Early childhood education - Essay Example

?Part Article Review: Report of the Expert Panel on Quality and Human Resources (2007) “Investing in Quality: Policies, Practitioners, Programs andParents” The article reviewed the state of Ontario’s Early childhood Education programs and have come up with a four-point plan to deliver high quality early learning and care services to the community. It has analyzed past and present policies if they are still working and plan appropriate steps for new policies to ensure the development of better programs for children and their families. It has evaluated how practitioners performed so far and have raised the bar in terms of qualifications so practitioners are updated and educated in early childhood education and care. It aims to strengthen parent involvement programs and partnerships in recognition that they are significant factors in the healthy growth and development of Canada’s children. 1. How does the Ontario government intend to provide high quality early education services to its people? The panelists, composed of experts in various fields proposed a four-point plan, namely: (1) strengthening policies, raising and sustaining funding and building appropariate infrastructure; (2) improving education, training and development, improving compensation and providing career opportunities for practitioners; (3) delivering high quality, evidence-based and age-appropriate programs and practices for children; and (4) building strong partnerships with parents. 2. What are the prevailing problems and issues regarding child practitioners? Ontario is struggling with the decrease in number of effective and efficient child practitioners and this greatly affects the quality of education. The following reasons have been identified: Several practitioners do not meet the educational requirements needed to successfully address the demands of the practice and provide high quality early learning and care for children. Fresh graduates of early childhood education courses opt to work in jobs other than in regulated child care. Several practitioners will retire in the next 5 – 10 years and there are not enough new practitioners coming in to replace them. 3. Why invest in a high quality early childhood program? Research has provided evidence that the early years are most crucial in an individual’s development because it is at this time when early learning and experiences determine the quality of the child’s brain structure, disposition and well-being. Provision of a high quality early childhood program wherein positive, stimulating learning experiences take place contribute to the child’s self-confidence and positive attitude towards learning. These are qualities that lead to greater success in school and throughout one’s life. 4. How can early childhood programs support parents in facilitating the healthy, holistic development of their children? Early childhood programs should be able to accommodate the schedules of parents in planning events that require their presence. They can also extend the children’s time in preschools or day care centers to enable parents to work. Regular communication with parents regarding concerns about their children keeps them updated about their child’s progress. Also, early childhood programs provide adequate information to parents about things that can help them in implementing good parenting to their children. Article Review: Heyman, J., Barrera, M. and Earle, A. (2008) The Working Poor: Canada and the World, Policy Options. The article reports the state of child poverty throughout the world, and specifically in some countries of study. It discussed how child poverty is a lingering challenge that policy-makers face and has grown to be a global issue. The article claims that child poverty may be effectively managed if parents can succeed in working while caring for their children without fear of losing their livelihood. 1. How can families rise from poverty? Poverty may be overcome when individuals are given the opportunity to work and earn for a living. When parents’ jobs are enhanced, they gain a better income enabling them to provide better care for their children. Another factor that can make people rise from poverty is education. When children have access to a good education, they will have greater chances to better work opportunities as adults. Lastly, income support programs for families greatly benefit disadvantaged families. 2. What initiatives are proposed to help decrease, if not eliminate the problems of poverty in Canada? The article proposed provision of public early childhood care and education so that children are not left home alone or with another sibling. This will enable parents to work. Another advocacy is the elimination of the discrimination of women in the workplace so that they can join the workforce so they can contribute to the family income. Finally, provision of better working conditions with benefits such as sick and maternity leaves with pay will go a long way in supporting working parents. Conclusion: Reading the articles made me realize how much people care for children and are constantly thinking of their welfare. Much research have been devoted to the cause of eradicating poverty with education. The questions and answers have stressed valuable points why early childhood education is vital not only for the development of children but for the whole society. Part 2: Case Study: Jocelyn Jocelyn, a native twenty-two year old single mother, learned of the Family Resource Program while babysitting for a friend. She dropped by the FRP with Josh, the child she was babysitting and Caroline, her toddler daughter. She found the place so welcoming and filled with activities for them to do. For her, she was able to meet new friends, mothers of all ages whom