A research article I found to be interesting was one written by the U.S. Department of Agriculture on the "Expenditures on Children by Families, 2010". The USDA issues an annual report calculating the cost of raising children to inform parents and policymakers about the burdens on the average family budget.
This article was interesting to me because it calculated the annual expenses a family spend on a child. Even though most families provide for their children, I don't think many realize or has ever calculated how much money it takes to provide for their children. One report findings concluded for a husband-wife households with two children earnings less than $57,000 in pre-tax income, annual expenses for a child ranged from $8,480 to $9,630, depending on the child's age; for households with income between $57,600 and $99,730, expenses ranged from $11,880 to $13,830; and for households making more than $97,730, the figure was $19,770 to $23,690.
The USDA also uses this data to shape government policies on such issues as child support and foster care. For more information about this article, go to http://journalistsresource.org/studies/society/education/expenditures-children-families-2010/
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Saturday, September 17, 2011
EDUC 6163 Building Research Competencies: My Personal Research Journey
During this course "Building Research Competencies", I will be gaining knowledge of understanding, evaluating, and utilizing research. The topic I chose to do my research on is the importance of play in early childhood growth and development.
Today, most people see children as just playing, but there is much more to the picture than meets the eye. They are really learning. Play is an important component of early childhood development by strengthening children's social skills and helping to build self-esteem. They learn how to explore, discover, and learn. Also, they develops problem solving skills and interpersonal skills. Therefore, most of play research supports the notion that play is essential to physical, social, cognitive, and emotional aspects of a child's development.
I am very interested to see what research currently has to say and have proven how important play is to the development and growth in early childhood development. As I began my research, I have already learned from this course how to use the eight steps to evaluate websites and analyze information presented in the articles to see if they adhere to accepted standards/guidelines regarding quality research. This information will be helpful to me by selecting valuable resources to apply to my research.
If you have any advice, insights, or resources that might help me with this process of research about "The Importance of Play in Early Childhood Development", it will be greatly appreciated. Listed below are some resources I have already found that I will like to share on this topic.
Resources:
Anderson-McNamee, J. & Bailey, S. (2010). The Importance of Play in Early Childhood Development. Retrieved from http://www.msuestension.org/publications/HomeHealthandFamily/MT201003HR.pdf
Ginsburg, K. (2007). The Importance of Play in Promoting Healthy Child Development and Maintaining Strong Parent-Child Bonds. Retrieved from http://www.aap.org/pressroom/playFINAL.pdf
Isenberg, J. & Quisenberry, N. (2002). Play: Essential For All Children- A Position Paper of the Association for Childhood Education International. Retrieved from http://www.udel.edu/bateman/acei/playpaper.htm
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Issues and Trends: Consequences of International Contacts
Learning about the international early childhood field has contributed to my professional and personal development by:
(1) Gaining a different cultural perspective on Early Childhood Education. The learning abroad experience added breadth to my knowledge of skills and understanding in early childhood.
(2) Learning about the international early childhood field gave me the opportunity to review shared information, resources, tools, and approaches in early childhood that would help enable me and other organizations to learn from and support one another as we develop and implement programs, services and systems to improve the lives of young children and their families.
(3) Being able to sign up for newsletters to receive periodic notifications about what's going on in the early childhood field and related events and materials.
My goal for the field related to international awareness of issues and trends will be to continually use this valuable information and internationally available resources in order to help me with my professional growth in a culturally diverse nation.
To my colleagues in this course of "Issues and Trends in the Early Childhood Field", I wish you many blessings as you continue on your professional path in early childhood studies.
(1) Gaining a different cultural perspective on Early Childhood Education. The learning abroad experience added breadth to my knowledge of skills and understanding in early childhood.
(2) Learning about the international early childhood field gave me the opportunity to review shared information, resources, tools, and approaches in early childhood that would help enable me and other organizations to learn from and support one another as we develop and implement programs, services and systems to improve the lives of young children and their families.
(3) Being able to sign up for newsletters to receive periodic notifications about what's going on in the early childhood field and related events and materials.
My goal for the field related to international awareness of issues and trends will be to continually use this valuable information and internationally available resources in order to help me with my professional growth in a culturally diverse nation.
"The best way to predict your future is to make it".
-Anonymous Author
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Gettin to Know International Contacts- Part 3
UNESCO's "Early Childhood Care and Education" is a United Nation's Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization that advocates for Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programs that attend to health, nutrition, security and learning which will provide for children's development.
One of the news' articles on UNESCO's website I chose to explore was "Every child has the right to education!" The Convention on the Rights of the Child observed its 20th anniversary on November 20, 2010. With this convention, states have legal obligations to ensure the right to education in their constitution and laws and take steps to improve education policies and strategies to give it effect.
On the 20th anniversary of the Convention, the biggest challenge was to eliminate disparities in education and ensure that the core obligations of states regarding the right to education remain in the forefront for pushing the education for All agenda forward.
