Final Blog Assignment

When I initially enter this program as an undergraduate my intention was get ahead of the game by having four Masters classes completed before applying to an Education program.  The foundation course was only the beginning to gaining knowledge about the education of young children.  The three consequences of learning about the international early childhood field

1.      International or homeland the challenges are somewhat similar

2.      All children deserve an early foundation in education

3.      Support and funding in the field seem to the constant that children, parents and educating professional need to make this field work.

The goal I would like to see is one international network where educators in all aspects of the field can go regularly to ask questions, share insights and experiences.  The network should include community supports where any individual can seek assistance related to their need.  Blackboard continues to provide online relationships with each person in my group.  I hope I have succeeded at supporting each of you individually in the expression of your thoughts about the issues and trends in the field.  You all have certainly provided this for me.  I hope to meet you again in future courses in this program. 

GETTING TO KNOW YOUR INTERNATIONAL CONTACTS-PART 3

Over the past several weeks I have continued to connect with some international contacts to no avail.  I have not had any responses; this week I explored UNESCO’s Early Childhood Care and Education website.  The insights I gained this week from UNESCO was found on the sites areas of action in the literacy tab.  I discovered thirty-eight percent of African adults are illiterate and two-thirds of those are women; half of the continents parents are not able to help their children with their homework.  The government of the country allocates about one-percent of the national budget to education. 

UNESCO’S role is to coordinate literacy efforts in Africa by building capacities among national and expert officials to make non-formal education part of sectorial policies and monitor and evaluate efforts at the national level (Unesco, 2014).  Advocating for more resources of non-formal education by increasing the budget allocated to literacy (Unesco, 2014).  .  Finally to create and adopt innovative approaches such as using mobile phones and radios to marginalize populations (Unesco, 2014).  . 

September 8 is considered International Literacy Day; it is celebrated worldwide however the main global celebration took place in Dhaka (Unesco, 2014). Literacy when developed from basic to advanced level are required for critical thinking, sense of responsibility, participatory governance, sustainable consumption and lifestyle, ecological behaviors, biodiversity protection, poverty reduction and disaster risk reduction (Unesco, 2014).  Literacy is the basis for lifelong learning and it plays a crucial role in the creation of peaceful societies (Unesco, 2014).

 

 

Reference:

Unesco Early Childhood Care and Education, 2014. http://www.unesco.org/new/en/education/themes/strengthening-education-systems/earlychildhood

Sharing Web Resources ll

One of the outside links I chose to follow is the Child Care & Early Education Research Connection.  The sites lead to another link that is about children and education.  I found information about immigrant access to prekindergarten.  Gelatt, Adams, & Huerta 2014 children of immigrants make-up a quarter of children in the United States and they have lower rates of prekindergarten enrollment than children born in the United States.  Gelatt, Adams, & Huerta 2014 indicate immigrant parents may need extra assistance enrolling their children in kindergarten when they face language and literacy barriers, Transportation and work schedule challenges, or difficulties providing documentation.  The authors suggest using other sources of documentation as proof of age, residence, income and social security number because immigrant parents may not have these forms of identification for their children and requests for this information can make parents nervous.  Gelatt, Adams, & Huerta indicate the use of baptismal or hospital records can prove a child’s age; the income of parents can be verified by pay stubs, tax statements or letters from their employer. Families should be made aware that Social Security information is optional and necessary for school enrollment for their children. 

The information from Gelatt, Adams, & Huerta helped me understand that immigrant families are not aware that enrolling their children can be without challenges if they had this information written for them in language they could comprehend or if they were provided translators, or immigrants serving in community organizations.  Another strategy for making the enrollment process accessible for immigrant families is to offer a variety of location and times as well multiple ways to enroll such as by phone, online, in person or by mail.  The end goal is to ensure an education for all children. 

