When I Think of Child Development

Do not train children to learn by force and harshness, but direct them to it by what amuses their minds, so that you may be better able to discover with accuracy the peculiar bent of the genius of each. –Plato

Testing for Intelligence

When it comes to viewing the whole child, I think that authentic assessment should be used. According to the text, "Authentic assessment (also called classroom assessment, alternative assessment, and performance-based assessment). This type of assessment occurs in the ongoing life and daily activities of the early childhood classroom. Authentic assessment is evaluation of a child's development or performance in the context of everyday life. In a natural or "authentic" approach, the teacher observes and documents real life examples in which skills and knowledge are demonstrated tasks that are meaningful to the child. It is not a onetime event. Instead it is an ongoing process. It uses the input of teacher, parent, and child. Authentic assessment includes multiple kinds of information, collected throughout the day, while children are engaged in a range of activities including self-selected play, teacher-directed activities, routines, and transitions. In authentic assessment a variety of methods are used to record or document what children do, but the most important is teacher's observations of children engaged in meaningful activities. Photographs, videotapes and audio recordings, interviews with children and family members, and examples of children's work also can provide authentic evidence of a child's understanding and ability" (Feeney, Moravcik, Nolte, Christensen, 2010).

In England, at the moment, "most of the children start school in nursery or reception classes at the age of three or four and are taught using the Early Years Foundation Stage, a compulsory "nappy curriculum". They are assessed against targets set out in the EYFS, which covers areas such as personal and social development, communication and early numeracy, before moving on to formal lessons in the first full year of school aged five. Children are then subjected to further assessments in the three R's at the age of seven" (Paton, 2013).

I think that when we assess children, we should make sure that whatever we assess them with it should be developmentally and educationally significant for children. We should make sure that the instruments we assess them with have goals that are aligned with early learning standards, program goals, and curriculum rather than a narrow set of skills.


Feeney, S., Moravcik, E., Nolte, S., Christensen, D. (2010). Who Am I in the Lives of Children? An Introduction to Early Childhood Education. Pearson Education Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ.

Paton, G. (2013). The Telegraph. Retrieved December 7, 2013, from http://www.telegraph.co.uk

Violence Can Cause Stress

Children today are surrounded by stressful situations in child cares homes, and schools. Violence is a huge problem in the United States. Violence can affect many people, from infants to the elderly. Violence is a stressor in children’s lives that endangers their well being and life outcomes.

I had a childhood friend who was brought up in an abusive home. Her father was always beating on her mother, almost every day. We were around seven years old and I remember her always coming over to my house to let me know that her father hit on her mother. Sometimes she would be present when this happened. I did not know what to do at the time but talk to her and be her friend, which wasn’t enough. The violence she observed between her parents really affected her in many ways. She could not concentrate which caused her not to do well in school which eventually caused her to drop out. She also became depressed and started drinking alcohol and doing drugs. According to an article, “Exposure to domestic violence has also been linked to poor school performance. Children who grow up with domestic violence may have impaired ability to concentrate; difficulty in completing school work; and lower scores on measures of verbal, motor, and social skills” (NCTSN, 2013).

We lost touch when I moved, but reunited after a couple of years. She was still going through depression when we reconnected and since I was older and knew more, I suggested that she get some help with what she was going through. Now, I am happy to say that she is doing much better and is no longer depressed, drinking, or doing drugs. She earned her high school diploma and now works as a counselor.

According to an article, “Australian children single out alcohol as country’s main cause of violence. The report found that 45% of Australian children surveyed believe alcohol is a main cause of violence. Cambodia had the highest response with 90%, followed by Mongolia with 53%. An Australian child, Erin, 10, told the survey: “I think the main violence in my country is domestic violence from alcohol and drugs. Many adults have too much alcohol and drugs and hurt or treat their families in a bad way. I think we could stop this by limiting the amount of alcohol adults drink and buy” (Davis, 2013).

Cases of alcohol-related violence have been highly publicized in recent years. Awareness groups campaigning to reduce the number of alcohol-fuelled attacks have focused on incidents such as the death of the Sydney teenager Thomas Kelly (Davis, 2013).
Violence is a huge stressor around the world. Violence causes a major threat to children’s physical, emotional, social, and psychological well being, especially if the violence that is occurring is persistent.

