more time with their children. Closeness to their children will not only enhance them to learn their weaknesses but also enable them to provide motherly love. Fathers also need to take part in the raising of children. They need to readjust their learning timetables so as to have more parenting time. Their involvement in parenting children will not only enhance the recommendable growth of children but also allow mothers to meet their employment objectives.
However, it is not crucial to divert parenting roles to grandparents. Mothers and fathers opt to find more time for their children. Most children go astray because of associating very much with their grandparents. On most occasions, grandparents fail to punish children when they mess up. Thus, it is crucial for parents to raise their children on their own.
Works Cited
Pelcovitz, David. “The Impact of Working Mothers on Child Development.” Orthodox Union. 2013. Web.
Hill and Morris (2008) conducted a five-study meta-analysis of welfare program interventions on maternal employment and child development.
Specifically, the aim was to find out whether maternal participation in welfare-based employment and supplemental-income intervention had favorable effects on the development of very young children who were from 6 months to three years of age when the programs started.
All this is a contribution to the Next Generation Project, a well-intentioned effort to investigate the effect of welfare on the children of beneficiaries. The period under investigation is the middle the to late 1990s, at a time when pilot programs were underway to afford parents on welfare employment opportunities and therefore reduce dependence on dole-outs.
Research Design
Hill and Morris justify the “experiment” label in their report title since the five studies comprising the meta-analysis — Bloom et al. (a benchmark measure in 2000 and post-assessment of cognitive and behavioral outcomes two years later); Bos et al., a one-time “dipstick” measure in 1999; Gennetian and Miller (also a once-off assessment in 2000; Huston et al., (2003 only); Michalopoulos et al. (2002 only); Morris & Michalopoulos (also a one-time measure in 2000) – were about trials (“field experiments”) in varying locations around the U.S. and Canada of an intervention consisting of jobs, income disregards or supplements. This then is the independent variable in all five studies that Hill and Morris assembled for the meta-analysis.
For clarity, an “income disregard” is the term used in the U.K. and Canada for, respectively, total tax credits and the increase in annual income that does not count for tax purposes. This does not quite have the same potent effect on family wellbeing as the tax rebates that the U.S. Congress passed earlier this year. A tax rebate check amounts to “windfall” income (not non-taxed income) that, the administration hopes, tax-filing Americans will cheerfully spend and thus help resuscitate an economy moribund since the second half of 2007.
The dependent variables consisted of standardized scores which the authors calculated from data produced by follow-up measures of the cooperating researchers. Standardization of achievement/cognitive and behavioral outcomes could have gone a long way towards the reliability of the meta-analysis were it not for the fact that the five programs employed a varying range of survey instruments: the Academic subscale of the Social Skills Rating System; single-item parent ratings of how well a child was perceived to do in school; the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-Revised and a math skills test for measurement of cognitive achievement; the Behavior Problem Index; and either the short or 25-item version of the Positive Behavior Scale.
Reliability and Validity
A meta-analysis usually involves an effort to combine the results of several studies boasting precisely equivalent sampling methods and research designs so that regression analysis, for instance, might benefit from the relative stability of very large samples. However, Hill and Morris acknowledge that the studies, conducted in varying locations and boasting different features, differ in important respects.
The size and policy context of income disregards/supplements differed materially. For instance, the Florida Family Transition Program (FTP) exempted the first $200 and half of any remaining income from the tax owed by a family. This is not as generous as it sounds since the state provided families on welfare no more than $303 each month for a family of three. On the other hand, the Canadian counterpart Self-Sufficiency Project (SSP) paid out 50% of the difference between actual income and threshold annual income of $25,000 that the government considered just. In the first case, a family that survived solely on welfare would gross $3,636 for the year but have to report a taxable income of just $1,718. A Canadian family that eked out subsistence-level existence at C$3,636 annually could look forward to receiving an income supplement of C$10,682, theirs to spend.
In effect, one confronts an independent variable that differs so much in implementation details and impact on family income that validity is clearly sacrificed. Hill and Norris could not even control the key independent variable for consistency, much less manipulate the IV as standard experimental study designs call for.
Since welfare is clearly not enough to live on from month to month, four of the programs had mechanisms to encourage employment-seeking. One program implemented this by reducing benefits if the recipients did not search for work or at least participate in occupational training. Connecticut simply set a time limit for being on the dole. Two programs were thought of including child care for mothers who found work. But the fifth program simply made no provision for garnering employment and, again, this degrades the reliability of cross-comparison immeasurably.
Conclusion
Ultimately, Hill and Norris are chagrined to admit that their combinative study failed to reveal any favorable effects on child development. They could only point to isolated “domain- and age-specific effects” (2008, p. 1557) with respect to positive social behavior for one age group and improved scholastic achievement, solely for those who were 2 years of age when the interventions commenced. Neither theory nor the varying circumstances of each study permitted the authors to conclusively explain these unremarkable findings.
In fact, this whole undertaking is a non-experimental study because Hill and Morris were at least twice removed from, and therefore exercised no control over, both parents and children. Never having been in the research settings and hence, in no position to manipulate the IV’s, the researchers were relegated to processing the information secondhand. Such are the limitations of correlational, passive, naturalistic, and observational studies, widely-publicized examples of these being those reporting risk factors for lung or colon cancer. Such non-experimental studies can never make conclusions on cause and effect, the very same trap that Hill and Morris fell into.
References
Hill, H. D. & Morris, P. (2008). Welfare policies and very young children: Experimental data on stage–environment fit. Developmental Psychology, 44 (6): 1557–1571.
An individual pursuing a master’s degree in early intervention in deaf education has to demonstrate a sound understanding of “the development of infants, toddlers and young children who are deaf or hard of hearing including specialized audiology and communication needs” (Instructions, n.d., p. 1). An artifact that can provide evidence of my competency in the area that is encompassed by this indicator is a pediatric audiology final exam.
The exam consists of ten questions that help to assess students’ proficiencies, knowledge, and dispositions that are necessary for ensuring that they are capable of improving developmental trajectories of deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) infants, toddlers, and children.
I chose the exam because it helps to articulate my knowledge that is necessary for being a deaf educator or SLP. The artifact contains answers that demonstrate my ability to work in consultative, advocacy, and training roles among others. A drawing of an audiogram approximating the hearing loss serves as evidence of my ability to apply the best observation and analyzing techniques.
The most important thing that I have learned in the area of the development of infants, toddlers, and young children with varied hearing abilities is that initial hearing screening is the first step in a family’s journey through the intervention process (Sass-Lehrer, 2016). Therefore, it is a specialist’s responsibility to provide parents learning that their child is deaf or hard of hearing with information on diagnosis and intervention services in a clear and precise manner.
The final exam shows that I am proficient in providing children’s families with the specifics of an audiogram in plain English. Moreover, Jessica’s case study demonstrates my ability to communicate with parents to recover additional information on other health issues of a patient. It is extremely important because recommendations for intervention services are heavily dependent on the professional’s ability to understand the patient’s hearing patterns. The final exam also shows that I am capable of providing parents with basic knowledge of the hearing system that is necessary for navigating confusing medical information.
It is an especially important proficiency in the context of the field of audiology because children with the atypical function of the hearing system have specialized audiology and communication needs that have to be articulated to their families. Pediatric audiology information, which I have obtained through reading professional books and articles published in peer-reviewed journals, as well as completing CDS 531 assessment 1, has helped me to understand that DHH infants, toddlers, and children are experiencing a developmental emergency.
I have grown professionally by internalizing the notion that “infancy and early childhood are the times at which brain pathways are created and cemented, and lack of meaningful input can lead to significant and permanent developmental delays” (Sass-Lehrer, 2016, p. 63).
Also, I have become familiar with the most important elements of pediatric audiology rehabilitation. A book titled “Pediatric Audiologic Rehabilitation: From Infancy to Adolescence” by Fitzpatrick and Doucet (2013) has helped me to acquire a deep knowledge of typical language development patterns that is essential for undertaking the rehabilitation of DHH infants, toddlers, and children. Furthermore, I have been able to acquire a solid knowledge of the interpretation of an audiology test battery for children with hearing deficits. Moreover, I have grown professionally by learning how to conduct patent-guided interventions at multiple stages of children’s development.
Administration
Individuals pursuing a master’s degree in early intervention in deaf education have to understand “program administration and develop skills for supervising service providers in early intervention/early childhood deaf education” (Instructions, n.d., p. 1). An artifact that serves as a testament to my competency in the area that is encompassed by this indicator is the visit to Central Institute for the Deaf (CID) that is located in St. Louis, MO.
The institution is committed to providing early intervention services to DHH children while emphasizing the close partnership with parents and professionals. I chose the assignment because it provides evidence of my understanding of the basic principles of program administration. By visiting CID, I was able to better understand health and safety, as well as policy, issues that arise during the process of providing and overseeing the education of aspiring DHH learners.
Early intervention and early childhood deaf education are shared responsibilities of individual educators, school leaders, education agencies, and federal government agencies among others (Sass-Lehrer, 2016). All individuals administering intervention/education programs have to engage in the continuous reassessment of their practices in light of the most current discoveries in the field. Therefore, early intervention program administration should be guided by exemplary practices.
The following organizations have outlined roles and responsibilities of educators and other service providers: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASLHA), Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, National Association for the Deaf, World Federation of the Deaf, and the Joint Committee on Infant Hearing (JCIH) among others. I was able to grow professionally by familiarizing myself with statements and policy recommendations issued by these organizations. My understanding of the administrative efforts aimed at improving the literacy development of children was substantially enhanced by the Books on Wheels project.
By familiarizing myself with the most current literature on early intervention, as well as policies and legislation shaping it, I was able to understand that program administration should be aimed at the promotion of its sustainability.
Therefore, individuals supervising service providers have to be involved in every component of intervention programs, thereby ensuring continuous quality improvement. Moreover, DHH professionals willing to provide safe and effective services have to recognize differences between backgrounds and unique characteristics of children with varied hearing levels. Furthermore, while administering programs and supervising activities of service providers, it is important to keep in mind that relationships with families of DHH children have to be ongoing and meaningful.
Therefore, all DHH professionals should treat them as members of intervention teams. I understood that effective supervision requires extensive training; therefore, administrators must not miss an opportunity to develop their knowledge and skills. Early intervention programs can be supported by “providing sufficient resources to hire effective staff, providing appropriate compensation, and ensuring quality training, supervision, and support” (Sass-Lehrer, 2016). My interview with an administrator of SSD taught me the most common problems associated with the execution of their professional duties.
I learned that a successful career in the administration field requires strength and commitment to educational standards as well as communication and negotiation expertise. The interview allowed me as a person who is aspiring to become a professional in the field of early intervention for DHH toddlers, infants, and children to draw inspiration from someone who already has a stunning career. I will try my best to become an assertive speaker who can easily engage in productive interaction with DHH professionals and families of children with limited hearing.
