Effective Communication

There are several communication skills that are important to embody when leading policy change. In the article, “The 7 Cs of Communication” Mind Tools describes seven communication skills. I have found two of these to be extremely helpful and important. When trying to convey a concept it is important to ensure your communication is concrete and coherent.

Being concrete is vital. Mind Tools explains, “When your message is concrete, then your audience has a clear picture of what you’re telling them. There are details (but not too many!) and vivid facts, and there’s laser-like focus” (Mind Tools, 2013). For most of us, time is a precious commodity. When communicating to invoke change it is important to stay focused and on subject. By doing so we ensure our point is conveyed and we are respectful of the audience time. When the audience has heard your message there should never be any doubt what your message was.

Being coherent is just as important. “When your communication is coherent, it’s logical. All points are connected and relevant to the main topic, and the tone and flow of the text is consistent” (Mind Tools, 2013). As with being concrete, ensuring your communication is coherent allows your audience to know exactly what your point is. When trying to advocate for change the first most important goal is to educate others as to your mission. Your audience must understand your goal and why it is important.

Personally, I have found being concrete easier than being coherent. Keeping all of my points relevant to the main topic is difficult at times. It is one of the reasons I like using a Power Point presentation when speaking to groups. The slides may simply be a picture and/or a few key words. They serve to keep me focused and on track.

When taking the Communication Anxiety Inventory I was not surprised with the results. I suffer great anxiety when addressing a new group of people prior to the presentation. Once I get started I am fine and comfortable as long as I feel passionate about the subject I am speaking about. Passion about your subject matter is a key element to public speaking I learned from an instructor many many years ago. It was my first public speaking class and I was petrified at the idea of speaking in front of the class. As luck would have it I was assigned a topic I felt very strongly about. My mother had died a few months prior. After being resuscitated she was placed on life support. Although she had signed a “Do Not Resuscitate” order it was not noted in her chart. I was assigned the topic of the right to determine one’s own medical terms. As you can imagine I was very passionate about the topic. I got an A. Once I got in front of the group any and all anxiety was gone. My only thoughts were of convincing this group of people my important message. Passion can, however, get you in trouble and take you off track if you are not careful.

References

Laureate Education (Producer). (2011). Communication anxiety [Interactive media]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu

Mind Tools. (n.d.). The 7 Cs of communication: A checklist for clear communication. Retrieved October 15, 2013, from http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newCS_85.htm 

Social Media

Social media is an excellent tool to convey a message. In today’s hi-tech society, there are two forms of social media that would be excellent tools to inform the community about plans to improve the quality of playgrounds in our area. “A joint study by AOL and Nielsen found that people spend more than 50 percent of their time online with content and an additional 30 percent of their time on social channels where content can be shared.” (Roesler, 2015). Facebook and our own website will allow us to reach many.

Facebook is an excellent way to reach the public about improving the quality of playgrounds in the area. First and foremost – it is FREE. Second, it is popular. As we will be operating on a limited budget the ability to reach a large number of people for the least amount of cost. Facebook will allow us to spread the word about our project and give information to others as to how they can help or action they can take. Our Facebook page can provide a link to our website. Here we will keep people informed and show our accomplishments. By having a social media presence we will add credibility to our project.

There are disadvantages to social media as well. First although startup is low cost it is time consuming to maintain. A Facebook page or website that does not offer new and current information is useless. It is imperative someone be assigned to keep the information fresh and interesting as well as bold enough to get and keep the attention of the public.

Social Media also leaves you open for feedback. As we cannot please everyone all the time some of the feedback is bound to be negative. This can then result in a negative impact.

References

Roesler, P. (2015, Aug 2). 5 Benefits of Social Media Business Owners Need to Understand. Retrieved from Inc: http://www.inc.com/peter-roesler/5-benefits-of-social-media-business-owners-need-to-understand.html

Dynamics of the System

In North Carolina regulation regarding childcare are developed and administered by Child Care Commission under the Division of Child Development and Early Education.  I have had the privilege to speak before the Child Care Commission on more than one occasion.  I remember the first time.  I was extremely nervous to be giving my opinion to who were in my opinion those who were the ultimate authority in North Carolina when it came to child care.

