Infant-Toddler Environment Rating Scale - Essay Example

Perceived of children’s needs Yue Su San Jose Teachers should be early learning supporters, collaborators, and guides, in other words, the interaction between children’s effort and teacher’s support which guarantees the full development of a child. In order to promote a childs development, we must follow childrens interest. The purpose of this is to create situations to make sure children are helped to develop their interests and achieve their goals. Infant/Toddler Environment Rating Scale as a pre-evaluation questionnaire is widely used around the world, not only can it effectively assess the quality of early childhood learning environment, but also, it assess the needs of children with special needs. The scale of space and furnishings, personal daily care and routine, listening and talking, activities, interaction, program structure and parents and staff are seven aspects to be evaluated in this study. According to the scale, it observes children in a kindergarten. Through improving the quality of the learning environment, education programs for children with special needs in a regular class are better implemented. I first arrived at Kidango Decoto Center, a child care facility for toddlers, located at Union City. The head-teachers and supervisors name of the center is called Catalina Garcia. I observed a classroom, which the age range is between eighteen months old and three years old, and the center has four teachers and sixteen children. This observation lasted about three hours in the morning, from 9:00 am up until 12:00 pm. On this morning, my observation was specifically to use the infant-toddler environment rating scale to assist in my evaluation. Students were arriving in the classroom at around 8:30 am, and they were offered breakfast. After the breakfast around 9:15 am, all the students got in their respective the classrooms. They were engaging in free play time where there were prepared games, crafts and interacted with their teachers and classmates. I was seated in the classrooms corner, where the children could not easily see me, and this observation needed not to be distracted by my presence in the classroom. The environment set should be conducive to child’s physical and mental growth. Childhood is a curious, imaginative, energetic, adventurous age. Therefore, health and safety is the primary factor, in the kindergarten classroom environment settings. Secondly, the class should give the children, the same feeling as home. Let the children feel that they are here to master thoroughly. By setting the environment, teachers should ask themselves, what valuable things they want to pass to the children. They should also know how kids spend their time in the classroom, transmission of emotions from reality to the social environment. Respect for each child is also paramount. In my ITERS-R scale, Space, and Furnishing; Indoor space has five points, but their space seems like a little bit crowded because the tables and chairs already occupied half the space. The classroom has adequate lighting, temperature control, and sound-absorbing materials. Area is clean and well maintained. However, because there is no enough room for children, adults, and furnishing, a disabled child in a wheelchair cannot access the classrooms in a convenient way. In overall, the classroom’s setting still follows a standard that is trying to use the enough space to create a better environment for children. For example, the whole class is divided into various sections, building block corner, home corner, desktop toys corner, art corner, sand and water (science angle) and book corner. These areas are also used to carry out collective activities, such as music and sports events, storytelling and class meetings. Recently, some kindergartens are increasing the computer and cooking corner. It separates the classroom in all areas of strategy, with a different arrangement of furniture. This makes the childrens activity area clear, such that at the same time; teachers can look at the overall idea. Action place and quiet place should be separated; transport routes are used to reduce distraction. Materials are placed on a short shelf so that children can get them easily. Shelves have their label which is clean, not cluttered, so that the contents can be easily seen. In order to arrange well in the environment, they would put the same elements together, so that the teacher can teach the children classification, and to put things in sequence. A classroom’s space and furnishing setting would cause an effect on children. First, Specific activities of each region can promote children’s learning specific knowledge, the development of specific skills, and also developing social personality. All the business areas can cultivate childrens sense of trust, the development of young children independence, develop their attention, develop their skills and techniques. To nurture childrens sense of trust, reasonable classroom layout should be adhered to. Toys have to be put in each activity area neatly, and classification should be clear so that children can quickly find the necessary items. Failure to this, they will not find the essential items in an easy way. Childrens artwork posted on the art corner, highly consistent with their level of sight, which makes children feel that their works be taken seriously. Classroom book corner should be warm and comfortable so that they can sit and read or rest. Each active region material should be sufficient to reduce the quarrel between children. Teachers can help children in twos and threes in an activity area, so that they can learn how to get along and trust each other. Second, development of childrens independence: This is the ability of children to make choices, discover their interests and develop their personality. Arrangement is reasonable, clearly defined active areas can help children make decisions that determine the activities in a particular field. Shelves stocked object has a special appeal can trigger the interest of young children, so that they can take the place of toys alone, independently, do not rely on help adults. When the end of the event, children need their independent toy pack played, they will pick up for themselves are proud to be