she shared stories with and learned a lot from. She also attended some activities for adults such as parenting classes. For the children, they also socialized with the other children and also made new friends. There was a wide variety of things to do and learn from, and that kept them stimulated and busy. Jocelyn felt like she found her new family because they accepted her without any judgment and supported her in her time of need. The FRP played a crucial role in getting Jocelyn out of an abusive relationship with the father of her daughter. The FRP helped her report the abuse to the police and assisted her in finding a secure place for her and her daughter. They even provided her with food stubs, bus tickets, and assistance with welfare and her court dates regarding the custody of her daughter. For all of these, Jocelyn is very grateful that she wants to give something back. She has become an active participant in the FRP, volunteering for tasks and help out in her own little way. It has even inspired her to pursue a career in social work. The FRP is a good resource for all families, especially for young single parent families like Jocelyn’s who need a little more help than the regular families. Key Issues: Jocelyn is a young single mother who needs support in her new role. Jocelyn needs to learn more about parenting Jocelyn needs friends and people to talk to and socialize with because she feels she does not have any family. Caroline, Jocelyn’s daughter also needs support while she is growing up. She is a rapidly developing toddler. Jocelyn came from an abusive relationship. Case Analysis: In Jocelyn’s current situation, the FRP came to her life at a very opportune time. As a very young mother who had no other family to turn to, FRP was on hand to support her. Support came in all of Crockenberg’s (1988) categorization of support – emotional, instrumental and informational. Emotional support came in the form of empathy for her situation and this was concretely shown during a crucial time in her life when her abusive relationship reached its climactic end. The FRP staff were there to lend their support to her by way of actively taking her out of the abusive situation and transferring her to a safer place. Jocelyn never felt judged for the mistakes she committed in her past but she always felt understood. They also provided her with instrumental support by way of giving her basic necessities like food stubs, bus tickets, etc. to help her in her new lease on life. Informational support came by way of parenting classes or other workshops that taught her new skills to be able to help herself and others. The camaraderie she enjoyed with the other mothers attending the FRP also provided her not only with emotional support but information as well based on their parenting experiences. Silver, Berman and Wilson (2005)’s reading on empowerment was clearly evident in Jocelyn’s case. In the reading, empowerment entailed the creation of relationships with mutual respect, meaningful involvement and a sharing of power and ownership of decision-making ability. Jocelyn’s painful experience with her abusive ex-partner empowered her to be a stronger woman who can stand on her own. Of course, the FRP had a lot to do with it because they were there to support her in her time of need. Empowerment in Jocelyn also manifests in her desire to give back and to serve others with the same kindness she has received from the FRP. Caroline, Jocelyn’s toddler, has gained so many benefits from attending the FRP with her mother. Unlike other babies who have limited or no contact with other children, Caroline has started her socialization with other children and adults at a very early age. Jocelyn is delighted how her baby girl is learning so many things ever since they started going to the FRP. One is taking her first steps in order to keep up with other children. Being exposed to other people apart from her mother is also good for Caroline. Not having a father or any other family member other than her mother limits her social interactions thereby she will just cling to her mother. Now that they have FRP, Caroline has a sense of family where she can get the attention and support she needs. Jocelyn describes it as being like a village… from the saying “It takes a village to raise a child”. Jocelyn puts in her share in community-building by volunteering her services in the FRP. She has plans of investing her social capital in helping out children in the early years. From the lectures, it was discussed how Smythe referenced Putman (2001) who pointed out that,  social capital in the form of social bonds, social connectedness and social involvement in communities leads to reciprocity . . . this seems positively linked to many other factors such as success in schooling, more citizen involvement in local issues, lower crime rates, higher quality of life for children and healthier people" (p. 8). Jocelyn was fortunate enough to have found the FRP that addressed her needs for herself and her daughter. True to form the FRP she attends is community-based program that promotes the growth and development of families. It aims to enhance the strengths innate in families as well as strengthening identified weaknesses in order for the members to achieve optimal well-being and personal success. Family support should have a strong commitment to relationship-building based on trust, respect and sharing of power. It needs to ensure that it meets specific needs of family members so that they become healthy, productive and contributing members of the community. Family Support Family support theories have many implications in community building (Malcomson, 2002). The principles upheld by Canada stress forging strong partnerships between family support programs and families and