“The NC Child Care Commission is made up of seventeen members: seven appointed by the Governor, five by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and five by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate. The members include parents, child care providers, a pediatrician, early childhood education specialists and general citizens. Child Care Commission Members are appointed to serve two-year terms. Members may be reappointed and can serve up to 4 consecutive terms for a total of eight consecutive years. The Child Care Commission meetings are held quarterly, generally in Raleigh” (State).

I was dumbfounded to discover many individuals on the Commission did not know the regulations they were in charge of.  While I acknowledge the unlikelihood that any one person would be familiar with ALL the regulations, the idea that those in charge of the regulations did not know many of the basics was mind bending.

As an administrator responsible for one center by North Carolina Regulations I am responsible for adhering to all North Carolina regulations.  To do this I would obviously have to know these regulations.  Given this is it not reasonable to expect the same from those in charge of making the regulations?

Although public forums are scheduled by the Child Care Commission to hear from the public in regards to any rule.  The dates of these forums are posted on their website but as the majority of the public is not even aware of the website nor that the Commission exists it is not likely many will attend.

If the ‘rule makers’ had a better understanding of all the regulation it would eliminate some of the unnecessary and or redundant regulations.  In addition a true collaboration between those working in the field, the families the programs serve and those making the rules would make a better environment for the children we serve.

A large portion of child care regulations focus on safety.  While ensuring our youth is safe is good, there can be too much of a good thing. “Fundamental changes in workforce participation have mean that the majority of parents are now working and cannot be at home throughout the day when their children are very young” (Kagan & Kauerz, 2012).  These children are spending a large amount of their time in a structured environment.  Within these programs regulations require we keep them “safe”.  The results are the children are not allowed to take risks.  I think of my own childhood when we would climb trees and build forts.  I can remember being as young as four and climbing a tree.  Yes, I climbed higher than any adult would have allowed me.  I took a risk.  In fact I did this often.  It was one of my favorite activities as a child. Children learn valuable lesson from taking risks.  By taking risks, children learn the pleasure of success and the coping skills to conquer the frustrations of failure and the skills to persevere.  Eppler-Wolff explains, “We know from both the research and looking at this generation that has been so overprotected, it’s certainly detrimental. If you can’t take risks, development is going to falter. You’ve got to get out of that place of comfort and complacency.” (Davis & Eppler-Wolff. 2009).

While we need to develop programs that keep children safe we need to work to develop them in such a way to allow our children to take risks. Children must be given a chance to engage freely in play so they can learn to evaluate their own skills.  No one wants to see a child injured.  We must remember that creating an environment that is overly safe can create a different kind of danger.  Having children growing up in a risk-free environments can result in children that have little experience with risk-assessment.  These skills are necessary for them to match their skills with the demands of the environment. As a result, many children have become very timid and are reluctant to take risks. Programs need to be developed that allow children experience taking risks AND remain safe. Working together early childhood professionals, parents and state officials can develop environments that do this.

Administering an early childhood program can be very isolating.  As most program are operational for eleven or twelve hours a day, long days are typical for many administrators.  As the person in charge the director often has no one to turn to when problems arise.  For a new administrator this can be overwhelming.  The same is also true for new teachers.  Having a mentoring program can be a valuable resource for the new and experienced early childhood professional. “Mentoring programs offer new teachers and providers a practical and supportive way to learn and grow on the job. For experienced teachers and providers, mentoring programs create an opportunity to remain in the field and advance in their profession.” (Bellm, 1997).

Working with local agencies such as The North Carolina Partnership for Children and Smart Start in collaboration with the community colleges mentoring programs could be initiated throughout the state.  As quoted in Kagan and Kauerz text Early Childhood Systems,” there is now ample evidence that “one-shot” workshops are generally ineffective, but that job-embedded professional development, especially individual technical assistance such as coaching and mentoring, mat predict improved teaching practices and child outcomes” (2012).

As an early childhood professional, my primary goal will be to continue improving the care our children are receiving. The three items above are a ‘tip of the iceburg’.  While many programs are offering excellent care, we need all programs to offer the best possible environment for our children to thrive in.  Every child deserves the best we are able to give.