 

Reference:

Gelatt, J., Adams, G., & Huerta, S. (2014, February). Improving access to prekindergarten for children of immigrants enrollment strategies . Retrieved from http://www.researchconnections.org/childcare/resources/27143?author=Gelatt, Julia&paging.startRow=1

 

Getting to Know Your International Contacts Part 2

I have made multiple attempts to contact an international early childhood professional with no success.  I have opted to use the alternative assignment to explore Harvard University’s “Global Children’s Initiative” website.  The information I found interesting is Un Buen Comienzo “A Good Start” project in Santiago, Chile that was established to improve early childhood education through educator development.  The main focus of the project is building children’s language and literacy skills along with parental involvement and child health because 20 percent of Chilean children are affected by pollution related respiratory disease and obesity issues. 

I found some of the same issues in education that exist in the United States also takes place in other countries such as low-income families having lower levels of reading comprehension.  The aim of Un Buen Comienzo is to help improve literacy in children by encouraging parents to get involved; Gehrman, 2008 stated fifty percent of parents from different social classes report never reading books to their children. 

The second insight I found interesting is the training was not limited to the educators but to everyone who worked in the classroom to encourage more of a team approach than the traditional.  I think having every individual on the same page working towards a common goal is the best approach which leaves no room for error.  Research indicates a high-quality education is one of the best investments a country can make for the future of its children (Gehrman, 2008). 

I found the information indicative of what are the concerns in our education system here in United States.  Chilean professionals realize that reading is an important factor in learning for their children and they have chosen to create a project to ensure children have a fair chance in receiving a quality education. 

 

Reference:

Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University. (2010). Global children's initiative. Retrieved from http://developingchild.harvard.edu/index.php/activities/global_initiative/

Gehrman, E. (2008, February 7). A good start: Childean early childhood program makes a difference. Retrieved from http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2008/02/a-good-start/

 

Sharing Web Resources

The section of information that is relevant to my professional development is the articles under the projects tab.  Listed there are topics that outline projects that of interest to me as an educator.  The project that resonated with me is Pathways to Early School Success which is known as Pathways it was designed to help community based early care programs to support young children and their families.  Its premise is to give children a solid foundation in school that will help them to succeed in the early grades and beyond.  It is relevant to me because one our child care sites is situated in a community that has seen its share of violence.  The children that attend have experienced various amounts of trauma along with emotional challenges.  Pathways framework has six area that have been shown to increase rates of school readiness and success by third grade that includes healthy births, health and development support for families, high quality child care and early education, continuity in early childhood experiences, and effective teaching and learning in K-3 classrooms.  The page also includes a video by Lisbeth B. Schorr who discusses some important points about Pathways project. 

The resource that has made me think more in depth on the issue of poverty is information under the state profile tab in early childhood.  In this section you can research the status of poverty in your own state.  I found detailed information about the level of poverty in my state 36% of families are considered low-income; 10% of the children in Virginia have no health insurance.  I was not aware of these statistics until I viewed this web page.  Any number when speaking of poverty children and families is too high.  I know there is election of Senate house seats coming up soon.  I must have a look at each constituent and vote accordingly.  I hope these legislators have some view about education in their campaign because it is imperative that children get the early education needed to establish a learning foundation. 

The article “Education and health have improve for US children, says annual report” adds to my understanding of how economist support the early childhood field.  In this article the economist states the increase is poverty is closely tied to the housing issue.  Skinner indicated the increase in housing cost and decline in affordable housing cause the increase of children living in poverty.  Economist suggest that there are differences in genes, culture, and effort that has cause an achievement gap; a solution to decrease the gap is to fight student hunger, adjustments to income and provision of health care for students( Kelly, 2014).

The most recent insight about the issue of poverty according to research indicates a two percent drop in the poverty rate.  The article mentioned there is a decline in three of the four Census regions, but there is no change in the South.  Any decrease in number related to poverty is worth it.  I am looking forward to the day where poverty no longer exists in the world not just in this country (U.S. child poverty rate falls, 2014). 

