Why We hold a Crying Baby

We hold children when they cry for a number of reasons. To make them be quiet, to build trust, to maintain or start a relationship with the child, but the most important reason is very rarely the one we think about. Holding a crying child/baby promotes self esteem and and positive self image. It shows a baby that they can trust, that it is okay to accept their feelings, and that we accept them and will be there to support their needs. Starting children out with this knowledge sets them up for a lifetime of positive thought that can be built on, or if something negative should occur will help with their resilience. We owe each child this as much as we owe them food and shelter. It is not just love that they get from comfort, but a building block that they carry for life. Babies can not be hand-spoiled, they can be taught to be self confident and develop trust that will follow them always.

Media Violence in Children's Lives

There is so much violence in our society each and every day, it seems to me that we only make it worse by promoting it in the T.V. and movies that we occupy our time with. We have control over what children do or do not watch so why are we allowing this violent behavior into their lives. They see many things we have no control over, but this we can control. I do believe that children's television should be more closely monitored by parents, but broadcasters also have a say on what goes on the air. They have a responsibility that they are lacking at. We as a society need to start standing up for what is right and not just what is popular. Stop thinking only for yourself and think about the future of  our country.

Music Experiences

During a transition time, lining up to go outside, I had the children sing songs to keep them occupied while all the children were getting their coats on. We sang The Itsy Bitsy Spider. I changed the words at the end of the first verse and the children all stopped what they were doing to look at me. They were surprised that I sang it wrong and were quick to correct me. So we started over and this time we all got it right. I did this for each verse, starting the entire song over each time. By the time we got to the end of the song correctly all the children were ready to go and it had kept their attention so completely that for the first time there was no shoving or hitting in the line. I will be doing this more often with different songs to see if it works all the time or if this was a fluke.

Respecting and Responding to Diversity

Children who are bilingual are very intelligent and should be treated as such. Supporting the home language while teaching a second language is in the best interest of not only the child but also of the family. Children need to know that they are accepted as they are and celebrated for their differences. Teachers should be eager to support all their students in whatever way they can and this includes going out of their own comfort zone. Learning about another person's culture and language shows respect and understanding. Even if you are only able to learn a few words or phrases, this shows effort which can make all the difference. Strive for success of the children in your life no matter where they may be. We can each make a difference if we only try.

Violence in the Lives of Children

After reading "Violence in the Lives of Children", a position statement of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), I am truly scared for the future of not just our children in our country but also for the adults. This paper was written in July of 1993, and 22 years later I know that things have gotten worse not better. To read these numbers is so shocking in its self, to know how outdated it is makes it scary. Violence in our country is out of control and we as adults SHOULD be outraged and do something about it as the article suggests. These are our children, if not physically than emotionally, and we need to protect them as a whole. The things we do to each other is horrible, and to know that children are watching and learning that it is acceptable behavior is not okay. Teachers are here to help both children and the family but parents are the first line of defense. Stand up and be heard. This is not okay and we as a family, as a community, as a town, a city, and a society will no longer just accept it as a norm.

Professional Development

I believe that all employees should have professional development that includes learning a second language even if one is not present in their current classroom, this would include sign language. I also think that trainings on the newest research for special needs children and helping families find resources should also be a must. It is required to update background checks and basic trainings but keeping up on the latest findings is very important. Too many teachers start in the classroom and then fall behind in the times because they fall into only doing the bare minimum for their own education.

Anti-discrimination

NAEYC's position on anti-discrimination is for the best interest of the children, there is to be no discrimination of any kind toward anyone. Teachers are hired and let go based on qualification and competence. Teachers are also not to discriminate against any child or family and are to be understanding and accepting of all cultures. This is clearly stated in both the NAEYC position statement and policy.

My early math experiences

When asked about my memories of math, thoughts of difficult classes and negligent teachers filled my head. Of course these were thoughts from junior and senior high school where math becomes less fun and more about remembering formulas and facts. To dig deeper in my memory banks took a little more work but I was surprised of my own findings. There was a time when I truly loved math and looked forward to it. Of no surprise was that these memories were connected to my favorite teacher. I was lucky enough to spend my very early years in a small town. As with small towns the class sizes were small as a result. In my kindergarten class there were only eight of us, I know this because I still have a class photo that my grandmother saved. I can remember counting everything we did, saw and touched. Baking cookies in the school kitchen and each of us getting to measure and set timers. Shapes were in everything we saw. During art we used shape stamps to make pictures as well as looking at paintings and finding the shapes within them before trying to recreate them our selves. Math was fun because there was no "math time', it was all the time. We learned math with out realizing we were learning. Children learn through fun and play and the minuet we stop the fun we truly slow the learning process.