References
Fitzpatrick, E. M., & Doucet, S. P. (2013). Pediatric audiologic rehabilitation: from infancy to adolescence. New York, NY: Thieme.
Instructions. (n.d.).
Sass-Lehrer, M. (2016). Deaf and hard-of-hearing infants, toddlers, and their families: Interdisciplinary perspectives. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
It has been acknowledged that arts education contributes greatly to children’s development. However, some people (even primary teachers) have quite a distorted idea of the arts education as they see it as a fun pastime for children (Smilan & Miraglia, 2009). Nonetheless, I second the opinion of Dinham (2011) who claims that authentic arts education is what our schools need. Such kind of approach enables children to develop their arts literacy, creative behavior, “self-expression through arts” and “identity formation and self-confidence” (Dinham, 2011, p.19).
As far as I am concerned, these are most important qualities to develop in children. These qualities will help them develop specific outlook which will enable them to look at various issues from different perspectives. Thus, I will try to develop these qualities in my students to make them ready to succeed in their lives.
Apart from this, it is of paramount importance to link authentic arts learning to other disciplines in the curriculum. Dinham (2011, p. 29) claims that it is essential to put arts education “in an integrated learning environment”. This is one of my approaches. I try to incorporate various themes connected with different disciplines across curriculum.
Of course, I choose themes and topics which can be interesting to children. I think this is one of the most effective approaches to education as children gain knowledge in a very interesting form. This is also a good opportunity to make children revise material and try to look at it from different perspectives, which is one of the major aims of authentic arts education, and education on the whole.
Therefore, I think I can help children open up new horizons. I am sure I will also be able to help the school develop through exploiting new approaches and new effective techniques.
Arts education is often seen as a way to make children relax and have rest after ‘difficult and important’ classes. Of course, educators understand that the major aim of arts education is to develop children’s creativity (Power & Klopper, 2011; Stephens, 2006). However, arts education is not one-sided as it helps children develop as unique personalities who are ready to look at the world from different perspectives (Dinham, 2011).
Unfortunately, sometimes arts lessons are full of activities seen on the Internet or in different books. However, this inconsequent approach leads to a complete failure as such lessons are rather fillers (Dinham, 2011). Therefore, I pay a lot of attention to preparation to every class which consistently serves major aims of arts education.
I use a variety of techniques to develop children’s creativity and arts knowledge. I balance activities which develop children’s motor skills and activities developing creativity, critical thinking and confidence. I always complete worked examples while preparing for my lessons. This helps me achieve my teaching objectives. Besides, I do not only try to encourage children to create. I also try to encourage them to assess and evaluate their works as well as their peer’s creations. This is really important as this develops children’s critical thinking. Apart from this, sharing ideas and assessing each other’s works helps to create the necessary creative atmosphere.
This approach also helps children become tolerant and learn more about other cultures. Finally, this approach lets children develop their outlooks and, more importantly, it helps children develop multifaceted vision. Thus, children will be able to provide new insights into seemingly trivial things.
Reference List
Dinham, J. (2011). Delivering authentic arts education in the primary school. South Melbourne: Cengage Learning Australia.
Why is testing an infant a difficult task? Explain how infants are tested using Sesell and Bayley Instruments.
Testing children is a difficult task because they are active and can be distracted easily. They have low levels of concentration. Infants are also watchful when they meet unfamiliar people and perform inconsistently depending on the environment. Language barriers and cultural differences also contribute to making the testing procedure for infants a difficult task. Sell test requires the observer to observe, children film and analyze their performance by examining the film frame. Bayley involves the interaction of a child and the examiner using a sequence of tasks. The performance of a child is rated based on each task. Scores are added up, and they are compared with those of other infants that are of the same age.
Consider language development from birth through age 2. Explain the process by using the major language milestones and ideas that support your responses.
After birth, children cry as a sign of their language to express any need, and they also appear to recognize the voices of their mothers. At two to four months, cooing begins, and they start to repeatedly attempt to utter the same sounds when they are trying to respond to voices. At the age of five months, they respond to changes in a tone of voice, and they understand the first words. During their sixth month, they begin to bubble seeking attention. At their seventh month, they narrow down from universal linguist to the language of the caretaker. Between the age of eighth and twelfth months, kids start to comprehend words and use gestures to communicate. At the age of 13 months, they speak their first word. At eighteen months they start to acquire new words regularly. Between nineteen and two years, they start to use two words questions or combine few words.
Describe some ways that adults can assist children who must cope with stressful events such as a terrorist attack.
They should hold them as a sign of providing physical closeness and care. Adults should comfort and try to protect children from further exposure to stressful events and scary scenes that have the potential of making them anxious. They should explain to kids every distressing event that they may encounter. Adults should also reassure children about their personal safety and that they will protect them from any danger. They should also assure kids that the event will not happen again since it will be controlled by the authority, such as police officers.
There are variations in self-esteem. These changes are linked to the aspects of children’s development. List some of these variations and explain what they mean.
One of the variations in the association between self-esteem and low academic achievement. Academic achievement could be affected negatively by the level of self-esteem during child development. High-performing children have high self-esteem and they show significant levels of initiative. Self-esteem causes variations in the degree of happiness among children. The high standard of confidence increases their happiness. Children with low levels of self-esteem are always depressed. It is also linked with the increased levels of depressions and suicide attempts during adolescence. It also lowers life satisfaction and increases anorexia nervosa during puberty.
Distinguish between gender, gender identity, and gender role. Explain your gender identity and gender role using examples from your own experience.
Gender refers to the different characters that are used in determining whether a person is a male or a female. Gender identity is acquired by the majority numbers of children when they are at the age of three years. It can be described as the sense that people develop concerning an individual being a male or female. For instance, I am expected to indicate masculine traits, for example, aggressiveness in my community. Gender roles refer to the expectations of society that prescribe male or female behaviors. They dictate how people should feel, think and act depending on their gender orientation. For instance, parents and the community expect that I should be the provider in the family. Additionally, in a situation that calls intervention, being a male, I am supposed to intercede and help the victim.
The idea of the hidden curriculum in schools is an approach to teaching moral development. What are the pros and cons of this approach?
The method is established through observing different ethical issues that children are exposed to either from their teachers, learning materials, or school administrator. The advantages are that children with bad behaviors can be guided to improve by observing school rules, being punished, or rewarded for improvement. The disciplinary actions hence help in instilling values in the students. The disadvantages of the approach are that friends at school and classroom rules can be used to spread negative attitudes like cheating and stealing. Children can also learn unethical behaviors from their teachers.
Diana Baurmind has proposed the four main categories of parenting styles. Compare and Contrast these parenting styles and describe the likely outcome of the child’s behavior with regard to each style.
Authoritarian parenting is characterized by many rules, punishments and parents have high expectations of their children. Sons may behave aggressively. Kids may become fearful and develop poor communication skills. Authoritative parents encourage their children to be independent. However, they control their kids’ behavior by placing limits on their actions. Outcomes are happy kids, independent, and success-oriented. Neglectful parents are not involved in the life of their children. As a result, they become inattentive, socially incompetent, and develop low confidence. In the Indulgent parenting style, parents are fully involved, places minimum demands and directives on their children. Kids become careless, disrespectful, and lack self-control.
Explain the differences between the following four peer statuses of children: popular, neglected, rejected, and controversial.
Popular children are often referred to as best friends and are always liked by their friends. They have many social skills that help them win the attention of their peers. Neglected children are rarely termed as people’s best acquaintances, but their peers do not dislike their friendships. They are infrequently engaged in interactions with their friends and hence described as being shy. Rejected kids are disliked by their peers. They rarely recommend them as their best acquaintances. Controversial children are highly disliked, and their peers frequently nominate them as their best friends.
The transition the middle or junior high school occurs at the same time as many physical, cognitive, and socio-emotional changes are involved in the transition to adolescence. Explain how an average adolescent might be struggling with this transition and how parents could support the child through the struggle.
The children may struggle with the transition through trying to fit in the society, accepting physical changes and emotional changes. During adolescence, they also move from the top to the lowest grade in the learning institutions. Parents can support them by providing an environment that will make them personally responsible for their actions. They should also provide opportunities that their children will be exploring with exerting minimum control. Parents should also encourage their children and pay attention to their queries and be ready to offer positive feedback.
There is a special concern about largely unregulated aspects of the Internet that make it difficult to monitor the information that children are accessing. If you were at a parent-teacher conference, how would you suggest parents handle this situation?
I would suggest to the parent and teachers that they ensure there are proper communication channels between them and the kids. They should disclose to children the risks that they are likely to experience when using unregulated online materials. In the same way that they prepare their children for the real world, they should also make sure that kids are well prepared for the life that they are likely to be exposed to in the online world. Parents should give honest answers to prevent their children from searching for more unregulated information that is easily assessable online.
Among the factors related to schools and achievement discussed in Chapter16, which one do you think has affected your achievement in school most? Provide specific examples from your life experiences.
One of the factors that affected my achievement most in school is the lack of sustained attention. Students are required to perceive the effort of sustaining high concentration as an essential element of achieving good grades. I was poor when I was needed to maintain attention in class. For instance, I could not concentrate for the whole lesson. I could not persist when the task became complicated. My poor performance in some units as a result of my failure to focus throughout the lesson. I could develop a negative perspective towards a teacher and felt that his or her unit was rather annoying. I ended up performing poorly in some subjects as a result of having low sustainable attention in school.
Encouraging the development of a child is critical for further successful emotional and cognitive progress. For this reason, exploring the unique characteristics of specific stages of a child’s development is critical. By performing an in-depth analysis of the culture-specific needs of an individual, an educator can create innovative teaching strategies that will allow a child to acquire the skills associated with abstract and critical thinking, creativity, and, eventually, independence in learning.
Due to the need to focus on child-educator interactions, it is crucial to develop a rapport based on emotional investment in the communication process, as well as to use a variety of activities that allow students to solve logical dilemmas. Coupled with a cooperative learning approach that assists children in building social skills, the proposed technique is bound to lead to successful development.
Case Description
In the case under analysis, the developmental process of a four-year-old African American girl (Doris) was analyzed. Doris has been developing her speaking skills at a comparatively slow rate, with her vocabulary being quite scarce and her ability to annunciate words being rather poor. Nevertheless, Doris is physically healthy, although she has been unwilling to consume healthy food after having tasted fast food at her friend’s birthday party. Due to the tantrums that Doris often throws when offered healthy food, her mother, Janis, feels increasingly more inclined toward yielding to Doris’s demands.
As far as the girl’s learning skills are concerned, she seems disinterested in anything school-related, including reading, as well as exploring the world around her, in general. Her lack of investment in the process of learning aggravated as her mother presented her with a gadget to keep her daughter busy while she does the chores. Therefore, the current focus has to be on the exploration of strategies for motivating the child to shift toward healthier behaviors and habits, at the same time increasing her engagement in the learning process.
