Course Resources

Position Statements and Influential Practices

1. 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

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


3. NAEYC. (2009). Where we stand on school readiness. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/Readiness.pdf
  
4. 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

5. 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 

6. 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 

7. 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 

8. 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


9. 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. 

Global Support for Children’s Rights and Well-Being

1. 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.pd  

2. Websites:  
 a. World Forum Foundation  http://worldforumfoundation.org/wf/wp/about-us

b. World Organization for Early Childhood Education http://www.omep-usnc.org/

c. Association for Childhood Education International http://acei.org/about/

Selected Early Childhood Organizations
1. National Association for the Education of Young Children http://www.naeyc.org/

2. The Division for Early Childhood http://www.dec-sped.org/

3. Zero to Three: National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families http://www.zerotothree.org/

4. WESTED http://www.wested.org/cs/we/print/docs/we/home.htm

5. Harvard Education Letter http://www.hepg.org/hel/topic/85

6. FPG Child Development Institute http://www.fpg.unc.edu/main/about.cfm

7. Administration for Children and Families Headstart’s National Research Conference
http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/opre/hsrc/

8. HighScope  http://www.highscope.org/

9. Children’s Defense Fund  http://www.childrensdefense.org/

10. Center for Child Care Workforce http://www.ccw.org/

11. Council for Exceptional Children http://www.cec.sped.org//AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home

12. Institute for Women’s Policy Research http://www.iwpr.org/index.cfm

13. National Center for Research on Early Childhood Education http://www.ncrece.org/wordpress/

14. National Child Care Association http://www.nccanet.org/

15. National Institute for Early Education Research http://nieer.org/

16. Pre[K]Now http://www.preknow.org/

17. Voices for America’s Children http://www.voices.org/

18. The Erikson Institute http://www.erikson.edu/

Selected Professional Journals

1. YC Young Children

2.  Childhood

3.  Journal of Child & Family Studies

4. Child Study Journal

5.  Multicultural Education

6.  Early Childhood Education Journal

7.  Journal of Early Childhood Research

8.  International Journal of Early Childhood

9.  Early Childhood Research Quarterly

10.  Developmental Psychology

11.  Social Studies

12.  Maternal & Child Health Journal

13. International Journal of Early Years Education

Additional Resources 

1. Journal for Christian Educators 

  

2.  Dobson, James. (1978). The Strong-Willed Child: Birth through Adolescence. Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.

3. Chapman, Gary & Campbell M.D., Ross. (1997). The Five Love Languages of Children. Chicago, IL: Northfield Publishing. 

4. Weinfeld, Rich, Barnes-Robinson, Linda, Jeweler, Sue, & Roffman Shevitz, Betty. (2006). Smart Kids with Learning Difficulties: Overcoming Obstacles and Realizing Potential. Waco, TX: Prufrock Press Inc. 

5. Langston, Rob LD. (2002). For the Children: Redefining Success in School and Success in Life. Austin, TX: Turn Key Press. 

 

 

 

Words of Inspiration and Motivation

There have been and still are many hard workers that have left a lasting impression on Early Childhood Education.  As an Early Childhood Educator I find it inspirational to read over their thoughts and writings. Here are just a few of the quotes that I have found that inspire me to be a Master teacher.

Doug Lemov the author of "Teach Like a Champion: 49 Techniques that Put Students on the Path to College" said in an interview Neal Conan (2010).

" When you tell a student to pay attention, does the student know that that means sit up, get your eyes on me, and put your feet on the floor? So, if you give them more specific directions - sit up, get your eyes on me, put your feet on the floor - you're actually teaching the kids who don't know what to do. You're eliminating the ambiguity that lets some of the kids sort of exploit that, and you're making it much, much harder - a kid really has to willfully decide that they're going to defy you."

This is helped to remind me about the importance of giving students specific directions in a way that is not degrading or disrespectful. I know from personal experience that students like to know what is expected of them. Most of the students want to meet your expectations, they just have to know what they are.

