Observing Communication

The resources this week were well worth spending time on. Its great to know that we have systematics in place to ensure that the children we work with are surrounded by affirming and nurturing environments. I observed a mother and her son in a store called Charming Charlie. The mother was shopping for jewelry and her son was just following her around everywhere. From that itself, I can say that he is a well disciplined child. He wasn't running around the store like some children would do, nor was he speaking loudly as some children would do. He seemed very happy and as he was singing along to the songs that were playing in the store, his mother would ask him questions about the jewelry she selected. This allowed him to feel that what he was saying is relevant and meant something special to his mother. By her interactions with him, anyone could notice that she gives him the opportunity to express himself the way that he chooses to.  Your attitudes influence how you communicate with

babies. I have learned that the value of talking to babies directly gives the nurturing environment children need.  In my time with children, I learned that each child will have a different style, and is likely to talk in different ways and in different contexts. (Stephenson,2009)We should all find ways that they can communicate that are enjoyable for them. (Stephenson,2009)

Stephenson, A. (2009). Conversations with a 2-year-old. YC: Young Children, 64(2), 90-95. Retrieved from the Walden Library using the Education Research Complete database. http://ezp.waldenulibrary.org/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&AN=37131016&site=ehost-live&scope=site

Creating Affirming Environments

In my childcare setting, I envision having a safe environment and friendly atmosphere most importantly.  I would allow up to nine children in my home daycare, two infants, five toddlers and up to two school age children.  My staff would include three respectable, responsible, vibrant professionals who value morals just as I do and have an elongated desire for anti-bias curriculum.  The elements of cultural variety that I would want to include are visual learning aids, games, books, and dolls.  Visual learning aids can be interactive and can help customize the learning process. When children have something interesting to look at, it helps to hold their attention.  Games can incorporate many of the different skills important to children learning: word connections, motor skills, social interactions and emotional control and development. For instance, playing hokey-pokey teaches different body parts and following directions.  Do you not agree?  Books are important because they introduce the love of reading as well as similarities and differences of individuals (Derman-Sparks & Olsen Edwards, 2010, p 52). Dolls and art are important because they offer children a variety of objects to play with and explore -- banging on a pot with a spoon, dressing up with scarves and funny hats and putting on skits that teach them how to creatively explore the world.  The visuals that I would have in sight would include paintings and pictures of a diverse group of people and animals, letters and numbers, shapes, puzzles, board games, activity and coloring books, toys for all ages, dolls that represent boys and girls, men and women of different culture,  available computers, a section for dramatic play with costumes, hats, jewelry, phones, play kitchen sets/ laundry sets, reading books for all ages, and dvd’s that provide educational information only.  I would also have musical cd’s that reflect on American culture, Chinese culture, Native Indian Culture, Hispanic culture, and Latin culture etc. so that I could introduce diversity to my students with more than just reading materials. I am not a huge fan of watching a lot of television so we would not watch it as much, but the children will be allowed to get an hour of television a day.  The back yard would also have visual materials for children to play with and learn from.  I would have a sandpit, plastic fishing poles, small basketballs, footballs, soccer balls, and soft baseballs.  I would have a swing set with a slide set up as well for the children.  Having many options to choose from allows the children to become excited about what they see and use their imaginations.  When reading Richards article, I realized that it takes more than just play time and activities, if you want anti-bias education as a priority.  His goals for helping children develop a strong and positive self-concept through healthy intellectual, physical, social, emotional, and moral development inspired me to think of ways that I could achieve that.  He helped me to understand why allowing children to express their emotions helps them solve conflicts with one another.  I now understand the importance of incorporating family traditions so that all families feel welcomed.  He has helped me to understand that whatever I put into my program will reflect me and my leadership.   Bisson (2010) asks questions that relate to an all- inclusive atmosphere and it helped me to decide what I need for a successful environment (Derman-Sparks & Olsen Edwards, 2010, p 42).

References

Derman-Sparks, L., & Olsen Edwards, J. (2010). Anti-bias education for young children and ourselves. Washington, D.C.: National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)