Key Observations
Physical Development
A cooperative learning approach introduced into the frameworks of interactions between a teacher and the child has helped to increase Doris’s willingness to alter her current stance on the concept of healthy eating. The changes in the child’s behavior were very slow due to the evident unwillingness to abandon the eating patterns that have already been established. It was also essential to communicate with the mother of the child in order to redesign the latter’s daily routine.
After a brief parent education session, Janet learned to introduce early morning activities into Doris’s daily routine by using games as the incentive for the process. The proposed technique worked particularly well due to the authority that parents usually have at the identified stage of a child’s development, according to Piaget (Fleer 73). Although Doris tended to rebel at some point, she finally accepted physical activities as an integral part of a game and, thus, integrated them into her life.
Emotional Development
While the promotion of a more direct conversation between a teacher and a child is crucial in Doris’s case, it was the establishment of the emotional rapport that made the greatest difference in changing her current development process. The child still has a significant amount of progress to accomplish, yet her readiness to respond to the encouragement provided by the teacher signals that the correct strategy has been chosen. In order to promote further positive change, the teacher will have to consider using culture-specific tools that will spark positive emotions in the child and lead to a rise in her motivation toward building new communication patterns.
Specifically, it is essential that Doris should develop an appropriate level of understanding of how social transactions work and what social expectations she will have to meet. For instance, it will be necessary t help Doris acquire the ability to empathize with others. In addition, it is critical to ensure that Doris develops emotional self-awareness. Several steps toward the identified change have already been made.
For instance, Doris has been encouraged to denote her emotions whenever she felt a change in her emotional status by saying, “I’m angry” or “I’m sad.” Thus, the child developed the basic self-awareness skills that would allow her to acquire further ability to navigate her emotional landscape and manage her emotions, respectively (Levine and Munsch 102). The observed change is likely to serve as the platform for the child to acquire key social skills that will allow her to communicate with her peers more actively.
Cognitive Development
The problem of cognitive behavior observed in Doris initially can be seen as the effect of the lack of interaction between the parent and the child and the following loss in the latter’s motivation. Furthermore, the introduction of gadgets as the alternative to the activities aimed specifically at cognitive development can be defined as one of the core issues in the child’s progress. At present, it is necessary for the teacher to interact closer with Doris and build emotional engagement in the student in regard to her development, specifically, her cognitive abilities.
Furthermore, cooperation with the mother is critical in improving the child’s vocabulary. It is essential that the mother should employ a more complicated vocabulary when communicating with the child. Avoiding the words built on the principle of onomatopoeia and using vocabulary words, instead, should be regarded as a necessity. For instance, it has been noted that Doris demonstrates signs of apraxia, which is a serious sign of a developmental delay (Bayat 76). Therefore, it is essential to engage in active communication with the child and encourage her to use more complex words by engaging her in the relevant activities (Levine and Munsch 128). Thus, a shift in Doris’s development will be observed.
Analysis
With the incorporation of the teaching practice based on the promotion of engagement in the child and the establishment of trust-based rapport with the learner, further progress became possible. Although initially, Doris displayed rather negative behaviors, the introduction of the proposed approach allowed the teacher to convince the child to accept a different attitude toward the idea of physical fitness. In addition, the cognitive issues that Doris has been facing are currently being addressed.
The case study has indicated that active parent education is required along with the collaboration between a parent and a teacher to ensure that the development of a learner remains consistent. For example, without knowing what techniques should be employed so that Doris could develop proper speaking skills, Janis unintentionally made it possible for Doris to retain the vocabulary based on onomatopoeia, thus slowing down her progress.
In general, the issue of cognitive development needs to be addressed as one of the primary issues to be managed. The child currently lacks parental support and the resources with the help of which she can acquire a new vocabulary and develop proper speaking skills. The identified step will require the continuous collaboration between a parent and a teacher, as well as consistent communication between the teacher and the student. Thus, even in the setting of her home, Doris will be able to continue training the skills needed to communicate successfully and develop the required cognitive skills.
In addition, the development of memory and the associated skills should be regarded as necessary at the specified stage. In accordance with the framework suggested by Piaget, at the age of four, a child requires the activities that will prompt the development of emotional, egocentric, and intuitive intelligence, which will afterward define their ability to perform more complex functions (Fleer 73). Thus, the involvement of the mother and her continuous support will be critical to building the basis for Doris’s further progress.
Conclusion
By establishing a strong emotional rapport with the learner, as well as integrating learner-centered approaches rooted in the understanding of a student’s emotional and cultural needs, a teacher will be able to create the setting in which a child will develop successfully. Due to the current lack of resources for the education of both the learner and her parents, Doris has been experiencing difficulties in adjusting to her social environment and discerning her emotional needs.
The application of the strategies based on games and interactions between a learner and an educator has allowed improving the situation significantly by addressing some of the current developmental issues. Specifically, the concerns associated with the child’s physiological development have been explored and managed. Similarly, the framework for meeting the emotional needs of the learner was created, providing the foundation for success.
Works Cited
Bayat, Mojdeh. Teaching Exceptional Children: Foundations and Best Practices in Inclusive Early Childhood Education Classrooms. Routledge, 2018.
Fleer, Marilyn. Child Development in Educational Settings. Cambridge University Press, 2018.
Levine, Laura E., and Joyce Munsch. Child Development From Infancy to Adolescence: An Active Learning Approach. SAGE Publications, 2018.
The Neo-Vygotskian approach to child development is positive stratagems of education, which are resource-oriented and presents the society with the view of the child as an empowered individual with a will, apparent ability, and unique skills, as opposed to the traditional implication of weaknesses or deviations associable to early childhood development (Karpov, 2005). According to Karpov (2005), the theory emphasizes on the development of knowledge that occurs socially during communication.
Knowledge is what people possess by working together because as people communicate, they are constructing a reality over claims, which is the required or anticipated acquaintance. The Neo-Vygotskian approach over development indicates that children are not in a position to build high mental functions independently; therefore, adults mediate the functions to them during interactive social activities.
1. What are the determinants of the development of toddlers’ ability to perform at the symbolic level?
In the development of children, the adult needs to develop a learning environment with tasks, context, and identifiers. Symbolic level means that the child develops habits that relate to objects. A good example is a reaction by repeating an action to achieve pleasurable results (Flick, 2006).
The key determinants of development at this developmental stage are the coordination between apprehension, vision, and coordination. The toddler can respond with amusement to the interaction with friends and family members. There is a distinction between means and ends.
2. What are the major accomplishments that accompany the successful formation of leading activity in toddlerhood?
Neo-Vygotskian approach observes social situations over development. This has currently changed terms to “leading activity,” which plays a major role during toddlerhood as an essential aspect for successfully forming leading activity (Karpov, 2005).
During this age, there are distinct but interconnected types of regular plays such as the social-dramatic plays by the leader, a play based on the social setting, play at the quantitative level of development as well as the rule-based play. All the types of plays provide a social transformation of the child for actual fundamental development.
These social aspects of development mean a continual change over the toddlers’ activities. During the stages of development, the identification of the initial activity precedes other corresponding progress to establish the most important formations. Toddler’s development and learning involve mental development mediated by adults through interaction.
Concrete operations associable to this stage include serialization or the ability to sort out things in terms of sizes or shape. Transitivity involves the ability to characterize elements in serial order. The classification of objects requires the ability to identify various objects depending on their shapes, appearance or size.
Decentralizing entails the ability to pick up various aspects of a task to solve it. Lastly, reversibility is the ability to understand and practice some aspects of solving a problem. This means that successful formation of leading activity in toddlerhood requires consciousness, cognitive and conceptual intelligence.
3. What are the negative consequences of failure in leading activities formation in toddlerhood?
Development does not progress smoothly due to various unpredicted gaps. Considering the general domain of knowledge acquisition, psychological ideas, as well as modularity of the mind, emphasizes leading activities in toddlers. The human mental development is not a behavioral development program with a basis on biological revolution.
The behaviors depend on the chronological evolution or the progress of the historical events. Lack of leading activities in toddlerhood takes different forms at personal levels. There are various common psychological and social consequences, but they highly depend on the cultural setting. The consequences include shyness, incompetency, immaturity, lowered self-confidence, dependence, withdrawal, fear and isolation.
References
Flick, U. (2006) An introduction to qualitative research. Sage Publication.
Karpov, J. (2005). The Neo-Vygotskian Approach to Child Development. Cambridge University Press.
At Villamar Child Development Center, we believe that nothing is more important than educating our young children. The mission of the center is to offer a child-focused educational system in a safe, secure, serene, and friendly environment that prepares the children for after preschool endeavors and that endears them to the learning process and society as a whole. The center’s vision is to provide high-quality preschool education based on an emergent curriculum. The teachers create developmentally appropriate plans that are responsive to the needs, abilities, and interests of children.
Goals of a pre-school program
Like any other quality preschool program, Villamar has goals for its preschool program. The purpose of these goals is to ensure our teachers use set methodologies to teach children about matters that are of particular importance to them. Though these goals are often universal, the center has set aside goals that are unique to our environment (Yurt & Cevher-Kalburan, 2011). These goals include:
Goal one: develop social and interpersonal skills. The major role of our preschool is to ensure the children are able to get along with their peers and other adults. The center also ensures there is a great teacher-student relationship which is essentially important for the promotion of learning. Our preschool program teaches children how to follow class rules, which is an important step in the growth of a child (CSEFEL, 2017).
Goal two: develop self-help skills. The teachers work with the children to teach them how to accomplish tasks such as tying, zipping, and buttoning their clothes (Yurt & Cevher-Kalburan, 2011). The children are also taught basic skills such as how to use a napkin and how to serve themselves. Daily toothbrushing and naps are also offered to the children in order to help them learn health skills.
Goal three: learning how to learn. Learning how to learn entails ensuring the children have essential and sufficient knowledge about themselves and their families (Yildirim, 2010). It also involves the children developing a sense of self-worth and understanding basic skills such as turn-taking during conversations. These skills lead to the more confident and well-developed learner.
Goal four: develop language and literacy skills (Black, 1985). Literacy is best promoted through teacher guidance in ensuring learners acquire oral language skills, are able to read and write, and develop a language vocabulary. Through daily conversations with the teachers and basic teacher-assisted literacy and language tasks, the children are able to identify and use the letters of the alphabet to come up with words and simple sentences.
Goal five: character development. This is made possible through assigning tasks to the children. These tasks are meant to foster their persistence and ensure cooperation, honesty, and trust (Yurt & Cevher-Kalburan, 2011). This is important because it ensures the school produces a holistic individual who can fit in the dynamic and ever-changing world.
