Research That has Helped Me and Others in my Field

             This week, I want to share some research that has been eye opening for me, my co-workers and the parents we serve. It was introduced to us during a professional development meeting last year. This meeting focused on infant care and how much we influence infants. I know it helped me to be a better caregiver, helped the parents to be more informed, and helped us to build a stronger relationship with the families.

              We already know an infants genes are a significant contributor to how they deal with the world and how they learn. Infants have personalities and they make their own choices. This new research reverts back to that age old debate: Nature vs. Nurture. More specifically, this article states that it is both and focuses on how much one's environment and innate abilities effects their development. "While much of the research examining brain-functioning has been done with animals, new technologies are enabling more non-invasive research to be done with humans" (Child Welfare Information Gateway, 2001, p. 2). One main point of the article, that helps caregivers in the child care center, states that when an infant is born with genes that drive him/her to be aggressive, easily frustrated, or submissive, their caregiver can help on the nurturing side by making sure they build a strong bond to help the child learn to deal with these strong emotions. It is a sort of balancing act. It also iterates that babies are much more capable that previously thought. They understand what we say to them and it is these interactions that shape how well they develop and learn during school-age (CWIG, 2001).

               This article was published in 2001, so it is not new information yet it is enlightening to the parents who read it and anyone getting into the early childhood field. It is classic information any early childhood professional can appreciate. The debate still goes on and research still focuses on the level of effects for each side of the case. One researcher I like to follow and who studies this debate is Alison Gopnik. Who we learned about in EDUC 6005. This article addresses very interesting topics and has great information!

References:

Child Welfare Information Gateway. (2001, October). Understanding the Effects of Maltreatment on Early Brain Development. www.childwelfare.gov. 1-21 Retrieved from http://dcfs.co.la.ca.us/katieA/docs/Maltreatmnet%20on%20Early%20Brain%20Development.pdf

Building Research Competencies: Week 1

My Research Simulation

         This week, I am asked to share one general topic that I want to learn more about. I am interested in learning more about the health of infants and young children as it relates to the early childhood field. I want to know more about this topic because I have not studied it much and I face this issue often at my job. I am currently an infant teacher and I have experienced babies with many different forms of diaper rash and skin allergies. Each of these rashes requires very different types of care and medicine to treat. On one occasion recently, I went to change a babies diaper and I noticed it had a hernia in its lower abdomen. It didn't seem to bother the baby and his mom came right away to take him to the doctor. He will have surgery to fix the problem in a few months when he is older and until then I will need to stay informed about how to help him as best I can as his caregiver. 

               While I am not a doctor, I am someone who is there for an infant until a parent arrives or until we know more about how to fix the problem. One subtopic I want to learn more about is allergies and how to handle them. We all know about nut and milk allergies and I want to learn about all allergies. I have never encountered a child suffering from an allergy but I have taught and worked with infants and children with allergies. Has anyone reading this had to deal with a child suffering from an allergy? What were the signs and how did you help the child? I hope to learn more about how to prevent an allergy breakout and how to help a child suffering from an allergy. Maybe child care centers need to go green and chemical-free and stop using Clorox water as cleaner. Has anyone gone chemical-free in their home and seen a positive change in their allergies?

                 Another subtopic I am curious about is helping young children with undiagnosed ADD and ADHD. I have encountered many children with difficulties focusing and hyperactivity. Most children get diagnosed with these disorders at age 5 yet toddlers and preschool aged children show symptoms and deal with the same issues as diagnosed school-aged children. I think it would benefit teachers to understand how to communicate effectively with parents about the symptoms and unique challenges their children face during these young years. Again natural, chemical-free, and prescription-free remedies can help. I plan to find more information on the different ways to help young children with these challenges. 

                  Lastly, I want to learn more about the regulations and rules teachers and directors have to follow in regards to the care of children with these health issues. For instance, parents have to correctly fill out a medical form for diaper rash ointment. From what I understand, every form expires after 7 days and the parent has to fill out another one if he/she still needs the parent to care for the child. If it is not filled out, then the teacher is not allowed to use it on an infant. A new regulation from the Alabama DHR is to have a form to apply Vaseline. If you are preschool teacher and have dealt with this, what did you do? Do you know if this is a rule in your state? It is good to stay up to date in your state with the newest standards and regulations in dealing with children s health issues.

                 I have enjoyed this class thus far and am eager to learn about these topics, the topics of my colleagues and how to research better. Please share any resources you think might be helpful in helping me learn more about these issues. Thanks!

 

My International Contacts Experience

           I have gained new insights and have clearer viewpoints on the issues and trends that effect children living in other countries. My international contact from Morocco helped me understand how diversity, poverty, inequity, and policy affect her area. The most interesting thing I learned about the field in her country is their emphasis on language. Many countries have a big drive for their children to learn two or more languages at an early age. This is a wonderful thing because the world is growing more and more diverse. Knowing more than one language helps to be successful and communicate with more people.

          Some consequences of learning about the international early childhood field are the new insights gained. I learned new ways to approach teaching. One example Heidi shared with me is that she uses project-based learning and the flipped classroom model. Here is a link to a description of the flipped classroom for anyone who does not know: http://www.forbes.com/sites/pascalemmanuelgobry/2012/12/11/what-is-the-flipped-classroom-model-and-why-is-it-amazing-with-infographic/

          Another consequence is learning about different cultures and the diversity of the world. One resource (that is not an international contact but teaches about parenting in other countries) that I find very informative is the movie Babies. It is a documentary showing the parenting styles and techniques of four families; very interesting to watch.

          A third consequence is gaining a support system of other professionals. It is good to have someone available to give advice and have someone who can relate to you. It is nice to be able to share experiences from across the globe. These experiences can even be share with the children you serve thanks to Skye and other video chat services. It is such a great way to reach out and see more of the world. I have always liked to say that traveling allows one to read the entire book instead of just one page.

          I want to thank every one of my colleagues for sharing their wealth of knowledge with me. I have enjoyed every post in the blogs and discussions. I hope to see everyone in future courses!

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.