When I Think of Child Development...

The following is a video highlighting the importance of early intervention. RTI (Response to Intervention) is the buzz word in K-12 public education. Early childhood development and recognizing any developmental delays is essentially RTI at its best.  It is proven time and again that getting children the help they need to be successful, even as early as 8 months, is crucial for the child's later success in life. 

http://youtu.be/KrUNBfyjlBk

Testing for Intelligence

I believe classroom observation, or just observation in general is very important.  Depending on what you are testing, it is more important to give a child a natural environment in which he/she feels comfortable.  This will allow the child to show their full potential.  Often, people are not very good test takers.  They get nervous or feel pressured and may not be able to concentrate.  A more natural environment in which they can show their skill level will most likely show better results.  I also think that other factor’s need to be taken into consideration when assessing a child such as their social-emotional health.  The social-emotional area of development has such a great impact on other areas of a person that it is very difficult to ignore.  Tests and assessments are only a piece of the puzzle. 

I chose to look at China and how the children are assessed there.  I chose China because it is no secret that the U.S. and other nations often find themselves competing with this country as far as academics and later in the business world.  Children are under a lot of stress at a young age to be the best and the brightest in class.  Children spend about 9 hours per day in school.  In addition, after coming home at night find themselves buried in mountains of homework assignments.  The pressure on young children is immense.  One particular article I found stated a young girl and how the pressure got the best of her  “ Last June, a 16 year-old girl from Chengdu, Sichuan Province, committed suicide after failing to pass the entrance exam for a respected senior high school” http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2007-05/13/content_871182.htm.  China depends highly on standardized testing as a way to show intelligence.  Testing is rigorous and regular.  “Today, national tests determine which elementary, high school and university a student will attend. They are still the single most important factor in deciding one’s general career path,” http://www.theglobalist.com/storyid.aspx?StoryId=5264.  However, China is beginning to realize that because of this history, many children are lacking in creativity.  There is a recent trend in China to change their education system to look more “American.”  I find this interesting when America has seemed so interested in the Chinese education system. 

I believe that our country is definitely on a track for more standardized testing rather than looking at a child holistically.  At least this is the feeling I get from school districts in my area.  The No Child Left Behind Act has moved our country in that direction.  To be honest, I do not know what is in store for American education.  We are in a transition phase.  The nation realized that the idea of NCLB was good, but its implementation was unsuccessful.  I look forward to changes in the future in which, hopefully, a more holistic approach is used.  A child’s future cannot be determined by tests alone; it is unfair. 

Consequences of Stress on Children's Development

I am lucky that I feel I have not suffered under certain stressors in my childhood such as war, poverty, racism, natural disaster, isolation, hunger, noise, chaos, disease, environmental pollution, or violence.  I am not saying necessarily that my childhood was completely perfect; I do not know of many people that can say their childhood was perfect.  My family went through their share of ups and downs and as a child I learned to cope with these in my own way.  I do believe that some of these situations from childhood certainly have affected me as an adult; however, I feel that I am also lucky that I did not have to deal with some of these more traumatic stressors listed above.

In my various careers working with children and their families, I have come across many different situations that were certainly not ideal.  One situation that has always stood out to me was a fourth grade student I had during my student teaching.  She was a little girl who was one of the sweetest little girls I have ever met.  She was adorable as well, with freckles and glasses and a spunkiness to her that I truly adored.  She and I established a connection right from the start.  I often tried to work with students either on a one-on-one basis or in groups.  In the beginning, I would ask many questions when I met the students individually so that I could get to know the children.  This particular little girl opened right up to me.  She was living a rough life; her mother had a drinking problem.  She was living in poverty as well and experiencing all of the stress that comes with it.  Her situation was causing her to take responsibilities on that were certainly not appropriate for a child.  She coped with this by talking with me about her situation.  She worked very hard in school because she wanted to be successful so she could help her family.  She was very sensitive, sometimes breaking down and crying over altercations with her friends.  I believe her home life situation caused her to be extra sensitive.  I was only able to work with her for a few months; I wish I could have helped her a little more or known of available resources in the area I could have given her family at the time.  Unfortunately, I was young and naïve at the time and did not realize what I could do to help her.  Now, I make it a priority to get to know all of the resources in my local area that I can refer the families I work with to in order to help their quality of life at home and beyond.

I do realize there are many children out there that are suffering under various stressors in different areas of the country and the world.  Of course there are the many people in the recent earthquakes in Japan that were greatly affected by this huge natural disaster, as well as the multiple tornadoes in tornado alley, and the war overseas.  However, I chose to do some different research about the children and families that are sometimes forgotten.  There are so many families struggling here in my own state of Michigan.  The homeless population has increased over the past few years.  In my local area of Flint, Michigan, homeless shelters were busier than ever this past winter trying to provide warming centers and safe havens for so many families and children who had lost everything.  I recently went to a poverty conference at a local intermediate school district and was shocked and dismayed at the statistics I learned about homelessness in the area. There are many agencies out there that are making an honest effort to help these families, but they are running out of resources.  Some facts below are from the website www.solidgroundinc.org that gives statistics on homelessness in Michigan. 