Science in the Air

After reading the article "Science in the Air", I now believe that introducing science in my own classroom will be easier than I originally thought it would be. Science has always been an overwhelming area for me, never quite understanding all the terms and reasoning. I now realize that science in the classroom is really just an appreciation of the world around us. Noticing the weather and the changing seasons. How things feel and all the different textures. Shapes of things and all the different shapes that make up an object when looking through a magnifying glass or microscope. The key to getting a child's attention is to make it interesting to them by asking questions or finding things they want to understand. Following their lead can be more of a learning experience than trying to teach them a specific planned lesson. Making predictions and doing experiments helps them build knowledge in a fun way. Having pictures as a reference is great but taking pictures to remember actual experiences helps them remember and relate it to their everyday lives better. Creating experiments and documenting findings is not only a science activity but crosses over into areas of math and language as well. It helps with creativity and self esteem as well. In an age where math and language are pushed so hard in standard school settings we need to remember the importance of science and not over look it at this young age. Science can be fun, and fun helps in all areas of learning.

Serve and Return

After watching the three videos in the titled series

Three Core Concepts in Early Development

at http://developingchild.harvard.edu/resources/three-core-concepts-in-early-development/, I have come to the following conclusion.
Although all experiences and interactions shape the person we become, the ones we have in early childhood are of extreme importance. These are the ones that help the brain develop and grow and prune off the connections we don't use. It is important to have enriching experiences to help all areas grow. To limit these not only stifles growth but can stop the brain from ever developing these healthy connections. Interacting with children in a positive way helps make these initial connections and continue to strengthen them over time. Talking to them right from birth helps with language, cognition and building relationships that will last their life time. To deny children emotional and physical support causes toxic stress on their developing brain and body. Short term effects can be hard on a child but can be mended over time. Long term effects or neglect and abuse are heart breaking and can never be fully healed. We can not help build the foundation of a strong house after the walls and windows are already in place. Small patches can be made over time but it is so important to help children right from the start. We, as teachers, have to be the contractors that help the parents build their children to their full potential. They are the future of our society and getting it right from the beginning is so much easier and fulfilling than trying to fix it later.

Pixar's 'Inside Out'

After watching Pixar's 'Inside Out' and reading a couple of articles on other people's views on the subject of feelings and how they were depicted in this movie, I have made some conclusions of my own. Although everyone has the five different emotions of fear, sadness, disgust, anger and joy within themselves, each individual is different because of which emotion controls them the most or has the most impact on their actions. The entire movie impacted the way I think about not only how I handle my own feeling but also how I react to the feelings of others, especially children. An adult has years of practice on how they handle and react to different situations, but with a child every situation is a first and the outcome is unknown. Setting a standard for how they are supposed to react is unfair. They must acknowledge how they are feeling and be guided on how to work through it, not just ignore and move forward. Suppressing one's emotions only makes them build until they are no longer manageable. I believe the underlying message of the movie is to accept all of your emotions because they all have a place within you, and as much as you may want them to- "emotions can't quit".

History of Early Childhood Education

The history of early childhood education goes back hundreds of years. If you want a specific history you must be specific on the area to which you want to know about. Each geographic area, country and neighboring town has had a different path that has led us to where we are today. Starting with childcare for the royal and wealthy to necessity for the working family’s during the Industrial Revolution in our own country. War has played a huge part as to how and who educated children. Fathers were going off to war and leaving mothers to work to keep the family in food. This created a need for outside care. The age at which children were taught by others outside of the family has greatly changed over the years as well. Official schooling was not started till age 7 or 8 for boys and not at all for girls if you were at a lower income level. Never having a formal education was common for poor families because everyone worked to help out. Richer families had nannies and tutors for their children from birth. As time has passed we have seen the need to educate all children. Still there is a gap in the quality of care and education depending on how much you can afford to pay. Free programs are full of under staffed and uneducated teachers. This is not to say that all state and federal programs are bad. Some are lucky to have truly committed teachers who care for the future of their students. We have come a long way from where early childhood education was started but we still have a long way to go. Not all changes have been for the best, but change on a large scale is good because it shows that ideas are always changing and willing to learn from past mistakes.