In this same interview (2010) Doug Lemov continued to talk about teachers. Here is what is said,

"You know, I think this is the other thing that really excited me about this work, which is, you know, some people say, like, well, is this a formula? And the answer is, no, it's not a formula - that behind every artist is an artisan, that you learn the techniques, you master the tools. You know, I use an analogy in the book of a sculptor. That to be a great sculptor, first you have to learn to handle a hammer and a chisel. There are concrete techniques you have to do to make the chisel run across the rock. But then to be a great artist, you apply it with discretion and mastery. And great teachers deliver this technique in a way that it doesn't belittle students, that shows the respect of them."

I found this to be encouraging because teachers are not crafted from the same mold. We are all different and each one of us will take the 49 techniques and apply them to our classroom in a way that we as an individual can do. Teacher's do not have to be the same. We should all be using the same tools, but the finished project can look differently. If I work hard to keep sharping the tools that I use then I will be able to make a difference in the lives of my students.

Lemvo continued to tell Neal Conan (2010),

"This is what I see great teachers, game-changing teachers, do. So the work starts with what they do. And when you watch them in action, you see that yes, it's possible. Yes, you can make a difference. Yes, you can have a classroom that changes your kids' lives."

 Doug Lemvo is not the only person working hard to make their mark in Early Childhood Education, but Virginia Buysse has also been working towards change.

Virginia Buysse is a strong activists for giving Early Childhood Educators better resources to help students with special needs. In her article, "Program Quality and Early Childhood Inclusion Recommendations for Professional Development (2009)" she stated,

"... early childhood programs should provide a core curriculum and intentional teaching for all children as well as more specialized instructional approaches for some children who need additional supports to learn."

It is crucial for me as an Early Childhood Educator to make sure that I am receiving the proper education to make sure that I am giving my Kindergartens the best education possible.

 Virginia Buysse (2006) says,

"The transition to kindergarten increasingly is viewed by early childhood experts as a key component of school readiness, largely because school entry is a critical time in childrens development and a primary influence on their school careers (p. 15)."

I am a Kindergarten teacher and this encouraged me to know that what I am doing is important and it does matter.

As a teacher I have a deep passion to help my students. Here are some quotes from educators about passion:

Louise Derman- Sparks (Laureate Education inc, 2010) said,
" I had a built in passion that it was important to make a real contribution in the world and to fix all the injustices that were in the world and I wanted to do that through teaching."

Sandy Escobido (Laureate Education inc, 2010) says,
" Passion extends from personal experiences growing up."

Raymond Hernandez (Laureate Education inc, 2010) mentioned that,
"Passion comes from intrinsic motivation I have for the work that I do. Every day that I go to work I look forward to it because I know that the services I am providing for the children is to their benefit. Not anything that is going to benefit me, it's more to benefit them."

Renatta Cooper (Laureate Education inc, 2010) said,
"My passion has been involving through the years. Its an on going process. Its like a ripple... It grows."

Not only does passion play an important role in the lives of educator's, but motivation does also. Here are some quotes from people in the Early Childhood Field about motivation.

Sandy Escobido (Laureate Education inc, 2010) says that her motivation stems from wanting to,
"Train parents to learn how to advocate for their children.

Raymond Hernandez (Laureate Education inc, 2010) believes that,
"Passion comes from wanting to make a difference ... I truly believe that I'm not here to save the world. I am here to make a different in the community that I am working in. To me making a difference may sometimes mean helping one child to be able to be successful in the classroom. That one little sparkle will make a difference for me throughout the whole day"

Our passion will lead us to motivation. Having motivation and passion will lead us to gain wisdom of our field. Here are some quotes about wisdom:

Renatta Cooper (Laureate Education inc, 2010) said,
"I learned that it's not all about you. You have to take you ego out of it and think what's best for this child. And you care about them enough to help them transition to what comes next and what's best."

Louise Derman-Sparks had gained wisdom about preschoolers.
 "The pre-school years are critical. They are the first fundamental period. When children are noticing who they are, and the attitudes, and the stereotypes."


