Prior to this class I had very little knowledge of the state of the early childhood field in other countries. I have to admit I was disappointed that none of my attempts to connect with an international early childhood professional proved successful. I was so thankful Caty was able to share her friend's experiences in Mexico. It makes more of an impact if someone is sharing their personal perspective of the field. I think that is also why I enjoyed listening to the podcasts.
My understanding of the influence international professionals in the field have had on early childhood programs in the states has expanded. Susan Lyon's podcast led to a deeper research of the Reggio approach (http://www.worldforumfoundation.org/wf/radio.php).
I now realize the issues of defining early childhood professionals and ensuring quality programs for all children are topics facing the international community as well as our own. Ms. Vasquez mentioned the need to value the early childhood field; the need to define an early childhood professional which is challenging because two workforces are trying to merge; and adequate pay as challenges facing our field in the United States (Laureate Education, 2011). Interestingly, those were the same hurdles mentioned in the UNESCO policy statement in reference to the international early childhood workforce (http://www.unesco.org.new/en/education/themes/strengthening-ed-systems/early-childhood/) . All professionals can learn from the mistakes and successes around the globe as we tackle challenges facing our profession.
The changing demographics in our country mean greater chances that children from other countries will be in my preschool classes. Learning how other countries view childhood helps me communicate more effectively with culturally diverse families.
My goal would be to pursue an international connection to correspond with to share insights, successes, and challenges we are facing in the field. In the meantime, I will continue to visit the World Forum website to listen to the podcasts so that I can expand my knowledge of various teaching methods, whether it be the reggio approach as applied to the Presidio Project or the environmental learning demonstrated by Inma Allen in Swaziland, one has to be open to new ideas to add to our teaching strategies to meet the diverse needs of the children we serve.
As this is the last blog for this course, I would like to say thank you to all of you who have expanded my world by creating interesting and informative blogs. You have my highest respect and my heartfelt wishes for continued success in your Walden journey. I hope to be blessed with your insights in future courses!
Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2011). "Excellence and Equity of Care and Education for Children and Families - Part 3". Issues and Trends in the Early Childhood Field. Baltimore, MD: Author.
Thursday, August 16, 2012
Thursday, August 9, 2012
International Early Childhood Professionals
Regrettably, I was not able to make any international contacts for our class discussions. This week I visited UNESCO's website in search of information regarding the state of our profession, internationally (http://www.unesco.org/new/en/education/themes/strengthening-education-systems/early-childhood/ ). One of my goals in earning my Master's is to gain more knowledge of current issues and trends in our field. One of the issues we researched this week was the barriers to defining quality early childhood professionals. That issue is currently being tackled by many nations as the early childhood profession finds itself in the spotlight with increasing research coming to light on the importance of early childhood education.
In fact, in response to the developing interest in Early Childhood issues, UNESCO's Global Action Week which is organized by the Global Campaign for Education (GCE) focused on Early Childhood Care and Education for this year's theme. The theme was entitled Rights from the Start! Early childhood Care and Education Now! The goal of the annual Global Action Week is to raise political and financial support in reaching their goal of Education For All (EFA).
The barriers in defining quality early childhood professionals in the United States are similar to those facing many of the other developed nations. The divide between the responsibilities of child care workers and early childhood teachers makes it difficult to establish standards for the early childhood field as a profession. According to the UNESCO Policy Brief No.27: Terms used in Europe are teachers and pedagogues, the latter providing a more holistic approach to child care (2004). Sweden addressed the divide by bringing the preschool teacher, school teacher, and free-time pedagogue (school-age childcare worker) under one government agency regardless of the educational setting (preschools, preschool classes in schools, schools, free-time services) (UNESCO, 2004). Everyone in the field takes 18 months of post secondary basic education courses followed by approximately 18 more months in their specialized field. Even with this core of professionals in the workforce, there are still workers considered "assistants" who generally have the equivalent of a U.S. high school education. So, even after attempts to professionalize the field, there still remains the question of how much education should an early childhood professional have? According to UNESCO three barriers must be addressed to answer this question:
The image of the early childhood professional must be changed from that of a substitute mother figure to that of a facilitator of learning. Society must place a higher value on early childhood. For example, a high percentage of Swedish teachers choose to teach older children as early childhood work is viewed as a lower status. The third barrier to face is the challenge of paying for the cost of educating the workforce to the standards of other teachers and then fairly compensating them.