communities to be able to address needs. Family support programs strengthen individuals, families and communities. As an early childhood professional, I feel that I am part of the profession that provides support and services to families because of my work with their children. It is a well-known fact that when early childhood practitioners and parents work together, common goals for their children are achieved more successfully. This is because parents provide essential developmental information regarding their child while the school provides valuable information about the education of the child and available community resources (DeMoss, 1998). Communication between the home and the early childhood center is vital to the program. That is why the center needs to create ways to strengthen the home-school link to update parents of what is happening to their children in the center through the children’s narrative record, monthly newsletters, a website or blog of the center or the particular class of the child, parent-teacher conferences and parent seminars given by the school. These provide opportunities for the center to disseminate information about the child or news about the class or school activities. It can also serve as a venue to educate parents on pertinent education news or information that would help them in the proper care and rearing of their children. Early childhood professionals may also provide tips and suggested activities that parents can do with their children such as arts and crafts or simple experiments as well as lyrics to songs (Decker et al, 2009). On the other hand, parents are always welcome to raise their concerns, questions or complaints regarding their children. They are free to call the center, write a note or schedule for a conference. As an early childhood professional, I should take the opportunity to gather information about the children I am working with from the parents. This is essential in planning developmentally-appropriate activities for them in order for them to gain concepts and skills necessary for their development. Being able to meet and interact the children’s families on certain occasions helps me to know them better and would give me a better understanding of the family and culture they have come from. Brofenbrenner’s Ecological model (1979) that takes into account the external influences that affect the ability of families to enhance learning and development of their children and exemplifies the first stage of parent involvement ideology (Gordon, 1979; Bronfenbrenner, 1979). The basic assumptions of this perspective are based on shared responsibilities of both the child’s home, school and other environments that highlight its communication, coordination and cooperation (Epstein, 1987). Brofenbrenner’s Ecological Model explains that the behavior and development of an individual is an interplay of the individual’s biological and personality factors, his environment and the society and culture he was born into. Brofenbrenner also claims that effects of interactions between the individual and his environment are two-directional or characterized by reciprocity. This means that while a child’s development is influenced and molded by his family, school and peers, he likewise influences and molds the behavior of others (Brofenbrenner, 1979). It is inevitable that some families would prefer not get involved in the school activities of their children. There may be a host of reasons for this. Most of the time, parents reason lack of time due to their work pressures. This may be resolved by a reasonable adjustment in time to accommodate such busy parents in some school activities, like holding it on weekends or early evenings after work hours. However, for some parents, they may believe or feel that the school may not accept them for who they are due to their cultural difference (Decker et al, 2009). Despite the school’s advocacy for family involvement, there is no pressure for parents to participate if they are not interested. However, for those dedicated ones who support their children in their growth and development, as well as the school’s efforts in optimizing their potentials by encouraging bonding with families, they receive recognition. Enjoining parents and families in their children’s school activities not only strengthens bonds between them but also creates happy memories that children will fondly look back to when they grow up. References Brewer, J. (2001) Introduction to Early Childhood Education. Allyn & Bacon. Bronfenbrenner, U. (1979). The Ecology of Human Development. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. Crockenberg (1988) . Decker, C. Decker,J., Freeman, N. and Knorpf, H. (2009). Planning and administering early childhood programs (9th edition). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson DeMoss, S. (1998). A conceptual analysis of a parent-culture’s perceptions of parent involvement. Doctoral Dissertation, University of Oklahoma, Norman. Epstein, J. (1987). Parent involvement: What research says to administrators. Education and Urban Society, 19, 119-136. Gordon, I. (1979). The affects of parent involvement on schooling. Partners: Parents and schools. Washington, DC: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, 4-25. Heyman, J., Barrera, M. and Earle, A. (2008) The Working Poor: Canada and the World, Policy Options. Putnam (2000) Malcolmson, J. (2002). Putting the pieces together: A conceptual framework for family support practice. Ottawa, ON: FRP Canada. 1-5. Report of the Expert Panel on Quality and Human Resources (2007) “Investing in Quality: Policies, Practitioners, Programs and Parents” Silver, S., Berman, R. & Wilson, S. (2000) A Place To Go: Stories From Participants of Family Resource Programs, An MAFRP University Project Read More