References

Buysse, Virginia & Hollingsworth, Heidi L. (2009, March 5). Program Quality and Early Childhood Inclusion Recommendations for Professional Development. Topics in Early Childhood Special Education Online First, doi:10.1177/0271121409332233. Retrieved from http://life.comm.fsu.edu/LIFEArticles/PD/Topics_ProgramQuality.pdf

Coleman, Mary Ruth Ph.D., Buysse, Virginia, Ph.D., &  Neitzel, Jennifer, Ph.D. ( 2006, May 1). Recognition and Response An Early Intervening System for Young Children At-Risk for Learning Disabilities. Retrieved from http://www.readingrockets.org/article/11394/

Conan, Neal (Interviewer) & Lemvo, Doug (Interviewee).  (2010). Good Teaching Is About Hard Work, Not A Halo [Interview transcript]. Retrieved from National Public Radio Website http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=124532654

Laureate Education inc. (Producer). (2010). Foundations: Early Childhood Studies [webcast]. The Passion of Early Childhood. Baltimore, Md: Author Unknown. 

Personal Childhood Web

 I grew up as a military brat. From birth to age ten my family and I had lived in three complete different countries. I did not grow up around my extend family, I only had my father, mother, and brother. Due to living in different countries, my personal childhood web is very small. Here are the people who nurtured and took care of me during my childhood. 


My mother

Who is my mother?
My mother was and still is an Early Childhood Educator. When we lived overseas, she was the Teacher of the Year for all of Europe. She also has several different specializations in the field of Early Childhood Education. When I was diagnosed with dyslexia, she then went and received a specialization in Special Education to help me be able to get through school. 

How did she influence my life?
As a child my mother had a great influence on my life. Her role in my family was that of nurturing.When we were sick, sad, upset, or angry she would always try to come up with a solution that would help us. My mother is one of the main reasons why I have become so successful with my education. She never allowed me to make excuses for giving anything but my best. Her love for her children is unconditional and she is willing to sacrifice everything for our well-being and happiness.


How did she make me feel special?
My mother had a way to make us feel special. She would spend hours to help me to understand concepts that were being taught in the classroom. I would remember the night before spelling test, she would stay up with me and give me fun creative ways to remember each and every one of my spelling words. She was my rock through some of the most discouraging times of my life, elementary school. Not only did she sacrifice her time to help me with school, but she also taught me the skills that I would need to become a godly wife that loves God first and then my husband second. She taught me this lesson by example. Her life was a great illustration of the women that is described in Proverbs 31. Her living a life of obedience to God, made me feel special because of my mother's example I have a personal relationship with my Heavenly Father.


How does she continue to influence my life?
My mother is one of the biggest inspirations in my life to become an educator. Her love for her classroom and desire to become a Master teacher showed me the importance of a good education. She was willing to be loving and patient with me, when teachers were not. This influences me to have this same attitude in my classroom. She is my mother, mentor, and best friend. I am so thankful that I have such an amazing mother. 


 What is my favorite memory?
My favorite memory is cooking with my mother. This memory has changed and developed throughout time. As a child I would help her by getting the pots and pans out and make a huge mess. When I was in middle school, I would help my mother by setting on the counter and talking to her about issues in life. Then in high school I would help her cooking by actually cooking. As I progressed into college I would help my mother cooking by learning her recipes, because we knew that the day was coming that I would be out and on my own. Then as a women I helped my mother in the kitchen to make the dinner for my guest at my wedding. It was such a precious memory and a stress reliever (believe it or not). Cooking in the kitchen is defiantly one of my most favorite memories with my mother.


My Father

Who is my father?
My father is a man that is dedicated to his country. He respects America and the American flag. His house is covered in images of the American flag and the American Bold Eagle. He has pride for his country. He is a hard worker, but would never allow work to come before God and his family. It is evident to all who come in contact with my father that he cherishes my family.