Goal six: promote wellness and healthy living. Our preschool program is able to do this through role-modeling good nutritional practices, outdoor learning experiences, and sports-related activities. These various activities are critical for the development of children.
Goal seven: develop music and art appreciation. For art, it is made possible through a wide range of activities from a simple crayon drawing to painting with oil paints on canvas. For music, the classes sing songs, listen to music, and perform simple plays that expand their thinking. In addition, they take field trips to museums, plays, and concerts.
Policies and procedures
Our preschool program has specific policies that guide and govern how it is run. These policies are in adherence to both the human and educational rights of children, their parents, and the center’s employees (Yildirim, 2010).
Health, safety, and nutrition
The center policy advocates for a healthy diet for children, this is essential for their growth and development. The center has enrolled the Child and Adult Food Program (2017) which helps us keep tuition rates reasonable as well as ensure we can provide healthy and nutritious meals and snacks. Below is a sample of our center’s menu:
The nutritious contents of these meals allow children to remain active throughout the day and keep them healthy. Please note that as part of our goal to promote wellness and healthy living all children and staff are required to wash their hands prior to meal service and children brush their teeth after eating. The hygiene rules that our center encourages help children to stay healthy and safe from diseases.
It is also important for parents to inform the center if their child has allergies. We will modify meals as needed to accommodate your child’s needs. The center will require a note from your pediatrician outlining the guidelines for your child’s allergy (Yurt & Cevher-Kalburan, 2011). All temporary restrictions should be reported as well. Please remember that the health of the children is the primary responsibility of both parents and staff. By providing necessary information about dietary restrictions, parents help the center to create the best environment for all attending children.
All food has to be eaten at the center during meal breaks. It is important to introduce children to new products and foods at this stage of development. Therefore, the center’s menu changes regularly. However, all means adhere to the standards of the state’s nutrition guidelines. The center’s policy is to provide meals that are healthy, nutritional, and diverse. Moreover, all foods must be seasonal and fresh.
The center realizes that mealtime has to be not only nutritional but also educational. That is why the staff encourages children to learn proper table etiquette. Parents can participate in teaching children healthy nutrition practices and etiquette as well by joining them for meals at home. Moreover, parents can strengthen the healthy habits of their children by repeating the same behavior at home.
Please note that children should not bring unhealthy and allergy-inducing foods to the center in order to avoid health-related problems. The health of all children should remain a priority for the center and its attendants. If you have any concerns or questions about the contents of the menu, please refer to the center’s supervisors.
There are several health and safety procedures that have to be undertaken in the center. In the event of a fire, all the children will be directed out of the building using the closest fire exit and parents will be called. The center has an alarm system that notifies the staff and children in such emergencies. Additionally, we have fire extinguishers at specific locations. Staff is trained to use the extinguishers to clear a path to safely exit the building. When there are harsh weather conditions parents are advised to monitor the local news, our center will close if the local schools close due to the weather. If there are any reports of contagious illnesses in the center we will follow the recommendations put forth by the American Academy of Pediatrics (2011).
Enrollment, attendance, tuition, and fees
The center believes that all children have equal chances to acquire education. We do not discriminate against any individual on the basis of race, sex, ethnicity, nationality, or disability. In the event an individual perceives to have been discriminated, they are advised to report to the center director for further action.
Our center’s policy is that it only enrolls children who are 3 years old and completely toilet trained. Parents are required to provide a copy of their child’s birth certificate upon admission. Failure to provide necessary documentation may delay the admission of the child.
It is important to note that the center follows a three-hour program that takes place every day from Monday to Friday (Black, 1985). After the class time which ends at noon, the center policy states that time is set aside for meetings and training, and home visits. These programs are essential for the development of children enrolled in our program.
The center has an open-door policy for the parents of attending children. You are welcome to get involved in every part of the program. The development of children can be positively influenced by the active participation of their parents. Thus, we believe that you can make a big difference in your children’s lives and guide their achievements forward. The mission and vision of the center correlate to this statement and encourage continuous improvement.
Children follow a set schedule of activities during their time at the center. It is vital for parents to remember the time on which the schedule ends in order to pick up the children at the right time. Unless established otherwise, both parents have the right to pick up their child. If you know that you will not be able to pick up your child on time, you must notify the staff or late pick-up fees will be applied. Otherwise, please contact the center to inform the workers about the person picking up your child. It is helpful for the staff to have a list of emergency contacts on hand to ensure that the child leaves with a trustworthy person at the appropriate time.
Tuition rates are discussed prior to enrollment along with the establishment of payment dates, which usually are placed at the beginning of each month. Fees are non-refundable. Please note that such events as a child’s illness and family vacations cannot become a reason for a refund as the charges are not based on attendance but enrollment. The fees for childcare allow the center to provide children with the best equipment and products. If you want to inquire about any additional information about tuition and fees, please do not hesitate to contact the center.
Curriculum and daily activities
Our center’s policy is ensuring that we have qualified personnel working with your children. Therefore, our policy clearly stipulates that the program administrator is in charge of the supervision of the center. The policy also stipulates the director has to meet the qualifications set aside in the preschool program standards. Teachers are a major stakeholder in the running of our preschool program. Therefore, the center has taken the responsibility of employing teachers who fit the state set standards and are also proven success stories (Yildirim, 2010). These teachers are assisted by well-qualified teacher assistants.
NAEYC (2017) states that “young children learn best through direct sensory encounters and not through a formal academic process.” Our policy is providing children hands-on learning experiences and opportunities to explore nature. Our preschool curriculum is well planned, developmentally appropriate, stimulating, and culturally responsive. We have developed a comprehensive approach to support kindergarten readiness.
The policy of our preschool program is to purposefully assess children in order to measure their development. These policies have to be SMART. That is specific, measurable, accurate, reliable, and time-conscious. Upon establishing the outcomes of the children’s results the preschool teachers plan for experiences that will foster improvement. The preschool teachers track assessment results throughout the year to monitor progress (Yildirim, 2010). The methods the center has set aside to use for the assessment of the learners include a creative curriculum that analyzes all aspects of development, according to their ages and the stages of learning and how they respond to environmental conditions set forth for them.
The center’s discipline policy is geared towards positive guidance and uses redirection techniques. In the event a child exhibits extreme behaviors, we will schedule a conference to discuss a course of action. Note that the center does not engage in any form of corporal punishment. No form of harsh speaking to the children, spanking, pinching, or grabbing of children is acceptable (Yurt & Cevher-Kalburan, 2011). The children are also not to be denied basic necessities such as food as part of the punishment for the wrongs they do in the center.
Our preschool program takes a proactive approach to the development of positive character development. The approach is set by the administration and utilized by the staff. The center staff is aware of the role they play in encouraging positive behavior among the children. Both the teaching and the non–teaching staff play a critical role in the shaping of behavior by acting as good role models to the children. Through positive strategies the procedures are able to guide behavior by redirecting children’s behavior, giving encouragement to the children, acting as role models, and communicating at the child’s level.
The preschool program also ensures that the staff is attentive to the environment and structure of the program this is specifically important in encouraging positive behavior among the children. The program also creates awareness of the program rules and expectations (Yurt & Cevher-Kalburan, 2011). The teachers are responsible for implementing the program’s discipline policy in the classroom. It is important to note that in the case a child’s behavior is not redirectable or they become extremely aggressive, they will be removed from the class until they are able to control their behavior (Yildirim, 2010). Once the child is able they are returned to the class. The behavior is discussed with parents when they pick up their child at the end of the day.
The set schedule for attending children includes three meal breaks and a three-hour activity program. The program ends at noon. Rest times are provided in between different activities. Furthermore, children have time to wash their hands prior to and brush their teeth after mealtimes. Children attend the center every day from Monday to Friday. The schedule is subject to change because of special projects.
The main activities are a balanced combination of learning and playing. Learning opportunities for children are aimed at developing adequate literacy and language, self-help, and social skills. Moreover, such activities as drawing and painting are included in the curriculum to foster creativity and self-expression. The children are expected to perform group activities as well as individuals tasks during the day. As the program progresses throughout the year, children begin to learn new topics and understand more about the surrounding world.
The devised curriculum supports the diverse interests of the attending children and encourages learning of different aspects of their cultures. One’s distinguished identity plays a significant role in the learning experience of the entire group.
Regular participation in field trips to museums and plays is a part of the center’s program as well. During these activities, children learn how to behave in public places and study the world around them. The plans for field trips will be available to parents in advance. The staff accompanying children will always be in touch with the center and parents.
On a monthly basis, the center invites the enrolled families to the center to attend learning events, plays, concerts, and other special events. Inviting the parents into the center gives them the opportunity to assess whether their funds have been put to good use (Yurt & Cevher-Kalburan, 2011). Additionally, the preschool program plans field trips, and we encourage parents to attend as chaperones in these special learning opportunities.
Family and community involvement
As an institution, we strive to ensure that parents are involved in the day-to-day running of our center. We see parents as partners in the learning environment and we offer many ways for parents to be involved in their child’s preschool experience. It is essential to engage children in the learning process. Some children find it difficult while transitioning from one level to another in a learning environment (Weist, Lever, Bradshaw, & Owens, 2014). Several procedures have been put in place to attract teachers into the preschool environment. For instance, the preschool ensures that all teachers prepare short biographies about themselves (Yurt & Cevher-Kalburan, 2011). These biographies go a long way in ensuring that parents are able to personally know the teacher who is in charge of their children. The sharing of our teacher’s interests with the parents enables them to lessen the anxiety when the parents are interacting with the teachers.
Another method we utilize to encourage our parents to participate in the running of the school is questionnaires. These questionnaires offer valuable information to the teachers about the children in their care. The completion of questionnaires is particularly important when new children enroll in our program. The preschool program ensures that the teachers prepare a daily dialogue book. This book is specifically meant to give parents information on their children’s day. The dialogue book is utilized by both the parent and the teacher providing for two-way communication.
References
American Academy of Pediatrics. (2011). Caring for our children: National health and safety performance standards; guidelines for early care and education programs (3rd ed.). Aurora, CO: National Resource Center for Health and Safety in Child Care and Early Education.
Black, T. (1985). Budget and program planning in early education programs. Topics in Early Childhood Special Education, 5(1), 53-62.
Child and adult care food program (CACFP). (2017). Web.
Weist, M. D., Lever, N. A., Bradshaw, C. P., & Owens, J. S. (Eds.). (2014). Handbook of school mental health: Research, training, practice, and policy (2nd ed.). Boston, MA: Springer US.
Yildirim, A. (2010). Creativity in early childhood education program. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 9, 1561-1565.
Yurt, Ö., & Cevher-Kalburan, N. (2011). Early childhood teachers’ thoughts and practices about the use of computers in early childhood education. Procedia Computer Science, 3, 1562-1570.