Bellm, D. (1997). The Early Childhood Mentoring Curriculum: A Handbook for Mentors. National Center for the Early Childhood Work Force, 733 15th Street, NW, Suite 1037, Washington, DC 20005-2112; e-mail: mentor@ ncecw. org.

Davis, S., & Eppler-Wolff, N. (2009). Raising children who soar: A guide to healthy risk-taking in an uncertain world. Teachers College Press.

Kagan, S. L., & Kauerz, K. (Eds.). (2012). Early childhood systems: Transforming early learning. New York, NY: Teachers College Press.

Influences of Family, Culture, and Society in Early Childhood – The Experience

The biggest surprise was learning how resilient I am. I have never really considered this in the past.  I know see my resilience has gotten me through many hard times. It has led me to wonder how or why I have developed a strong resilient personality.  “Many studies show that the primary factor in resilience is having caring and supportive relationships within and outside the family. Relationships that create love and trust, provide role models and offer encouragement and reassurance help bolster a person’s resilience” (Newman, 2005). While I did not grow up in the most loving household, I have worked hard to create a loving family.  As a child I was fortunate to have loving role models outside my family.

In the future my aspirations are to work as an early childhood instructor for a community college. I hope I can share my accomplishments and strengths. I dropped out of school as a teenager when I became pregnant with my daughter.  Soon I will complete my Ed.D. in Early Childhood.  I am living proof anything is possible.  It was a long windy road but I did it.  My motivator has remained constant – the children.  The more I know the more I can help provide better environments for our future leaders.

When I look at the traits of resilience what I see is an early childhood educator.  The APA defines several additional factors of resilience. They include:

• The capacity to make realistic plans and take steps to carry them out.
• A positive view of yourself and confidence in your strengths and abilities
• Skills in communication and problem solving
• The capacity to manage strong feelings and impulses.

Any early childhood educator with these qualities has an excellent chance at success.

References

Newman, R. (2005). APA’s Resilience Initiative. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 36(3), 227.

An Interview with Autism

Autism Spectrum Disorder has been a hot topic in early childhood.  We have learned the importance of early intervention. There is a tremendous amount of research dedicated to finding better ways of diagnosing and supporting the autistic child.  The fact is autism has an impact on the entire family.  My research is designed to look inside the families in an effort to determine we made that efforts can be made to help the child.

My interviews include professionals, parents, siblings and autistic children and adults. Interviews with professionals are informative in regards to learning about autism.  I have learned about interventions was not previously aware of.  However, my interviews with the families have given me the best insights into the emotional aspects of autism.

Because these interviews are more personal nature, they are a bit harder.  I have had to develop relationship with these individuals.  It is not just their profession we are discussing but their life.  In some cases I am asking very painful questions and asking the individuals to recount some of the worse times of their lives.  This aspect has been the most troubling.

I expected to hear stories from families struggling with the diagnosis process.  As most parents do not have extensive knowledge of child development (typical or atypical), understanding their child may have a problem could be difficult to see.  Because ASD has a wide range of symptoms one person with autism can look very different than the next.

Through my interviews with families and professionals I have been surprised with the accounts of bias the families have experienced.  This included other parents not allowing their children to play with a child with autism to children being bullied to families being terrorized.  One parent told me the worse was the judgment they felt while in public.  She avoided taking her son out for years because she felt all eyes on her and her son. She reported coming away feeling like a ‘bad’ parent. She found it was easier to avoid the issue than deal with it.

I am at a loss as to how to console these families. Their fears for the child are real. It is not just the impact of autism on the child’s development but society’s acceptance.  Every individual wants to belong.  There has been a lot of public education in recent years regarding autism.  What can be done to educate the general public?  In addition, what can be done to help connect these families with their communities so they are supported?

Autism Spectrum Disorders

There can be no denying that the amount of children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) is on the rise. The Autism Society reports the “prevalence has increased by 6-15 percent each year from 2002 to 2010” ( Autism Society). The National Professional Development Center on Autism Spectrum Disorders (NPDC) states “diagnosing autism as soon as possible gives families some answers they are seeking to their questions about their children’s atypical development. This allows them to begin the process of learning about autism, understanding its effects on their child, and beginning the process of perceiving the future differently. It allows families to replace worry and fantasy with solid information about the nature of their child’s challenges” (Module: Early Identification of Autism Spectrum Disorders). Early diagnosis can help tremendously. As NPCD tells us, “Understanding and recognizing the earliest characteristics of ASD is important to early identification and referral for appropriate services, resources, and supports” (Module: Early Identification of Autism Spectrum Disorders).

