"My Supports"

My definition of support will be having someone or people in your life for survivorship. My support from my family and friends hav a very powerful effect on my ability to survive and overcome challenges. With the supportive care from my family and friends, I have developed the emotional and social skills I need to manage my daily life and to confront new potentially challenging situations. I have been blessed with a very supportive husband, loving mother, great children and family and friends that accept me and love me for who I am. They are always there to offer me encouragement and comfort during difficult times. I can always depend on them and don't know where I would be today if it wasn't for them.

When times are tough, a supportive network is needed to help me progress through the difficulties, problems, concerns, and struggles. The biggest challenge I would face is being alone and not having anyone there for me emotionally, informationally, and physically; especially if I had a disability. For example, about a month ago, I had to go into the hospital for a procedure to performed under anesthesia. I was very scared, but my family was there for me, and my friends constantly called for an update on how I was doing. After this procedure, I have been on a strick diet, and my family are very remindful of what  I can have to get better and overcome this obstacle. Without family and friends, my life will be like a "sinking ship without a sail".  Therefore, family and friends would be definitely essential for my sanity. I couldn't function properly without them. Thank God for my support network!!

"My Connections to Play"

Quotes:

“It is a happy talent to know how to play”- Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Life must be lived as play”- Plato

                  

The role of play in my childhood was awesome. I lived in the country where there wasn’t very much to do but entertain yourself. My mother, as a single parent, tried always to buy me all the current toys and baby dolls so I could play. I had two other sisters at home to play with me, also. Play in my childhood would give me the free-choice to explore and see what I could invent on my own; especially with my easy-bake oven and designing my baby dolls hair. As being a little girl, I always loved to pretend play the role of being a mother to my baby dolls and cooking in my easy-bake oven. Often late in the evenings, my sisters and I would love to ride our bicycles up and down the country roads, just enjoying the peaceful air and looking at the environment.

Today, play is different from the play I was engaged in as a child. Children are more involved in watching TV, playing computer games, or using some other kind of technology. They don’t really play or get involved in outdoor activities as much as years ago. I realize that technology is on the rise and has many advantages, but I feel that children should also take advantage of play and learn the concepts, skills, and tasks through natural play experiences as I experienced as a child. Therefore, I recommend everyone- children and adults- to take advantage of “play” as an enjoyable learning experience by having fun.

Relationship Reflection

Building relationships/partnerships are very important to me. In order to have a positive relationship with someone, it takes effort from both of you. When you have a good relationship with someone, they can be trusted and relied on in times of difficulty, they are always ready to help, and they are enjoyable to be around, and in return you do the same for the relationship to work.

There are several people that I have a positive relationship and standing partnership with. They are my Mom, Husband, and Children. These people are always there when I need them. The expression “actions speak louder than words” is definitely true when it comes to a relationship. They are many factors that contribute to maintaining these positive relationships and partnerships. One of the most and valuable factor is “trust”. I believe that without trust, a relationship or partnership cannot work.

My Mom- Mom has always been there for me from birth to now. She has always loved, cared, and supported me. She has always been able to confide with me and try to support my well-being. She always has a helping hand and is willing to give whatever when needed if she has it.

My Husband and partner- My husband and I have a positive relationship. I met him in high school and we have been together since then. We had to build this relationship in order for it to be positive, passionate, and withstanding. Even though, we have had a lot of challenges to develop and maintain a positive relationship, we were always able to work through them. Now our relationship/partnership has the stability that’s stronger and more lasting.

My Children- As a mom, I have a positive and ongoing relationship with my children. I am there to support them mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. I am not only their mom, but also their friend in which they can come to me with whatever they need.

I also have “friends” that I have built a relationship and partnership with. Having healthy, productive relationships with my family and friends is the most important thing to me in life. Each relationship and partnership gives me a chance to invest my energy making another person’s future better. Everyone needs to strive to build good positive relationships and partnerships with people in the society today in order to make the world a better place.

As an early childhood professional, I want my work to have an impact on my children and families. Not only will I like to have a positive relationship with them, but to also have an effective partnership in promoting the development of the child. By doing this, I will involve parents in making choices about their child’s development, give the families a voice in decision-making by respecting their interests and a commitment to partnership, and continue to maintain the trust.

Child's Quote:

Children are like wet cement. Whatever falls on them makes an impression.” - Dr. Haim Ginott

Whatever we teach children and whatever they learn in early childhood will follow them throughout the rest of their lives. As early childhood educators, we have the chance and ability to make a constructive difference in the lives of both- our parents and children.