 

References:

Kelly, C. (2014, September 4). Education and health have improved for us children, says annual report. Retrieved from http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2014/0904/Education-and-health-have-improved-for-US-children-says-annual-report

National Center for Children in Poverty. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.nccp.org/

U.s. child poverty rate falls . (2014, September 16). Retrieved from http://nccp.org/media/releases/release_158.html

 

 

 

 

 

 

Getting to Know Your International Contacts-Part 1

 

Blog update:  I have not had a response from an early childhood professional of the podcast I watched in week one.  The countries I have chosen to share insight involving poverty is Eastern Europe and Central Asia. 

The information I found interesting is it is focused on economic reform yet they paid less attention to monitoring and addressing social cost that affect children (Child poverty and, 2014).  Second, UNICEF created a monitoring project to gather and analyze data of the changes that were taking place since the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, and the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 their interest was in the social conditions of the public and how it is affecting families (Child poverty and, 2014). UNICEF created a monitoring project at Innocenti Research Center called MONEE that is designed to serve as a database that obtains statistical data through direct collaboration with the National Statistical Offices of the countries in Central Europe and Asia(Child poverty and, 2014). 

Early on the changes in Europe caused political, economic and social reform (Child poverty and, 2014).  Leaders expected a transformation of economic prosperity but it was met with a decline in GDP, employment and family incomes along with deterioration of social indicators (Child poverty and, 2014). After a decade of economic growth and global improvements has brought about indicators of average well-being of children; the stark contrast emerged from those who have benefited and the children who were left behind (Child poverty and, 2014). To assess the situation and vulnerabilities of children in during the transition process UNICEF instituted the monitoring project (Child poverty and, 2014).  

 

Reference

Child poverty and child well-being in Eastern Europe and central Asia. (2014, September 20). Retrieved from https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/

Sharing Web Resources

The organization that I chose in Week 1 is The National Center for Children in Poverty.  This organization is a leading public policy center dedicated to promoting the economic security, health and well being of America (National Center for Children in Poverty, n.d.).  Research is used to inform policy and practice with the intended goal to ensure positive outcomes for the next generation (National Center for Children in Poverty, n.d.).  NCCP states 32 million children in United States are living in families who struggle to make ends meet; about forty-five percent of these children are living at the edge (National Center for Children in Poverty, n.d.).  The vision for the organization is to promote family-oriented solutions at the state and national levels therefore families will have economic security, strong, nurturing families, and healthy development (National Center for Children in Poverty, n.d.). 

http://www.nccp.org/

The current issue that caught my attention is the information about immigrant families that indicates seventeen million of this nation’s children have at least one foreign-born parent.  The other issue this organization provides information about is the poverty levels among families in the US.  Information on this site will allow you to research immigration and poverty statistics for each individual state in the union. 

I learned there is steady rise of the demographics in this country.  I think officials must take action now towards increasing dual language educators in all school systems or an unknown percentage of children will not get fair properly educated.  The NCCP director states that children do better when their families do better.  The director contents that research has shown that a family’s low income can impede a child’s cognitive development and the ability to learn which could contribute to another host of problems for a child that includes behavioral, social and emotional problems.  So the NCCP next phase is to mutually reinforce relationship between family economic security and health child development.  They plan to accomplish this by helping policy makers understand and adopt evidence-based programs; reducing economic hardship and negative poverty on children, assisting service providers, supporting advocates to develop and implement plans that influence public policy and resource allocation, collaborating with researchers to deepen the understanding of impact on the health of a child, and aiding the media in telling the story of poor children and families living in America; yet shining the light on the power of prevention. 

 

 Reference

National Center for Children in Poverty. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.nccp.org/

Establishing Professional Contacts

I like completing my blog assignment before either of the other two assignments.  At the beginning of the week I visited the World Forum Foundation website and sent emails out to six individuals within several minutes they were return to sender showing up in my email from the address I used.  It was too far into the week to wait for a response from the other emails.  I chose to do the alternate to part I using the podcast I listened to Susan Lyons podcast.  I found it challenging to access the audio because I had to initially subscribe to the digital downloads. Lyons stated she created a program called Innovative Teacher Project which is inspired by Reggio Emilia.  The projects mantra is quality work can happen in center based child care.  The program has weekly roundtable discussion Seminars and other resources that are related to children.  My suggestion to my colleagues is to allow enough time to explore the whole web site and make contact with early childhood professionals. 

