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Winter
2003 NEWSLETTER
And the winner is...
One World for Children - Innovation in Training & Assessment for an Innovative Product.
The Autumn edition of the last training newsletter, introduced and invited you all to submit an application for the 2003 Community Services & Health Industry Training Board Awards. Unfortunately there were no individual applications from any One World participants.
One World for Children enthusiastically applied for two awards in the category for Innovation in Training and Assessment. After attending an interview process with a number of judges from the Community Services Industry, we were notified that we were finalist in both applications. (What a fantastic achievement to be finalists in two categories we thought.)
After an anxious wait, the One World training team travelled up the highway, to attend the awards dinner held on Thursday 17th July at the Plaza Ballroom in Melbourne.
An enjoyable night by all, especially at the moment when One World for Children was announced in front of more than 500 people associated with the Community Services and Health Industry, that we had in fact taken out the honour.
This was an extremely proud and memorable moment for all of us there that evening. It was the recognition of a training organisation that prides itself on its commitment and passion for all our training participants.
This award was in recognition of the many innovative ideas that our team collectively, lead by One World’s Managing Director Karyn Connors, developed in the introduction of the One World web site.
The web site has been recognised as an innovative training and assessment product, which was developed to enhance learning for our participants. As many of you have already explored the site, and as outlined in the last newsletter, there are many opportunities for learning and enhancing your individual learning styles on the One World web site. The web site is also used as an additional communication source between yourself and One World, as many training participants email assessments and post questions on the student forum. The chat rooms have given participants the opportunity to discuss common issues that surround each of us at our work sites.
Your suggestions result in the continuous improvement of the web site. Feel free in posting comments or suggestions at any time, and stay tuned as we complete final preparations for online workshops, and the availability of completing assessments online.
Exciting times for the One World web site, as we strive to continue to produce for you our training participants, innovative assessment tools to compliment individual learning styles.
Good times with music and rhythm
If
you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands, (clap, clap)
If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands (clap, clap)
If you’re happy and you know it, then your face will surely show it.
If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands (clap, clap)
If you’re angry and you know it, stomp your feet, (stomp, stomp)
If you’re angry and you know it, stomp your feet (stomp, stomp)
If you’re angry and you know it, then your face will surely show it.
If you’re angry and you know it, stomp your feet. (stomp, stomp)
Music is like magic to children. A father’s lullaby can soothe a baby to sleep, and a mother’s enthusiastic chant can inspire a whole family to hike the steepest mountain trail. Music and rhythm, in their many forms, are part of all children’s lives. The tick-tock of clocks, the purring of cats, and the rhymes and songs on television accompany them as they grow up. Music is portable. You can take it - or make it - anywhere. Part of growing up is learning to make and listen to music.
Children of all ages express themselves through music. Even at an early age children sway, bounce, or move their hands in response to music they hear. Many preschoolers make up songs and, with no self-consciousness, sing to themselves as they play. Children in primary school learn to sing together as a group and possibly learn to play a musical instrument. Older children dance to the music of their favourite rock and roll bands and use music to form friendships and share feelings.
Music is used in plays, on television, and in movies; music and rhythm also are part of worship, government, and military ceremonies, and celebrations. Ethnic beliefs and values often are passed on to new generations during celebrations that are filled with songs, dances, and sounds of musical instruments. Music and rhythm help teach about culture; they also can help teach children.
What are music and rhythm?
Music - a combination of sounds that has rhythm and melody and is pleasing to hear.
Rhythm - the repetition of a beat or sound in a regular or predictable pattern.
Culture - the behaviours learned and practiced by a specific group of people. The way of life determined by the people’s morals, values, customs, and attitudes.
Why are music and rhythm important?
Music and rhythm can help children:
express their emotions. Children will sing a joyful song or hum a catchy tune when they’re happy. In contrast, their dance movements might be jerky and aggressive when they are angry or frustrated.
release energy and channel it in creative, productive directions.
gain confidence in themselves as they realise they can use their minds and bodies together. Children learn that, with practice, their bodies will do almost anything they want them to do - even leap across a room or turn cartwheels in time to music.
learn new words and ideas. Children often create their own songs, melodies, and movements. Or they learn songs that have already been written about spaceships, kangaroos, or friendships.
learn about themselves and the relationships they have with others. Songs heard in school, in places of worship, and from teachers and parents, teach about life and give hints on living it. The words might teach about hard-to-understand concepts like faith, patriotism, love, and freedom. The rhythms and melodies might teach that we like songs we can dance to, or that we prefer songs that make us want to sit quietly and listen. Shy children might discover that they feel bolder among other people when they are loudly singing or dancing. Misbehaving children might be calmed when soft music is played.