·         In Michigan, on any one night, there are approximately 24,713 sheltered homeless individuals, with an additional 41,338 unsheltered, a total of 66,051.  These statistics include 34,622 adults and children in homeless families.

·         In Michigan, adults and children in families account for 52% of the total homeless population.

·         Youth 17 years or younger and not in families account for an estimated 5% of the total homeless in Michigan.  This means that, in Michigan, there are at least 3,000 youth and children who are alone and homeless.

Obviously, if children cannot get their basic needs met, they will not develop to their full potential.  If they are not fed well balanced meals, they cannot grow properly.  Hungry children cannot concentrate in school.  Many school districts are doing all they can to help these problems, such as fee and reduced breakfast and lunch programs or identifying homeless families and helping them with various resources and agencies available.  However, there is much work to do and meanwhile, children are paying the price!

Child Development and Public Health

The topic I chose to explore was breastfeeding. This topic never seemed like a controversial one until I had my own child and I realized how important it really was for both the mother and the child.  Before I had my daughter, I felt it did not matter; that formula and breast milk were one in the same, just a different source.  I was very mistaken that is for sure!  After doing much research, I found how much they really differ.  It was because of these differences that I chose to breastfeed my daughter.  However, I did have to cut the breastfeeding time short because of the lack of family policy in this country.  Because I was only allowed three months off, I could only nurse for those three months.  I did try to pump, however, it was extremely difficult with the type of job I had at the time.  I was with children for much of my day and it was almost near impossible to find time to pump, let alone find a private place in the school to do so.  Even if this was not the case, physiologically, pumping was difficult for me.  I could not seem to pump enough milk to nourish my daughter while I was away and nurse her when I returned home from work.  I just was not producing milk quickly enough.  It was extremely frustrating and certainly not ideal for me and my daughter. 

It was very interesting to research this topic!  To my surprise, breastfeeding in the U.S. is actually on the rise, which is great to hear.  A very interesting statistic from the CDC stated that breastfeeding rates among higher income families were higher than among lower income families.  This could be due to a lack of education on breastfeeding importance; however, wouldn’t it make more sense for lower income families to breastfeed.  Formula is EXPENSIVE!

One difference I found between breastfeeding in the U.S. and in other countries is the acceptance level.  It seems as though breastfeeding is often frowned upon in public in many areas of the U.S., where many other countries are comfortable with it and expect it from mother’s.  Formula was originally used for mother’s to use when it was not medically possible to nurse.  There is a higher percentage of people in the U.S. who go right to formula, as opposed to other countries and I believe that over time, this trend has made people in this country uncomfortable with breastfeeding.

http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db05.htm

http://www.007b.com/public-breastfeeding-world.php

Childbirth-In Your Life and Around the World

The birth experience I have chosen to write about is the birth of my daughter.  I chose this because this is the only real, first-hand experience with birth I have had so far in my life (besides my own, which I obviously do not remember!)

I remember just about every detail about my daughter’s birth and every emotion that I felt.  I was very blessed that my pregnancy was a healthy one and quite enjoyable for the most part.  I felt great about 85% of the time, with exhaustion being my biggest hurdle.  When I was in my 39^th week of pregnancy, I went in for my weekly checkup on a Monday.  Throughout the last few weeks of my pregnancy, I always felt a very hard, round knot right below my right rib.  The doctor thought the entire time that it was my daughter’s behind.  However, at some point, she turned and this was actually now her head.  She was what they termed “frank breech.”   She had absolutely no room to move, and not much fluid to help her.  The doctor did an ultrasound, and determined that a C-section would have to be scheduled.  He did give me the option that we could try to turn her, but the chances that it would actually work and without pain to me or her would be slim.  With a heavy heart, I agreed to a c-section.  I was very disappointed.  I had prepared myself emotionally for the traditional labor and I was upset and scared about the major surgery.   The C-section was scheduled for that Thursday, January 15.

I went in early Thursday morning, more nervous than I remembered feeling in a very long time.  They began prepping me for surgery by first pumping me full of fluids for over an hour.  I was beginning to get excited, imagining what my little baby girl would look like, sound like, etc.  In just a few short hours, it would all become real for my husband and I. 