The early childhood organization I chose to study is The National Center for Children and Poverty.  I am interested in how the organization uses young child risk calculator offering information about each state.  The site provides a demographic profile by each state; my state demographic indicates that there are 33% of the children living in poverty.  The information show that 55% of African American children live in low-income families in state of Virginia where I live.  This organization is interesting because I did not realize the circumstance surrounding poverty in my local.  I plan to return to this organizations site to find out what more I can find out involving Virginia. 

 

Reference:

Demographics of Low-Income Children. (2014, May 2). Retrieved September 6, 2014, from http://www.nccp.org/profiles/state_profile.php?state=VA&id=6

My supports

My Support

The factors within my daily environment that are supportive to me are my faith, my sister, my car, and my bank account.  My faith is how I begin my day reading God’s word helps me to put things into perspective; encouraging me strengthening me and giving the balance I need to get through the day.  My sister and I are daily support for each other praying and coming into agreement for a good day and asking for whatever we need to take place; we usually call to check on each other at least one time during our work day.  My car supports me in transportation to and from work without it, it would be difficult to navigate around the city because where I live public transportation is not available.  Finally, my bank account supports my need for food, shelter, clothing and payment of utilities used to maintain a residence.

The benefit of my supports is to get through each day.  I have noticed when I do not begin my day with listening to or reading the bible it seems like the day is chaotic and just a little off to me.  When this occurs I must withdraw myself and get some reading in for about fifteen minutes.  When my sister and I are apart it is stressful for both of us; a few months ago we traveled together to another city a few hours away from where we live for conferences for community college educators (work related for my sister) the catch was we were at different hotels.  My sister’s work paid for her stay at one hotel and she booked me at another one ten minutes away. The hotel she stayed at was the host hotel for those attending the conference only. We did not see each other until the conference ended we missed each other a lot because we do everything together; face time, phone calls and texting kept us in touch.  My car is a major benefit to me each day; recently I had some repairs on car which required them to keep it for several days.  It was agony without my car; I had to borrow my mother’s car which inconveniences her because she is left at home with no way to get around.  I chose my bank account as a benefit but, as I pondered the thought it should be my job that is the benefit because without the job I would not need the bank account.  My job supports me to live independently to support myself and not need assistance from any other monetary resource such as unemployment of state support. 

If I did not have the supports in my life in my life I would have some challenging days without reading or listening to my bible I would function but without words that I recite to uplift and encourage me it would be difficult at best chaotic  and strange.  I do not want to know what it would be like not to have my sister around me; it makes me emotional just having the thought.  Life without my car I know would change a lot; we would have to move because there is no public transportation available; we live in a rural area.  I have had a car since I was twenty and even the times when I get my car serviced is challenging being dependent on someone else’s things. Living unemployed and with no bank account would leave any person dependent on others for the basic necessities in life.  I was raised to be independent of others; however I was without a job fresh out of high school which was okay at the time but now I have to many things going on now that depend on me being employed and having a bank account.  Finally, I realize there are people who live day to day without any form of support and they survive and cope.  This makes things clear for me that I have come to rely on things and people. 

The challenge I have chosen to imagine is accepting a job offer in a college in California.  The supports I could need emotionally would be deciding whether to accept the position, practically I would have to consider moving; where would I live; packing to move if I accept the job and physically finding a company that will pack and move me across the country.  I must have my family to help me decide the pros and cons of the move; I would also want to know if my mother and sister are willing to move with me.  This thought adds another emotional factor; how would my brother feel about the move and distance we would be away from each other.  I believe if they know this is a career move that I want for myself they would support my decision.  Practically moving would give a chance to purge getting rid of things I no longer need this could be a benefit to me.  Physically, I would want a company who are willing to help pack; I would research and call some businesses in the area to find out fees and what would the job entail.  I feel the benefit of these supports would help me make the soundest decisions that best fit me.  My emotional support is uncompromised I definitely would have problems if they did not exist to keep me grounded. Most people have some form of supports that allow us to be who we are and function each day yet we never consider the repercussions of if they did not exist. I also realize there are individuals who function with minimal amounts of support but they still set out to accomplish challenges. 

