Child Quote

The way parents are with children is how children will be with the rest of the world.
                                                               -Dr. Karl Menninger

This quote spoke to me greatly when I read it.  The quote means that what a parent attempts to install into a child during all areas of development will continue to resonate in their lives as adults.  Children soak up each and everything that we do or say and it is vital that we as adults show respect, care, and love to all.

Testing Intelligence

When considering the "whole child", there should be adequate testing done that is able to determine what area or areas needs improvement and ways in which educators and administrators will work towards solving this problem.  Measuring or assessing a child's ability will only prove beneficial to the child's education later in life.  Ways in which this can be successful rests solely on the child and the researchers in which they focus their time and energy.  An example would include a 10 year old student who is having problems passing written exams and is unable to read properly.  However, the student is doing excellent within areas that require her to orally communicate her learning's.  This shows that the child may need to be tested or assessed for a reading disability or dyslexia. 
School-age children within other countries learn differently from those within the United States.  Being able to receive the best education is the main goal of all schools.  However, students located within India are less likely to attend school.  Within this region there are 39.4 million children with disabilities that are denied the opportunity to receive an education.  Because there is a difference in which each country handles their educational endeavors, many disabled students are turned away from education because the school refuses to accommodate their disabilities.  To prevent and assist those who has disabilities, a conference was formed to assist those students who were suffering from disabilities and not able to attend school.  Eventually, children with disabilities were allowed into schools with other children and allowed the children to have full participation and an equal right of that of other students and children within society.

United Nations Children's Fund (2003). Children with disabilities towards inclusive education in South Asia. Retrieved from http://www.unicef.org.

Consequences of Stress on Children's Development

As children we all witness certain circumstances and situations that others around us may face.  I can remember being a child and being able to recognize that my cousin was being isolated by her mother.  She had five other siblings at the time and often times felt as though she was the “outcast” and didn’t fit in with her sisters and brothers.  She also felt that her mother did not love her as much as the others and she felt alone.  As a result of her feeling this way as a child and not receiving any help in this area, she still feels to this day that she is not a loved and valuable member in her family.  She separates herself from family functions and outings and drowns herself in her work instead of focusing on other important factors in life.  The way in which a child feels will affect the way in which they view life as an adult.  When children face such stressors, they are vulnerable and cannot fully understand why things happen the way they do. 

Since the start of the war I have been concerned about the stresses that children from that region face.  Known stressors that affect the life of children in Afghanistan are military violence, possibility of post traumatic stress, and trauma.  War affects us all but it affects children more.  Often time’s children witness this violence and may seem powerless to what can be done to save and protect their family.  War is a major factor and there must be some plans set in place to find possible solutions to such a horrible problem of children.  Soldiers are trying to limit the amount of violence that children experience but cannot fully prevent such stressors from occurring. 

ScienceDaily (2009 June 24). Afghani Children Suffering From Post-Traumatic Stress.  Retrieved on November 22, 2012, from www.sciencedaily.com.

Reference for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome

Kids Health. (2011). The Nemous Foundation.  Retrieved on 10 Nov 2012, from www.kidshealth.org.

The Lancet. (2010). Causes of deaths in children younger than 5 years in China in 2008, 375(9720).  Retrieved on 10 Nov 2012, from www.thelancet.com.

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome is death occurs when an infant is sleeping.  This is the leading cause of deaths for infants between the age of 1 month and 1 year old.  SIDS claims the lives of approximately 2,500 infants per year.  There is still great questions as to the cause of SIDS and is steadily being researched.  Researchers have however determined that infants should be placed on their backs to sleep rather on on their stomachs.  There is no single factor that can be contributed to SIDS, but most risk factors include:
stomach sleeping, poor prenatal care, premature birth, and tobacco exposure.  In order to reduce the SIDS, parents should: allow infants to sleep on a firm mattress, ensure immunizations are up to date, and put baby to bed with pacifier for up to 1 year of age.  Unlike the United States, China has a low percentage of deaths caused by Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.  Approximately 5 % of deaths of infants are the cause of SIDS.  This shows that there is a big gap in the way in which different societies and cultures use and pertain information.
Having just become a new aunt, this is very meaningful to me and I will be able to pass on vital and necessary information to new parents and mothers who are expecting.  The information can be life saving and be the difference between life and death!