independent. Third, Foster childrens attention: the use of foster children to concentrate on a variety of items and a variety of activities. Division does not make childrens activity area divert activities in other regions; it enables children to focus on the relative activities at hand. Furniture use (used to separate the various business areas) can prevent children look around, and targeted for their operations. Quiet areas and noisy areas are separated; this makes a quiet area not to be affected by a noisy area. Enough interesting toys attract childrens attention to the material, to make sure that they will not be disturbed by other activities. The last, developing childrens skills and techniques: the development of childrens math skills, reading and writing skills and social skills. By using different materials, children can learn a classification and match. Put same kinds of goods that children learn to make similar items with them. Activity book corner also helps to cultivate childrens ability to quiet reading. Also, family angle and angle of desktop activity toys can help children develop the capacity for eye-hand coordination and develop their reading skills. Each business area helps child interaction activities, to promote childrens social skills and develop their social skills. Space and furnishing as part of the work created by preschool teacher, we should pay more attention to it, and to create a suitable environment for children living and learning. For children development, one of the important issues is helping children to use language and understand the language, especially infant, and toddler. From the article, Assessing Toddler Language Competence: Agreement of parents and Preschool Teachers’ Assessment, the author, Marijanovic-Umek, described children have a learning language relationship with their parents and teachers. At the early development stages, children needs parent to create a valid and reliable evaluations for learning language. In the meanwhile, teachers as a second initiator, needs to spend enough time with the toddlers in their various preschool activities. Language competence for children should be interacting with teachers. The author’s main purpose of this study was to examine correctly the power of the assessment between the parents and the preschool teacher’s assessments of toddler language competence agreement. She believed that the preschool teacher is more involved than parents to assess toddler language ability. The result shows that parents’ assessments of their toddlers’ gender had an importance and high results. Born only a crying newborn, why is it in just two to three years they learn the language, to grasp the structure of such a complex and rigorous language? See the language as an intellectual and potential. It is better for children to develop their language sooner than later. Prenatal care worker even advocated five months pregnant at the time of the hearing and the fetus appeared to speak, calling his name. The early educators recommend that babies are born as from the very first day, verbal communication convergence in life care, which has a very important potential role in 3-5 months old so he made ​​when export department to "talk" and the acoustic response. Yeah when Iraq began to learn the language, to make a positive response to 8-9 months, with the language to say that he needs1 year old, we must continue to encourage him to say the word, telegraphic words, sentences and gradually asked to say a word, double words until the full statement. Infancy is a critical period of development of spoken language, from the word sentence (15-20 months) to double words (18-24 months) to simple sentences and grammar master (2-3 years old) in the language development process, the moment cannot be separated from adult guidance, because if there is no voice in the environment, they may never develop linguistic intelligence. issues Toddlers in this period may have been talking in a language that people know how to answer questions and issues that can have some semantic and syntactic, understand speech to take turns, etc. During this period, parents must pay attention to the use of standardized language, do not use a language with children, such as "eat all things,""bath shower." This period parent should encourage their children have contacts more oftenly with children of the same age so that they can learn to use language in a regular exchange. Parents and children can also be more than playing house or play some small theater so that children can learn to appreciate the others role. This also allows children to act as a member of the family communication, such as, let the children tell Grandpa we can immediately eat, etc. Parents may also make small actions at home as a child, and this makes the children make better use of the language. Parent and teacher should be careful, not to use loud voice or yell at the children. This is because it would make them have an adverse effect on the understanding of language, and even lead to the childs language barriers. I am also concerned about peer interaction among the toddlers from the ITERS-R. An area which is a small learning environment. The children in this area, not only interact with teachers, but also with the environment, It often occurs among young children with a variety of interactive communication, this has a positive impact on the exchange, often very beneficial to the childs self-growth. The article “Theory of mind, Inhibition Behavioral, and Early childhood peer interactions”. The author, Suway, Jenna G, examined the current study with children temperament, peer interaction, and theory of mind development. They assumed three problems, first, children in 24 months, who are classified as behaviorally inhibited, and also show less understanding at 36 months, comparing to non behaviorally inhibited children; Second, there children who displayed a negative peer interaction behaviors, in a peer interaction at 24 months; Third, behavioral inhibition and the negative behaviors during a peer interaction would jointly influence their theory of mind development. For example, children with both heightened behavioral inhibition and negative peer interaction behaviors would exhibit worse performance than the children who displayed