Ages and stages of musical fun
Infants
The music infants hear is dependent on their caregivers. Mothers might sing short, simple songs in high-pitched voices or dads might chant phrases over and over in deep, low tones. Brothers, sisters, and babysitters may play popular music on the stereo for them. Grandparents may tune to radio stations that play classical or orchestrated music. Some research findings suggest that babies can hear music even before they are born, while still in the mother’s womb.
Sing simple, short songs to infants in a high, soft voice. Make up one or two lines about bathing, dressing, or eating to sing to them while you do these activities.
Nursery rhymes said with rhythm and repetition sound pleasant to older infants. You also can provide rhythmic activities for younger infants by rocking them or clapping and patting their hands together. Babies will respond with excited movements like swaying, waving, and bouncing. Gurgling, cooing, and happy shouting are the baby’s own way of making music!
Toddlers
Children from 18 months through 3 years like short songs. Their memories are not fully developed, so they can remember only a few words at a time. Motion also is interesting to them, and actions put to words help them remember their order. Repeating songs encourages the use of words and memorisation.
When caring for toddlers, listen when they begin to sing spontaneously. Repeat the songs or nursery rhymes over and over. Encourage the child to reproduce their rhythms by clapping or tapping a metal pie pan with a wooden spoon. Most 3-year-olds will be able to listen and repeat.
As toddlers sing, or music plays on the radio or stereo, call out movements for them to make that involve various parts of their bodies. Ask them to jump and hop, smile and frown, or punch the air with their fists. Then, ask them to sit on the floor or stand on one foot each time you turn the music off. This is a fun game for toddlers and can be played with all kinds of music.
Toddlers’ attention spans aren’t as long as yours so when they are ready to play another game, turn your attention to something new as well.
Preschoolers
Children who are 4 and 5 enjoy singing just to be singing! They like songs that repeat words and melodies, rhythms with a definite beat and words that ask them to do things. Preschool children enjoy nursery rhymes and songs about familiar things like toys, animals, play activities, and people. They also like fingerplays and nonsense rhymes with or without musical accompaniment.
If you are caring for preschool children, provide a wide variety of music for them to listen to; folk songs, symphonies, operas, rock and roll, and even sound tracks from movies they might have seen. Suggest that everyone pretend to be animals or objects like cats, elephants, trucks, or bouncing balls, and then imitate these in response to the music. You might provide the children with long scarves with which they can pretend to make butterfly wings. Together, you can move your bodies and “wings” and “fly” along with the music!
Remember, like toddlers, the attention span of preschool children is short. They should not be urged to continue singing or to participate in dancing or rhythmic activities after they have lost interest. Let the child’s interest be your guide.
Early school-age children
Most 6 to 9 year olds like songs about everyday happenings. Songs that involve counting, spelling, or remembering a sequence of events are popular. Songs and musical activities with other school subjects also are effective during this developmental stage. Words that tell stories about athletic games, other countries, famous men and women, or scientific discoveries are well-liked and easily remembered. Verses still should be fairly short and limited to one thought.
Early school-age children are able to establish firm relationships with their companions and may use musical experiences to form friendships. They may have a strong interest in taking music lessons or playing in a band. They also may want to listen to music after school with a group of friends or sing in a church or community choir. They are conscientious about practicing and especially like percussion instruments. This age group likes rhythm and can dance or clap in time to the music. Rhythm is important and fun to them!
If you are the caregiver for an early school-age child, you may not have to initiate musical activities. Children, ages 6 to 9, can choose their own friends and activities and organise their own experiences. Listen to the music they may want to play for you.
Suggest that everyone sing and play musical instruments together as a group. If you let the children take turns directing this “jam session” and join in as an enthusiastic member, their interest will surely last longer.
How you can help children enjoy music and rhyme
For
most children, singing is as natural as talking. Children learn to sing
just as they learn to talk - by imitating other people. You probably will
not have to teach the children you care for how to sing, but you can help
them learn to feel good about their method of musical expression by feeling
good about your own. Working patiently to teach them new songs will help
them learn how to take instructions and how to cooperate. Teaching them
how to make and play homemade musical instruments will help develop self-confidence.
Smile when you sing, and be proud when making your music! The children
will do as you do!
The fact that you like a certain instrument, like a certain song, or have a favourite kind of music does not mean the children you care for will share your enthusiasm. You may need to interest them in an instrument or motivate them to learn a song by showing pictures, telling a short story, or playing a guessing game. The purpose of motivating is to focus the children’s attention on the music or rhythm activity in which you would like them to participate.