How did he influence my life?
He taught me to have patriotism for my country. He also taught me to not be discriminating towards those who are not just like us. Due to my father being in the military, we had lived in several different countries. The experiences that I had gained as a child living in more then one type of culture are ones that I will always remember. My father was and is a man of faith. His strong faith in God has left an lasting impact on my life. Seeing my father studying his Bible and spending time in mediation had influenced me to want a relationship with God also.


How did he make me feel special?
My father always knew how to make me feel special, because I was a daddy's girl. He would always put me first. I knew that there were times that his job would be stressful, but he would do his best to leave his stress at the workplace. When I was in middle school through high school I became very involved in sports. My father only missed one of my sport games from middle school through high school, which was due to him being in the hospital. I remember there being times that my father would get off of work to come to my sports game, eat dinner with me, then leave to go back to work. He would work late into the night, just because he wanted to make time to support when I was playing sports. My father would always make time for me and that made me feel special as a child. 


How does he continue to influence my life?
He continues to influence my life by still taking time to come see me. I currently live 12 hours away from my family, but anytime that my father can get off of work for a couple of days, he is at my house with my mother. I am still a daddy's girl. I know that if something happens or if I need anything my father is just a phone call away.


What is my favorite memory?
My favorite memory of my father is when he would take time off of work to be with me. He would take a week off for family vacation, or a day off for a day around the town. The time that my father would take off of work showed me how important I was to him. One of my favorite memories is when my family took a road trip to Niagara Falls. My family had made so many funny and precious memories on this road trip. 


My Brother

Who is my brother?
My brother is five years older then me. Growing up we had our times of love and our times of hate. As a girl I adored my brother and wanted to be just like him. My brother's role was to watch over me. It was my brother's job to babysit his little sister when mom and dad where not home. He is currently a middle school and high school teacher. 

How did he influence my life?
My brother would watch over me. I knew that if my mom and dad where not home, my brother would take good care of me. He would make sure that my needs were provided for while my parents were not available. As a little girl I would remember going and watching my brother play soccer. This had influenced me to play soccer in middle school, high school, and college. My brother also influenced me by being my personal tutor. Math was a  difficult subject for me. My brother would take hours to sit down and help me to understand my math concepts. Due to my brother I was able to pass all of my math classes from elementary school all the way through high school. 

How did he make me feel special?
My brother would make me feel special by allowing me to spend the night in his bedroom. My brother had buck-beds and I would always want to stay on his top buck-bed. There would be several times that he would allow me to stay with him. He also made me feel special by playing army men with me. We would spend hours playing army men on the floor in his bedroom. For some reason I would always lose the war, but I did not care because I was spending time with him. Another way that my brother would make me feel special was when he would allow me to play the Nintendo with him. Whenever he would play games with me it would let me know that he loved and cared for me. 


How does he continue to influence my life?
My brother continues to influence my life by being a close friend. My brother has helped me to become more acquainted with technology. I live 12 hours away from my brother, sister-in-law, and nephew. The distance is hard, but due to technology it does not feel so far. After my nephew was born, I was on Facetime talking to my nephew and my brother.  He is not just my brother, he is my friend. 


What is my favorite memory?
My favorite memory with my brother is when I would spend time with him. I loved being able to spend time with my brother by playing games and sleeping on his top buck-bed. Even as time went by, I loved staying up late with my brother watching movies.  When he moved out into his own house, I would go over and spend time playing card games and board games with him and my sister-in-law. Time is important to me, so time that I would spend with my brother is my favorite memory.




My mother, father, and brother all had a big impact on who I am today. Since I grew up moving from one country to another my immediate family was all that I had. I am so thankful for my family, because it is the relationships that I have developed with my family that has helped develop who I am today. The only people who have been consistently in my life since I was a child are my mother, father, and brother. This is my Personal Childhood Web.
 