Child Birth and Child Development

Approximately 20 years ago, I can vividly remember the birth of my second child.  I can remember thinking ahead of time that I knew what to expect and how I would deal with the pain and labor without any problems.  Unfortunately, I was wrong.  After two hours of labor, I realized that this birth would be very different from what I was expecting.  It all began when my son’s heart rate dropped and I was forced to have an emergency caesarian section.  I was afraid and only prepared to handle a natural birth.  I was very scared and was panicking.  I was finally calmed down and prepared myself to meet my second child.  When I woke up in recovery, all I could think of was seeing my beautiful baby boy.  I remember this particular event because it stresses that life throws us many different obstacles and the outcome depends upon the way in which you set your mind.  Birth is a very important factor in child development and it is a vital factor that must occur in development. 

The area that I chose to discuss is West Africa.  The childbirth tradition is focused on the mother squatting on the ground and be surrounded by her sisters and other women relatives.  Throughout the pregnancy, woman has midwives and they receive pay only if the birth is successful.  When the child comes into contact with the earth, it is a religious belief that the child will be blessed.  Having twins is considered a blessing from the gods. 

After finding information about this culture, I realized that we have many different beliefs and we do not all feel the same.  All children within our culture are considered blessings and that too is what West Africa has in common with our culture.

Reference

Hallgreen, R. West African Childbirth Traditions. Jordemodern. 1983 Nov 96(11).  Retrieved from www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.

Course Completion

My fist course towards earning my Master's Degree has come to an end.  I have really gained a lot of valuable information that I will be able to use throughout my daily life.  I have learned how to blog-which I never thought I would get the hang of-and I have gained a school like Walden University that is willing and able to assist me with any problems or concerns that I may have.  I look forward to continuing on my journey and hopefully, I will run into my fellow classmates again in a class.  I thank each and every person for their support and motivation.  May God continue to bless each of you.
--Mary J Brewer

Examining Code of Ethics

Examining Codes of Ethics

NAEYC

1-1.1-To be familiar with the knowledge base of early childhood care and education and to stay informed through continuing education and training.

1-1.9- To advocate for and ensure that all children, including those with special needs, have access to support service needed to be successful.

To create and maintain a climate of trust and candor that will enable staff to speak and act in the best interests of children, families, and the field of early childhood care and education.

DEC

We shall advocate for equal access to high quality service and supports for all children and families to enhance their quality of lives.

I chose these ideals of the code of ethics because they spoke to me on a higher level than the others.  All of the code of ethics were however very important towards the early childhood care and education of children and families.  The first code of ethics spoke to me because it focuses on training and continued education on behalf of the educators.  There is a constant change in the field of education and being on top of those changes will allow you to better teach your students and assist their families.  The second code allowed me to gain meaning because it allows support for all children, no matter their circumstances or conditions.  The third code that is meaningful to me because it allows educators the opportunity to have an environment where they feel comfortable enough to speak about things that may need changing that can benefit children more or to implement plans so that there can be a better understanding of ways to complete a task.  The final code that was meaningful to me discussed that all children deserve the best of quality services so that in the future their lives may be changed and they will be able to become better and more productive individuals within our communities and societies. 

Course Resources

Part 1: Position Statements and Influential Practices

NAEYC. (2009). Developmentally appropriate practice in early childhood programs serving children from birth through age 8. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/dap

NAEYC. (2009). Where we stand on child abuse prevention. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/ChildAbuseStand.pdf

NAEYC. (2009). Where we stand on school readiness. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/Readiness.pdf

NAEYC. (2009). Where we stand on responding to linguistic and cultural diversity. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/diversity.pdf

NAEYC. (2003). Early childhood curriculum, assessment, and program evaluation: Building an effective, accountable system in programs for children birth through age 8. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/pscape.pdf

NAEYC. (2009, April). Early childhood inclusion: A summary. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/DEC_NAEYC_ECSummary_A.pdf

Zero to Three: National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families. (2010). Infant-toddler policy agenda. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://main.zerotothree.org/site/PageServer?pagename=ter_pub_infanttodller

FPG Child Development Institute. (2006, September). Evidence-based practice empowers early childhood professionals and families. (FPG Snapshot, No. 33). Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.fpg.unc.edu/~snapshots/snap33.pdf

Note: The following article can be found in the Walden University Library databases.