Reprinted with permission from the National Network for Child Care - NNCC. Lagoni, L. S., Martin, D. H., Maslin-Cole, C., Cook, A., MacIsaac, K., Parrill, G., Bigner, J., Coker, E., & Sheie, S. (1989). Good times with music and rhythm. In ‘Good times with child care’ (pp.206-221). Fort Collins, CO: Colorado State University Cooperative Extension.
Encouraging Experimentation
Providing science experiences is one of the goals of many childcare programs. Children are natural scientists - they love to explore and ask questions. You can extend their natural curiosity by incorporating scientific experiments into your program.
Ideas for experiments can come from anywhere. Suppose you are eating peanut butter on crackers. Why does the peanut butter always stick to the roof of your mouth? A good topic for experimentation. Or suppose a child accidentally drops a raisin in a glass of soft drink. Why does it float? Another good question! Encourage children to follow the scientific process to get the answer.
An
experiment is a controlled action completely set up by one person or a
group. You - the experimenter - make observations, ask questions, develop
hypotheses, design a way of testing your ideas, record the results, draw
conclusions, and share what you have learned with others.
The experimenter must follow a set of steps called the “scientific process.” This is how one group followed the scientific process to understand why raisins float in soft drinks.
Ask questions and make observations.
Choose a topic and ask a question that you are curious about. Look for clues by talking to people, reading books, or by making direct observations and measurements. If you wish, use instruments to help you, and record what you observe in a log book.
For example:
Question: Why do raisins float in soft drinks?
Observation: When someone put raisins in a glass of soft drink, they floated, but in a glass of water they sank. Soft drinks are different from water because they have flavourings, sugar, and carbonated water.
Make a prediction and form a hypothesis. A hypothesis is an educated guess. Use your observations to predict or guess an answer. You might need to make more observations. Write a statement about what you think will happen in a way that can be tested.
For example:
Prediction: I think the carbonation in the soft drink forms gas bubbles that attach to the raisins and cause them to float.
Hypothesis: Raisins will float in carbonated soda but not in flat soda.
Develop a procedure for testing your hypothesis.
Think of an experiment to test your idea, and write down all the tools and steps you will need. Scientists try to change only one thing at a time so that they can see the effects of each change, and they repeat the same experiment several times.
Materials:
3 cups of flat soda
36 raisins
3 cups of carbonated soda paper and pencil
Procedure:
A. Measure one cup each of flat and carbonated soda.
B. Put six raisins in each.
C. Write down the number of raisins that floated to the top.
D. Repeat this two more times.
Record your results.
Accurately recording the facts or evidence that you see without guessing.
Results:
Date:
Investigators:
Brand of soda:
Temperature:
Number of floating raisins per cup of soda:
Trial 1: - flat soda - carbonated soda
Trial 2: - flat soda - carbonated soda
Trial 3: - flat soda - carbonated soda
Observations: Small bubbles appeared on the raisins in both the carbonated soda and the flat soda. There were more bubbles on the raisins in the carbonated soda than on the raisins in the flat soda.
Look at the results and draw conclusions.
Look at all the information, and explain what it means. What did you learn? Did your results raise any new questions? Even if your hypothesis was incorrect, you may discover something completely unexpected from your research.
Conclusions: None of the raisins floated in the flat soda, but most of them floated in the carbonated soda. Small bubbles appeared on all raisins, but more in the carbonated soda. It appears that the gas bubbles in the carbonated soda do cause raisins to float and that the hypothesis is supported.
Report your findings.
Write a paper, give a speech, or create a display to show others what you did. Displays set up in an area where parents arrive each day are a wonderful way to show parents what you are doing in your childcare program.
In “Dispositions as Educational Goals,” Lilian Katz talks about the importance of encouraging the development of dispositions in children as distinguished from knowledge, skills, and feelings. Dr. Katz defines dispositions as habits of mind or tendencies. You can help develop children’s dispositions to investigate, to hypothesize, and to experiment through the opportunities you make available, and by modelling these same dispositions in your actions.
REFERENCES
Katz, L. G. (1993). Dispositions as educational goals. ‘ERIC Digest.’
Urbana, IL: ERIC Clearinghouse on Elementary and Early Childhood Education.
EDO-PS-93-10.
Carole L. Eller, M.A. Extension Educator, 4-H Youth Development, University
of Connecticut Cooperative Extension
Reprinted with permission from the National Network for Child Care - NNCC.
Eller, C. L. (1994). Encouraging experimentation. In Todd, C.M. (Ed.),
*Day care center connections*, 3(4), pp. 1-3. Urbana-Champaign, IL: University
of Illinois Cooperative Extension Service.