Testing for Intelligence

When you are viewing the "whole child", I think they should only be measured or assessed developmentally appropriate. Observation should be done to evaluate the child's developmental progress, to make placement or promotion decisions, to diagnose learning and teaching problems, to help in instruction and curriculum decisions, to serve as a basis for reporting to parents, and to assist a child with assessing his or her own progress.

In our prekindergarten program, we observe and assess our children by taking daily observational notes on the child's developmentally significant behaviors during the children's normal activities. Teachers use these observational notes to complete the assessment forms.

School-age children in Fulford, Florida are assessed from the time they enter that school. In the foundation stage assessment takes place through formal and informal observations which are matched to six areas of learning covering mathematics, literacy, knowledge and understanding, creative and physical activities and personal and social development (Fulford Primary School, 2011).

For additional information on assessments:
Fulford Primary School:
http://www.fulford.staff.sch.uk/documents/Assessment_Booklet_parents.pdf
Ready at Five Partnership: promoting school readiness
http://www.readyatfive.org/facts/qu.aspx#how

Consequences of Stress on Children's Development: Hunger

Hunger is one of the common stressors in a child’s life. I work in pre-kindergarten, and several of our students only get meals they receive at school. We had a student to say she was ready for breakfast because she did not have anything to eat at home. As educated people, we know that no child can learn when their basic necessities are not met. It is very difficult to retain information and learn on an empty stomach.

During the summer, our school nutrition director serves a summer feeding program at the local parks, churches, and our schools so that our children will be fed through the summer months. Or local churches are sending backpacks filled with food in the afternoon so that some of the needy families will have can goods that can be prepared for dinner.

The Democratic Republic of Congo, is still a nation in crisis. From years of conflict and neglect, the nation is still struggling with widespread poverty, food insecurity, uneven economic development, and regional instability. The country experiences routine outbreaks of malnutrition that threatened thousands of lives. The Action Against Hunger partnership with the Congolese Ministry of Health, and health authorities treated 35,000 cases of severe malnutrition across the Democratic Republic of Congo (ONE, 2011). Malnutrition is a leading killer of children worldwide.

In outpatient centers that are managed by the Congolese Ministry of Health and integrated into the local health system, nurses are trained and equipped by Action Against Hunger to treat and monitor malnourished children during weekly visits. Children whose condition has deteriorated to such an extent to need hospitalization receive intense care in therapeutic stabilization centers, which are set up in local and regional hospitals. After the children have recovered, they are admitted to the outpatient nutrition program for continued treatment until targeted weight is reached. Majority of them return to full health within six weeks.

Now because of the national nutrition protocol and specially- formulated Ready-to-Use (RUFs) like Plumpy’nut, malnourished children can visit the outpatient centers once a week to get a medical check-up, be weighed and measured, and receive therapeutic RUFs to consume at home.

REFERENCES:
ONE. (2011). Fighting deadly malnutrition in D.R. Congo. Retrieved March 21, 2011 from http://www.one.org/blog/2011/01/04/fighting-deadly-malnutrition-in-d-r-congo/

Nutrition/Malnutrition

Nutrition/Malnutrition is a public health measure that impacts children’s development all over this world. Working in the field of early childhood, it is important that young children get the proper nutrition they need. Good nutrition is a building block for proper development and many children around the world do not get enough to eat, and the meals they do have are often deficient of essential nutrients. Research has shown that when children get good nutrition it will strengthen the immune system, enhance cognitive and physical development, and increase concentration in school.

Children with malnutrition lack the nutrients necessary for their bodies to grow and stay healthy. Children who are chronically malnourished have stunted growth and are underweight. Studies show that stunted children in the first two years of life have lower cognitive test scores, delayed enrollment, higher absenteeism, and more class repetition compared with non stunted children.

As an early childhood professional, improving the care for young children is vital. In my future work, I will ensure that the children I work with get appropriate care that will be an essential element to good nutrition and health.

Additional Resources:

Berger, K.S (2009). The developing person through childhood. (5^th ed.) New York, NY: Worth Publishers, Chapter 5.

Children International. (2011). Nutrition. Retrieved March 10, 2011 from http://www.children.org/nutrition.asp

The Mother and Child Health and Education Trust. (2011). Underlying Causes of Malnutrition- Mother, Infant and Young Child Nutrition & Malnutrition. Retrieved March 10, 2011 from http://motherchilnutrition.org/malnutrition/about-malnutrition/underlying-causes-of-mal...

The Nemours Foundation. (1995-2011). Hunger and Malnutrition. Retrieved March 10, 2011 from http://kidshealth.org/Pagemanager.jsp?dn=KidsHealth&lic=1&ps=207&cat_id=20132&art