Davis, H. (2013). The Guardian. Retrieved November 23, 2013, from http://www.theguardian.com/society/2013/nov/20/australian-children-single-out-alcohol-as-countrys-main-cause-of-violence
The National Child Traumatic Stress Network. (2013). Children and Domestic Violence. Retrieved November 23, 2013, from http://www.nctsn.org/content/children-and-domestic-violence

Child Development and Public Health: SIDS

According to an article, “Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is defined as the sudden death of an infant less than 1 year of age that cannot be explained after a thorough investigation is conducted, including a complete autopsy, examination of the death scene, and review of the clinical history” (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2013).


“SIDS is the leading cause of death among infants aged 1–12 months, and is the third leading cause overall of infant mortality in the United States. Although the overall rate of SIDS in the United States has declined by more than 50% since 1990, rates for non-Hispanic black and American Indian/Alaska Native infants remain disproportionately higher than the rest of the population. Reducing the risk of SIDS remains an important public health priority” (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2013). Today, SIDS rate is very low because many people are being educated about this problem.


This topic is meaningful to me because I had a cousin who died of SIDS many years ago. She was being placed in a crib on her stomach and the mattress she was sleeping on was not firm. She also had toys, soft bears, pillows, blankets, and bumper pads in the crib. The doctor informed my cousin that placing the baby on her stomach and all of the items that she had in the baby’s crib contributed to her death.


I did the same thing with my first child. I placed him on his stomach occasionally but mostly on his side. In his crib, he also had bumper pads, blankets, pillows, soft bears, and other items in his crib. After attending a class and becoming more educated about SIDS, I immediately put a stop to it and started placing my children on their backs and nothing was allowed in their cribs, just a firm mattress and a fitted sheet.


According to an article, “The infant mortality rate (the number of infant deaths per thousand births) in Australia in 1901 was a little over a hundred. Mind you, this was better than England and Wales (128 per 1000), France (144) and Russia (272). The big killers in those days were the childhood infectious diseases like whooping cough, diphtheria, scarlet fever, and measles” (Lavelle, 2013).


“Today the infant mortality rate in Australia stands at just under six per thousand, thanks to better nutrition and sanitation, immunization, and antibiotics. In Australia, SIDS causes one death in about 1000 live births, or about 250 babies each year.
It's most common between the ages of two to four months, though it can happen to younger and older infants – it's rare over the age of 12 months. About 60 percent of cases involve boys and 40 per cent are girls” (Lavelle, 2013).


I used to work in the infant classroom (6 weeks to 12 months) for Early Head Start and parents were always asking me why the babies had to be placed on their backs because at home they were placing the babies on their stomachs. They told me that they thought their babies sleep better on their stomachs. I was always informing my parents about SIDS and how many babies are dying from it. The information I have learned about SIDS has helped me and I will continue to educate parents about placing their babies on their back instead of their stomachs. Also, my plans in the future is to own a childcare center. I will be able to educate caregivers, who will be working with the infants, on SIDS.


Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2013). Sudden Unexpected Infant Death and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. Retrieved November 9, 2013, from http://www.cdc.gov/sids/


Lavelle, P. (2013). ABC Health & Wellbeing. SIDS. Retrieved November 9, 2013, from http://www.abc.net.au/health/library/stories/2003/05/29/1831797.htm

Childbirth In My Life and Around The World

I have four children and each birth took place in a hospital. I thought about giving birth at home but was scared something would go wrong. I remember when I gave birth to my first son. It was incredible from the beginning to the end. Even though I was in pain, it was an incredible and awesome experience. I remember my mother and husband sitting by my bed in the hospital. After I woke up from my nap, I remember her asking me, “How can you sleep through all that pain?” But when the pain became unbearable, I remember having her in the headlock, don’t ask me how that happened, and I also remember beating my husband’s hand against the bedrail. I did not want an epidural because I wanted to have a natural birth without any medication and I also wanted to experience the good, the bad, and the ugly with my first birth. In Beijing, delivering in the hospital is their main option. As stated in an article, “Home births are not a viable option in Beijing, as there is no support system in place that allows a woman to deliver her baby outside of a hospital. Midwives are generally not available, and no health care provider is legally able to participate in a home birth. There are many hospitals that are willing to respect your no- or low-intervention birth plan. A hospital environment does increase the possibility of unnecessary medical intervention; therefore it is imperative for mothers to be informed about the natural birthing process. It should be noted that Beijing United Family Hospital (BJU) is the only international hospital with a neonatal intensive care unit” (Rodriguez, 2011). My thought regarding birth and its impact on child development is, from the time babies are born, they are able to communicate and give little signals when they are tired or hungry. Newborn babies’ brains develop rapidly. Their social, emotional, cognitive, physical, and language development increases month to month. Parents should interact and communicate with their newborns daily to enhance their development. Rodriguez, M. (2011). Giving Birth, Naturally. Beijing Kids Magazine. Retrieved November 2, 2013, from http://www.drmelissarodriguez.com/media.asp?cid=28&id=72