My Connections to Play

“Play is the highest expression of human development in childhood, for it alone is the free expression of what is in a child’s soul.” Friedrich Froebel (founder of the concept of kindergarten)

 

 

“The creation of something new is not accomplished by the intellect but by the play instinct.” – Carl Jung

 

 

 

 

“Play gives children a chance to practice what they are learning.” – Mr. Rogers

My grandmother supported play when I was younger by allowing my siblings and I to explore the outdoor space of our back yard for long periods of time.  She let us use old pans that were on longer useful to her in play to create cakes from mud.  We were use to watching her bake cakes and pie on the weekend for dinner; then on Thanksgiving/Christmas holiday she baked multiple cakes, pies and cookies.  I loved making cakes using mud; I realized now I was recreating what I had observed my grandmother doing for many years I was learning the process from my perspective as a child.  I was developing my cognitive skills of adding ingredients, motor skills digging up the dirt and stirring to incorporated make believe ingredients.  My social and language skill were developing from the communication that occurred between my siblings and any other neighborhood friends who joined use in our master creations.  

 

 

I feel play is different from play that I engaged in when I was a child; play today for children is now planned I have over heard parents talking about getting together for play dates with their child's friends. Families usually meet at someones house or the park; when I was a child friends just showed up at your house to play they would knock on the door and ask my grandmother if we come out to play.  In school free play has been converted into gym where there are planned physical activities for students; for younger children the time is shortened and there is more emphasis on academics than for children to have opportunities to make believe.  The interest of child involved play now consist of wii's, game boys, nintendo's , and computer/tablets.  Children are no longer choosing to go outside for physical activity; they are opting to sit with game systems.  I think children's lack of physical activity could be linked to the increase in juvenile diabetes among young children.  

 

 

Rushton & Juola-Rushton, 2008 research indicates that play stimulates brain development this is why it is important for educators to craft child-centered learning environments that stimulates the interest of children and optimizes the brain's ability to understand, absorb and retain information.  The role I think play has had in my life was in my career choice.  I mentioned in a previous class that use to pretend to be a teacher; i find it interesting that the role I occupied during my play time was an educator.  I think my play spilled over into my real life which indicates to me make believe for children could be a prelude to what they will become later in life.    

 

 

Reference

 

Rushton, S., & Juola-Rushton, A. (2008).  Classroom learning environment, brain, research, and the no child left behind initiative: 6 years later.  Early Childhood Education Journal, 36(87), 87-92.    

Relationship Reflection

Relationships are important to me because I need some to talk to sharing my ideas, hopes and dreams with; relationships are support sometimes we need our egos stroked and then other times we may need a smack on the back of the hand.  I think of it as a checks and balance keeping me in line when I may to far to either end of the spectrum good or bad. (bad side never happens)  We are social beings we were not created to alone Adam had Eve

The people I have positive relationships with include my sister, mother, brother, his wife, my nephews, and several colleague. The relationship with my sister is positive because I share the most with her about my ideas, hopes and dreams she understands and can occasionally give me insight to my thoughts which helps me with making decisions. 
My mom does the same sometimes she usually finds out things after I have shared them with my sister. 
My brother checks on us to make sure we are okay.  He is always there to support me when I need help with my car.  He always volunteers to come look at it when he discovers there is a problem. 
My sister in law is wonderful she puts up with my brother.  My relationship with her has developed over the years initially we were not close because I felt like she took my brother away.  But today we spend time talking since they host a lot of the family gatherings.
My nephews are wonderful handsome young men they bring the hugs when you need one. 
My colleagues we talk about happening at work and sometimes we problem solve together.  But our conversations are not limited to work we also discuss family life as well. 