“Human exceptionality: School, community and family” by M. Hardman et al.
Exceptionalities and Family
In this chapter, Hardman et al. (2010) study how families can get to deal with people with exceptionalities. In most cases, these children are usually ahead of the rest in terms of learning and understanding things related to their exceptionalities. In this regard, Hardman et al. (2010) recommend that families should create a viable environment rather for the growth of child exceptionality than for discouraging these individuals.
An initiative like meeting a guidance counselor or other professionals may help to create a more comfortable environment for the student as well as open new doors into thinking realms. Studies have it indicate that it can also allow for further understanding of their skills and how they can progress in what they do.
In essence, the teaching process of such students is bound to be more varied as compared to the regular education of other students. In some instances, this may lead to problems with the family members, especially if teaching or learning processes involve special treatment by the others. Hardman et al. (2010) say that families should learn to accommodate such issues and view it positevly.
Learning Disabilities and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a condition that has been increasing dramatically over the last few decades. Because of this dramatic increase, some see ADHD as a current epidemic. However, the symptoms of the disorder were noticed first in the likes of Heinrich Hoffman in the 19th century.
As for today, ADHD is the most commonly diagnosed childhood psychiatric disorder in America and other continues. It is exponentially growing affecting millions of people.
Generally speaking, the cause of ADHD is unknown but to discover it, research indicates two areas of study which are biological (including genetics and neuroanatomy) and neuropsychological. Nonetheless, Hardman et al. (2010) opine that ADHD is mostly caused by the lack of opportunities to express oneself in attention-oriented games in the field as was the case in the ancient times.
Hardman and his fellow scholars also look at our overall culture including diet and nutrition; family structure and lifestyle; change in lifestyle of children; modifications in the education system; and childhood abuse and trauma as all the possible factors for increase in the diagnoses of ADHD.
In many ways, ADHD affects the manner in which we socialize, communicate or express ourselves. It is based on these reasons that Hardman et al. (2010) find it responsible for the increased level of learning disabilities across the world. For many reasons, diagnosing ADHD is a complicated process. This is in part due to the fact that the direct cause of ADHD is unknown.
Studies, however, suggest that the best way of diagnosing the disease is through an interview. In this interview, the doctor asked the child or his/her parent about a variety of risk factors related to genetics, birth complications, family relationships, anxiety, and environmental conditions, such as exposure to certain toxins. If detected, it is important that relevant measures are taken immediately. It is only by doing so the learning disabilities caused by ADHD will be reduced.
Emotional/Behavior Disorders
According to Hardman et al. (2010), diagnosing and treating emotional or behavior disorders can be quite tricky based on the fact that the outward symptoms used to identify them are often attributed to other diseases. However, experts in the theoretical and practical studies of behavior, cognitive and emotional theories can easily identify these disorders and recommend great treatments. According to this reason, making periodic checks to doctors, therapists and counselors is often considered important even if one does not actually suffer from any emotional or behavioral disorder.
In this chapter, Hardman et al. (2010), through various reports and arguments, seek to give a comprehensive analysis of these disorders to create an understanding of the behavior of people who suffer from these disorders, highlighting their plights and measures that can be made to help them.
As per the reports in the chapter, Hardman et al. (2010) assert that even though emotional/behavior disorders are common among the youth and adults; small children and old people can also develop these conditions. Depending on the emotional/behavior disorder one has, Hardman et al (2010) recommend to seek help from professionals.
Intellectual and Development Disabilities
In discussing the articulations of Hardman et al (2010) on this chapter, I am reminded of an 18 year old girl whose performance and learning ability was dismal in spite of her hard work in her studies. After an assessment by some doctors, it was suggested that her “low” intellect in class was caused by mistreatment of her guardians at a tender age when she had failed which resulted in trauma. So, every time, she was in class doing her exams, she kept on remembering that bad experience thus not concentrating on the task. As a recommended way of treatment, she sought solace in canvas and brush because she loved drawing.
Her paintings were used as method of emotional ventilation of the bad things, while expressing her appreciation and thankfulness for the good things in her life. Soon, the negative feelings harbored in her head were gone, and she started performing well at school. This is more-or-less similar to the recommendations in this chapter by Hardman et al. (2010) who say that a majority of intellectual and developmental disabilities can be solved by finding ways of revealing emotions or feelings. This way, our conscience sets free from the negative stuff, thus creating room for positive feelings that often encourage productivity and good results.
Communication Disorders
According to Hardman et al. (2010), when and if a student is experiencing communication problems, he or she is not able to articulate ideas or express himself/herself in an effective way. As a result, this robs them of their confidence and, if not sorted out, it can lead to other negative feelings like self-hate, lack of self-worth and worthlessness which, in turn, can result in a myriad of many other problems. When you have discovered that you have communication, try to get to the bottom of the disorder by seeking for professional help. This is because some communication difficulties represent large problems in the neurological system which may need urgent solutions.
If you are a friend to someone with such a disorder, Hardman et al (20100 say that comforting the individual by helping one look past their disorder and focus on one’s strengths can be of great help especially if the communication disorders are a result of solvable issues, such as fear of crowds.
Autism Spectrum Disorders
In essence, autism is a neurological condition that influences people’s communication and mode of expression. In most instances, this ability to communicate and interact with people is hampered by repetitive and restricted behavior. Once this happens, the individual is not able to behave effectively as it is required or expected of them.
As emphasized by Hardman et al. (2010) in this chapter, people suffering from autism need a lot of attention, care, patience and understanding from family members and caregivers since autism poses several challenges.
According to Hardman et al (2010), there has been great progress made by researchers in regard to autism and how both the victims and people around them can handle it. Nonetheless, more researches are still required, especially since the exact causes and modes of treating the condition are still under debate by various scholars and a consensus is yet to be reached.
Severe and Multiple Disabilities
When talking of severe disability, Hardman et al. (2010) simply refer to those disorders which, if not treated, can lead to great health ramifications or even death. On the other hand, multiple disabilities refer to instances when one is suffering from any given combination of disabilities. As a general rule, the more disabilities you have, the more damages they tend to cause, thus increasing the likelihood of worse health consequences. In some instances, multiple disabilities result form one or several disabilities.
If one is suffering from multiple disabilities, the best way to get healing is by treating each disability individually. However, according to Hardman et al. (2010), this should be done under the guidance of doctors or other relevant professionals just in the same way treatment of severe diseases should be done cautiously. The sooner you seek for professional help for severe and multiple disabilities; the better it is for you in terms of getting treated and avoiding eminent consequences like paralysis or even death.
Sensory Impairments: Hearing and Vision Loss
Usually when we talk of senses, reference is normally made to the senses of touch (by the hand), taste (by the mouth), smell (by the nose), sight (by the eyes) and hearing (by the ears).
In most cases, all these senses work side-by-side. It is based on the same principle of working together that most sensory impairments related to hearing and vision loss are usually connected to one another. In such instances, solving one sensory problem usually paves way for the solving of the other.
However, in times when the hearing and vision loss sensory impairments are caused by different things, Hardman et al. (2010) recommend that you seek for help from doctors with specialization in your particular problem, for example, getting an optician to check your eyes and not your ears which is, probably, an earia where he/she knows nothing.
Often, people who have hearing and sight problems are very sensitive to their environment. When teaching such students, it is recommended that the instructor keenly tailors the learning environment to meet the needs and wants of the special needs students.
Physical Disabilities, Health Disorders, and Traumatic Brain Injury
In this chapter, Hardman et al. (2010) talk about the above medical conditions that affect humans variably. Physical disabilities include blindness, deafness, or being crippled. On the other hand, health disorders refer to any disorders that are related to one’s health.
Finally, traumatic brain injury refers to a serious injury in the head which, probably, has resulted in some neurological damage. All these conditions are caused and treated differently. The only instance that they can occur together is in a serious accident. If one suffers any or a combination of the above, ensure that he/she seeks for medical help.
“Social and emotional development of gifted children: What do we know?” by Thurston et al.
Social and emotional issues for exceptionally intellectually gifted students
In this chapter, Thurston et al. (2010) simply talk of finding a way of tapping into the social and emotional endeavors of exceptional intellectuals in order to make them sharper. As an example, Thurston et al (2010) recommend that learning endeavors can be creatively incorporated in social endeavors such as games.
Since humans are said to be emotional beings, incorporating the learning endeavors into things like games will focus on better understanding and more willingness to participate in the venture. For instance, you can encourage mastery of words through a social and emotionally involving game like scrabble.
Perfectionism in gifted children and adolescents
In this section, several issues are discussed in relation to the ability of gifted children to do extraordinary things. However, Thurston et al. (2010) observe that, despite their gifted nature; these talented individuals are merely human beings like other people. In the bid to encourage good performance and use of their skills, teachers, parents and other opinion leaders should, therefore, not push them much and try to force perfection out of them. As a matter of fact, even the geniuses of this world have their flaws. The efforts to get the best out of the talented students or adolescents should thus be channeled in a balanced and healthy way.
Gifted Children and Depression
Depression is simply a state where a person has low moods and mostly negative thoughts, feelings and behavior. Most people become depressed at times, and gifted children are no exception. In many instances, simple rest or a couple of professionally prescribed medicine can help in reducing depression.
However, there are some gifted children who, due to one reason or another, become intensely depressed.
In severe cases of depression in gifted children, the individuals are unable to perform regular functions, they easily lose concentration and appear unable of sound judgment, especially if the giftedness is reduced. For such people, psychotherapy is highly recommended by Thurston et al. (2010).
While doctors offer instant treatment, the chances are pretty high that the person’s depression will recur in future. However, with psychotherapy, the treatment usually results in the patient having positive thought, attitude, and generally a positive outlook on life.
Patients who have successfully gone through psychotherapy have the highest chances of improving their lives, and the lowest chances of depression to recur. There are other treatment methods, like deep brain stimulation and exercise in the form of yoga. However, they are not as effective as the above two.
Delinquency and Gifted children
In regards to delinquency and gifted children, there are two broad categories (Thurston et al., 2010). In the first group, there are the super-smart and gifted children who are aware of the consequences of ill action. As a result, they shy away from these destructive agendas. However, there is the flip-side which involves those who engage in delinquent activities because of issues like peer pressure or simply because they can do it thus want to feel the thrill of going against the law.
A very common concern for gifted children in the destructive activities is that of school dropout. Once a patern or guardian starts noticing that his/her homework is not prepared, low or failing grades and other delinquent activities, he/she should offer help to a child immediately. This is because waiting can make the situation worse.
As a parent, teacher, relative, brother or even a friend, it may be frustrating at times to understand what is going on in child’s head when his/her behavior abruptly changes. However, creating an open communication forum can hugely assist in solving this. Regular communication with school teachers, parents, and other opinion leaders in the society can also help monitor the activities of a child, thus knowing whether or not some help is required.