Here is a statement in the article I would like to share that was related to issues and trends: excellence and the equity of care and education for children and families:
"The right to education is not only a human right in itself but also essential for the exercise of all human rights."
For additional information, visit the UNESCO's Early Childhood Care and Education website:
http://www.unesco.org/new/en/education/themes/strengthening-education-systems/early-childhood/
One of the news' articles on UNESCO's website I chose to explore was "Every child has the right to education!" The Convention on the Rights of the Child observed its 20th anniversary on November 20, 2010. With this convention, states have legal obligations to ensure the right to education in their constitution and laws and take steps to improve education policies and strategies to give it effect.
On the 20th anniversary of the Convention, the biggest challenge was to eliminate disparities in education and ensure that the core obligations of states regarding the right to education remain in the forefront for pushing the education for All agenda forward.
Here is a statement in the article I would like to share that was related to issues and trends: excellence and the equity of care and education for children and families:
"The right to education is not only a human right in itself but also essential for the exercise of all human rights."
For additional information, visit the UNESCO's Early Childhood Care and Education website:
http://www.unesco.org/new/en/education/themes/strengthening-education-systems/early-childhood/
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Sharing Web Resources
The outside link I chose to explore on the ZERO TO THREE website was the "Policy Guide ". The Early Experiences Matter Policy Guide includes an issue brief on building early childhood systems, as well as other policy briefs, practical tools, and in-depth policy. The policy guide offers policy options and strategies to use in an effort to affect policy change for infants, toddlers, and their families. To access the Early Experience Matter Policy Guide, go to http://main.zerotothree.org/site/DocServer/Policy_Guide.pdf?docID=8401.
This week, "The Baby Monitor", ZERO TO THREE's Policy and Advocacy News shared a newsletter with me that contributed to my understanding of equity and excellence in early care and education. The Launch of National Movement for America's Children is a group of child advocacy organizations that have launched a nationwide pledge, listening tour, and crowd-sourcing tool designed to develop a national strategy for the healthy growth and development of EVERY child. The National Movement for America's Children (the Movement) is founded that ALL of our children deserve nurturing environments that support healthy brain development so they are prepared to learn in school, grow into productive, contributing adults, and help their community, and our country, be prosperous and competitive in the global economy. With the crowd-sourcing tools, all families will have access and availability to the best quality services.
Reference:
ZERO TO THREE. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.zerotothree.org/
This week, "The Baby Monitor", ZERO TO THREE's Policy and Advocacy News shared a newsletter with me that contributed to my understanding of equity and excellence in early care and education. The Launch of National Movement for America's Children is a group of child advocacy organizations that have launched a nationwide pledge, listening tour, and crowd-sourcing tool designed to develop a national strategy for the healthy growth and development of EVERY child. The National Movement for America's Children (the Movement) is founded that ALL of our children deserve nurturing environments that support healthy brain development so they are prepared to learn in school, grow into productive, contributing adults, and help their community, and our country, be prosperous and competitive in the global economy. With the crowd-sourcing tools, all families will have access and availability to the best quality services.
Reference:
ZERO TO THREE. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.zerotothree.org/
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Gettin to Know International Contacts- Part 2
I haven't received a response from my international contacts, so therefore, I explored the "Global Children's Initiative " website to see what issues was related to this week's assignment: Excellence and Equity of Care and Education for Children and Families.
The Center on the Developing Child has launched the Blobal Children's Initiative as an effort to connect internationally with others as an appoach to child survival, health, and development in the earliest years of life. The Center's commitment is to meet the needs of all children and use a critical investment in the roots of economic productivity, positive health outcomes, and strong civil society in all nations fromthe poorest to the most affluent (Center on the Developing Child, 2011).
One of the latest approaches discussed on the website was a 2010 World Conference in Moscow titled, "Global Gathering on Moscow Put Spotlight on Early Childhood Issues." The Center Director Jack Shonkoff delivered a keynote address to put early childhood care and education (ECCE) front and center as a human development policy imperative.
In an effort for excellence and equity of care and education for children and families, in 2000, the world's governments established a set of goals- such as ending extreme poverty and hunger, to ensure that every child worldwide completes at least a primary education, and to reduce child mortality by two-thirds- to be achieved by 2015. These goals are known as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
At the conference, Dr. Shonkoff described what brain science says about child development, how healthy cognitive development and the unhealthy effects of early-life adversity have ramifications both for the long-term health of the individual and for society, and what the implications are for policymakers.
I would like to share with you a statement in the article that really enlightened me about early childhood care and education by Dr. Mmantsetsa Marope, the director of the Division of Basic Education at UNESCO.
"ECCE is an unshakeable foundation for the development of the human capital required for higher value-added productivity, sustainable growth, competitiveness... and utlimately more equitable and politically stable societies."