The Centers for Disease Control describes ASDs as: “developmental disabilities that cause substantial impairments in social interaction and communication and the presence of unusual behaviors and interests. Many people with ASDs also have unusual ways of learning, paying attention, and reacting to different sensations. The thinking and learning abilities of people with ASDs can vary—from gifted to severely challenged. An ASD begins before the age of 3 and lasts throughout a person’s life” (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2014).
The family with an ASD child is often scared and anxious. Often the parents of a child with ASD are the subjects of ridicule, blame and anxiety in regards to their child. Diagnosis starts them on the road to understanding. In addition, “Children with autism have a different learning profile pattern of relative strengths and weaknesses than children with other developmental disorders.” (Module: Early Identification of Autism Spectrum Disorders). The impact of ASDs reaches beyond the child’s family. The entire community is touched. There is the increase education cost for the young child. “A newly released Harvard study has found that caring for an individual with autism can cost more than $3 million in their lifetime” (Harvard School of Public Health, 2006).

Through research and a series of interviews with families, friends and professionals a better understanding of how the autistic child will be obtained. The goal will be educate early childhood educators as to early signs leading to early detection. In addition how the ASD child, family and friends can be supported to ensure the child’s acceptance within his community and ensure he obtains the support he needs.

While finding a cure needs to be a focus, we need to better understand ways to understand and support the ASD child. With such a wide base of abilities and characteristics knowing a child’s potential can be difficult.

This leads to many questions:
How can we support the child, family and community?

What efforts are being made to increase acceptance for the ASD child?

What happens to the ASD child when he/she reaches adulthood?

Children Around the World

I have long thought of myself as an open fair minded individual.  I have some biases but in generally accepting if not at least tolerant of most cultures, races and ways of life.  It is after all a small world and we need to share it.  Arnett’s article “The Neglected 95%”, gave me a different perspective.  Much of the research reported in our journals make broad conclusions regarding child development despite the fact that it is completed on a small percentage of the world population.  Arnett states, “by concentrating primarily on Americans, psychological researchers in the United States restrict their focus to less than 5% of the world’s total population. The rest of the world’s population, the other 95%, is neglected” (2008. p. 602).

http://www.factmonster.com/ipka/A0930058.html

At first one may think this is racism.  I do not think so.  I think it is more a matter of egocentrism or sorts. It is the basis of this class; a matter of global perspective. As researchers try to explain the norm for any given topic including early childhood, they look around themselves for a baseline – a norm.  When starting the course I assumed we would be looking at early childhood globally.  I felt confident that I was familiar with a wide variety of cultures and cognizant of my limited knowledge of many more.  I did not however, consider the why and the implications of this lack of global perspective had on the field of early childhood nor how rampant it was. 

In the field much of how we provide care for young children is based on research.  Research is complied, compared with other reports and existing theories and analyzed to help form standards and even new theories. One flaw of this research is where the research is conducted.  A large percentage of child development theories were developed in European countries based on European children.  Why are we using a small percentage of the population to develop theories for the world?  Is it reasonable to expect all children to develop universally despite a wide range of experiences and cultural differences?

A second consideration is who is in charge and conducting the research.  Most research is led by if not conducted by individuals established in the field of early childhood.  This requires time.  The result is an older generation conducting research.  This generation has formed opinions possibly to the point of bias.  In addition, they are from a generation that is not as global as today’s society.  Today, children in our country encounter peers literally from around the world.  When I was a child we went to school our entire elementary and high school years with the same peers.  People grew up in the same communities their parents and grandparents did.  Wouldn’t this generational community have an impact on a child’s development as does the child that has lived in more than one culture?

Finally, we must consider the fact of change.  John Maxwell said, “Change is inevitable. Growth is optional.” If change is inevitable would this not apply to a child’s development as well? Is it reasonable to use standards and theories developed nearly a century ago to children of today? The concept of early childhood children are being “taught” is a change. 