Six years old; Gone too soon

As a teacher, I get the opportunity to reach out and touch the lives of my students. There are times that you come across a student that touches your life more then you do theirs. This is the case for a little girl that was in our school's Kindergarten department last year. For security purposes, I am going to call this little five year old, Rose. Rose was not in my Kindergarten class, she was in one of the other classrooms. This little girl had blond curly hair with big blue eyes. Her eyes were filled with love of learning and life. She was one of those students that you would walk by the classroom and you would see up running around and always being stimulated. Rose knew no stranger. Everyone that came into her path became her friend and she cared and loved them. 
When Rose was a baby she was diagnosed with a heart condition. Rose knew about her heart condition, but she did not allow it to handicap her. She lived every moment of life to the fullest. On several occasions she would express to the teachers that she would have very detailed dreams. She would then go into details about heaven and the angles. She would tell the teachers that the angels are always around her and she knows that she will not live a long life. 
Well last week I had received a text message asking me to be  praying, because Rose had fallen off of a swing and was knocked unconscious. A few hours later I had found out that little six year old Rose had passed away. This had hit me by surprise. I knew life was short and I knew that it could be our time anytime, but I was not prepared for it to be this First graders time. Rose had lived six years and she lived those six years to the fullest. Her life had helped me to realize how important Early Childhood Education really is. The only education that Rose was able to experience was Pre-Kindergarten to First grade. After I found out about her death I had to sit down and think long and hard about the way I teach. Do I teach my students like this could be their last lesson? I am doing everything that I can to give them the best education possible? Her life may have been short, but her impact on my life will be forever. I hope that through her story, you might see how important it is to teach those little ones with a heart full of love, compassion, patience, and forgiveness, because I know that her story changed me.

From the Mouth of Babes

This drawing was created by one of the students in my Kindergarten class. She drew this picture during her free time. After she was finished drawing the picture she had brought it to me, and I had asked her to tell me about the picture. She told me that she drew the world and the people in the world around it. She had made the people all different shapes, sizes, color, and genders on purpose. She then told me that they are holding hands around the world with Jesus, because He loved them so much that He had died for them. 
This picture had touched my heart. I loved how she used all different types of people. It had demonstrated to me that what matters the most to her, is what is in the inside. She does not care about the way people look. She has a heart of love and compassion for the people who live all around the world. I found this picture to be profound, because as adults we sometimes focus on the exterior and forget about the person. The fact that this child put the people holding hands around the world speaks so loud and clear to me. We need to stop focusing on who we are and those who are like us, but rather reach out to those who are different. It is so sad that a child can gain this concept so easily, but adults wage war after war, and fight after fight, due to differences. I hope this picture touched your heart as much as it had mine!

Favorite Poem about Kindergarten

When I was a student teacher, I had noticed a poster hanging on the wall. The poster had a poem written by Robert Fulghum, called "All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten." Here is what the poster said:


Most of what I really need
To know about how to live
And what to do and how to be
I learned in kindergarten.
Wisdom was not at the top
Of the graduate school mountain,
But there in the sandpile at Sunday school.

These are the things I learned:

Share everything.
Play fair.
Don't hit people.
Put things back where you found them.
Clean up your own mess.
Don't take things that aren't yours.
Say you're sorry when you hurt somebody.
Wash your hands before you eat.
Flush.
Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you.
Live a balanced life -
Learn some and think some
And draw and paint and sing and dance
And play and work everyday some.
Take a nap every afternoon.
When you go out into the world,
Watch out for traffic,
Hold hands and stick together.
Be aware of wonder.

Retrieved from: http://www.scrapbook.com/poems/doc/842/36.html

I thought this poster was so cute, but yet profound.  I have realized teaching life skills is crucial to teaching Kindergarten . This poster shows the importance of a good Early Childhood Education. 

My Faviorte Children's Storybook

One of my most favorite childhood memories, is when my mom would read "Love you Forever" by Robert Munsch. Every evening my mother would tuck me into bed and then read "Love you Forever." It is such a sweet story about the love that a mother has for her child, and how it has no bounds. I loved when my mother would read it to me, because it reminded me of how much she loved me. As a grew older, I would then "read" the story to my mom. My mom would sit and listen to me as I would recite what I could remember. This book has so many precious memories attached to it. I am looking forward to continuing the tradition of reading "Love you Forever" as a bedtime story to my children.