Turnbull, A., Zuna, N., Hong, J. Y., Hu, X., Kyzar, K., Obremski, S., et al. (2010). Knowledge-to-action guides. Teaching Exceptional Children, 42(3), 42-53.
Use the Academic Search Complete database, and search using the article's title.

Part 2: Global Support for Children's Rights and Well-Being

Article: UNICEF (n.d.). Fact sheet: A summary of the rights under the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.unicef.org/crc/files/Rights_overview.pdf

• Websites:
  
• • World Forum Foundation
    http://worldforumfoundation.org/wf/wp/about-us
    This link connects you to the mission statement of this organization. Make sure to watch the media segment on this webpage
    
  • World Organization for Early Childhood Education
    http://www.omep-usnc.org/
    Read about OMEP's mission.
    
  • Association for Childhood Education International
    http://acei.org/
    Click on "Mission/Vision" and "Guiding Principles and Beliefs" and read these statements.

Note: Explore the resources in Parts 3 and 4 in preparation for this week's Application assignment.

Part 3: Selected Early Childhood Organizations

• National Association for the Education of Young Children
  http://www.naeyc.org/
  
• The Division for Early Childhood
  http://www.dec-sped.org/
  
• Zero to Three: National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families
  http://www.zerotothree.org/
  
• WESTED
  http://www.wested.org/cs/we/print/docs/we/home.htm
  
• Harvard Education Letter
  http://www.hepg.org/hel/topic/85
  
• FPG Child Development Institute
  http://www.fpg.unc.edu/main/about.cfm
  
• Administration for Children and Families Headstart's National Research Conference
  http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/opre/hsrc/
  

HighScope
http://www.highscope.org/

Children's Defense Fund
http://www.childrensdefense.org/

• Center for Child Care Workforce
  http://www.ccw.org/
  
• Council for Exceptional Children
  http://www.cec.sped.org//AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home
  
• Institute for Women's Policy Research
  http://www.iwpr.org/
  
• National Center for Research on Early Childhood Education
  http://www.ncrece.org/wordpress/
  
• National Child Care Association
  http://www.nccanet.org/
  
• National Institute for Early Education Research
  http://nieer.org/
  
• Pre[K]Now
  http://www.preknow.org/
  
• Voices for America's Children
  http://www.voices.org/
  
• The Erikson Institute
  http://www.erikson.edu/
  
• Part 4: Selected Professional Journals Available in the Walden Library
  Tip: Use the A-to-Z e-journal list to search for specific journal titles. (Go to "How Do I...?", select "Tips for Specific Formats and Resources," and then "e-journals" to find this search interface.)
  
  • YC Young Children
  • Childhood
  • Journal of Child & Family Studies
  • Child Study Journal
  • Multicultural Education
  • Early Childhood Education
  • Journal of Early Childhood Research
  • International Journal of Early Childhood
  • Early Childhood Research Quarterly
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Social Studies
  • Maternal & Child Health Journal
  • International Journal of Early Years Education
  
  ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

• Journal of Research in Childhood Education www.tandfonline.com/toc/urjc2c/current
• Theories of Learning in Educational Psychology www.lifecircles-inc.com/LearningTheories/learningmap.html
• The Effectiveness of Early Childhood Development Programs www.thecommunityguide.org/social/soc-AJPM-evrev-ecd.pdf

Quote by Marian Wright Edelman

If you don't like the way the world is, you have an obligation to change it.  Just do it one step at a time.
-Marian Wright Edelman

Quote by Marilyn Friend

I deeply believe that students with disabilities or other special needs can succeed when provided with access to the given education curriculum.
-Marilyn Friend

Child Drawing

I like this picture becuase it shows many different colors and shows that the child enjoys drawing.

My Favorite Book Title

As I searched to find my favorite book title, I ran across this book in the library.  It was written to teach and educate children about diabetes.  The title is "The Bravest Girl in School-A Story about Diabetes and Taking Insulin for Young Kids".  This is a great tool for children who are dealing with diabetes or are around fellow peers that deal with this problem.

Children

"Hugs can do great amounts of good, especially for children."-Princess Diana
I chose this quote because the most important thing that we can do for children is to love them and show them that daily.

Hello All!

This is my first time blogging but I am so excited to enter into a realm of learning and new experiences!!