(2004).
Another link took me to information about issues facing early childhood teachers in Africa. The Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA) partnered with UNESCO in launching a series of children's books to address subjects affecting their lives such as war and conflict, HIV/Aids pandemic, and the issue of water resources (http://www.unesco.org/new/en/media-services/single-view/new/adea_and_unesco_launch_). These issues are not frequently conerns of children in the United States, but the overall lessons taught by the books sound very familiar. The books' characters, Bouba and Zaza, show children how to address issues of right and wrong; the series also provides opportunities for lessons on oral communication; and the books also serve as discussion topics for family members. It would seem the issues of right and wrong, family inclusiveness, and developing language skills are goals shared by teachers worldwide.
UNESCO Policy Brief on Early Childhood. (2004). The Early Childhood Workforce in 'Developed' countries: Basic Structures and Education. No. 27.
In fact, in response to the developing interest in Early Childhood issues, UNESCO's Global Action Week which is organized by the Global Campaign for Education (GCE) focused on Early Childhood Care and Education for this year's theme. The theme was entitled Rights from the Start! Early childhood Care and Education Now! The goal of the annual Global Action Week is to raise political and financial support in reaching their goal of Education For All (EFA).
The barriers in defining quality early childhood professionals in the United States are similar to those facing many of the other developed nations. The divide between the responsibilities of child care workers and early childhood teachers makes it difficult to establish standards for the early childhood field as a profession. According to the UNESCO Policy Brief No.27: Terms used in Europe are teachers and pedagogues, the latter providing a more holistic approach to child care (2004). Sweden addressed the divide by bringing the preschool teacher, school teacher, and free-time pedagogue (school-age childcare worker) under one government agency regardless of the educational setting (preschools, preschool classes in schools, schools, free-time services) (UNESCO, 2004). Everyone in the field takes 18 months of post secondary basic education courses followed by approximately 18 more months in their specialized field. Even with this core of professionals in the workforce, there are still workers considered "assistants" who generally have the equivalent of a U.S. high school education. So, even after attempts to professionalize the field, there still remains the question of how much education should an early childhood professional have? According to UNESCO three barriers must be addressed to answer this question:
The image of the early childhood professional must be changed from that of a substitute mother figure to that of a facilitator of learning. Society must place a higher value on early childhood. For example, a high percentage of Swedish teachers choose to teach older children as early childhood work is viewed as a lower status. The third barrier to face is the challenge of paying for the cost of educating the workforce to the standards of other teachers and then fairly compensating them.
(2004).
Another link took me to information about issues facing early childhood teachers in Africa. The Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA) partnered with UNESCO in launching a series of children's books to address subjects affecting their lives such as war and conflict, HIV/Aids pandemic, and the issue of water resources (http://www.unesco.org/new/en/media-services/single-view/new/adea_and_unesco_launch_). These issues are not frequently conerns of children in the United States, but the overall lessons taught by the books sound very familiar. The books' characters, Bouba and Zaza, show children how to address issues of right and wrong; the series also provides opportunities for lessons on oral communication; and the books also serve as discussion topics for family members. It would seem the issues of right and wrong, family inclusiveness, and developing language skills are goals shared by teachers worldwide.
UNESCO Policy Brief on Early Childhood. (2004). The Early Childhood Workforce in 'Developed' countries: Basic Structures and Education. No. 27.
Friday, August 3, 2012
New Discoveries on the NAEYC Website
Since I am in the "back to school" mode I decided to look more closely at the resources available on the NAEYC website. Under the Topics tab I found Back to School. This area offered library book ideas, suggestions for helping children get to know one another, topics for letters to parents, and ideas for making parents feel welcome. Though I had implemented many of the ideas in years past, I was pleased to find several new ideas and different ways to update other techniques I had been using. This area would be extremely helpful for new teachers!