"Catch a Bubble"

After watching a video titled "Catch a Bubble" @ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2dLPFaehV0&feature=emshare_video_user, I am upset and even a little teary eyed. I can very much see it as offensive from a child's point of view to be told to catch a bubble in order to tell them to be quiet or zip it. It is the equivalent to telling them to shut up. We want children to learn to use their words, but then we tell them not to. Yes, we do need to have their attention at times but yelling at a child is not the way to do it. We must capture their focus with song and take the time to talk to them as another individual who deserves respect. Just because they are young does not make them less. You wouldn't tell an adult to "put a bubble in it" during a board meeting or any time you are trying to speak. Children learn by example and this is not a lesson we want to teach them.

Road to NAEYC Accreditation

NAEYC Accreditation is a long process but very worth while. There is a lot of information on their web site http://www.naeyc.org/academy/pursuing/fourstepoverview, but here is a copy of their main page just to give you an idea.

The Four Steps help programs prepare for each stage of NAEYC Accreditation, and ensure that the crucial components of program quality are in place along the way.
Programs pursuing initial accreditation must complete the Four Steps. Currently accredited programs will pursue a new term of accreditation through the renewal process.

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Step 1: Enrollment/Self-Study

Align your program with the 10 NAEYC Early Childhood Program Standards

• Submit enrollment form and fee
• Register for TORCH
• Use Self-Study tools in TORCH to evaluate program quality and to inform quality improvement efforts
• Plan your program’s accreditation timeline, considering submission deadlines for reaccreditation if applicable

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Step 2: Application/Self-Assessment

Compile evidence on how your program meets the 10 NAEYC Early Childhood Program Standards

• Submit application and fee, selecting a Candidacy due date for Step 3
• Use Self-Assessment tools in TORCH to document that your program meets the 10 NAEYC Early Childhood Program Standards
• Gather documentation that your program meets the Candidacy Requirements
• Download Candidacy Materials eight weeks prior to self-selected Candidacy due date
• Complete Candidacy Materials

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Step 3: Candidacy

Demonstrate key components of high quality programming and preparedness for site visit

• Submit Candidacy Materials and fee on or before Candidacy due date
• “Fine tune” program improvement efforts in preparation for site visit
• Receive Candidacy decision from the NAEYC Academy

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Step 4: Meeting the Standards Demonstrate how your program meets the standards by allowing an NAEYC Assessor to observe your program in action and review evidence collected in Self-Assessment. For programs accepted as Candidates for NAEYC Accreditation: Receive contact from NAEYC Asessor(s) Provide NAEYC Assessor(s) with your program’s calendar and selected exclusion dates Submit changes in staff to NAEYC Academy (if applicable) Receive notification of 15-day window in which the site visit could occur Receive notification of site visit one business day prior to the visit Receive site visit within six months of Candidacy due date Receive accreditation decision within three months of site visit Accredited Programs: Celebrate your Accreditation Decision!

Step 4: Maintaining the Standards Demonstrate continued compliance with the 10 NAEYC Early Childhood Program Standards. Submit Annual Report on first through fourth anniversaries of accreditation anniversary date Update NAEYC with new information, including major programmatic changes, licensing/regulatory updates, and incidents that did or could have compromised the essential health or safety of any child. Submit to additional verification or random unannounced visits to demonstrate continued compliance with the program standards

Our Community Resources

When opening your own center you not only have to find the most qualified people possible but also have resources for your team of educators and for the children's caregivers to learn and expand their knowledge of early childhood education. Here are a few resources that I have come across that will help in this journey with hiring, evaluations and professional development for not just teachers but also caregivers who are interested in early childhood education.