A Note of Thanks

I would like to thank everyone for their contributions to my blog. I really appreciate the feedback that I received. I would like to wish all of you the best in future courses and nothing but success throughout your journey in the early childhood field. Again, thank you and may GOD bless each and every one of you!!! Sincerely, LaShaunda

Examining Codes of Ethics

NAEYC's Codes of Ethics I-1.4: To appreciate the vulnerability of children and their dependence on adults. This code of ethic is significant to my professional life because as a teacher, my first and most important committment are the children. Children are at their most vulnerable stage of life and their futures are in our hands. Children need to be protected so they can be strong and healthy. They need to be nurtured so they can be sensitive and care about others. Teachers have to provide them with experiences that will help them to learn so in the future they will be knowledgeable, discoverers, creative thinkers, and problem solvers. Children will depend on us to meet their needs. It is our job to guide them in the right direction. I-1.5: To create and maintain safe and healthy settings that foster children's social, emotional, cognitive, and physical development and that respect their dignity and their contributions. This code of ethic is significant to my professional life because as a teacher, it is my job to teach children in an enriched environment that include a wide variety of materials and activities that will help support all areas of their development. Children should be provided a full range of language and literacy development materials, encourage them to interact socially with other children and adults, provide for their health and basic emotional needs, and encourage and enable them to be actively involved. The Division for Early Childhood Code of Ethics 6. We shall build relationships with individual children and families while individualizing the curricula and learning environments to facilitate young children's development and learning. This code of ethic is significant to my professional life because as a teacher I want to build and maintain strong relationships with children and their families and include families in their children's education. Teachers should provide a learning environment that will help support every child's way of learning. Teachers should provide daily opportunities for both group and individual learning. The Division for Early Childhood. (2000, August). Code of ethics. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.dec-sped.org/ NAEYC. (2005, April). Code of ethical conduct and statement of commitment. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/PSETH05.pdf

Course Resources

Here is a list of resources in the early childhood field that will be very beneficial to educators. 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://community.fpg.unc.edu/sites/community.fpg.unc.edu/files/imce/documents/FPG_Snapshot_N33_EvidenceBasedPractice_09-2006.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/ 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/ 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.pewstates.org/projects/pre-k-now-328067 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 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 Five books that can also be beneficial resources: 1. “Early Childhood Education Today” by George S. Morrison 2. “Child, Family, School, Community. Socialization and Support” by Roberta M. Berns 3. “Who Am I in the Lives of Children? An Introduction to Early Childhood Education” by Stephanie Feeney, Eva Moravcik, Sherry Nolte, and Doris Christensen 4. “Child, Family, and Community. Family-Centered Early Care and Education” by Janet Gonzalez-Mena 5. “Roots & Wings. Affirming Culture in Early Childhood Programs” by Stacey York

Words of Inspiration and Motivation

"I believe that this is one of the most constructive, and one of the most sensible, and also one of the most exciting programs that this Nation has ever undertaken." -President Lyndon B. Johnson

"When we strengthen families, we ultimately strengthen the community. Our goal is that parents everywhere work with supportive providers, feel confident in their parenting role, and form strong, resilient attachments with their children. To help achieve this, providers must be responsive to parents, knowledgeable about child development, and eager to see every parent succeed." -T. Berry Brazelton

"The reason children were not succeeding had nothing to do with their intelligence, but had to do with the fact that they needed the tools to be able to know how to survive, thrive in the public school system."

-Louise Derman-Spark

"We as professionals in the early childhood field have an opportunity to shape a child's life for the better."

-Sandy Escobido



Personal Childhood Web

This space is dedicated to the five special people in my life who loved, nurtured, and cared for me when I was a child. I love you guys so much!!!