                      

https://www.facebook.com/ExplorationsEarlyLearning

 

Many cultures do not have children attending programs ‘preparing’ them for future learning.  A short time ago the majority of United States children (and still many today) as well as many children around the world spend their days in mixed aged groups simply playing.  Play has been the focus of many, yet in our culture we rarely allow our children to simply play. Somewhere I read that Piaget said “Play is the work of children.”  But what is play? 

 

 https://www.facebook.com/ExplorationsEarlyLearning

 

In our society we push our children to succeed and learn.  We strive to provide rich environments to enhance this process.  Despite all of this, Ryan reports that children of “the U.S. scores below average in math and ranks 17th among the 34 OECD countries. It scores close to the OECD average in science and reading and ranks 21st in science and 17th in reading” (2013).  Ryan claims “The U.S. ranks fifth in spending per student” (2013).  The answer is not money. 

There has been a lot of “improving” our educational programs.  Maybe it is time to redesign our educational programs instead of improving a broken system.  This time around we could keep the child as the focus instead of the end product.  If we have learned anything about early childhood we know it is process that is important not product.

Throughout my journey through this class one individual has had a major impact on me – Dan Podraza. Dan has been a wonderful unexpected asset and inspiration.  I am not even sure he is aware of the impact he has had on me.  His gentle reminders and encouragement gave me the strength and willpower needed to complete the class.  He is a true team player.  We need more people in this world like him. My personal experiences this semester have made me look at life differently.  Sometime adults (just like children) need real life experiences to learn. When we experience something the learning is more complete and meaningful. While we can learn individually the experience is more complete when done with another at your side or having your back. Learning is after all a social experience.

 

 

It does not stop with childhood.  We all need these experiences.

 

Bibliography

 Arnett, J. J. (2008). The neglected 95%: Why American psychology needs to become less American.American Psychologist, 63(7), 602–614. 

 Ryan, J. (2013, December 3). American Schools vs. the World: Expensive, Unequal, Bad at Math. Retrieved from The Atlantic: http://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2013/12/american-schools-vs-the-world-expensive-unequal-bad-at-math/281983/

Are Children the Better Teachers?

When I first watched the TED talk by educational scientist Sugata Mitra, “The Child Driven Education” it intrigued me but I did not see a correlation to early childhood education.  In his talk Mitra discusses his experiments promoted by the lack of high quality teachers and schools where they are needed most.  Mitra’s ‘Hole in the Wall’ project placed computers in a wall in areas such as New Delhi to South Africa to Italy. The children from the area project figured out how to use a computer and internet on their own.  In addition these children took it a step further; they taught other children about the computer.

I started to marvel how amazing children are.  Here were children who probably never even heard of a computer or the internet yet they managed to learn how to use it and teach others as well.  While I am not an advocate for using computers with early childhood children, the story experiment showed a few things.  The first is the importance of environment and the second is learning is social. These are two aspects of early childhood we as educators tend to forget.

Recently, there has been a lot of focus on the need for educated teachers in early childhood. Although educated teachers are an asset to learning, Mitra’s experiment proves when it comes to learning a child’s interest is paramount.  When children are engaged learning will occur.  In NAEYC’s Call for Action states “That high quality early experiences make a difference in children’s lifelong academic and social success . . . Specifically, children who experience high-quality, stable child care engage in more complex play, demonstrate more secure attachments to adults and other children, and score higher on measures of thinking ability and language development” (2014).  NAEYC’s statement supports the need for engagement for learning. Although NAEYC’s statement, ‘high-quality,’ implies some environments are better than others, it does not define ‘high-quality’ materials.  To engage children we must capture their interests.  Young children are no different than adults in that their interests are wide and varied.  They also change from time to time. It is essential to a child’s early childhood development and learning that we provide a vast variety of materials with a wide range of uses and possibilities in a way that allows them to explore without prescribed outcomes.

