When I Think of Child Development................

"An aware parent loves all children he or she interacts with - for you are a caretaker for those moments in time."

 

by Doc Childre, founder of the nonprofit institute HeartMath, a research and education organization

Testing for Intelligence?

First of all, I believe that the whole child does need to be assesses, but there are factors that should be considered before the test is administered.  Age, gender, and environment should be considered before a child is assesses.  I have a few examples that I would like to share with you all.  From being a Early Head Start teacher I have seen the downfall of a child being assessed through different measurement of testing.  My son began Head Start last year, and after being in school for almost a month, he had a asthma attack that landed him in the hospital for four days.  When he came home from the hospital he was still a little tired from being in the hospital.  The next day the resource worker from the center called and said that he needed to come to the center so that he could get tested.  So we took him to school the next day and he took his test. A few weeks later I received a letter from the center stating that the specialist wanted to have a meeting with me because my son had scored low on his language skills, primarily his verbal and nonverbal skills.  As a mother, I was kind of shock and confused and I was like are you sure? So, I became emotional, like how could I have missed this.  Instead, I recalled when he took the test and I asked a speech specialist to analyze him and she did not identify a problem.  My reason for telling you this is because sometimes we prejudge or miss something about a child without knowing their health and how they are feeling.  Children react different to strangers and sometimes when they are being tested, they may be hungry, sleepy or just feeling a touch of anxiety.  I believe that young children should be observed and I believe that their should be communication between the tester and the assessor to really know the abilities and weakness of young children. Testing is needed to determine the strengths and weakness in the domains of development, but to judge a child on a test may also be bias. 

Children have to take the Standard Aptitude Test, which is used to predict future performance; Standardized Achievement Test, which is designed to measure what a child has learned in a specific area; Standardized Screening and Diagnostic Tests, which is used to diagnose or identify children who may have learning disabilities; and Standardized Tests, which has specific characteristics toward reliability and validity.  As teachers we have to be able to recognize the validity and reliability of a test.

The children in Japan take a National Achievement Test.  According to the article, (National Achievement Test, 2011) the subjects that are tested are Japanese and arithmetic for elementary school students and Japanese and mathematics for junior high school students.  Children that live in wealthy areas score high on the test; whereas, children who live in poor areas score low.  Also, children in private schools take the NAT. 

In Mississippi, the children can be passing the basic subjects in the classroom with all A's, but if they fail the Standardize Test, then they will be unable to graduate.  This forces a lot of children to enroll in private schools their last year of high school, so that the test will not affect their graduation.



Reference:

National Achievement Test. (2011, February 17). Retrieved December 9, 2011, from Statistics Japan: Prefecture Comparisons: http://stats-japan.com/t/kiji/12090

Consequences of Stress on Children's Development

The only stressor that affected me as a child that I can remember is when I was affected by isolation when I was burned at the age of 9.  It was a hot summer day and my mom was cooking some butter beans in a pressure cooker.  I went into the kitchen and the pressure cooker exploded in my face.  I was a child who was being curious and tried to take the top off, after my mom told me not to go in the kitchen around the stove.  I went into the living room and ran to a mirror and I was horrified when I saw my face.  My family rushed me to the hospital and I had 2nd degree burns in my face and chest.  I spent weeks in the hospital because of my own disobedience.  I was isolated from my friends and family and I was living in pain because of my accident. Although, it was a tragic for me, I still had to endure the physical and emotional drama that I endured over the next five years.  When I finally went back to school, certain classmates were not sensitive to my feelings.  They called me burnt toast, Freddie Krueger, and other mean names.  I dealt with their mean attitudes and at the end it made me a stronger person.  I feel that the stressful events in our lives make us stronger and wiser.  I understand that my disobedience caused my own accident and pain, but at the end it was a painful experience. With the guidance and inspiration of my family and church, I was able to overcome a painful ordeal.  The doctors and medical staff at Natchez Regional Medical Center was truly a blessing for me because their medical procedures and treatment allowed me to gain my facial appearance back to its original texture.  However, as time went by so did the physical and emotional scars.  When I tell people of my ordeal, sometimes they look twice with disbelief because they cannot imagine that I was even burned.  I am truly blessed and thankful that things were not as bad for me.

