Encouraging intellectual and emotional growth

This article describes a new understanding into the nature of the challenges faced with children who have special needs. It describes ways to help these children extend their intellectual and emotional potential through Stanley Greenspan's "floor time" approach. I believe this article is very important to all educators. No matter what grade you teach, you may have a child in your class who has special needs. If we become more educated and knowledgeable in how to teach children with special needs, we can offer them the best education possible. Most general education classroom teachers  are not as knowledgeable on teaching children with special needs as Special Education teachers. Because of inclusion, general education teachers will have students in their classrooms that have special needs that must be met accordingly. Articles such as this article provide general education teachers with basic knowledge of strategies and instructional methods that will enable them to teach a child with special needs in a manner that would increase the child's intellectual ability.

5 tips to help parents pick the best preschool

This article describes the important factors that parents should take into consideration when looking for a preschool for their child. The five factors that the article lists of most importance are:
1. ABC's, 123's - early years are the time to start
2. Play time every day (imaginative, physical)
3. Children should have choice of some activities
4. Teachers interact positively with children
5. Alignment with your home values

I agree with what has been listed in this article and their importance to Early Child Development in preschool children. In preschool, it is important for children to learn their ABC's. Once children learn letters, they then progress into phonemic awareness and phonics skills which set the foundation for reading. Learning 123's set the foundation for number recognition and math. Imaginative  and physical play helps children to develop social skills, logico-mathematical skills, cognitive skills, and life skills. When children have choices, they learn by doing things of interests to them. Learning is fun and more meaningful to the child. Young children always need teachers that are going to interact with them positively. Small children are very sensitive to stimuli and can be damaged by negative attention from the teacher. If the same values are taught daily at home and preschool, they are more likely to be followed by the child.

Preparing kids and parents for preschool

This article describes how challenging it can be for parents to find a preschool that they feel is right for their child. The article describes what a quality early childhood program should provide. The article provides parents with a description of what is considered an appropriate age for a child to start preschool. I believe this is important to all educators in Early Childhood Education. It does not  matter where an educator is employed, they  always want the parents of their students to feel comfortable with the facility in which they choose to place their child. Most parents are going to choose the child care facility with the best credentials and highest recommendation ratings. This is also important to educators. Educators should make sure that they choose a facility that has good credentials and is well respected in the community. If  and educator works in a facility in a less reputable part of the community with low income families, they will probably receive less pay and will not have much parent involvement. Working in a more reputable area of the community with higher income families normally yields the opposite results. These are factors to consider when looking for a child care facility to become employed as an educator.

Why Toddlers Throw Tantrums

This article deals with the underlying reason of why preschool age children throw tantrums. This article describes how tantrums and outburst by toddlers comes from brain development. This finding is enormous for Early Childhood Educators. Understanding why children act a certain way at a certain age is important. All children between the ages of two and four throw a tantrum for some reason during this age range. Knowing this research enables teachers to take a negative situation and turn it into a positive teachable moment. I would not mind encountering a little tantrum from a four year old if I knew it was benefitting the child and influencing language development in a positive way. When you understand how children learn and develop, it enables you to teach them in the best way possible.

Solving the Autism Mystery

Solving the Autism Mystery

This article discusses the mysteries that surround what little is known about autism. As a result, parents are desperate for information, and there is plenty of it, both factual and bogus. It was not until 1990 when the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act was signed that autism was officially observed as its own impairment; previously, children, teenagers and adults with autism were labeled as emotionally disturbed or mentally retarded. "Society's awareness of autism is at an all-time high, and autism experts are more and more capable of identifying problem behaviors early in a child's development. According to Dr. Coplan, the "big three" help him diagnose spectrum disorders in babies and toddlers." There are many children in our school systems today that suffer from autism. As a teacher, it is very important that one become familiar with the symptoms of autism and how to relate and handle children who suffer from autism. I am grateful for the research that has been done in the area of autism. This research enables teachers to develop an awareness for children who suffer from autism disorders so that we can provide them with the best educational instruction possible to meet their needs.

Are Adults Hurting Young Children by Pushing Them to Achieve?

This article describes a tutoring program in New York City in which parents pay large amounts of money for children as young as two and three years old to spend an hour, twice a week, being tutored in math and reading skills to be prepared for school. Research suggests that there is little benefit from this kind of tutoring. However, research does suggests that young children learn just as much about math, if not more, fitting mixing bowls together on the kitchen floor. From college courses taken at AUM and my experience as a teacher, I feel that the best way for young children to learn math concepts is through hands-on experiences with various child appropriate materials. Children need to be exposed to various math games and manipulatives that will enable the child to construct their own knowledge about math. Piaget's philosophy of how children learn suggests that a child learns best when the child is constructing their own knowledge in their own way. I have witnessed this first hand and I fully agree with Piaget's philosophy of how children learn best. When you teach a child a concept by doing drills over and over again, the child is only memorizing what was done during the drill. The child never fully understands what the concept means and how to apply it in any given situation. All children develop at their own pace and in their own way. I say, give them the right materials, the right environment, and allow them to construct their own knowledge. This type of learning has proven to be more meaningful and have a more positive affect on academic performance.

Teaching Little Fingers New Math Tricks

Teaching Little Fingers New Math Tricks

This article describes a method for teaching math that was developed by coaches at Erikson Institute. Erikson is a graduate school and research institute that focuses on early-childhood education. The coaches from Erikson have been sharing the math teaching techniques with 60 to 80 preschool and kindergarten-level Chicago Public School teachers since 2007. In September, the program will expand to include all preschool through third-grade teachers at eight public schools. The lesson discussed in this article describes the children’s ability to compare and predict size. These are skills that researchers from Erikson say provide a foundation for success in elementary math but are often neglected in preschool. One preschool teacher describes the lessons as valuable because they are hands-on and they emphasize concrete problem solving skills. Having a hands-on math lesson is very important. It is more meaningful to the students, they enjoy doing hands-on activities, and it creates learning that is more motivating. I have witnessed first hand what hands-on learning does for small children. To me, hands-on activities, in any subject, is the best approach to learning. The article also states that the lesson emphasizes concrete problem solving. This is very valuable to all students, especially to preschool age children. If you try to teach a child an abstract concept, they aren't going to understand it. Teaching children concrete problem solving skills will help them develop necessary skills that can be incorporated in all subject areas.