-Joyce, my mother, who was/is the most important person in my life. She raised me to be the person I am today, without the help of my father. She taught me how to cook, bake, sew, mow the lawn, play volleyball, and how to be an awesome mother. As a child, my mother would always play, hug, and kiss my big jaws. She would always tell me that she loved me. Even though we did not have a lot of money, she provided me with all of the things I needed and most of the things I wanted. My mother would always tell me that I could be whatever I wanted to be. She continues to impact my life by being there for me whenever I need her and by continuing to push me in continuing my education.

-Lillian, my grandmother, who is no longer in this world, was like a second mother to me. She was always affectionate with me. Whenever I would walk over to her house, she was already on the porch waiting to greet me with a hug and kiss. Whatever I asked form she gave it to me. I loved her butter pound cakes so whenever I wanted one, she would bake one just for me. One day I got in trouble and my mother tried to spank me. I ran to my grandmother's house and she talked my mother out of spanking me My grandmother was one of the reasons why I decided to go back to college. She told me that my education will get me farther in life and to never let anyone discourage me.

-Annie, my aunt, was always there to babysit me when my mother or grandmother had somewhere to go. she taught me how to do crossword puzzles and how to fish. She was the one who took me to my first movie at a theater. I remember her taking me to church one morning. I wore a purple flower dress and she caught me sitting with my open. She told me that girls/women never sit with their legs open, men do. She taught me how to cross my legs and sit like a lady. I will never forget the day she taught me how to drive. Even though we got stuck in a ditch, she was still nice and patient with me. She is the reason why I am a cautious driver.

-Reginald, my uncle, was like an older brother to me. He read me bedtime stories and gave me treats when I was able to read a long storybook back to him. He was always there when I needed him. He was at all of my volleyball games. I remember being very disappointed after loosing a game. I was walking with my head down. He told me to stop walking with my head down, to always walk with my head up. He was always telling me to have confidence in myself. My uncle made me feel special by always being there to support me.

-Tomekia, my oldest sister, was and still is my best friend. She was always there to listen to me. She helped me with homework and school projects, combed my hair, helped me learn my daily prayer, taught me how to do long division, and how to read a map. When I had bad dreams at night, she would let me lay in bed with her, rub my hair, and sing me to sleep. My sister made me feel special by always spending time with me even though sometimes she didn't want to. I remember her telling me that family is important and family comes before friends. I loved every minute I spent with my sister. 

A Child That Touched My Heart

I have and have had many children who have touched my heart. I had a girl in my classroom about four years ago who could not grasp anything that I taught her. She did not know her colors, numbers, shapes, or alphabets. She barely said a word. I did all I could to help her but no matter how hard I tried, she just didn't learn it, so I thought. One day, I had a conference with her adopted mother and she told me that the little girl was a little behind on her learning because her biological mother physical and emotional abused her. The mother begged me to help her daughter. So one day, the mother was late picking up her daughter and the little girl and I did many activities together. We laughed, talked, and played until we were tired. I had learning cards (alphabets, colors, and numbers) out on the table and she grabbed them off of the table and started telling me every alphabet, color, and number on each card. I was so amazed. I asked her why she never responded when I asked her in the classroom and she told me that her biological mother had always told her that she was dumb. I told her that she was a smart girl and to never let anyone tell her something different. To this day, I still go to visit her at home and school. She is in the fourth grade now and she still touches my heart.

Children's Book

Title of Book: Pretty Brown Face By Andrea Davis Pinkney                                                                           I love this book because this book does an awesome job of highlighting the features of African American children. This book is a confident fortification of the uniqueness of being African American. This book can help children appreciate who they are. I have this book in my classroom and at home for my four year old son and he loves looking at himself in the mirror on the last page of the book. This book also help children learn their body parts and facial features.

Quote

Those of us who are in this world to educate, to care for, young children have a special calling: a calling that has very little to do with the collection of expensive possessions but has a lot to do with the worth inside of hearts and heads. In fact, that's our domain: the heads and hearts of the next generation, the thoughts and feelings of the future.   -Fred Rogers

My love for children is priceless

I have so much love for children!!! They mean the world to me. Our children are our future. I teach because teach because I want to make a difference in the world and because there is nothing in the world I enjoy more!!!!