Gifted Students Who Are Gay, Lesbian or Bisexual
In this chapter, Thurston et al. (2010) delve deeply into the parenting experience where parents learn that their children (adolescents) are gay or lesbian. The study majorly focuses on exploring parents’ or guardians’ discovery of gay tendencies in their adolescents, the psychosocial effect it has on them, and how they deal with the discoveries as well as its effects.
On the parents’ side, Thurston et al. (2010) note that feelings of shame, loss, guilt, cognitive and emotional dissonance are some of the major forces that have, so far, been reported to regulate the lives of parents in regard to the discovery as they embracethe gay or lesbian lifestyle exhibited by their gifted children
Remarkably, Thurston et al. (2010) state that irrespective of whether they are talented or not, issues, such as gayness, should be handled based on one’s own principles regarding the same.
Racial Identity among Gifted African American Students
According to Thurston et al. (2010), giftedness usually occurs in an individual irrespective whether one is black, white or any other cultural orientation. Essentially, this is the reason people from various parts of the world are talented in various issues. As a matter of fact, Thurston et al. (2010) recommend that there should be a combined effort in the endeavors of gifted people. By doing so, overall efficacy and multicultural learning will take place across the world.
Gifted Students with Learning Disabilities
On special occasions, we find gifted students with learning disabilities. For such, great care should be given to such students. In order to do so, Thurston et al. (2010) say that child’s guardians or parents play a major role in scrutinizing and evaluating his/her learning activities. The Special Education teacher is of key importance among these caregivers. This teacher will be with a child for most parts of the day. She/he will impart knowledge, instill values and motivate, when necessary. It, therefore, goes without saying that this individual should possess genuine qualities that allow him/her to perform his/her duty. Such qualities would include compassion, passion, organization skills, patience as well as intelligence.
Models and strategies for counseling
Here, Thurston et al. (2010) emphasize that endeavors, such as counseling, can greatly help in improving child’s talent and skills. One positive strategy to help improve the exceptionalities in such individuals is by giving extra work or studies that can help sharpen their skills. Also, they can take sessions with their guidance counselors to talk and advise them on best career choices that will suit them most or assist in improving their exceptional skills.
“The child who never grew” by Buck
What would you do if one of your children or a member of the family cannot communicate or socially interact, or if he/she is hyperactive and hardly pays attention to anything? Would you be scared and distance yourself or would you stil be a caring and loving parent, friend, brother or relative to the child? Having such a person in the family is quite challenging. It is based on the difficulty in handling such people that Buck gives several points and important considerations that can help people cope with the difficulties associated with these children. Some of these important issues are summarized below.
To begin with, Buck (1992) states that special needs child means that a child is either mentally or physically challenged, has learning disabilities, behavioral issues or even development disorders. Therefore, when it comes to his/her education and general home care, extra caution has to be taken by a parent/guardian.
The people in charge of caring for special needs children should also be intelligent because, in as much as these children are mentally or physically challenged, it does not mean that just any teacher would manage it. If anything, these teachers and caretakers have twice the workload that his counterpart in General Education has. The caretaker, teacher or guardian should, therefore, not just be knowledgeable in dealing with such children, but he/she should also learn about the best ways of effectively communicating with the special needs children.
Moreover, recent studies indicate that approximately half of all students who are identified with learning disabilities are now educated in the regular education classroom. Although these numbers suggest that the battle is nearly halfway won, there are still 50% of children with disabilities who are currently not included in the regular classroom environment. Since the No Child Left behind Act of 2001 mandated that all the students should master the general education curriculum, participate in standardized assessments, inclusion programs have become greatly adopted across the world. Buck says that giving your child a chance of interacting with others through such programs would also be a great way of encouraging the growth and development of that child.
After everything has been said and done, raising a special needs child comes with something Buck (1992) terms as “the inescapable sorrow”. We, therefore, have to be willing to take the extra step required for these children despite the challenges and difficulties that we may face. As a matter of fact, dealing with special needs children is harder when you take the responsibility for them. The world is full of individuals, groups of people and organizations that are ready to help, if they are asked to.
So, the next time one needs help, Buck (1992) says that all one has to do is just ask. By doing so, a parent/guardian will not only lighten his/her burden by sharing it with the others but also guarantee that his/her child gets to interact with other people; something which is very elemental if the child is to grow and develop healthily as required.
“Refrigerator Mothers” video
Essentially, the “Refrigerator Mothers” video is an emotional and highly-moving presentation of several mothers (parents) and how they get to deal with the discovery that their children were suffering from Autism. Even more importantly, the video gives an insight into the plight of autistic individuals including: how to know whether your child is autistic, the challenges these individuals face and some of the methods that parents or relatives of autistic people can use to ensure that people suffering from thsi condition fruitfully and enjoyably live their lives in spite of the many challenges.
From the video, the following useful information comes up. To begin with, autism is a neurological disorder that can be caused by several issues. Some of the causes include lack of attention for the children during birth, some mental or brain diseases that affect the individual’s neurological system, and some psycho-physical factors, among many other reasons. Before 1970, there was a “misplaced” perception propagated by Bruno Bettelheim that autism was solely caused by lack of attention by parents. This made most of the refrigerator mothers blame themselves greatly; that was something that worsened the situation for the parents as well as the autistic individuals. However, with time, new information and researches came up regarding the causes of autism, thus changing the perception by these parents.
Whenever one suspects that his/her child presents autistic tendencies, it is extremely important to seek for professional help. The sooner it is confirmed whether the suspicions are true or not, the better and easier it will be in dealing with the issue. If a person finds that his/her child, friend or even relative is autistic, it is expected that one somehow feels shocked or even surprised. However, an individual must remember that nobody chooses to be autistic; it just happens. Based on this reason, it is necessary to learn to accept the news as they are.
As was stated by several parents from the video, autistic people are just individuals like us. The only difference is that they express themselves differently, have their own logical way of doing and interpreting different things, and they get to do things differently (sometimes better or worse than we do). So, instead of shunning them away or isolating ourselves from them; we should strive to learn the things they are trying to say, their manner of communication and ways of expression — just in the same way we would do when we meet someone from a different culture.
Undeniably, it is tedious to learn and sometimes get to do repetitive things for/with the autistic children. However, the joy that comes with the feeling that you are doing something caring and loving for someone is worth every effort put into interaction with the autistic people. And just in the same way, as we get to try again and again to achieve our goals, it is advisable to do the same with these individuals. It takes a lot of heart, but giving up is never an option.
Based on studies done by several scholars, there is no treatment for this neurological condition. However, there are some essential issues, protocols and endeavors which, if followed, help in communicating and bettering your relationship with autistic individuals. Often, people with the autism condition tend to suffer from depression — especially if they are scolded or punished for mistakes that they cannot control. In such instances, getting professionally prescribed medicine for depression helps a lot.
The use of reading, visual and hearing aids, like the ones shown at the beginning of the refrigerator mothers video, are also a great way of sustaining communication with the autistic people. It has also been observed that repetition is a great tool for building and sustaining communication with neurological disorders. By routinely repeating certain activities or even expressions, a lot of learning and mastery usually take place.
However, the best option, which was in fact emphatically encouraged by most refrigerator mothers, is treating the autistic individuals with a lot of care, compassion, and love. Often, these individuals go into psychotic breaks that make them destructive, noisy and stubborn. In such instances, parentd should be very understanding and tolerant.
The process of learning from autistic individuals is a lifelong commitment that calls for a lot of dedication and keenness. This is because something you learn from these individuals, even in 10 minutes, is enough to change the entire outfit of communication by making you understand them in a better way. Furthermore, there are different levels of autism, and sometimes, it can go from bad to worse. Being around them will thus enable you to learn and know what to do in such instances. This, however, is not to say that they should be guarded and monitored 24 hours a day since a good number of them are able to survive on their own while engaging in their own endeavors.
Finally, parents and guardians can opt for special schools and centers — especially if they are usually busy at work or do something that does not allow them to give much attention to the autistic individual. However, do not use this an excuse for spending less time with them because love, care and concern mean a lot to these individuals.
In this article, Sachs and Schreuer (2011) observe that there have been significant changes in terms of the curriculum that is provided for students with exceptionalities. The changes widely encompass the change in the environment by which they will receive instruction. Furthermore, they state that there are differing views regarding the full inclusion of students with disabilities with regular or general education classes. There is currently no final consortium when it comes to the best practices in terms of securing the best curriculum for children with special needs. This is essentially the reason Sachs and Schreuer (2011) propose that more research should be done on this issue and a consensus should be arrived upon.
As a wayout, Sachs and Schreuer (2011) recommend that there should be development of programs or provision for students with special needs that enable them to safely interact with other normal students. Through such initiatives, the individuals with exceptionalities will be able to better their communication, forge useful friendships and gain many other skills that are needed to develop not just as students, but also as individuals. This is in contrast to the opinion by most scholars that these individuals should be isolated from the community.
According to these two scholars, such “backward’ opinions as isolation worsen the lives of individuals with exceptionalities instead of helping them and making them better individuals.
Finally, these scholars observe that a good number of recent studies recommended that disadvantaged students, who constantly interact with and are instructed by effective teachers, are slowly able to catch up with their advantaged peers. This is, probably, the reason many learning institutions have made amendments, such as staffing each school with a good number of special education teachers in order to address these disparities. As schools and states aim to improve their academic results, students with disabilities become the center of their focus. In this regard, a critical assessment and consideration of the learning, growth and development of individuals with exceptionalities are to be done appropriately.
Krahe, B., & Altwasser, C. (2006). Changing negative attitudes towards persons with physical disabilities: an experimental intervention. Journal of Community & Applied Social Psychology, 16: 59-69.
According to Krahe & Altwasser (2006), many researchers have often attempted to look at the intricacies of individuals with disabilities and exceptionalities. However, most of them have only managed to present theories without details in the necessary practical and workable aspects of focusing on positive change. As it is known to most people, the main purpose of learning an individual is the acquisition of basic skills, values, and attitudes necessary for life through the development of intellectual domains of motor, cognitive, social, communication and adaptive behaviors. However, learners experiencing learning difficulties are faced with a number of challenges acting as impediments in achieving this objective.
As per the studies and reports represented by Krahe & Altwasser (2006), efficiency in the learning process is usually hindered by many reasons — with one of the main reasons being the negative attitude towards individuals with exceptionalities. Wth this dire need in mind, the paper presents some home and classroom-based adaptive measures which can be used by people at home to change the negative attitudes.
As for the state on 2001, it was approximated that in Germany alone, 4.5 million people suffered from various disabilities. If the gap between these people and the rest were to be bridged, the two scholars opine that the government would be expected to directly address the educational needs of each. As an example, they say that direct legislations and policies need to be put in place to transform the negative perceptions.