The suggestions came from the Teaching Young Children publication, also a benefit of NAEYC membership. The Teaching Young Children (TYC) articles are shorter and offer more "hands-on", practical teaching ideas and strategies. One of the links in the TYC area is called Message In A Backpack. These are one page tips for parents on topics like "Help Your Preschooler Gain Self-Control", "Finding Low Cost Toys for Home Learning", or "Suggestions for Developing Fine Motor Skills". These would be helpful resources to send home for parents. I write a monthly newsletter to the families in my classroom and I am going to include one of these messages each month. Especially helpful for new staff trying to learn the early childhood lingo is the section called Glossary of Early Childhood Terms There is also a Resources & Links tab which connects you to different websites, and resources for teaching strategies on a variety of topics.
While I was looking at the Resources and Links area I clicked on Dual Language Learners since we have been looking at equity in early learning, especially for families of diverse culture and language. There were several helpful resources mentioned:
Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center-Dual Language Learners - When you click on this it takes you to a site created for Head Start but can be used by anyone looking for information about dual language learners and disabilities, family and community partnerships, health connections, and professional development topics. http://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/hslc/tta-system/cultural-linguistic/Dual%20Language%20Learn
Language Castle - clicking on this gets you to a site by Karen Nemeth who authored the book Many Languages, One Classroom as well as Basics of Supporting Dual Language Learners: An Introduction for Educators of Children Birth through Age 8 (both books reviewed elsewhere on the NAEYC site). She offers teaching tips and blogs about teaching dual language learners.
http://www.languagecastle.com/Language_Castle/LANGUAGE_CASTLE_HOME.html
The National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition and Language Instruction Educational Programs - this site offers research and resources for teaching dual language learners.
http://www.ncela.gwu.edu
TESOL (Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages, Inc.) - this site gives tips on teaching English to speakers of other languages and gives English proficiency standards for children pre-K - 12.
http://www.tesol.org
The TYC section of the NAEYC site is going to be a very practical area to visit!
Information retrieved from http://naeyc.org
The suggestions came from the Teaching Young Children publication, also a benefit of NAEYC membership. The Teaching Young Children (TYC) articles are shorter and offer more "hands-on", practical teaching ideas and strategies. One of the links in the TYC area is called Message In A Backpack. These are one page tips for parents on topics like "Help Your Preschooler Gain Self-Control", "Finding Low Cost Toys for Home Learning", or "Suggestions for Developing Fine Motor Skills". These would be helpful resources to send home for parents. I write a monthly newsletter to the families in my classroom and I am going to include one of these messages each month. Especially helpful for new staff trying to learn the early childhood lingo is the section called Glossary of Early Childhood Terms There is also a Resources & Links tab which connects you to different websites, and resources for teaching strategies on a variety of topics.
While I was looking at the Resources and Links area I clicked on Dual Language Learners since we have been looking at equity in early learning, especially for families of diverse culture and language. There were several helpful resources mentioned:
Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center-Dual Language Learners - When you click on this it takes you to a site created for Head Start but can be used by anyone looking for information about dual language learners and disabilities, family and community partnerships, health connections, and professional development topics. http://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/hslc/tta-system/cultural-linguistic/Dual%20Language%20Learn
Language Castle - clicking on this gets you to a site by Karen Nemeth who authored the book Many Languages, One Classroom as well as Basics of Supporting Dual Language Learners: An Introduction for Educators of Children Birth through Age 8 (both books reviewed elsewhere on the NAEYC site). She offers teaching tips and blogs about teaching dual language learners.
http://www.languagecastle.com/Language_Castle/LANGUAGE_CASTLE_HOME.html
The National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition and Language Instruction Educational Programs - this site offers research and resources for teaching dual language learners.
http://www.ncela.gwu.edu
TESOL (Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages, Inc.) - this site gives tips on teaching English to speakers of other languages and gives English proficiency standards for children pre-K - 12.
http://www.tesol.org
The TYC section of the NAEYC site is going to be a very practical area to visit!
Information retrieved from http://naeyc.org
Thursday, July 26, 2012
International Equity and Excellence
I have had no responses from my attempts at international contacts so I chose to listen to another World Forum Podcast and to investigate The Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University and their Global Children's Initiative. The following stories highlight efforts being made to improve early childhood experiences around the world.
