Sharing Web Resources

I have signed up to receive newsletters, based on three children in my classroom, based on their age to help support their overall growth and development. The main section of the newsletter that struck my interest is the spotlight section of the newsletter. In this newsletter that spotlight was on nurturing early writing skills. It gives a description of how each child learns at their own pace; with the support of their growing bodies and muscles. To help the children’s writing skills, offer the children activities like stringing beads, pop beads, Lego blocks, and play dough, along with other fine motor activities to build and strengthen their small muscles in their hands and fingers.  Then it gives a brief overview of the different developmental stages of writing skills for young children. It describes the different stages and how to help and support the child to move onto the next level or stage in their writing skills.

There is a section called what’s on your mind and it’s where parents send in questions regarding their child at a certain age. This specific parent asked about how to support their child to be more flexible compared to being ridged and wanting the same clothes, bowl, spoon, at all times. It explains how the child has a temperament and it can be different from the parents. It examples different ways to guide and support the children on being more open to new ideas by offering choices.  It shares that it’s typical of children in the toddler land to experience and be demanding of their wants and needs. Then it helps and supports the parents of how they feel regarding the situation of the child. It helps the parents validate their feelings and emotions of the situation that it’s okay for both the child and parent to have their feels based on the same situation. It helps them to work together as one to have different strategies and techniques to deal with the next situation that arises.

I looked around the website and the newsletters, I found on the site an article, “Building Relationships: Parallels between Infant-Toddler Development and the Public Policy Process.” It talks about policymakers and how to form relationships with the government on the federal and state levels. These levels of government are the ones that support, fund, and are the leaders, for the success of early childhood programs for young children and their families. I don’t think they are all only voice or support that are helping and guiding early childhood programs to gain the success of young children’s future. It gave a list of advocates within the community that are available to help guide and support children, families, and professionals within the field of early childhood education.

References:

Article: Building Relationships: Parallels between Infant-Toddler Development and the Public Policy Process. Retrieved from http://zttcfn.convio.net/site/DocServer/BuildingRelationships.pdf?docID=3641

Newsletter on 28 Month Old Child. Retrieved from http://main.zerotothree.org/site/PageServer?pagename=FromBabyToBigKid_Month28#ForYou

Getting to Know Your International Contacts

Well, I continued to get in contact with professionals from around the world, but I was not successful in this journey of connecting.

I'm doing the alternative option: I took the time to look at the UNICEF website in the region of Germany.

http://www.unicef.de/informieren/aktuelles

This link is the news section of the website for Germany. It shares the current news that is taking place in Germany to help support the children there. The news article, "Eyes on Child Rights," topic struck a cord within myself. As a teacher, I want all children, with and without disabilities to be successful in their lives and be happy with who they are as a person. The organizations are using door signs to hang on doors all around their community. All the boys and girls are able to take part in hanging these signs around their community to have their voices heard, instead of being silenced. I think this is an amazing way for children to voice their feelings and misunderstandings of the world around them. They want to be treated with respect and have so much knowledge that others don't think children understand the world around them.

http://www.unicef.de/presse/2014/augen-auf-fuer-kinderrechte--/57308

I think its great that there is an article out there to share what's most important to children. Again, its taking the time to acknowledge that children have a voice of their own. Speaking with children, getting to know them, helps others to understand what children want and what's important to them. Being a teacher, I'm not surprised that its family and friends, their parents work ethics, and the importance of values and traditions. It shows the community that children get it and understand the world around them more then people give them credit for.

http://www.unicef.de/informieren/blog/2014/geolino-unicef-kinderwertemonitor/56972

I find it heartfelt when young adults are supporting the needs for young children to help them be successful in their future. They are showing the world that all children deserve the right to be heard and receive an education.  I think its a powerful message to other countries that importance of children being heard and respected for what they have to say and share with others.

http://www.unicef.de/presse/2014/juniorbotschafter/56734

Continue to empower families and children to know they have the right to fight for their rights.  The more organization share their mission of empowering families and children to be strong and to have a voice; they will become successful and feel strong.

Sharing Web Resources

Zero to Three: National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families

http://www.zerotothree.org/

The organizations focus is on Infant and Toddler development and their families.   It focuses and shares information about many topics that families can experience with their infant and toddler children. It offers support and guidance relating to the children’s behavior and development, maltreatment, and care and education (school readiness). It breaks each topic down into age groups by; 0 to 12 months, 13 to 24 months, 25 to 36 months, to show the various stages of child development and how each stage develops over time. The topics under the behavior and development section focuses on brain development, challenging behavior, early childhood mental health, early development, health and nutrition, mental health screening and assessment, play, sleep, promoting social emotional development, temperament and behavior. The topics under maltreatment are child abuse and neglect, safe babies court teams, and impact of trauma. The topics in care and education are child care, family, friend and neighbor care, and school readiness interactive, and the topics under public policy are infant-toddler policy issues, building early childhood systems, federal policy, state and community policy, action center, policy toolkit, and webinars and conference calls. I noticed many of the articles help support families that are in the military, as well as other families with different dynamics.

I recently signed up for E-newsletters from the sight that is called From Baby to Big Kid and it asks you to share your child’s date of birth; to help support parents and other early childhood professionals work with the child and family to the best of their abilities. By putting in the child’s birth date they will send newsletters that are specific for the child’s age and development.

I like how the site offers so much information for parents and professionals alike to learn and gain many resources to strengthen families and their children.  As much as I’m a teacher in an Early Head Start Program, there is a wonderful article that explains the importance of what Early Head Start is all about and the many opportunities the program offers to the families and children. It shares with parents and other early childhood professionals, how Early Head Start came to be, how the states are building upon the program, the opportunities and challenges they are facing, and any recommendations. It’s a start for others to learn and know about, since it’s a program that is beneficial for families and children to be able to succeed; to know that they were successful in all their adventures and journey to achieve that success.

Reference:

http://main.zerotothree.org/site/DocServer/Building_on_the_Promise.pdf?docID=5281

Getting Ready – Establishing Professional Contacts and Expanding Resources

This week, I took the time to explore the Global Alliance of NAEYC website, of early childhood professionals from around the world. I took the time to email, one contact from each country. One professional, I’m unable to connect with because their email is no longer in use. I have send emails to other professionals around the world and I waiting for them to respond back to my email. I have spoken with my supervisor and manager of early childhood and asked them if they knew any professionals within the early childhood education field that I could correspond with during my class for my Master’s Program. I explained to my supervisor and manager the goals of the class and how often I’m encouraged to communicate with the professionals.  I showed them my assignment and they were going to contact their professional from around the world. They will let me know if I will be able to contact them for my class, if I’m unable to make contact with any of the professionals I have at least tried to make contact with; I will be using the alternate assignment for Part 1 of the blog assignments.

This week, I took the time to observe the early childhood related websites within the United States. I looked at the majority of websites and I make a decision to study the Zero to Three: National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families. I felt this website offers many resources for professionals, teachers, and families. They have simple and easy tabs for quick search, depending on the subject and topic a person is interested in finding more information on to help support the children and families. It shares resources for child development and the topic concerns and challenges families and teachers experience with child. They have resources to help support and overcome the struggles of aggressive behavior/challenging behavior, biting, routines, transitions, and separation anxiety. The site offers many articles and other websites for professionals, teachers, and families to explore and learn more about the topics listed above. I will be going back to the website to sign up for their newsletters and more information to help my guide of studying issues and trends within the early childhood education field. If any of my colleagues have any questions or want to discuss a certain topic, I’m willing to share my thoughts, suggestions, and new techniques or resources to help with any issues and trends they deal with on a regular basis.