Each of these relationships has been developed through constant contact via family gatherings, telephone, a lot texting, face time and Saturday lunches.

The challenges I have encountered while developing and maintain these relationships is lack of communication for a long period of time.  I learned people feel as though you do not care when stay out of touch for extended periods of time.  I have learned to reach out to those I care about a least every other week some weekly.  This time period is mainly due to my schedule with work and school.

The special characteristics I see that make these relationships a partnership is the participation in conversation, the contact with all the interest in what is going on in life of others. 
 
My experiences with relationship/partnerships, including my ability to be an active, reflective contributor, impact my work as an effective early childhood professional because I would work just as hard with the families of the children in my care as I would with the personal relationships/partnerships I have outside of work.  Both these social processes take work and they are all important and if it is up to me to break the ice putting an effort to make it work then I will do it so.

A NOTE OF PROFESSIONAL THANKS

I would like to thank my professor and colleagues for their support through online communication via discussion board, blogs, and applications.  The past eight weeks have taken me on a journey through infants, toddler, preschool, and school-aged children.  I learned infants are capable of imitating facial expressions of adults when given the opportunity.  Toddlers/Preschoolers are mastering physical abilities while school-aged children are discovering who they are and where they came from.  Overall this course has taken me down memory lane on some aspects and other it has opened up new avenues.  I want thank everyone for their words of encouragement and guidance.

Mrs. Miller, I would especially like to say thank you for the web links you have shared with me over the eight weeks; I am adding to them to my reference page that i can use later in my career and continuing education.  I would also like to extend my appreciation for your patience when I had some challenges with submitting a couple assignments on time.  I hope we meet again in some other studies in this program.  Your support has been generous and uncompromising.  Thank you for an awesome experience.      

Quote about children

Children are like cement whatever falls on them makes an impression by Dr. Haim Ginott

This quote tells me whatever encounters a child has they are influenced by them; they are learning experiences for children coming in to contact with the world around for it is a child's classroom. As an educator we must monitor our behaviors and language when in the presence of children because everything we say and do will leave an imprint on our children.

Testing for Intelligence

The debate in the area of cognitive development and whether or not young children should be assessed is a valid argument. I think a child intelligence should be measure when it has been deemed necessary by a medical professional when the parents have expressed a concern such as their child is three years of age and not talking. Strauss, 2011 stated any assessment on children ages 3-5 is unreliable because the testing requires a complex information processing skill that young children may not have completely developed. However, there is the theory that the intelligence of young children can be measured and meaningfully quantified by a dynamic system that continues to develop throughout life. The important factors for growth include teachers facilitating learning experiences, impacting the quality of learning and influence the potential intelligence of each student (Hine, 2014). Reuven Feuerstein an Israeli psychologist and educator created an approach that focuses on the quality of interaction between the teacher and the learner, called Mediated Learning Experiences (Hine, 2014). He has successfully demonstrated how, through systematic and planned enrichment, intelligence can be modified, expanded, and developed. (Hine, 2014).
I have researched most of the major countries around the world to find out in what ways children are assessed in other countries. I discovered in other parts of the world educators are using some of the same forms of testing used here in the United States. There is evidence from the DVD Journey through the Life Span "Middle Childhood" that standard testing cannot be used on children living in Africa far out in the bush. Through the course of my research there was also reference made from theorist who believe testing is not necessary for young children. Some educators believe children cognitive abilities are only as advanced as what they learn from life experience, the environment, and from interaction from family members.
In day care our focus is not assessment in the form of IQ's; what we keep track of is the development of the whole child. If we notice there is a delay in a child based on information documented in the child's portage tool; our Toddler/Preschool Director who has a graduate degree in Special Education will me with the parents and suggest some form on intervention or referral to professionals for evaluation.