The Center on the Developing Child at Harvard was established in 2006 in an effort to utilize Harvard's resources to generate research and knowledge to support improved life outcomes for children everywhere.
The Global Children's Initiative's focus is to educate the public and specifically policy makers on the science of learning, behavior, and health; to support research and projects in selected countries to help them understand healthy development and how to achieve it; and to empower child development leadership and research in low- and middle-income countries (http://developingchild.harvard.edu/initiatives/global_initiative/).
Un Buen Comienzo (UBC) which means "A Good Start" is a collaborative project located in Santiago, Chile. The goal is to improve early childhood education for four, five, and six year old children, especially in the area of language development and socio-emotional development. The program focuses on professional development for the teachers; but, also works on getting families involved with the early education process,and improving children's health to bolster school attendance. The program is the first of its kind in Latin America to utilize a longitudinal evaluation, supplying comprehensive data. The project not only has funding support from the Center on the Developing Child, but also from international public and private sources.
The Zambian Early Childhood Development Project (ZECDP) was established to measure the effects of ongoing malaria control efforts in Zambia (Sub-Saharan Africa). The ZECDP developed a comprehensive assessment tool to measure physical, socio-emotional, and cognitive development of children before and throughout their schooling experience. The assessment tool is called ZamCAT and was first used to assess preschool children in 2010, then reassessed in 2011 and again in 2012. There was a link on the website to the actual Child Assessment Tool and the Parent Assessment Tool which I found very helpful in getting an idea of what they were assessing. The Parent Assessment Tool was very interesting because it covered everything from background information on who lives at home with the child, the types of reading material in the home, the mother and the child's health history, and the parents' perception of their child's socio-emotional development.
I also listened to an interesting podcast with Irma Allen, an American, living in Swaziland which is located between South Africa and Mozambique. She is the Chairperson of Swaziland Environment Authority which is the equivalent of the U.S. EPA. She is also a member of the World Forum Nature Action Collaborative for Children. She trains people from the community to become early childhood teachers. Her love of nature serves her well as there are no classrooms in Swaziland - only nature! She said they build all their lessons around nature - the trees, grass, or water. They make their own little laboratories out of their surroundings. They learn a respect for their environment. She shared a story of a young man who told them his early childhood experience with them had motivated him and given him a love for his country and appreciation for nature which he had taken for granted. He also told them how the welcoming, nurturing experience he had with them had significantly impacted him and provided him the acceptance he needed as an orphan. http://www.worldforumfoundation.org/wf/radio.php
The Center on the Developing Child at Harvard was established in 2006 in an effort to utilize Harvard's resources to generate research and knowledge to support improved life outcomes for children everywhere.
The Global Children's Initiative's focus is to educate the public and specifically policy makers on the science of learning, behavior, and health; to support research and projects in selected countries to help them understand healthy development and how to achieve it; and to empower child development leadership and research in low- and middle-income countries (http://developingchild.harvard.edu/initiatives/global_initiative/).
Un Buen Comienzo (UBC) which means "A Good Start" is a collaborative project located in Santiago, Chile. The goal is to improve early childhood education for four, five, and six year old children, especially in the area of language development and socio-emotional development. The program focuses on professional development for the teachers; but, also works on getting families involved with the early education process,and improving children's health to bolster school attendance. The program is the first of its kind in Latin America to utilize a longitudinal evaluation, supplying comprehensive data. The project not only has funding support from the Center on the Developing Child, but also from international public and private sources.
The Zambian Early Childhood Development Project (ZECDP) was established to measure the effects of ongoing malaria control efforts in Zambia (Sub-Saharan Africa). The ZECDP developed a comprehensive assessment tool to measure physical, socio-emotional, and cognitive development of children before and throughout their schooling experience. The assessment tool is called ZamCAT and was first used to assess preschool children in 2010, then reassessed in 2011 and again in 2012. There was a link on the website to the actual Child Assessment Tool and the Parent Assessment Tool which I found very helpful in getting an idea of what they were assessing. The Parent Assessment Tool was very interesting because it covered everything from background information on who lives at home with the child, the types of reading material in the home, the mother and the child's health history, and the parents' perception of their child's socio-emotional development.