References:
Center on the Developing Child-Harvard University-Global Children's Initiative. (2011). Global Gathering in Moscow Put Spotlight on Early Childhood Issues. Retrieved from http://developingchild.harvard.edu/initiatives/global_initiative/
The Center on the Developing Child has launched the Blobal Children's Initiative as an effort to connect internationally with others as an appoach to child survival, health, and development in the earliest years of life. The Center's commitment is to meet the needs of all children and use a critical investment in the roots of economic productivity, positive health outcomes, and strong civil society in all nations fromthe poorest to the most affluent (Center on the Developing Child, 2011).
One of the latest approaches discussed on the website was a 2010 World Conference in Moscow titled, "Global Gathering on Moscow Put Spotlight on Early Childhood Issues." The Center Director Jack Shonkoff delivered a keynote address to put early childhood care and education (ECCE) front and center as a human development policy imperative.
In an effort for excellence and equity of care and education for children and families, in 2000, the world's governments established a set of goals- such as ending extreme poverty and hunger, to ensure that every child worldwide completes at least a primary education, and to reduce child mortality by two-thirds- to be achieved by 2015. These goals are known as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
At the conference, Dr. Shonkoff described what brain science says about child development, how healthy cognitive development and the unhealthy effects of early-life adversity have ramifications both for the long-term health of the individual and for society, and what the implications are for policymakers.
I would like to share with you a statement in the article that really enlightened me about early childhood care and education by Dr. Mmantsetsa Marope, the director of the Division of Basic Education at UNESCO.
"ECCE is an unshakeable foundation for the development of the human capital required for higher value-added productivity, sustainable growth, competitiveness... and utlimately more equitable and politically stable societies."
References:
Center on the Developing Child-Harvard University-Global Children's Initiative. (2011). Global Gathering in Moscow Put Spotlight on Early Childhood Issues. Retrieved from http://developingchild.harvard.edu/initiatives/global_initiative/
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Sharing Web Resources: Economists, Neuroscientists, and Politicians as Early Childhood Advocates
ZERO TO THREE:
http://www.zerotothree.org/
This week's assignment, I will be exploring the issues and trends on how economists, reuroscientists, and politicians seek out to be advocates for early childhood. ZERO TO THREE shared a newsletter with me this week titled, "The Baby Monitor: Be a Big Voice for Little Kids in the Debt Ceiling Debate!"
August 2, 2011 is the deadline for raising the debt ceiling debate. Advocates for very young children need to continue to pay attention to the debates because their outcome will determine the capacity for federal investments. The current debate continues to focus on changing the structure of budgeting, so advocates must focus on thow the effect of restructuring the size and role of the federal government would have on infants and toddlers.
To give you an understanding of the ongoing debate, ZERO TO THREE states: "The proposed spending capsw will shrink federal spending to about 18% of the GDP from its current level of 24%, which would result in hard hits to the broad range of services and programs that protect and support the healthy development of young children and their families." As advocates, we need to remind policymakers that they are proposing to cut not only government, but the supports for children and their families. In order to protect our children from the restructuring of budgeting, we need to "Be a Big Voice for Little Kids"!!!
If you want to know more about what's going on in your state, ZERO TO THREE has a public database called Baby Matters which contains information on state policies and initiatives impacting infants, toddlers, and their families that serve as a resource for professional, advocates, and policymakers.
References:
ZERO TO THREE. (2011). The Baby Monitor: Be a Big Voice for Little Kids in the Debt Ceiling Debate. Retrieved from http://www.zerotothree.org/
http://www.zerotothree.org/
This week's assignment, I will be exploring the issues and trends on how economists, reuroscientists, and politicians seek out to be advocates for early childhood. ZERO TO THREE shared a newsletter with me this week titled, "The Baby Monitor: Be a Big Voice for Little Kids in the Debt Ceiling Debate!"
August 2, 2011 is the deadline for raising the debt ceiling debate. Advocates for very young children need to continue to pay attention to the debates because their outcome will determine the capacity for federal investments. The current debate continues to focus on changing the structure of budgeting, so advocates must focus on thow the effect of restructuring the size and role of the federal government would have on infants and toddlers.
To give you an understanding of the ongoing debate, ZERO TO THREE states: "The proposed spending capsw will shrink federal spending to about 18% of the GDP from its current level of 24%, which would result in hard hits to the broad range of services and programs that protect and support the healthy development of young children and their families." As advocates, we need to remind policymakers that they are proposing to cut not only government, but the supports for children and their families. In order to protect our children from the restructuring of budgeting, we need to "Be a Big Voice for Little Kids"!!!
If you want to know more about what's going on in your state, ZERO TO THREE has a public database called Baby Matters which contains information on state policies and initiatives impacting infants, toddlers, and their families that serve as a resource for professional, advocates, and policymakers.
References:
ZERO TO THREE. (2011). The Baby Monitor: Be a Big Voice for Little Kids in the Debt Ceiling Debate. Retrieved from http://www.zerotothree.org/
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