Reference:
Hine, C. (2014, April 10). Developing Multiple Intelligences in Young Learners. Retrieved from earlychildhoodnews.com
Strauss, V. (July 19). Why giving standardized tests to young children is "really dumb". Retrieved from washintonpost.com

Consequences of Stress on Children's Development

The stressor I chose was alcohol usage by my father. My grandmother raised my siblings and I but, we often visited my parents in Washington DC for holiday’s and summer vacations. The stressor that I most remember is my dad drank every day. He was not a drinker who normally drank until he could not function but it would be past the legal limit to drink and drive. On this particular day my came to Richmond Virginia to pick up my sibling and I to take us back to DC with him for a week. He clearly had been drinking before he arrived his plan was to pick us up and leave immediately to get ahead of the rush hour traffic. I was about fourteen years old not close enough to the age for driving; needless to say we left not long after my dad arrived. We were about forty –five minutes into our trip when I notice the car was drifting off to the side of the road; my dad was falling asleep at the wheel. When I asked him if he was okay he said yes but his eyes began closing a couple more times before we reached DC. I thank God I was sitting in the front seat I watch him the entire drive making sure he stayed awake. I have never forgotten this experience with my dad this could have been on tragic trip my brother and sister were in the back seat not even aware of what was happening. I wanted to ensure we arrived safely.

The result of this stressor has forced me not to trust the driving of anyone else I still do not allow other people to drive me any where. I could not wait to get a driver’s license; my reaction to other people driving is to look out the window and not focus on their driving skills. I rarely go any place where someone else must drive; I have been the family chauffer since I was sixteen and eight months. Today, I love driving it is relaxing for me as long as I am behind the wheel I know I will get to where I am going. Recently, my family and I had to depend on someone else to drive us to and from the train station. I hated it; one driving was so reckless I had to start praying we would arrive safely back to the train station.

Researchers in Sweden indicate stress can undermine the immune system of children making it easier for viruses and bacteria to do their worst in the body of children (Jakobsen, 2014). A study was conducted on a group of 100 five year olds; parents answered questions regarding stress and possible difficulties that had impacted the family. The study showed twenty-six children experienced high levels of stress in the family; over fifty children grew up with normal stress levels (Jakobsen, 2014). Scientist stated children with high stress levels reacted to substances produced by their bodies which is linked to autoimmune reaction. The immune system of these children may not be protecting their bodies against viruses and bacteria which could result in the cells and tissue being attacked; the outcome could lead to type 1 diabetes (Jakobsen, 2014). However, a recent study in Finland found that physical activity helps children to cope with stress (Taylor, 2013). A cognitive psychologist indicated imaginative play allows children to express both positive and negative feelings; the social play aspects helps children feel connected to their communities reducing feelings of isolation or exclusion (Taylor, 2013). Play is important because it helps children to lose some energy and become calm (Taylor, 2013). Our day care program is built around children playing and being the authors of their play. I must admit they are all a happy bunch children who love to explore during their play both inside and out.


Reference
Jakobsen, S. E. (2014, February 13). Acute family stress can impact a child’s immune system.
Retrieved from http://sciencenordic.com/acute-family-stress-can-impact-child’s-immune-System

Taylor, K. (2013, August 5). Why our kids are stressing out, and what we can do about it. Retrieved from
http://kaboom.org/blog/why_our_kids_are_stressing_out_and_what_we_can_do_about_it

Child Development and Public Health

The topic I have chosen to research is Access to healthy water; this topic is particularly meaningful to me because recently in the news there have been conversations about the increase size of soft drinks and the amount of sugar our young people are taking in today. There is also the increase of diabetes among teenagers. Providing access to drinking water gives students another alternative to sugar sweetened beverages (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2013). Ensuring students have access to free drinking water throughout the school day is one strategy the school can use to create an environment that supports health and learning (Center For Disease Control and Prevention, 2013). Providing clean properly maintained fountains, water dispenser and hydration stations throughout all school should be a great way to get attract children to drink water (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2013). School could allow students to bring their own water bottles or go to the water fountain when they need to drink water (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2013). I would like to see a decrease in number of children who develop diabetes. Last summer one of our preschool families discovered their child has diabetes the child is five years of age. After numerous meeting with the parents, teachers and administers they finally worked out a regiment that was right for him. The teacher had to learn to pay attention to the mood of this child because when he was aggressive his levels were too high and when was whining his levels were to low and he would need something to eat immediately. The teacher had a lot of support from the child’s parents, other teachers and administers; the little boy has since moved on to kindergarten.