• Merit-https://apps.del.wa.gov/merit/
• Puget Sound Educational Service District (PSESD)-www.psesd.org/
• Washington State Department of Early Learning (WSDEL or DEL)-www.del.wa.gov/
• Child Care Aware-wa.childcareaware.org/
• Early Achivers-www.del.wa.gov/care/qris/
• Child Care Check-www.del.wa.gov/check
• Local school districts:

1. Franklin Pierce Schools- fpschools.org/
2. Tacoma Public Schools- www.tacoma.k12.wa.us/
3. Bethel School District- www.bethelsd.org/
4. Clover Park School District- www.cloverpark.k12.wa.us/
5. Fife School District- www.fifeschools.com/

• Local colleges:

1.  Tacoma Community College- www.tacomacc.edu/
2. University of Washington- www.tacoma.uw.edu/
3. Clover Park Technical College- www.cptc.edu/
4. Evergreen State College- evergreen.edu/tacoma/home.htm
5. Bates Technical College- www.bates.ctc.edu/
6. Everest College- www.everest.edu/campus/tacoma
7. Pacific Lutheran University- www.plu.edu/
8. University of Puget Sound- www.pugetsound.edu/

 

Program Assessments

 Let us talk program or classroom assessments for a minute. There are four that I have taken the time to look at and they are all similar but with subtle differences.
 Infant/Toddler Environment Rating Scale (ITERS) and Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale (ECERS) are the closest in similarities because they were created by the same people and are just for different age groups. ITERS is for birth to 30 months while ECERS is for 24-60 months or 2-5 years of age. The ITERS scale consists of 39 items and the ECERS consists of 43 items both organized into 7 categories including; space and furnishings, personal care routines, listening and talking (language-reasoning for ECERS), activities, interaction, program structure, and lastly parents and staff. Each item has a rating based on what it should look like. It is a very simple scale to use and leaves little to no gray areas as to what a rating is. The scale ranges from a 1.1 which is Inadequate to a 7.4 that is Excellent.
 The Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) observational tools objectively measure the quality of teacher–student interactions. They also have different versions for infant, toddler and Pre-K age groups.The CLASS tools help pinpoint areas of strength and areas for growth, providing critical information programs and schools can use to guide improvement efforts.
 Lastly we have the Rating Observation Scale for Inspiring Environments (ROSIE). This is an observation rating scale that has teachers examine classrooms in a totally new way with an eye for what is aesthetically beautiful and inspiring.
 I personally like the ITERS and ECERS the best because I think it has a broad "cover all" things feel to it.

The Importance of Quality Educators

To provide quality care for infants and toddlers you must have quality educators in place to nurture and help these young children grow both physically and intellectually.

 In order to ensure that they are quality educators you must make sure they have both a healthy mind and body themselves. Having a teacher that is mentally unhealthy can not see to the mental needs of their students. Same goes with their body. A teacher needs to be able to get down to the eye level of their students which means up and down off the floor and bending over, as well as being able to lift and carry the little ones. A quality educator is able to find resources that will help not only the child but the child's entire family. Things like WIC, dental care, health and medical care, childcare, free or low cost food and clothing, Early Head Start and home visiting information, specialists for special needs children, and community activities like mommy and me classes, local parks and museums or swim lessons at the YMCA. Lastly a quality educator is a person who has established skills in communicating, interacting and reacting to both children and their families. You have to be able to talk, work with and solve problems on many different levels with many different types of children and their families on a daily basis.

Having quality educators is important at any level of teaching but having them in the classrooms for infants and toddlers is where they are needed the most in my opinion. This is the age that needs to be nurtured the most for future development. Parents need all the help they can get as it really does take a village to raise any child. Leaving a child at risk without proper support at this vulnerable age truly sets them up for failure. Every child deserves to have a quality teacher to help them reach their full potential.

An ECE Director's View

I recently conducted interviews with both an in-home provider and a center director at a local child care center. I have come to the conclusion that it is nearly IMPOSSIBLE to run a functioning child care center, let alone a quality center on 100% DSHS subsidy.
I ran the numbers myself to see if the providers were merely trying to increase their profits and I was amazed at the results. As income for 30 children I calculated $26,694 per month. For a staff of six at minimal wages the amount was $13,432 per month. Already you are at half your income amount without even factoring in things like facility rent, food, insurance, supplies, utilities, maintenance and possible transportation. I don't see myself being able to survive as a business this way. I want to help every child and their family succeed in learning and preparing for their future, but this can not be done on this income. As an owner/director you can not afford to maintain your personal household if all your funds are going back into your center, but your center will not survive if you do not use your personal funds to fill in the gaps that the lack of center income creates.

In the Beginning

In the beginning when you are first starting a brand new center there are so many things that you need. The list is incredibly long including equipment, materials, curriculum and assessments for the classrooms and individual students.

