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.