The country that I would like to know more about is Africa.  The kind of stressors that are affecting Africa is poverty; lack of nutrition-malnutrition, hunger and underweight; diseases-AIDS/HIV and malaria; disasters such as flooding, landslides and pollution; exposures and participation in wars and acts of violence; lack of maternal health that is leading to death and birth complications; lack of primary education; and inequality of boys and girls.  Africa is making progress to alleviate these problems that are affecting the adults and young children in their country. Improved partnerships between African and donor nations have resulted in increased aid flows being used more effectively (Doors to Diplomacy Web Project, 2006).  Children across the world deserve to have a healthy well-being.

References:

Doors to Diplomacy Web Project. (2006). MMBrico.com Doors to Diplomacy Web Project. Retrieved November 25, 2011, from MMBrico.com: http://www.fightpoverty.mmbrico.com/facts/africa.html

CHILD DEVELOPMENT AND PUBLIC HEALTH

Mental health is an issue that is very passionate to me.  Mental health does not have a definite disorder.  Mental health is an integral and essential component of health. The WHO constitution states: "Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity." An important consequence of this definition is that mental health is described as more than the absence of mental disorders or disabilities. Until recently, I was unaware that mental health affected infants.  As an Early Childhood professional, I was only taught to focus primary on the physical and emotional health of a child.  Now, I am focused on the entire child’s health and well-being.  Over the years, I have been amazed of how many children are being affected with some form of mental disorder or illness.  It has been an out poor of children in our community that has been diagnosed with some form of a mental disorder.  However, after looking at the family of most of the children, we found that many of their parents or grandparents had some form of mental illness. 

When mental health has a negative impact in your life it can cause dramatic changes in your life.  Unfortunately, I have an uncle and two cousins, in which all were diagnosed with schizophrenia and bi-polar disorder.  They all live in separate states and they all receive medical treatment in different ways.  My uncle does not cope well with his disease, which causes him to act out and spend most of his life incarcerated. On the other hand, one of my cousins takes his medication and lives a normal and productive life.  My other cousin is currently taking online classes to receive his degree in electronics. 

In our lives we need to focus on having a strong and positive mind.  As a mother I pray for mental state so that I can raise my children to the best of my ability.  As a teacher I have to be mentally stable working with other people and young children.  I cannot be overpowered with stress or depression because I believe that it will have a negative impact on the well-being that I am providing for the children in my care.

Mental health issues are everywhere.  We all have a mental health, same being as we all have physical health.  Across the world anxiety disorders are increasing. When we think of mental, we think of crazy, loco, off, and or a dangerous individual who may click and go off at any time. Doctors have different ways of treating mental health issues. In Cambodia they use the traditional "cupping" treatment, believing it allows harmful "excess wind" to escape their body. Mental health professionals have long been skeptical of such techniques, but some are becoming more open to including them along with Western treatments. With cupping, a small heated glass is placed upside-down on the skin. As the air inside it cools, it creates a vacuum that draws some of the skin into the cup, leaving a welt.  Whereas in the United States the most common medicines for mental illness are Chlorpromazine (Thorazine), Haloperidol (Haldol), Perphenazine (generic only), Fluphenazine (generic only), Risperidone (Risperdal), Olanzapine, (Zyprexa), Quetiapine (Seroquel), Ziprasidone (Geodon), and Aripiprazole (Abilify).  Though mental health is becoming a major issue in infants and toddler, our past family members have been dealing with mental health issues for a long time.  We must remember that there are treatments, programs, and medications that are in the community that can be utilized, so that we can have a clear state of mind while we are progressing through our lives.

Resources:

http://www.boston.com/news/health/articles/2008/03/24/culture_gap/

http://mentalhealth.gov/health/publications/mental-health-medications/complete-index.shtml