I also listened to an interesting podcast with Irma Allen, an American, living in Swaziland which is located between South Africa and Mozambique. She is the Chairperson of Swaziland Environment Authority which is the equivalent of the U.S. EPA. She is also a member of the World Forum Nature Action Collaborative for Children. She trains people from the community to become early childhood teachers. Her love of nature serves her well as there are no classrooms in Swaziland - only nature! She said they build all their lessons around nature - the trees, grass, or water. They make their own little laboratories out of their surroundings. They learn a respect for their environment. She shared a story of a young man who told them his early childhood experience with them had motivated him and given him a love for his country and appreciation for nature which he had taken for granted. He also told them how the welcoming, nurturing experience he had with them had significantly impacted him and provided him the acceptance he needed as an orphan. http://www.worldforumfoundation.org/wf/radio.php
Friday, July 20, 2012
More on the NAEYC Website
I continue to explore the NAEYC website and reap the benefits of membership! Under "Topics" I found a wealth of information on the importance of Play. This week's study of the impact of science, politics, and economics, led me to focus quite a bit on the importance of play and the need to preserve childhood as pressure to test and "skill-drill" edges out time to explore and use the imagination.
I found several articles on practical suggestions for scaffolding learning through specific forms of play including make-believe, playdoh, blocks, and manipulatives, linking specific standards with activities involved in play.
One form of play that some might view as controversial is "rough and tumble" play. Some feel it is not safe and too disruptive in the preschool setting. NAEYC gives a sneak peak into one of their books written by Fances Carlson entitled "Big Body Play: Why Boisterous, Vigorous, and Very Physical Play is Essential to Children's Development and Learning". The book points out not only the physical benefits of this type of play, but also the cognitive, social, and emotional development that evolves from it.
Another interesting section of the website called "Research News You Can Use" had an article called "More Threats to Preschoolers' Play" by Kyle Snow. The article focused on three reasons why play is dwindling at preschool - concerns about child safety, pressure to focus on academics, limited space and equipment for big body play. The article stressed the importance of meeting safety guidelines and vigilant monitoring of play time, it also emphasized the meaningful learning opportunities that evolve out of play, and listed resources to help programs acquire safe play equipment.
As the new school year approaches and I begin to plan using developmentally appropriate practices I am finding valuable, practical resources on the website to assist me as I evaluate my classroom and make changes to be more child-centered and effective.
http://www.naeyc.org
I found several articles on practical suggestions for scaffolding learning through specific forms of play including make-believe, playdoh, blocks, and manipulatives, linking specific standards with activities involved in play.
One form of play that some might view as controversial is "rough and tumble" play. Some feel it is not safe and too disruptive in the preschool setting. NAEYC gives a sneak peak into one of their books written by Fances Carlson entitled "Big Body Play: Why Boisterous, Vigorous, and Very Physical Play is Essential to Children's Development and Learning". The book points out not only the physical benefits of this type of play, but also the cognitive, social, and emotional development that evolves from it.
Another interesting section of the website called "Research News You Can Use" had an article called "More Threats to Preschoolers' Play" by Kyle Snow. The article focused on three reasons why play is dwindling at preschool - concerns about child safety, pressure to focus on academics, limited space and equipment for big body play. The article stressed the importance of meeting safety guidelines and vigilant monitoring of play time, it also emphasized the meaningful learning opportunities that evolve out of play, and listed resources to help programs acquire safe play equipment.
As the new school year approaches and I begin to plan using developmentally appropriate practices I am finding valuable, practical resources on the website to assist me as I evaluate my classroom and make changes to be more child-centered and effective.
http://www.naeyc.org
Saturday, July 14, 2012
Poverty in Italy
Facing the reality that none of the contacts I pursued were going to work out, I listened to a very interesting podcast from the World Forum Radio website http://www.worldforumfoundation.org/wf/radio.php I listened to a conversation with Susan Lyon who was inspired by her visit to Reggio Emilia, Italy. She brought The Hundred Languages of Children exhibit back to San Francisco with her to train teachers in the Reggio approach. An outgrowth of this was the development of the Presidio Child Development Center located in the Presidio National Park. From the podcast I located an article about the center in Exchange Magazine. As another attempt to connect with a professional in the field, I sent an e mail to the center's director who also traveled to Italy and was greatly impacted by what she saw. I have not heard from her, yet. I was surprised to learn The Presidio Child Development Center provides access to impoverished children.