 The other aspect of Mitra’s experiment that stood out was that learning is a social event.  It is human nature to share what interests them with others.  These young teachers had no formal training in the subject matter or in teaching yet they became the teacher. The Montessori programs for early childhood have long been recognized amoung the best available.   “One of the distinguishing features of a Montessori Preschool is its mixed-age grouping. Children ages 3 to 6 are placed together and each enjoys a three-year cycle programme. Pro-social behaviour is enhanced and the classroom is a rich learning environment that meets the intellectual levels of all members. Children learn through active engagement with the wide range of didactic materials and there is also much learning by simply watching the work and behaviour of others in the environment” (Choo, 2014). By allowing children to learn from their peers we give the teaching child the opportunity to practice the skills and knowledge they have mastered and build their self-esteem.  Montessori herself once said, “there is nothing that makes [one] learn more than teaching someone else” (as cited in Choo, 2014). The learner also benefits. After all “the mind of the five year old is so much nearer than [the adult’s] to the mind of a child of three” (as cited in Choo, 2014). Children can relate to each other better than they can to adults.

Mitra’s experiment shows the disposition children have for learning.  They are like sponges soaking up knowledge, scaffolding it with their existing knowledge.  They are constantly trying to make sense of their world by nature. Mitra’s experiment showed children having equal results with an ‘untrained’ teacher as the group in a highly rated school.  The children did not need to be taught to learn they needed encouragement and opportunity.  They worked together to find the answers; through collaboration – the sharing of ideas they found answers.

 What would happen if we allowed the children to control the reins of their learning?

 As educators are we holding the children back educational despite our intentions of teaching?

 Most of our public schools and child care programs are grouped by age. Should we return to the one room school system, mixing age groups allowing children to teach each other?

References

Choo, C. M. (2014, April 5). Retrieved from The Benefits of Peer Teaching in the Early Years: https://suite.io/carolyn-marie-choo/26sm213

Mitra, S. (2010, July). The child-driven education. Retrieved from TED Talks: https://www.ted.com/talks/sugata_mitra_the_child_driven_education

NAEYC. (2014, April 5). A Call for Excellence in Early Childhood Education. Retrieved from National Association for the Education of Young Children: http://www.naeyc.org/policy/excellence

Language Acquisition

Recently, I had a discussion with a colleague, Kathy, in regards to children being exposed to more than one language in infancy. Kathy felt exposing young children would confuse the child and hinder the child’s ability to learn language correctly.  Kathy felt exposing children to more than one language would have a negative effect on the child’s language development as well as his/her cognitive and educational development. Kathy’s ideas were formed by her own struggles to learn a second language.  While learning new concepts and ideas came easy to her all her life, she struggled all the way through her classes in Spanish.  She found learning to be challenging for the first time in her life. As the director of a church based program in an upper middle class community Kathy has had no personal experience with bilingual families.  All of the children enrolled in her program have English as their native language.

My experiences have been much different than Kathy’s.  The program I administered was very multicultural.  Many of the families are from other countries attending the local university.  We have had families from all over the world literally.  The teaching staff all speak English.  While we have learned some key words such as bathroom for our older preschoolers, English is what is spoken to the children.  In my effort to explain the idea that being exposed to a different language at childcare than in the home I asked Kathy if the children had the same rules, routines or expectations at home as they do when attending her program.  Obviously, childcare and home life is different and children learn the differences.  While it is easier to see in preschoolers, the differences are there for infants and toddlers as well.  I do not know of any preschooler that ‘lines up’ or asks to go to the bathroom once toilet trained.  In most early childhood programs these actions are standard behavior and children have no problem knowing the differences.  Even the very young learn differences.  I have had many conversations with parents in regards to the difference in behaviors they see in their child at ‘school’ when compared to how they act at home.  Children wait their turn more frequently as well as share their caretaker’s lap while having a story read.

My discussion with Kathy led me to some real investigating. I knew from personal experience that young children appeared to be on target developmentally despite being exposed to more than one language.  Our conversation had me questioning what research was available on the subject.  I found a report by Academy for Educational Development made for migrant and seasonal head start programs.  The report details some of the work by Ollier and her associates where two group of families with infants were recruited.  One group was monolingual and the other group of infants was regularly exposed to two languages.  The research showed despite being exposed to one or two languages infants began babbling at approximately the same time.  “Babbling in infants living in bilingual environments did not occur later than monolingual children, but slightly earlier” (Stechuk, 2006).  The report also addressed other concerns such as delayed language acquisition and confusion.  Through the research of Petito and her colleagues no evidence was found to substantiate any of these fears.