With equipment you have to decide what type of center you will have in order to decide what what equipment you will need. You have the basics of tables, chairs, shelves and such that is required for all.  The equipment that is thought of less is outdoor play equipment. What type and how big if you are going for structures. Or not having any and going towards a more natural play area with gardens and structures that are more naturally made. Bicycles, slides, swings, sand boxes and such are also types of equipment you have to decide on.  Whether you will have preschoolers only or will have infants and toddlers as well. Each age group has to have special equipment that will meet their age appropriate needs. High chairs, cribs, mats, cots, bottles, plates, bowels, sippy cups, regular drinking glasses, sensory tables are different for the different age groups, the height of the table and chairs varying on the size and age of the children. All these things matter and all vary depending on what you want in your center.

Materials are also something that depends on what type of center you want to run. If you are a Montessori School for example, there are specific materials that you would use versus a Bank Street School. Materials include all items that would be included in your math, science, writing, block, art, dramatic play, sensory and literacy areas. Things like paper, books, paints, light tables, magnifying glasses, dress up cloths, small and large blocks, puzzles and all types of toys. Children learn through their play so each item you choose must have meaning to what you are trying to teach them.

When looking at curriculum and assessments more decisions have to be made yet again. Teaching Strategies Gold, CLASS, ITERS, ECERS, Early Achievers, Ages & Stages, Developmental Continuum, ECEAP, Head start/ Early Head start, the list goes on and on. Which ones will you use and how will they work with the guidance techniques you will put into place. Many work well together while others not so much. There are different guidelines and rules for each.

Having a plan of what your overall goals and expectations are for your program will be important when deciding to have a center of your own. This is not something to enter into lightly. While you may have a love of teaching and being involved in the process of helping them grow, it is a tremendous weight that will be put upon your shoulders.

Becoming an Administrator

So I went to The Department of Early Learning's Licensing Child Care Center Orientation training on Thursday and boy was that a long day. It started at 8:30am and went until 4:30pm, but it was so full of information that it was almost over whelming. There are many things that go with being a director and it is not just the paperwork aspect that takes so much attention. Starting a center from the ground up is scary to think about. Getting approval from licensing is not even a first step. Fire marshals have a lot of rules and you have to be aware of state and local laws. The biggest thing that I came away from this with was to make friends with your licenser and work closely with them. They have an extreme amount knowledge and references, and they truly want to help your succeed. Having to have everything in place before you can even start taking kids and having an income for your center means having to have quite a bit of start-up money. Also needing to have teachers in place before you have kids, (with all their background checks, TB tests, education and certifications and so on) can be frustrating. I originally had wanted to start my own center from the ground up, but after this I think I will be looking into taking over an already established business and just making the changes to fit my views and wants. A very big pro for me is that I have taken this orientation, I do now have all the check lists and incite into what I will need to get set into place when I fist make the decision to have my own center.

Guidance Techniques

  In researching different guidance techniques that I would be using in my own classroom, I have come across an article called "Guidance Techniques That Work" from December2005/January2006 issue of JOURNAL OF ADVENTIST EDUCATION. They discuss several different ways of guiding children's behaviors and helping them make better choices. Here are my top four favorites that I think will work well for both the children and myself. 
     Change the Environment to Promote Behavior Changes-Wise caregivers look for the causes of misbehavior. Are there squabbles over too few toys? Are children climbing because materials are out of reach? Are children whiny and cranky because meals and nap times are too late? Consider changes in the environment that can make you less irritated and the children less frustrated.
      Offer Choices—and Be Ready to Accept the Decision-Caregivers know that offering choices helps children develop independence. But conflicts can arise when you are unwilling or unable to accept the choice a child makes. In general, it’s best to offer two options. If there is no choice, state your expectations simply and concretely.

     Use Logical Consequences-Respond to inappropriate behavior with logical consequences—the natural result of a particular behavior. A logical consequence for an adult, for example, may be a stomach ache after eating spicy food. For a child, a logical consequence may be feeling cold after going outside without a sweater. This kind of learning goes on all the time. In some cases, we can set up a logical consequence if one doesn’t occur naturally. If a 3-year-old spills milk, for example, one logical consequence is to have the child help with cleanup.The consequence is not punishment and it always relates to the original behavior. It’s not logical, therefore, to deny time in the art center to a child who spills milk—the two things don’t relate to each other. The consequence must also be reasonable. If a child’s behavior poses danger—picking up broken glass or running into the street, for example—stop it immediately. Avoid extremes. If 9-year-old Josh breaks a baseball bat by swinging it against a brick wall, don’t say “You can never play baseball here again.” Show children that you trust them to change and learn. “Here’s a glove for you to practice catching.You can try batting later this afternoon.” For a logical consequence to be effective, you must respond immediately. Make it clear that it’s the behavior—not the child—that is objectionable.