It was time.  My husband left to get the appropriate garments on to be with my during the birth.  Also, they did not allow him to be in the room as I received the spinal.  They gave me all of the appropriate medicine and my entire body became completely numb.  They tied my arms down and I felt like Jesus to the cross.  They had Scott come back in the room and sit by me as they continued to prep me for surgery.  They hung a sheet from my chest up, and I could not see anything.  They began the process and I was scared, but kept calm with my husband by my side and the drugs working quite effectively.  The doctor was wonderful, walking me through step by step so I knew what was happening.  We were getting close.  He had her and began trying to pull her out.  She was stuck!  They began jerking my body, left and right.  I did not hear any crying.  I was afraid something had gone wrong.  I started to cry myself.  I was so afraid.  Then I heard them exclaim and she began crying.  It was absolutely the most beautiful sound I had ever heard!  Scott brought her to me and I remember being so relieved and surprised; she looked just like my husband!  It was the most amazing experience I have ever had.

 My thoughts on birth and its impact on child development are, to be honest, confused. There are so many theories about what is the best way.  There are various options that create a “less stressful” environment for the child, such as water births, birthing at home, hospital with or without drugs.  It is hard to know what truly has the largest impact on the actual child’s development.  For me personally, I wanted to go with the safest process, with all of the medical technology possible in order to ensure that my child and I survived the traumatic experience.  I was and still am confident enough in my parenting ability to be sure that I will nurture my child and any future children in the best way possible to rear successful adults who are able to function in society and hopefully love their mom in the end still!

http://www.takingupresidence.com/italy/family-and-children/pre--and-post-natal-care.6.html

I chose to research Italy and the birthing process there, mainly because Italy is of great interest to me.  Like I predicted, Italy and the U.S. have a lot of similarities, but also some key differences.  For one, Italy really encourages natural birth rather than c-sections.  It is no doubt that more c-sections occur today in America than at any other time in history.  This increases the child’s safety, but part of me wonders if this is more so to protect the doctor from lawsuits rather than protecting the mother and child.

Also, throughout the mother’s pregnancy, the Italian healthcare system offers many free services, such as “free blood tests, including for toxoplasmosis, three ultrasound scans, and a tri-test to check for Down’s Syndrome. An amniocentesis, if recommended, is also free” (Taking Up Residence).  I found this very interesting, as the healthcare costs for American’s truly have become outrageous.  They also offer many pre-natal classes, such as breathing classes, etc. which many hospitals have these only for a cost in the U.S.  After the birth, Italian mothers stay on average for 4 days in the hospital with regular visits from the pediatrician, where as the American hospitals are often more on a “push ‘em out, get ‘em out” mentality if all seems to check out fine in the first 24-48 hours after the child is born.      

Examining Codes of Ethics

I-1.2 To base program practices upon current knowledge and research in the field of early childhood education, child development, and related disciplines, as well as on particular knowledge of each child (NAEYC 2005).

This ideal is important to me because the field of education is constantly evolving.  Research continues to reveal more information on child development.  It is important not to stay stagnant in your practices because it will not benefit the children in the long run.  Along with the knowledge about child development, educators must always take into consideration the actual child.  Many factors come into play to shape a child’s personality such as family life, socioeconomic status, access to quality education and services, culture, etc.  When helping a child optimally develop, it is crucial to take into consideration all of these factors and remain respectful of them in order to truly understand and teach the child. 

I-1.8 To support the right of each child to play and learn in an inclusive environment that meets the needs of children with or without disabilities (NAEYC 2005).

I currently work in a setting that supports inclusion of all children.  It is somewhat new to me and the staff that works with the children.  The more I observe the inclusive setting, the more I feel the need to advocate for all children to be included in the classroom.  Every child is special and needs to be treated that way; no matter how great the needs of the child are.  It helps the general education student understand acceptance of all people, as well as the child with the disability learn from the other children and feel accepted.    

Professional Collaboration:  We shall honor and respect our responsibilities to colleagues while upholding the dignity and autonomy of colleagues and maintaining collegial interprofessional and intraprofessional relationships (The Division for Early Childhood 2000).

I have seen results of professionals not working together and the results of professionals that collaborate positively.  It is not hard to understand that when professionals collaborate with each other, the children greatly benefit.  Education has become a very big job; too big for just one person to do well.  It is important to capitalize on the strengths and knowledge of your colleagues in order to help the children you serve. 

Works Cited

NAEYC. (2005, April). Code of ethical conduct and statement of commitment. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/PSETH05.pdf

The Division for Early Childhood. (2000, August). Code of ethics. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.dec-sped.org/

"Don't Turn the Page!"

I have always loved There's a Monster at the End of this Book by Jon Stone.  It is a Sesame Street book starring Grover.  It is a humorous book that I loved as a child and love to read to children as well.  Grover is begging the reader not to continue turning the pages because he is scared of the supposed monster at the end of the book.  In the end, he realizes that the monster is himself!  It's an adorable, fun story that almost seems interactive in the way it is written.  It is loved by every child I have read it to and that is one reason I love reading it to them.

Welcome!

Welcome fellow educators to my blog!  I will be utilizing this blog throughout my master's program through Walden University.  I'm new to blogging and I am excited to learn more about this communication tool.  Thanks for visiting and please come again.