http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs220/en/

Childbirth-In Your Life and Around the World

On August 24, 2011 I gave birth to a 7lb 10oz baby boy.  I was scheduled to do a cesarean delivery on September 10, but my blood pressure increased causing me to have an emergency cesarean delivery.  As I entered into the hospital, I was nervous because I was so unprepared. Although, this was my third child and I had a previous cesarean delivery with both of my kids I was still nervous.  I had never planned on having cesarean delivery but the my doctor was concerned with breaking the shoulders of my first son in June 06, because he was 9lbs and 11oz and so he encouraged me to have a cesarean delivery for the health of me and my child.  So as research has stated once you have one cesarean delivery, you must continue to have them.  Therefore in October 09, I had to also have a cesarean delivery with my daughter. In my last cesarean delivery my husband was there again through the whole process of the nurses prepping me and getting me ready as I went back into the operation room. When I was in the operation room, I had an epidural that was entered into my spine.  My whole top was numb through the whole process. The whole procedure lasted for maybe an hour.  After the doctors delivered my baby boy, my husband and the nurse left and went to take the baby to the nursery.  The anesthesiologist and the nurses were so comforting through the whole process.  After I left the operation room, I went to the recovery room and stayed there with my husband and nurses, while the rest of my family enjoyed the arrival of my new baby boy.  My birthing experience was short and simple, but of course pain came afterwards while I stayed in the hospital for three nights. After my days in the hospital were finally over; me, my husband, and my mew baby boy, Caleb went home to his sister Mackenzie and his big brother Tavion.

 

The country that I choose to read about in reference to their birthing experience was Japan.  In Japan the women try not to use any painkillers.  According to Azi Azuma, a Tokoyo native, this preference relates to the Buddhist perception of suffering:  There is a belief among Japanese that labor pains act as a kind of test that woman must endure in preparation for the challenging role of motherhood (Parents/American Baby, 2011).  However many doctors are now believing that women receive more peace when they receive an epidural.  But many women are keeping the tradition alive and opting out of having an epidural.  The Japanese women have their babies in the hospital, but fathers can only participate in the birth of their child only if they have taking prenatal classes.  Japanese women who have vaginal birth stay in the hospital for a minimum of five days; whereas women who have cesarean deliveries stay in the hospital for ten days. 

Many cultures and countries have their own unique way of childbirth and the customs that follow after birth. In the Japanese culture, I learned that regardless if the father is in the life of the mother, they cannot participate in the birth of the child, if they do not take prenatal classes.  In my culture, men do not have to take any prenatal classes to participate in the birthing experience.  Also, the only way American women stay in the hospital more than three days if there are complications. The only time I stayed in the hospital over three days was with my first son because I had problems with my iron, calcium, and other minor issues.

I feel that women have to have a safe and healthy birth because we want to have healthy children.  If we have complications in birth, then it will have an impact on their child’s development.

References:

Parents/American Baby. (2011). Birth Customs Around the World. Retrieved November 1, 2011,

from Parents Network: http://www.parents.com/pregnancy/giving-birth/vaginal/birth-

customs-around-the-world/?page=4

Good Luck!

I was so grateful to meet such professional, educated, and determined individuals over the past weeks.  Despite our diversity, we all came as one to be a support team for each other.  I am so thankful that I am able to experience this journey with each of you, as well as Professor Kien.  So again, thank you all for helping me how to do a blog and challenging me to become a better professional in the Early Childhood Field.

Examining Codes of Ethics

National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) Code of Ethics

Ideals- Ethical Responsibilities to the Children

I-1.5—To create and maintain safe and healthy settings that foster children’s social, emotional, cognitive, and physical development and that respect their dignity and their contributions

Ideals- Ethical Responsibilities to the Family

I-2.5—To respect the dignity and preferences of each family and to make an effort to learn about its structure, culture, language, customs, and beliefs.

I choose these two ideals because I believe that it is our goals as Early Childhood Educators to foster a healthy development for all children.  I also believe in respect.  I believe that respect is the key to maintaining a healthy relationship.  I also believe that regardless of a child or family culture, respect should be given at all times.  I also believe that it is our responsibility to help children meet their developmental goals through nurture, respect, and a safe relationship and environment.

The Division for Early Childhood (DEC) Code of Ethics Responsive Family Centered Practices

We shall demonstrate our respect and appreciation for all families’ beliefs, values, customs,

languages, and culture relative to their nurturance and support of their children toward achieving

meaningful and relevant priorities and outcomes families’ desire for themselves and their children.

Again, I have a strong belief in respect, therefore which is why I choose this practice.  I also believe that it is a big part of my own characteristic. I believe if you have respect, then things will be smoother when developing relationships with children and their families. If you start off disrespectful toward a family, in regard to their culture or language, then it will be hard to have a mutual relationship with that particular family. I beleive that respect is a major attribute of my personal and professional development and growth, therefore it is a attribute that I want to continue to strive for excellence toward.