Also, people who look down on the individuals with exceptionalities should be fittingly punished. By doing so, there will be a reduction in the negative way in which most people view the disabled or individuals with exceptionalities.
Milsom, A. (2006). Creating positive school experiences for students with disabilities. Professional School Counseling Journal, 10 (1), 66-72.
In this article, Milsom (2006) compels education leaders — especially school administrators — to design a system of accountability in which the experiences of special students can be regularly assessed. According to Milsom (2006), most studies indicate that the behavioral attitudes of most students and school personnel tend to be negative. As a result, the overall experience appears to be not very good, thus necessitating the placement of relevant measures to address these experiences
In this regard, Milsom (2006) observes that one of the major concerns for any educational reform is the possibility that schools will employ superficial changes in terms of the content, objectives, and structures of the requirements, instead of implementing an internal change, wherein culture, role behavior, and instruction are properly aligned with legislation. This heightens the need to have provisions for evaluating the impact of the implemented programs — especially those that are directly focused on increasing student achievement.
In addition, the article stipulates that there is need to make sure that the rules, regulations and changes set down in regard to the experiences of the students contribute appropriately to the goal of bridging the gap between special and non-special student groups.
As a matter of fact, evidence compounded from various scholarly quarters indicates that good experiences encourage good performance of individuals in schools or even at work. It is, therefore, important that relevant measures are put in place to ensure students with exceptionalities, as well as the rest, enjoy positive learning or working experiences.
Brown, S.W., Renzulli, J.S., Gubbins, E.J. Siegle, D., Zhang, W. and Chen, C. (2005). Assumptions underlying the identification of gifted and talented students. Gifted Child Quarterly, 49 (1), 68-78.
In essence, this article by Brown et al. (2005) seeks to highlight some of the assumptions and misconceptions about gifted and talented students. By doing so, the readers will be able to know the truth about such students and how to deal with them. To begin with, the assumption that all gifted students have gifted parents or all gifted parents have gifted children was ruled out as false. Although a good number of studies have indicated that most gifted students had gifted parents, and vice versa, there are many gifted children who do not have gifted parents, just in the same way, there are talented parents who have ordinary children.
Based on their studies, Brown et al. (2005) establish that being gifted comes as a result of several factors including (but not limited to): the learning environment, genetics of an individual and a myriad of psycho-physical factors. Other factors ,such as the general education curriculum in a place and the ability of teachers or tutors that surround an individual, also contribute greatly to giftedness.
Brown et al. (2005) also remark that whereas it is commendable to require highly qualified teachers and special schools for the talented and exceptional students; doing so is not mandatory. This viewpoint is in contrast to the common assumption or belief that gifted students can only be taught or educated by teachers who are as talented they are.
To further drive the point home, Brown and his fellow scholars report that a good number of talented students have been able to get proper learning and education by simply being taught by ordinary teachers. This revelation is good news to parents of talented students since they can take their children to any good school without worrying about finding special institutions for them. Also, this will help solve the problem of a downward spiral in the number of special needs teachers.
As an important note, the studies by Brown et al. (2005) do not try to discredit the role played by special schools for special students. Instead, the paper merely tries to offer viable alternatives while offering insightful information on the identification, nurturing and promotion of better learning forums for the talented and gifted children.
Selwyn, D. (2007). Highly qualified teachers: NCLB and teacher education. Journal of Teacher Education 58 (2), 124+.
In the article, Selwyn (2007) asserts that teachers play a crucial role in educating special and ordinary students. Based on this reason, Selwyn (2007) states that if efficacy is to be witnessed in the education sector, it is elemental to understand these roles while we intermittently focus on implementing salient measures that can help improve the efficiency of these teachers.
Furthermore, Selwyn (2007) notes that one of the major focus areas of the NCLB Act is the requirement for “highly qualified” teachers. Highly qualified teachers are hired in order to help students get the best education. Generally speaking, a highly qualified teacher is one who has obtained full state certification as a teacher or has passed a state teacher licensing examination. The teacher should also have relevant teaching licenses depending on the country in which he/she works. Moreover, it is advisable for such teachers to have dual certification for both the special education and the core subjects they theach. Such requirement is applicable, regardless if the special educator teaches in a regular classroom, a resource room or any other setting.
Selwyn (2007) stresses that despite the fact the vision of NCLB for special education included the requirement of highly qualified teachers and encouraged the empowerment of parents’ to change their child’s school, there are positive developments for the country’s education system. The implementation of NCLB cannot fit the children with disabilities because it is far easier to have low expectations for such students. Nonetheless, there are many benefits realized by students taught by highly qualified teachers. All schools should thus encourage the employment of such teachers.
Katsiyannis, A., Zhang, D. Ryan, J., & Jones, J. (2007) High-stakes testing and students with disabilities: Challenges and promises. Journal of Disability Policy Studies, 18(3), 160.
According to Katsiyannis et al. (2007), when placed full time in mainstream classrooms, students with disabilities — especially beginners — tend to lag behind. Based on this reason, the scholars recommend that in such instances, there is a need for appropriate and individualized instruction to be given in order to achieve absolute success in study by such students
However, the biggest challenge pointed by Katsiyannis et al. (2007) is the negative attitude of most people towards the special students. As a result, most special or disabled individuals choose to alienate themselves from the others. If this is happening for a long period of time, it is bound to have a negative impact on the learning ability of such students since socialization plays a key role in the growth, development and overall learning of the special needs students.
Commendably, there has been an improvement in many countries regarding how people with disabilities are treated. For example, ever since the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act was implemented in the USA; many states have become more receptive to programs like inclusion of students with special needs in schools. With such noteworthy developments, it is hoped that the future of special needs people will be better.
References
Brown, S.W., Renzulli, J.S., Gubbins, E.J. Siegle, D., Zhang, W. and Chen, C. (2005). Assumptions underlying the identification of gifted and talented students. Gifted Child Quarterly, 49(1), 68-78.
Buck, P. S. (1992). The child who never grew. Bethesda, MD: Woodbine House.
Hardman, M. L., Drew, C. J., & Egan, W. M. (2010). Human exceptionality: School, community and family (10th Ed.). Stamford, Connecticut: Cengage Learning.
Katsiyannis, A., Zhang, D. Ryan, J., & Jones, J. (2007) High-stakes testing and students with disabilities: Challenges and promises. Journal of Disability Policy Studies, 18(3), 160-167.
Krahe, B., & Altwasser, C. (2006). Changing negative attitudes towards persons with physical disabilities: an experimental intervention. Journal of Community & Applied Social Psychology, 16: 59-69.
Milsom, A. (2006). Creating positive school experiences for students with disabilities. Professional School Counseling Journal, 10(1), 66-72.
Selwyn, D. (2007). Highly qualified teachers: NCLB and teacher education. Journal of Teacher Education 58(2), 124-137.
Thurston, C. M., Neihart, M., Reis, S., & Robinson, N. (2010). Social and emotional development of gifted children: What do we know? Washington D.C.: Prufrock Press.
The society highly values children. Childcare is currently a shared responsibility. Parents, teachers and all other stakeholders have a role to play in ensuring that a child grows up in an environment that is conducive for its growth. As Hansen (2007, p. 76) states, a child requires a lot of attention, especially at early stages of life because it is at this stage that a child starts to comprehend the immediate environment.
At an age of six to seven, a child would be learning a lot from the immediate environment and from the people he constantly interacts with. As Aristotle (1998, p. 89) notes, a child would try to practice what it sees the adult doing, or what it watches on movies. A parent therefore has a responsibility to regulate what a child consumes at this age.
The issue of childcare requires a collaboration of the parent, the teacher and the teaching assistant on a very close basis. The parent is always with the child in the evening, on weekends and other holidays. During this days, Nussbaum (2002, p. 56) observes that a parent has the best opportunity to monitor the behavior of the child and understand it better.
For this reason, he is in the best position to inform the teacher and the teaching assistant some peculiar behavior of the child or some important information that would help the teacher and the teaching assistant manage the child to the expectation of all the stakeholders. Zipes (1997, p. 67) says that the teacher and the teaching assistant has the opportunity of being with the child for the better part of the day.
They have the opportunity of monitoring the child closely, especially without its awareness. From this, they are able to detect the general behavior of the child that would be of concern. Leedy and Ormrod (2005, p. 89) say that this message should be communicated to the parent so that the parent knows his or her child better and therefore be in a better position to handle it when at home.
Learning at this stage is at its very basic level. The teaching assistant has the role of ensuring that these children learn the basics in various subjects like Science, Mathematics and Languages. According to Cogan and Webb (2002, p. 54), children at this age may not be able to learn things that require deep reasoning, for example irony.
They can only learn basic facts that can be observed within the immediate environment and be understood under such normal context (Ward 1999, p. 130). They may not comprehend why some natural things occur (for example death), or their importance. But they can understand basic logics like simple Mathematical calculation or language. As Bolman and Deal (1997, p. 31) state, learning at this stage can greatly be improved when teaching aids are used.
Teaching aids are items that can be used to show the learner the practical example of a learning experience. The researcher was involved in a practical session with students in a classroom set up and other outdoor learning activities. Various learning materials were used to help in this session. The session incorporated the teacher, the parent and the researcher, as the adults and knowledge imparters, and children as the knowledge receivers.
In this paper, the researcher reports on how he would have improved the learning process stated above.
The Childcare Center Activities
As stated above, the teaching assistant was involved in a practical session with students in order to help in improving their learning. In this process, the teaching assistant, in junction with the teacher organized a forum where the learners were introduced to various teaching aids to help enhance various subjects.
Three subjects were involved in this research. In Mathematics, several aspects were put to test using various plastic materials (McCarthy & Carter 1994, p. 129). The intent was to help the student learn basic additions, multiplications and subtractions. In Science, the learning sessions involved use of the school garden.
This was to help the learners understand the immediate environment. As Gardner (2006, p. 76) says, at this stage, learning can be enhanced by incorporating it as part of their play. Children of this age enjoy playing. The easiest way of ensuring that children learn some of the basic knowledge in to involve play in learning process.
Leithwood and Steinbach (1999, p. 78) agree with this point. This scholar says that from very early stage, learning has always been viewed as a form of punishment, or an oppressive procedure that one has to undergo in order to achieve benefits that at that stage may not be comprehendible.
By involving plays in the learning process, Austin (2007, p. 57) says that a child may not realize that he is subjected to a learning process. Literature was learnt through the use of Chinese New Year dragon story, while language was enhanced through the telephone call.
Effectiveness of the Process and the Role of the Teaching Assistant
The process used in this process was very effective in imparting knowledge on the children.
In the first activity that involved the use of timer and bottles, the effect of the experiment on the children was appropriately felt by the learners as was evidenced by their response to the various questions that followed the process (Hakim 2000, p. 69). The teaching assistant main role was to help the learners by issuing various instructions on how to use the timer and how to hold the bottles.