Improving health in Africa 2014 states that 1 out of every 5 deaths under the age of 5 worldwide is due to water related disease. Clean safe water is essential to healthy living. There is evidence that tiny worms and bacteria live in the water but most bacteria are harmless but, some bacteria can cause disease in humans (Improving health in Africa, 2014). Waterborne disease such as typhoid fever, cholera and other diseases are running rampant in countries like Africa (Improving health in Africa, 2014). Sickness caused by dirty water reduces people’s energy; Improving health in Africa 2014 states that when people are sick someone else has to take care of them which means the second person cannot work either.

The Water Project is working with local partners to provide people in Africa with access to clean water as well as hygiene and sanitation programs. Improving health in Africa 2014 said the programs have reduced disease in African communities allowing villagers to increase productivity and begin working themselves out of poverty.

The ways access to healthy water may impact my future work is to being to encourage all children to choose water first verse a soda. I have notice there are more families at our center who requesting their child have water instead of juice. In the beginning, I did not see the importance of this request but in recent years as I have mentioned more young children are developing diabetes. It is time for a change Improving health in Africa 2014 said “improving health in Africa begins with access to safe water”.

Reference:

Center for Disease Control and Prevention. (2013, December 18). Water access in schools.

Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/npao/wateracess.htm

Improving health in Africa. (2014, March 15). Retrieved from

http://thewaterproject.org/health.asp

Child Birth in your Life and Around the World

The birthing experience I chose to document comes from a past television program called “A Baby’s Story”. I chose this program because I have not had a personal birthing experience. What I remember about the family on television is they are young couple in their middle twenties with a two year old who they describe as very busy (Baby Story, 2007). The mother wanted her new baby here so she could get her body back to normal and meet the newest family member. Dad was only thinking about not passing out during the delivery and missing the birth of his second child (Baby Story, 2007). When the labor began for the mother she expressed her excitement that the process had begun. The doctor ordered the nurse to put the mother into pre-labor to see how the baby would respond; if the baby showed no distress they would proceed with the labor process continuing to allow her to dilate. When the moment came for delivering the baby the father was by his wife’s side coaching her through the process; he did not pass out. The mother only needed to push about four times for her son to be born (Baby Story, 2007).
I chose this example because I remembered I always enjoyed watching families welcome their newest family member into the world. This show also allowed me to experience the birth of a baby without having been pregnant myself. My thoughts about birth and its impact on child development is still a positive because the birth of a child has the ability to bring families together. Most families usually hope that their child is healthy and happy yet there are other factors that can come into play depending on a family’s economic situation. We must consider if the mother received proper prenatal care throughout her pregnancy; if she did then her baby has the greatest chance to grow and develop normally. If a mother received very little to no prenatal care she could put her baby at risk of being born with some abnormalities. I think each state should find a way to provide any pregnant individual with free prenatal care to ensure less of a chance the baby would have any disabilities.
The region I chose to research how births happen is Russia. I learned the majority of women in Russia give birth in the state hospital where they are offered birthing packages for additional fees on top of the normal procedures; packages would include dedicated nurses and private rooms. Private hospitals offer high levels of care which includes a doctor who speaks English; prices may be higher than state facilities because they may be covered by medical insurance. A normal stay after giving birth is three to seven days any time earlier patient must sign a release form. In the U.S. mothers usual stay about two days for normal birth and up to several days for patients who have caesarian births. I find this information a little different than the U.S. especially when they talk about offering birthing packages. They make sound like a vacation stay in the hospital






Reference
Baby Story, 2007. TLC channel
Giving Birth in Russia, 2014. http://russia.angloinfo.com/healthcare/pregnancy-birth/giving-birth/