Article: NAEYC. (2005, April). Code of ethical conduct and statement of commitment. Retrieved

May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/PSETH05.pdf

Article: The Division for Early Childhood. (2000, August). Code of ethics. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from

http://www.dec-sped.org/

Collection of Resources

COURSE RESOURCES

Video Program: “The Resources for Early Childhood”
Five early childhood professionals discuss their preferred and trusted resources.

Part 1: Position Statements and Influential Practices

• NAEYC. (2009). Developmentally appropriate practice in early childhood programs serving children from birth through age 8. http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/dap
• NAEYC. (2009). Where we stand on child abuse prevention.  http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/ChildAbuseStand.pdf
• NAEYC. (2009). Where we stand on school readiness. http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/Readiness.pdf
• NAEYC. (2009). Where we stand on responding to linguistic and cultural diversity. http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/diversity.pdf
• NAEYC. (2003). Early childhood curriculum, assessment, and program evaluation: Building an effective, accountable system in programs for children birth through age 8.  http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/pscape.pdf
• NAEYC. (2009, April). Early childhood inclusion: A summary. http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/DEC_NAEYC_ECSummary_A.pdf
• Zero to Three: National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families. (2010). Infant-toddler policy agenda. http://main.zerotothree.org/site/PageServer?pagename=ter_pub_infanttodller
• FPG Child Development Institute. (2006, September). Evidence-based practice empowers early childhood professionals and families. (FPG Snapshot, No. 33).  http://www.fpg.unc.edu/~snapshots/snap33.pdf
  
  
• Turnbull, A., Zuna, N., Hong, J. Y., Hu, X., Kyzar, K., Obremski, S., et al.  (2010). Knowledge-to-action guides. Teaching Exceptional Children, 42(3), 42–53.
  Use the Academic Search Complete database, and search using the article's title. 

Part 2: Global Support for Children’s Rights and Well-Being

• Article: UNICEF (n.d.). Fact sheet: A summary of the rights under the Convention on the Rights of the Child. http://www.unicef.org/crc/files/Rights_overview.pdf
   
• Websites:
• World Forum Foundation
  http://worldforumfoundation.org/wf/wp/about-us
  
  
• World Organization for Early Childhood Education
  http://www.omep-usnc.org/
  Read about OMEP’s mission.  
• Association for Childhood Education International
  http://acei.org/about/
  Click on “Mission/Vision” and “Guiding Principles and Beliefs” and read these statements.

Part 3: Selected Early Childhood Organizations

• National Association for the Education of Young Children
  http://www.naeyc.org/
• The Division for Early Childhood
  http://www.dec-sped.org/
• Zero to Three: National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families
  http://www.zerotothree.org/
• WESTED
  http://www.wested.org/cs/we/print/docs/we/home.htm
• Harvard Education Letter
  http://www.hepg.org/hel/topic/85
• FPG Child Development Institute
  http://www.fpg.unc.edu/main/about.cfm
• Administration for Children and Families Headstart’s National Research Conference
  http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/opre/hsrc/
• HighScope
  http://www.highscope.org/ 
• Children’s Defense Fund
  http://www.childrensdefense.org/
• Center for Child Care Workforce
  http://www.ccw.org/
• Council for Exceptional Children
  http://www.cec.sped.org//AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home
• Institute for Women’s Policy Research
  http://www.iwpr.org/index.cfm
• National Center for Research on Early Childhood Education
  http://www.ncrece.org/wordpress/
• National Child Care Association
  http://www.nccanet.org/
• National Institute for Early Education Research
  http://nieer.org/
• Pre[K]Now
  http://www.preknow.org/
• Voices for America’s Children
  http://www.voices.org/
• The Erikson Institute
  http://www.erikson.edu/
     

Part 4: Selected Professional Journals Available in the Walden Library

• YC Young Children
• Childhood
• Journal of Child & Family Studies
• Child Study Journal
• Multicultural Education
• Early Childhood Education Journal
• Journal of Early Childhood Research
• International Journal of Early Childhood
• Early Childhood Research Quarterly
• Developmental Psychology
• Social Studies
• Maternal & Child Health Journal
• International Journal of Early Years Education

Part 5:  Additional Resources

·         Understanding Brain Development in Young Children

www.ag.ndsu.edu/pubs/yf/famsci/fs609w.htm

·         Child Poverty Research and Policy Centre

www.childpoverty.org

·         Child Development and Early Childhood Development Advice

www.pbs.org/parents/childevelopment/

WORDS OF INSPIRATION AND MOTIVATION

Quote by Hillary Clinton

 “Probably my worst quality is that I get very passionate about what I think is right.”