Sixty percent of the children speak a second language and over half of them qualify for free or reduced lunches (Kalinowski, 2011). Tuition is based on a sliding scale determined by per capita income and family members must be working, in training, in school, or have protective services needs (Kalinowski, 2011). I am hoping to learn more about the center and about the director's insights into early childhood education in Italy.
Looking into poverty in Italy, I discovered a vast difference in living conditions between Northern and Southern Italy. Two-thirds of Italy's poor Italian families live in the south (Bonati, & Campi, 2005). Southern Italy has the third largest population of children under five years old in all of Europe and one of the poorest health conditions for children of that age (Bonati, et al, 2005). Because of limited health services in the south, most families have to travel to the north if their children need hospitalization, and only 54.9% of children in the south received a measles vaccination (Bonati, et al, 2005). Related to inequities in health care is limited access to early childhood experiences (2.2%), the rate of primary school drop-outs is 2.5 times greater than in Northern Italy, and unemployment for teens is 65.2% compared to those in the North at 7.1% (Bonati, et al, 2005). Bonati called for a change in policy to address the denial of the human right to dignity being ignored for the children of Southern Italy. Policy has been based on national averages, not based on regional or local needs (Bonati, et al, 2005). Bonati linked denial of quality health care, high drop-out rates, and underemployment to high risks of stress, shame, and depression ( 2005).
Reggio Emilia, Italy, where Susan Lyon and the director of the Presidio Center visited to learn of the Reggio method is located in Northern Italy.
Bonati, M., & Campi, R. (2005). What can we do to improve child health in Southern Italy? PLoS Medicine, 2(9), 849-852. Retrieved from Academic Search Complete database.
Kalinski, M. (2011). A program showcase: Presidio Child Development Center, San Franciso, California. Exchange, Mar/Apr2011(198), 86-87. Retrieved from Education Research Complete database.
Sixty percent of the children speak a second language and over half of them qualify for free or reduced lunches (Kalinowski, 2011). Tuition is based on a sliding scale determined by per capita income and family members must be working, in training, in school, or have protective services needs (Kalinowski, 2011). I am hoping to learn more about the center and about the director's insights into early childhood education in Italy.
Looking into poverty in Italy, I discovered a vast difference in living conditions between Northern and Southern Italy. Two-thirds of Italy's poor Italian families live in the south (Bonati, & Campi, 2005). Southern Italy has the third largest population of children under five years old in all of Europe and one of the poorest health conditions for children of that age (Bonati, et al, 2005). Because of limited health services in the south, most families have to travel to the north if their children need hospitalization, and only 54.9% of children in the south received a measles vaccination (Bonati, et al, 2005). Related to inequities in health care is limited access to early childhood experiences (2.2%), the rate of primary school drop-outs is 2.5 times greater than in Northern Italy, and unemployment for teens is 65.2% compared to those in the North at 7.1% (Bonati, et al, 2005). Bonati called for a change in policy to address the denial of the human right to dignity being ignored for the children of Southern Italy. Policy has been based on national averages, not based on regional or local needs (Bonati, et al, 2005). Bonati linked denial of quality health care, high drop-out rates, and underemployment to high risks of stress, shame, and depression ( 2005).
Reggio Emilia, Italy, where Susan Lyon and the director of the Presidio Center visited to learn of the Reggio method is located in Northern Italy.
Bonati, M., & Campi, R. (2005). What can we do to improve child health in Southern Italy? PLoS Medicine, 2(9), 849-852. Retrieved from Academic Search Complete database.
Kalinski, M. (2011). A program showcase: Presidio Child Development Center, San Franciso, California. Exchange, Mar/Apr2011(198), 86-87. Retrieved from Education Research Complete database.