negative social behaviors. Both of them had negative peer interaction behaviors, which were associated with passing fewer theories of mind development tasks. The data revealed that children who have high behavioral inhibition and negative peer interaction behaviors would give less theory of mind tasks at 36 months of age, than those with high behavioral inhibition and low in negative peer interactions or those low in behavioral inhibition. According to this article, companion is a person with the same social cognitive abilities that children get along with. Childrens peer relationship is the interaction between childrens behavior occurred between the child and the child established and developed in the interactive process. This is especially among children of the same age relationships. Research shows that good peer relationships help in the development of childrens cognitive and social value, of healthy personality of social competence. Peer interaction is important to children, so that they can learn social skills and strategies to make a child-friendly and have a positive direction. During exchanges with peers, children develop social behaviors, such as a smile, a request, they exercise their social skills and strategies and make adjustments based on each others reaction. On the other hand, children exchange social behavior by observing and learning, to enrich their social behavior. Good communication between the children and a good parent-child relationship can be the same so that a sense of responsibility and maturity can be created. This brings a relaxed mood, which is lively and enjoyable. Observed in kindergarten, peer interaction in preschool children often show more and more obvious pleasure, excitement and unfettered conversation and can be more relaxed in self-investment activities. Peer interaction with different children from different life experiences and knowledge base. They will also make a variety of joint activities of different specific performance. Even when faced with the same toys, they may play a different pattern. Peer interaction is important to share knowledge and experience available for young children, imitate each other learning and opportunities. Meanwhile, peer interaction also provides a large number of children companion exchanges, direct instruction, consultation and opportunities for discussion. These are very beneficial to extend knowledgeable child cognitive development of their own thinking, operation and problem-solving skills. On the other hand, peer interaction can provide an effective control standard for the development of childrens self-awareness. Child care provided for self-evaluation reference makes it possible to understand the children through the power while the interaction of young children self-regulation provides a wealth of information and references. So, preschool teachers and caregivers should provide sufficient time for children, support and encourage exchanges between their freedoms. The kindergarten children have it as “educational resource” small children to play educational function of society. From my rating scale, the weakness part which is the classroom did not provide enough space and equipments for children or adult with disabilities. For example, if the child needs a wheelchair to walk in the classroom, the wheelchair may come up with the other chairs and tables. But the strength part in this class, is a quiet space for children, called "quiet zone," it is located in relatively secluded place, which can be a single small room. It can be set up in a relatively closed corner inside the facility, which is relatively straightforward. A small sofa, upholstered and simple shelf stuffed with toys. Here is entirely different from the busy activity area, create a family-like atmosphere, people have a sense of security. Solitude space is intended for those children who want to stay for some time being alone, while the solitude of space can also be used to let the children think about something or stabilize emotions. Some classroom uses some flowers or transparent cloth laid out in these areas, to ensure teachers will be able to see the children from the outside. American teacher told us that, for children to be far from everyones private area is crucial, especially for those children boarding. This quiet area gives children a private space; it has a very positive impact on the childs psychological health. When children are being failed, criticized, misunderstood and even disputed down, they do not feel happy. They will find solace in the solitude space. Children can release their emotional at their own game and their time alone. Overall, ITERS-R assessment system for early childhood education worker has a crucial impact. In addition to having a comprehensive understanding of early childhood development, one must be familiar with formal and informal assessment measures. It is also very crucial to be alert to all the variables or files to communicate with parents, as well as assessment tests. In this time of my observation experience, I understand that the classroom environment should be conducive to teaching and learning activities. On one hand; the class should provide a variety of functions for the children activity area, and the child has the freedom to choose any activity. But also for the kids exchanges need for cooperation in the form of a variety of segments. This is both for the child to have the freedom to select the active area, and easy for a teacher to follow the class daily routine. Also, childhood is a curious, imaginative, energetic and adventurous age. Therefore, health and safety is the primary factor in the kindergarten classroom environment settings. Secondly, the class should give children the same feeling at home, let the children feel that they are here to master thoroughly. References Marjanovic-Umek, L., Fekonja, U., Podlesek, A., & Kranjc, S. (2011). Assessing Toddler Language Competence: Agreement of Parents and Preschool Teachers Assessments. European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, 19(1), 21-43. Suway, J. G., Degnan, K. A., Sussman, A. L., & Fox, N. A. (2012). The Relations among Theory of Mind, Behavioral Inhibition, and Peer Interactions in Early Childhood. Social Development, 21(2), 331-342. Read More