Excerpt from Hillary Clinton's Speech On -- "It Takes A Village To Raise A Child"

For Bill and me, there has been no experience more challenging, more rewarding, and more humbling than raising our daughter. And we have learned that to raise a happy, healthy and hopeful child, it takes a family, it takes teachers, it takes clergy, it takes business people, it takes community leaders, it takes those who protect our health and safety, it takes all of us.
Yes, it takes a village.

Quotes by Marian Wright Edelman

“If you don't like the way the world is, you change it. You have an obligation to change it. You just do it one step at a time.”

The challenge of social injustice is to evoke a sense of community that we need to make our nation a better place, just as we make it a safer place.”

Quote from Louise Derman-Sparks, Professor Emeritus

“But as I grew up I think I wanted to be-continue to be a teacher because I had just a built in passion that it was important to make a real contribution to the world and to fix all the injustices that existed in the world, and I wanted to do that through teaching.”

Personal Childhood Web

There are many people who have had a major impact on my life.  I have had the privilege of having influential people who I credited for my success as a teacher, mother, woman, and a person.

My mother, Betty has had a major influence on my life when I was a child.  She influenced me to become a strong woman.  She instilled values and morals that I will carry with me the rest of my life.  She nurtured me with her love and care.  She cared about me when I was going through rough patches in my life, when I wanted top give up.  She made me feel special by taking me shopping, spending time with me, and teaching me how to be respectful.  For that my love for my mother is unconditional.

My teacher, Mrs. Mayberry also had a major influence on my life when I was a child.  She influenced me by always pushing me to be the best I could be. She was that one teacher that followed me throughout school always encouraging me that I had a gift so use it to the best of my knowledge and always strive for the best, nothing less. Mrs. Mayberry was there when I needed her help with anything or just needed someone to just talk to she listened. She made me feel special by always being there when I called.  Mrs. Mayberry  still was given me advice about my career, until this past summer when she passed away.

Another individual who had a major influence on my childhood life is my pastor, Rev. Turner. My pastor has given me advice about life.  He helped mold me into a strong-Christian.  He helped teach me the true meaning of God and the importance of living a clean and spiritual life.  He also taught me the true meaning of good and evil.  I still have a spiritual and open relationship with my pastor.

My grandmother, Willie Mae  is also a person who has had a major influence on my life.  She has been apart of my life since childhood and she still is the most important person in my life.  My grandmother nurtured me with love and kindness.  She empowered me to be strong and also do my best.  She was that person who gave me baths, taught me my prayers, then tucked me into bed.  She took me to church and she would always take me to McDonald's.  My childhood memories of her are all happy and fun times.  She still calls me everyday encouraging me to always do well in life.

My best friend, Angie is a person who has had a influence on my life. She has been in my life since we were in daycare together. She encourage me each and everyday to stay with it never give up, never settle for less. She always was there when I truly needed her through the good and the bad times of my childhood life and now as a adult. She always made me feel special  by caring for me and  always motivating me. I can remember this one time when I was home sick and couldn't go to school, she was there with me that whole day doing whatever she could to make me feel better.My childhood memories with her was always one that made me smile. She still encourages and motivates me in my career, education, and family life. 

All About Me!

My favorite quote about children actually is a quote that comes from the bible.  It states, "Train up a child in the way that he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it"-Proverbs22:6.  I feel that if you teach a child to go in the right direction when they are young, then if they go astray then they will return to the teachings that taught them the right way.

One of my favorite childhood books is actually Cinderella.  I loved reading Cinderella because it encourages you to never give up in life.  It shows no matter how bad things are for you,at the end there is a happy ending.  All of us want to feel important and special in life and Cinderella  was a fairy tale that allowed you to feel that way.

A image of a child's drawing that stays with me is that of a 5yr old autistic girl who was in my class.  The picture was of a rainbow.  The rainbow had colors that a rainbow usually would not have. I felt that because of the colors of the rainbow she was expressing how she actually felt.  I felt that the image was important because as teachers we have to step outside of the box to actually understand what a child is saying.  Each image or picture has its own significant representation of what a child is trying to say.

OMG

This has definitely been a journey for me today.  I have never done this before.  So please bare with me.  I am not the best computer expert, especially with blogs, twitter, and facebook.  I only use the computer for educational/school purposes.  So here we go!