The teaching assistant had to ensure that learners understand the basic concepts that the lesson had planned to achieve. He would keep in touch with the concerned teacher in ensuring that the learners achieved the most out of this process (Bailey, Doherty, & Jago 2005, p. 60). The assistant would intervene in case a certain group of student found difficulty in using any of the timers or the bottles. The teaching assistant also ensured that learners were safe in the entire process
In the second case that was meant to help the learners understand how to measure liquids and how volumes differ. This would help them appreciate some basic applications like the amount of water an individual would need to take in a day (Baum, Viens, & Slatin 2005, p. 120).
In this learning process, the researcher worked hand in hand with the learners in ensuring that the bottles they had were of the expected size and with the right number of holes. Because the students were too young to be left to use the scissors and other sharp objects required to create holes, the teaching assistant and the class teacher worked hand in hand to help the learners create the holes and cut the plastic bottles to be of the right size. It was important to involve the learners because it would enhance their skills in artistry (Blank 2004, p. 93).
The learning objective was achieved to a fair level as majority of the learners were able to correctly respond to the questions that were asked at the end of the session. However, there were those who could not give the right response to some of the questions (Strauss & Corbin 1990, p. 73).
This could be attributed to the fact that the learners were involved in more than one learning activity hence they failed to comprehend the aim of the session. The teaching assistant noted that many of the children got exhausted with the process of cutting the plastic bottles that they were unable to comprehend the knowledge that was expected of them. The teaching assistant was keen to ensure that these children do not spill water on their clothes as a way of ensuring that they remained worm and tidy throughout the learning process.
In the next activity that involved bowling, the aim was to enhance learners’ ability to add, subtract or do simple division. This activity was very effective because it took Mathematics to the playing ground. When a pin was knocked down by the soft ball which was thrown at the array of pins, the learners would subtract the number of pins that fell from the original number to get the number of pins that remained.
The process also enhanced the children’s accuracy and sportsmanship. By aiming at the pins and knocking some down successfully, such a learner would be enhancing its ability in sports and other activities that required such accuracy. This was an outdoor activity and as would be expected, children were actively involved in running around (Reynolds 2011, p. 25). Because the activity was carried out on the floor, which is a hard surface, the teaching assistant was keen to ensure that children were safe through the entire process.
The next learning activity was home based and was to be supervised by the parents. This learning process was expected to make the learners understand the objects in the immediate environment. The learners were to be helped by their parent to understand the importance of the immediate objects in the environment, both within the house and in outdoor places.
Parents were given the instruction by the teaching assistant of how to help the learner in this process. Of interest were the kitchenwares or other gadgets in the house that posed danger to the children especially when they were left alone in the house.
The rationale behind this was to ensure that these young children would know the dangers of some of the home appliances and avoid them, unless with an adult (Bottery 2001, p. 79). Success of this learning activity was tested the following day by a question answer session.
It was noted with concern that not all the learners were able to respond the questions correctly. Although this could be attributed to the fact that some of the learners are slow learners, also evident was the fact that some parents either failed to follow the instruction given by the teaching assistant, or others never made the attempt in the first place.
In the Chinese New Year dragon, was done within the school. The main aim of this process was to improve the learners’ imaginative ability. The session involved singing, dancing and storytelling. The session called for a heavy participation of the teaching assistant (Nardi 2001, p. 79).
Children were shown a drawing of a dragon and then told a specific story about the Chinese Dragon. A cardboard, a plastic and paints were used in designing the dragon. The teaching assistant, in close collaboration with the teacher, ensured that children were safe from the paints, and that they did not soil their clothes.
The intended knowledge was passed in three fold. First, it involved through listening to the story told about the dragon. Then they were to read about the dragon by themselves. Finally, with the help of the teaching assistant, but through their own creativity, they were to make the dragon using the available materials. This process was a big success.
Although some of them were not able to come up with the right drawing due to their tender age, it was evident that they could create an image of this creature in their mind. Most of the learners found this session very enjoyable and they actively participated on the entire process, either by asking questions during the initial story telling session, or by coming up with a creature that would resemble the one in the story.
In the next activity that involved the math scavenger, learners were to be tested of speed. Again it was to sharpen their Mathematical abilities. This activity was designed to appear to be more of a game than a learning process. By introducing the competitive aspect to it, the teacher and the teaching assistant intended to make the students do their best in achieving the desired result. This activity required heavy intervention by the teaching assistant (Bush 2003, p. 89).
These children would be running from one location to another, trying to be the best in beating the deadline. It would involve fighting for the bottles, bumping into each other or even real fight, in case one of them feels cheated by the other. Such occurrences are dangerous as it may result in harm to the learner (Cheminais 2006, p. 78).
The teaching assistant had to ensure that he as constantly in motion among the students, averting any possible collusion and ensuring that there was fairness in picking the bottles.
This was important because the process had to be made as competitive as possible. The teaching assistant had to work closely with the teacher, who recorded the results of the students once they completed each stage. This activity was important as it made the children know that life is about struggle and in the struggle, only the best emerge as successful and this would require some form of struggle.
The telephone activity was a rich source of developing listening and writing skills of the learners. Learners would shift roles as a telephone operator or an information seeker. As an information seeker, the learner would be tested of the ability to take notes and their level of precision (Morrison 2008, p. 167).
The teacher and the teaching assistant would be in a position to as to determine the ability of the learner to listen and internalize a piece of spoken information, and then put it down for future references. When a child took the role of telephone operator, the skill to be tested and improved would be expression skills. The teaching assistant would issue instruction to the learners. Because the activity did not involve use of harmful tools and equipments, safety was not a big issue.
Teaching assistant therefore concentrated on ensuring that each learner understood the instruction to be followed in this activity. The rationale behind this activity, besides enhancing the learners listening and writing skills, was to ensure that the learner would be in a position to respond to telephone calls back at home when such a need would arise. The teaching assistant clearly explained to them how to behave, should such occasion arise at home and there is no adult in the house.
The next activity about the garden was to help the learners appreciate nature. Learners were made to understand the effect of plantation on our environment in general. It is a fact that learners at this stage may not be in a position to comprehend the effect of vegetations to our environment in a deeper sense (Darder & Rodolfo 2003, p. 89). However, when limited to the garden level, it would be easier to comprehend because of the limited coverage.
It would be easy to make them know the beauty of the garden and how this beauty brings about pleasure to those who see it. This activity involved using plastic to cover some plants in the garden as a way of making the learners know how to, and appreciate the need to cover plants during winters. Teaching assistant was actively involved in demonstration of how this process is done.
Care had to be taken to ensure that children did not interfere with the plantations (Lindon 2006, p. 145). This was the role of the teaching assistant. The outcome of this learning process was a sign of a big success. Many parents reported that their children were actively participating in tendering the gardens and taking care of other vegetations since the day this activity was carried out.
In the next activity that involved bottle with a hole, the intent was to develop the language skills o the learner. The learners were expected to keenly listen to the instruction given by the teacher and write them down in a note form. Freire (2006, p. 125) notes that note taking is a very important activity in the life of a learner from this early stage to the highest level of learning and to one’s entire life.
The teaching assistant ensured that all the learners were comfortably seated in positions where they could comfortable write and still be in a position to keenly monitor the proceeding of the learning activity. The teaching assistant created desired holes on the plastic containers for security purposes, and then set up the place for the activity (Austin 2007, p. 87).
One child would be taking the notes as the other performs the activity, and then roles would be changed. Planning was important because there was need to ensure that all the requirements for this experiment were made available.
The teaching assistant ensured that each of the learners comprehended the instruction at hand and that they would be able to recall this procedure at a later date.
Because the focus of this study was one note taking rather than the experiment itself, teaching assistant closely monitored the spelling and the structure of the notes the learners were taking to ensure that they were as per the expectation of the session. Emphasis was laid on the use of bullets in making clear and concise information. The outcome of this process was appealing. Most of the students were able to take notes as per the instruction given, and with precision that was expected.
As can be observed, this last category was more of class work than a play session. The teaching assistant took this order of activities with deliberate intention of making the youngsters develop a positive attitude towards learning. They were first made to believe that learning is all fun and laughter.
Then the teaching assistant and the teacher made the learners that as they play and have fun, they can as well take notes and relate to various class work assignments. In this last session, it was now play made formal in the context of a classroom. This gradual procedure was important in ensuring that children develop love for class work and learning in general they are made to appreciate the fact that knowledge is everywhere around us, whether at home, in school, in the garden or even at the playgrounds (Griswold 2004, p. 49).
Possible Changes that Would Improve the Above Outcome
This process was a great success. The teaching assistant realized that children of the age between five and sis learnt in a much better way if teaching prompts were involved in the learning process. However, the teaching assistant strongly believes that this process could be much successful if some adjustments could be done on the entire process.
The choice of plastic bottles was a good one because it can be cut and turned into different objects that would meet different requirements (Hurst 2007, p. 50). The way they were used in this learning process was not bad, but the process would have been a bigger success if a few changes would have been implemented. Some of the adjustments that the researcher feels that could be done on the above process include the following:
In the first part of this learning process, the researcher would have considered making the holes on the bottles with the help of the teacher. The learners would not be not be involved in this process because the aim of this research was not to test their artistry skills, but their ability to use the timer and the already improvised plastic material.
This would save time that is spent in class when they are involved in this process (Kohl 2000, p. 67). This would also avert the possibility of the learners getting injuries from the objects used in making the holes, which are obviously sharp and dangerous if carelessly handled.
In order to improve their artistry skills, which is eliminated at this stage if this strategy is employed, the teaching assistant recommends that there should just be a pure practical lesson for this, where nothing is expected of the child, but the possibility of improving his creativity. This would help in focusing on one task at a time. As a teaching assistant, it would be easier to assess the progress of the child in the two areas which are equally important to the child’s development.
In the third activity which involved home based learning, teaching assistant would have improved the performance by following up the activity by a phone call. The process was not successful because some parent did not do the right activity with their children, while other parents completely failed to do the activity completely.
In order to ensure that this process received better results, teaching assistant would consider making phone calls to the respective parents just to ensure that they were doing the activity expected of them and that they were doing it right. The follow up would make the parent realize that this process was important and the teacher and the teaching assistant consider it part of a lesson for the learner. This would boost the results of this process.
At this stage of learning, children value games so much. The teaching assistant would have considered a little change in the last activity of the session. The last activity registered a success. However, this success would have been enhanced if they were made to believe that this was a game, just like in the previous occasions.
Although these students were able to perform the activities before them, the setting of this last activity was more of a classroom than a classroom-play ground setting. The teaching assistant would have considered creating a more relaxed atmosphere where the learners would feel not coerced to perform activities at hand. However, the entire process was a success and the outcome clearly pointed out the importance of using such teaching aids.
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