Zero to Three fun games

The newsletter this week highlights the wonderful resources that the Zero to Three website offers. The have printouts that make organizing activities easier. The printouts also show the developmental milestones that are typical for each age. I printed these off and love using them.
There is also a rundown of activities to do with ages three and under. I love these activities! The babies in my room love them as well! Here are three of them:

Birth to 12 Months: Pull the Scarf. Wind a long, silky scarf into an empty tissue box. Pull a bit of the scarf out the top of the box. Show your baby (6 months and up) how to pull the scarf out. Show how surprised and excited you are. As you pull, say: “Pull!” Then replace the scarf, pull a bit out, and offer it to your baby. See if your baby would like a chance to play at this game of cause-and-effect, an early cognitive milestone. This activity also develops a baby’s hand-eye coordination, grasp, and finger strength and coordination.

12-24 Months: Fill It Up, Dump It Out. Remove the label from an empty clear plastic canister (such as that used to hold tennis balls). Show your young toddler how to fill the canister with pompoms or small blocks. This is an exciting game for toddlers! What happens when the canister is full? You may need to model how to dump the blocks, then give your baby a turn. Games like this build conceptual knowledge (empty/full) as well as problem-solving and motor planning skills.

24-36 Months: Make a Matching/Threading Toy. Snip small holes in the plastic top of a coffee can or oatmeal container. With colored permanent markers or nail polish, paint around the opening of each hole in a different color (remember to store these items out of baby’s reach). Find pompoms or chenille stems in the same colors as the painted holes. Let your toddler discover how to poke or thread the pompom or stem through the hole. Introduce the concept of matching colors, threading the red stem through the red hole, for example. Games like this build conceptual knowledge (colors) as well as fine motor skills in the hands and fingers.

Each of these games focus on various developmental areas at the same time. Playtime is learning time for children and this shows just how to do it. I can't stress enough how easy this website makes parenting and learning. I would love to know if anyone else has any other games they play with their young children. 

Zero to Three Policy page

This week, I want to focus on the policy change efforts made by the Zero to Three organization. Here is the link where they are discussed: http://www.zerotothree.org/public-policy/ 

The programs in place already have done wonderful things for infants and young children across the nation. Mental health and poverty are a main focus of these programs. The Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge Grant Program is aimed at supporting states efforts to increase the number of children with high needs, birth to five, in high quality early childhood settings and also build comprehensive early learning systems. Their increased efforts to strengthen health and developmental screening practices is improving the lives of infants and toddlers by making sure developmental delays are identified and treated early. The earlier, the better as we all know. I would like everyone’s opinion on this grant program. Do you think it is effective and if not how could it be better?

There is also a video about the program “Rally for Babies”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQuiHyv6VrQ&feature=youtu.be

Some famous actors, like, Jennifer Garner, play a part in the operation of this program. Many great points are made about the things and relationships that babies need to flourish. I appreciate Obama’s efforts to improve early education and the lives of young children. His administration also needs to focus on the care of infants as well. It is just as important as dealing with issues for children aged 3 and older if not more important. Again I would like your feedback on this video! Thank you!

International contacts

           My contact from Morocco has not gotten back to me yet this week but I'm sure she will get to me soon and  I will make another post with her information. Instead I will share the newsletter information I got from the ZERO TO THREE website. This week the newsletter discusses the developments of babies aged 10-12 months. Its such a short amount of time but so many changes occur. We can give our babies the best care when we know what these changes are and how to facilitate learning during this time.
Month 10- babies start to say more words like "Muh" for more  or milk and "bah" for a parent. Continuing to read and talk about everything to them will help them learn the sounds and words. They also love to play with cause and effect. They love repetition and will want to play the same games and sing the same songs. These are wonderful opportunities for learning and continuing to build your relationship.
Month 11-Babies may start walking, pulling up and free standing. It is good to help to correct the child from sitting in positions that may hinder their physical development. This include sitting with their legs outstretched beside them. Children should sit with either their legs stretched out in front of them or under them for muscle development to occur properly.
Month 12- Children can throw a ball and turn pages in a book. They can point to a body part or object in a book if you ask them to. They show you want the want know by their actions. They may bring you their blanket if they are tired or a their sippy cup if they are thirsty. They love to be active and move as much as they can. Giving them opportunities for them to associate with other children and be outside to free play are wonderful ways of fostering their development.
Keep in mind that these developmental milestones are only what may occur. If they do not happen then the child is just not ready and it no cause for concern. Children learn at their own pace. It should only be a concern if the child is not walking by age 18 months. The child should be taken to see if there a physical problem, like a muscle disorder, that is out of their control.