Saturday, July 7, 2012
Web Resources
To update you on my quest for international professionals: The possible contact in Germany is moving back to the states in 3 weeks and understandably felt too busy and stressed to commit to e mailing; however, she was going to try to connect me with a colleague in Sweden. There is still hope! The other two potential contacts in Germany and Switzerland have not been heard from as of yet.
I mentioned in last week's blog that I became a member of NAEYC. The link to the NAEYC is http://www.naeyc.org I have been enjoying the perks of membership, looking through archived issues of YC: Young Children and in so doing found some articles that address the issue of dual language learners - the topic I chose to write about this week as one of the issues of changing demographics. The articles offered practical suggestions for reading storybooks to dual language learners, strategies to involve immigrant families in their children's education, and hands-on teaching practices to foster communication skills in dual language learners. Please see my reference list below for specifics.
The website also has all of the NAEYC's position statements on important issues in the early childhood field. One of particular interest this week was their stand on Assessing Young English Language Learners. The stand offers recommendations for: using assessments for appropriate purposes, what constitutes culturally and linguistically appropriate assessments, what to be cautious about when using standardized assessments, what the characteristics are of those conducting the assessments, what the role of families should be in assessing, and what the needs are in the early childhood field to better facilitate assessment of dual language learners NAEYC, 2009).
The e-News comes out monthly and provides information on upcoming NAEYC conferences and training sessions and offers a link to register. If you are looking to enhance your professional resource library, e-News gives listings and descriptions of new books and resources published by NAEYC which you can purchase or pre-order with the link provided. e-News also gives a sneak peak of upcoming YC issues as well as issues of Teaching Young Children.
References
Chen, J. & Shire, S. (2011). Strategic teaching: Fostering communication skills in diverse young learners. YC: Young Children, 66(2), 20-27. Retrieved from http://naeyc.org
Gillanders, C., & Castro, D. (2011). Storybook reading for young dual language learners. YC: Young Children, 66(1), 91-95. Retrieved from http://naeyc.org
NAEYC. (2009). Where we stand on assessiing young English language learners. Retrieved from http://naeyc.org
I mentioned in last week's blog that I became a member of NAEYC. The link to the NAEYC is http://www.naeyc.org I have been enjoying the perks of membership, looking through archived issues of YC: Young Children and in so doing found some articles that address the issue of dual language learners - the topic I chose to write about this week as one of the issues of changing demographics. The articles offered practical suggestions for reading storybooks to dual language learners, strategies to involve immigrant families in their children's education, and hands-on teaching practices to foster communication skills in dual language learners. Please see my reference list below for specifics.
The website also has all of the NAEYC's position statements on important issues in the early childhood field. One of particular interest this week was their stand on Assessing Young English Language Learners. The stand offers recommendations for: using assessments for appropriate purposes, what constitutes culturally and linguistically appropriate assessments, what to be cautious about when using standardized assessments, what the characteristics are of those conducting the assessments, what the role of families should be in assessing, and what the needs are in the early childhood field to better facilitate assessment of dual language learners NAEYC, 2009).
The e-News comes out monthly and provides information on upcoming NAEYC conferences and training sessions and offers a link to register. If you are looking to enhance your professional resource library, e-News gives listings and descriptions of new books and resources published by NAEYC which you can purchase or pre-order with the link provided. e-News also gives a sneak peak of upcoming YC issues as well as issues of Teaching Young Children.
References
Chen, J. & Shire, S. (2011). Strategic teaching: Fostering communication skills in diverse young learners. YC: Young Children, 66(2), 20-27. Retrieved from http://naeyc.org
Gillanders, C., & Castro, D. (2011). Storybook reading for young dual language learners. YC: Young Children, 66(1), 91-95. Retrieved from http://naeyc.org
NAEYC. (2009). Where we stand on assessiing young English language learners. Retrieved from http://naeyc.org
Vesley, C., & Ginsberg, M. (2011). Strategies and practices for working with immigrant families in early education programs. YC: Young Children, 66(1), 84-89. Retrieved from http://naeyc.org
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)