     Set an Example-Children learn by watching you.They observe your interactions with children and other adults and are likely to model their behavior on yours. For example, if you consistently talk to children rudely in a loud voice, you’re teaching them that this is the way to treat others. If you tell the director that you are out of glue and then produce a hidden bottle from the closet, you’ll have a difficult time convincing children that it’s not right to lie. Instead, show concern for others, work out conflicts, and respect the dignity of others—both adults and children. In this way, you model behaviors children need to learn for their social and emotional success.

If you're interested in checking out these or some of their other technique suggestions in more detail here is the link I used:

http://circle.adventist.org/files/jae/en/jae200568023707.pdf

Nutrition USDA

In order to apply to the OSPI Child and Adult Care Food Program for an early learning center, a director is required to submit current income-eligibility information based on a study month. Program reimbursement for each institution is based on the income levels of the families that they serve. The study month establishes the percentages of the meals that will be paid at the free, reduced-price, and above scale rates. Income-eligibility forms must be filled out and signed by the parent/guardian for each student. Attendance records for the study month need to be submitted to show who the program will benefit. After initial approval into the food program, daily meal counts must be done for each student on a meal count record sheet. All meals must meet USDA standards and any substitutions must be in accordance to the food substitutions guidelines. The benifit to being apart of the food program is reimbursement for part of food costs for the center. This helps in keeping tuition affordable for families by not charging for meals. I would definitely apply to the program for my own center. Anything that helps the families with costs helps the children. More money in the parents pockets to buy food for their homes, pay housing costs, heating bills and so on.

My ECE Philosophy

As a teacher, I seek to form close relationship with each child under my care, and their families. I make use of our communities' resources and incorporate the child’s community into the program. I see each child as a unique individual with a great capacity to learn and able to make positive contributions to those around him or her. I strive to provide an environment where children and families from different cultural backgrounds feel welcomed and accepted. My goal as a teacher is to provide children with a rich environment where they feel safe to explore, initiate learning, and feel free to express themselves.

Learning to Read and Write from Birth

Reading to children from the day they are born is important for a number of reasons. It helps a child grow both in the social/emotional areas as well as cognitive. This small and simple action takes only minuets a day but has benefits that last an entire lifetime. Creating bonding moments between children and their caregiver, whoever that is, while teaching vocabulary, language, culture and values is important at all ages. When started at an early age it creates a love for reading and learning. As the child grows it helps in building curiosity and understanding about all people and the world around them. Later as the child starts in preschool, reading helps in comprehension and with beginning writing skills. Then when children enter kindergarten, those who have been engaged in reading are more readily able to put their own thoughts on paper and begin expressing themselves through their own writings. It is so important to read to children as often as possible. Even if reading was not started at birth it is never too late to start.

Tolerance

Teaching tolerance in the class room is the first step to bringing more tolerance into our world. Children are taught prejudices and most of that stems from not understanding others. By teaching them to embrace and except others differences we can teach empathy and understanding. We are more than colors and cultures. These things help us know and understand each other, but they are not ALL that we are. We have similarities as well as differences and in learning about others we also learn about ourselves. There is an awesome website that has a bunch of ideas and tools to help educators teach tolerance in the class room. Ironically enough it is called Teaching Tolerance and is at www.tolerance.org, simple enough to remember right. Between the tolerance video and the website I feel that I have learned more than a few ideas that I will use in my own classroom.

Diversity

After reading the article Responding to Linguistic and Cultural Diversity Recommendations for Effective Early Childhood Education, I feel that the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) has the right idea on their stance toward accepting, respecting, valuing, promoting and encouraging the use of the home language and culture in the classroom. Being bilingual is an asset not a handicap.Children become self-confident and learn better when their family life is connected with school.

Supporting English Language Learners in the Preschool Classroom

Introduction

My name is Amber and I am currently an Early Childhood Development student in my 3rd quarter at Bates Technical College. I enjoy working with children and have three of my own. This blog will be a new experience so please bare with me as I stumble my way through.