Website resource

http://www.zerotothree.org/

           This week, the newsletter that I received from the ZERO to THREE website gave tips and advice on children aged 14 months. There is a list of things that your child "can" do (walk while holding your hand, copies actions) and a list of things you can do to connect with our child during these times (read books that interest your child, involve your child self help tasks). I know many parents that have gained more knowledge while using the website in dealing with these milestones. Social-emotional, language, physical, and thinking skills are discussed in detail. 
          The latest research on these topics and age is also discussed; very useful information for parents and teachers. Here is an article on the subject discussed, how imitation predicts well-developed conscience: American Psychological Society (2004, October 28).  Toddlers’ imitation predicts well-developed conscience. ScienceDaily.  Retrieved March 3, 2008, from http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2004/10/041027113855.htm
What I like most about this article is how it explains how imitation is a great way for your child to learn new skills and to discover, at the same time, how good it feels to be helpful.
           There is also a helpful section on how to help children deal with change. These include severe changes to minor changes. To a child, the severity of a change is up to them. It is up to us to help find the source of their unhappiness as it has to do with the change and then address the problem from there in a child-centered way. 

Poverty and Early Childhood

This week, I learned about how poverty affects children living and going to school in Georgia. One  thing I find very interesting about my conversations with my connection overseas is her mention of the similarities between rich and poor children. I believe it is a common misconception that poor children have very different problems than children who come from rich parents. Here is my conversation about the similarities poor and rich children can go through.

I am currently teaching on the other end of the spectrum - extremely high income children in a private school.

Before moving to Morocco, I taught Title 1 in GA and we saw a lot of issues from poverty including malnutrition, gangs and missing parents.  Kids came to school with little to no background knowledge and without basic skills.  (Kindergarteners who didn't know their colors, shapes, how to count to 3 etc.)  This set them in a pattern of being behind for their entire school career.

The biggest issue I knew as a teacher was that I had no idea of whether anyone talked to my kids after they left me.  Often students went home to empty houses and were not talked to, monitored or cared for.  When I first arrived in Morocco, I taught at a different private school with EXTREMELY wealthy children and found that they often had the same problems.  They were being raised by a maid or a nanny, so there was someone there, but no one to talk to them or "care" for them.

For both of these communities, I found that the biggest thing that the kids needed was attention.  They crave your attention and the knowing that someone truly cares for them.

Sometimes this is the case and sometimes it is the opposite case. To add, in some cases, poor children have it better. My stepfather grew up very poor. He always ate the same foods like, casseroles that were easy for mom to stretch and use as leftovers. He remembers wearing the same clothes all the time and being hungry often. His experiences of being poor as a child motivated him to work very hard, go to college and make a 6 figure salary.  He and my mom love in a very nice neighborhood and have no worries of getting the bills payed. In contrast, I know some adults who have had things handed to them their entire life with no lack of food or clothes. They however have grown to be lazy and have no desire to make something of themselves. This, in my opinion, is a failure on the parents part for not installing these types of values in their children. They were not home enough and spent more time working than giving their children what they really needed.

A website I use often

I would like to share a website that has come in very, very handy for me over the years. 

http://www.zerotothree.org/

They are a non-profit organization that was started over 35 years ago. Their mission is to promote the health and development of infants and toddlers.

This week the newsletter had information on how to help children potty train. Included are parents and professionals inputs on the subject. Some describe their approaches to it so that a parent or teacher can find the best approach for the child. This was one specific issue discussed this week. There are always a variety of issues in each newsletter. I really enjoy reading the new scientific studies that come out. There is a section on the website that directly discusses the issue of diversity and how young children can benefit from this integration.  It is under the policy section which I find very helpful in how to help my local community and communities from across the country. 

My connections to other teachers

This week, I connected with a teacher working in Morocco. I found her by searching for "teachers who travel for work" in the google search engine. Her blog showed up and I found it very interesting. She shares resources for teachers all over the world. I found it very useful if you would like to see also: http://www.rakisradresources.com/

She travels for work teaching at various schools from around the world. Her home base is in Georgia. She teaches 3 rd grade. One thing I found most interesting about conversations is the main goal the country has for their children. She says learning multiple langues is a main focus for teachers in Morocco. The language "of the streets" is Darija, a distinct dialect of Arabic mixed with French, Spanish and Berber.  Schools are differentiated by the main language of instruction.  Public schools teach in Classical Arabic (which is quite different from Darija), but must offer at least a little bit of French.  Most private schools are bilingual - half French and half Arabic.  Her sons attend a school like this. There are also private schools where the main language of instruction is French, but at least a little bit of Arabic must be offered.  At the most expensive and exclusive end of the spectrum, are the International and Spanish schools, where the main language of instruction is English or Spanish with at least a little bit of French and a little bit of Arabic offered.  She teaches at the International School of Morocco where the main language of instruction is English, but French and Arabic are offered daily.

As a teacher, she uses differentiated instruction, project based learning and the flipped classroom model.  She is very constructionist in nature and encourages her students to connect their learning to their own personal experiences to build their own understanding.

She is referring me to another teacher that she knows that works in Australia so I am excited to learn more about teaching there. In the following weeks I will be able to share more of that. 

A website I love using is zerotothree.org

I signed up to receive newsletters for Baby to Kid and Baby's Steps. I like this organization because I love working with very young children and I want to make sure I know of any new research that comes out. This website is easy to use and understand.