Children particularly infants are often underestimated in regard to their ability to adapt and even flourish based on their environment.  They are literally like little sponges waiting to soak up whatever we ‘spill’ their way.  This is true if it is one or two languages.  All this brings up an interesting question. When should we teach children a second language?  I thought when I looked for an answer I would find an abundance of research all indicated approximately the same age.  The opposite was true.  I believe you could find research substantiating your opinion regardless of the age you state.

Personally, I have tried to learn a second language as an adult and although I have learned a few words I would not say I have been successful.  I can argue this was more a matter of not being motivated.  As an adult educator can attest to adults must be motivated for real learning to transpire. I know I ‘wanted’ to learn but admittedly I can say I was not extremely motivated.  I have no real need of a foreign language so on some level I am not truly motivated. When is the optimal learning time for a second language?  Is there one?

References

Stechuk, R. A. (2006). Bilingual Infant/Toddler Environments: Supporting Language & Learning in Our Youngest Children. A Guide for Migrant & Seasonal Head Start Programs. Washington, DC: Academy for Educational Development.

 

 

Introduction

I grew up in New York in a small town called Goshen.  It is about an hour north from New York City. I am the youngest of eight children.  While this may seem a large family by many standards, my parents did not feel so.  My father was one of fifteen and my mother from a family of thirteen.  Family was all there was before I went to school as my parents had time for little else.  As the youngest I was chief babysitter for my nieces and nephews from an early age.  When I was about thirteen my parents became foster parents for the state.  In five years time we had seventy two children come into our home from a wide range of circumstances.

I dropped out of school at the age of sixteen when I became pregnant with my daughter.  Many were upset that I was ruining my chances at college and a career.  In high school I was always an honor student and many had dreams for me.  All included my going to college and having a career.  All I wanted was a home with a white picket fence and a yard full of children.  None of us had their dreams come true.

My first marriage fell apart quickly, leaving me to raise my daughter on my own.  I was forced to examine a career choice.  The reality of providing for my daughter and myself made me realize money was a necessity and life did not always work out as you planned.  In short I grew up quickly.  My parents offered to care for my daughter so I could obtained my GED and enrolled in our community college to study business with a focus on computer programming.  My last semester I realized a career in computer programming would require me to travel to New York City leaving my daughter in the care of others for twelve or more hours a day.  I obtained a job as an office worker in a construction company working my way to office manager.  Years went by, I married my best friend and my daughter grew to a teen.  My husband and I had the shared dream of the house with a picket fence and a yard full of children.  Despite years of trying, testing and procedures I was not able to conceive.

When my daughter was twelve we took a caretaker’s job for a summer campground that required us to do nothing really except for me to remain at home and call police if there was vandalism.  This allowed me to be home at an age when my daughter was too old for childcare (or going to grandma’s).  My friend’s children got the chicken pox and she had to work.  I offered to care for the twins.  I loved it as did they.  They never returned to the daycare.  A few months later another friend had the same issue.  My little groups was now a group of three and I had others asking for their children to remain with me as well.  The result was a new career I had never considered.  I became licensed as a home provider.  In a short time I had to expand to become a small center thanks to the cooperation and help from my family.

I have found my business background helpful working as a director.  It is sad that childcare must look at the bottom line but if the expenses constantly outweigh the revenue a business will fold.  Many in the field know what is good for children but doing so while balancing a budget is a struggle.

I am from a generation that by the time we were in school we went outside to play and came home when the street lights came on. My daughter was lucky enough to have experienced the same thing.  I see the children of today spending so much time in controlled environments.  They go from childcare to school to structured after school activities.  There is little or no free exploration. My goal as an early childhood professional is to find ways we can recreate environments that offer children the freedom to explore and experience life first hand.  They need to take risks and learn from them.  Children need to connect with nature and build a relationship with the natural world as well as their community.  I want to see the children of the future enjoy the simple pleasure of being a child free to play.

Did you and do you now have a relationship with the natural world? Do you find nature comforting or something to fear? When you were a child were you supervised closely or allowed freedoms?  Do you allow your children the same freedoms you had?  Do you see children playing outside in your community?  Do the children you know have creative imaginations? Are they able to entertain themselves without rules or adult intervention?