Rest Time: The Key to Effective Rest Time is Flexibility
Childcare
regulations vary from state to state but frequently childcare providers
follow their own rest time guidelines based on tradition rather than the
law. This article will hopefully dispel common myths attributed to regulation
and provide appropriate guidelines for child care facilities to follow.
MYTH: All preschool children are required to sleep after lunch.
FACT: Regulation often requires that a rest period be provided, however, children are never required to sleep. Many children do not need to sleep during the day if they have plenty of sleep at night. Flexibility, observation, and knowing your children are the keys.
MYTH: Preschool children are required to nap for two hours after lunch.
FACT: In most cases this would be totally inappropriate. Children that nap usually do not need to sleep more than one hour. Caregivers should be flexible so that the needs of children are met and they can take naps of varying lengths of time dependent on the individual child’s requirements.
MYTH: Toddlers must follow a schedule and only nap after lunch.
FACT: Rest periods for infants and toddlers should be flexible according to the child’s individual needs. Appropriate room arrangement can provide space for children that need to nap, while other children play.
MYTH: Children must be quiet and stay on their cots for the entire rest period.
FACT: Requiring a wide awake child to stay on a cot for two hours with nothing to do could be considered cruel or harsh treatment and should never be permitted. Children may be asked to rest on their cot with little or nothing to do for a maximum of thirty minutes. It is appropriate to permit children to nap with a teddy, doll, or special reminder of home. After one hour, most children that need to sleep - will. Children that don’t nap should then be allowed to play or read books.
MYTH: The room must be kept dark or children will not sleep.
FACT: Children that need to sleep - will sleep. Caregivers must have sufficient light to see and provide direct supervision of all sleeping children. Children that don’t nap need adequate light to read books and play with appropriate materials.
MYTH: Shoes must be kept on or off. Providers are not sure about this but they usually go all one way or the other.
FACT: Shoes should usually be kept on during rest time due to the possibility of an emergency occurring but this is not required. Most children don’t take their shoes off if caregivers don’t make it an issue. If children can sleep on those cots, they certainly are not bothered by wearing shoes. Do not get into a power struggle over shoes.
A
flexible rest time policy can make this part of the day pleasant for children
and caregivers. Providers must communicate with parents to determine which
children need to sleep and which don’t. The caregiver can then make appropriate
arrangements so children that need to sleep are in quiet areas of the
room. After one hour, appropriate activities should be available for the
non-napping children and for other children as they wake. The room should
be arranged so that children that don’t need to sleep can play quietly
with a variety of materials. Some providers arrange to have a separate
room available for children that don’t need to sleep. Art, puzzles, and
reading books are all good rest time activities. It is reasonable to expect
children to respect napping children, talk softly, and play quietly. Children
cannot be expected to play in absolute silence. In most rooms, the lights
should be turned on after a maximum of one-and-a-half hours. Children
that need longer naps will not be bothered by this. Children should generally
be allowed to wake at their own pace. Except in unusual circumstances,
determined by talking with parents, all children should be gently awakened
after a maximum of two hours.
Reprinted with permission from National Network for Child Care - NNCC.
BE CREATIVE - BE FLEXIBLE
Just a thought, the children we coerce to sleep every day may become
tomorrow’s caregivers in our nursing homes!
If you have any questions about rest time or any appropriate practices,
ask your Children’s Services Advisor for advice.
Caring for Children with Special Needs: Challenging Behaviours
As a childcare worker, you spend time managing behaviour. In a childcare setting, you encourage behaviours that are appropriate and constructive and help children understand that some behaviours are not appropriate. There are strategies that work in childcare settings that can help with those behaviours that are most challenging.
You manage behaviour every day. When a child has a temper tantrum, you have handled it. Even though you probably haven’t written it down, the way you handled a tantrum is your “behaviour management plan.” This article looks at some of the more common challenging behaviours that caregivers face and suggests management strategies.
Destructive or disruptive behaviour
Richie is at it again. He has kicked over another child’s block bridge. Yesterday he tossed around books so that the reading corner looked like a tornado had passed through. He has disrupted group time by making faces and inappropriate noises. You are at your wit’s end.
Does this child sound familiar? Probably every childcare program has had a child like Richie at one time or another. There is an endless list of disruptive behaviours. It’s likely Richie has learned that disrupting group time guarantees attention from adults who are important to him. Children who show disruptive or destructive behaviours may be learning them at home. They may have low self-esteem and believe this is the only way they can get attention.
Does Richie feel that if he’s good, nobody will pay attention to him? Is this true? Interestingly, research done as far back as 1983 by Dr. Philip Strain showed that children with low “social adjustment” received seven times more attention from teachers for inappropriate behaviour than for appropriate behaviour. Observe yourself and your staff. When does Richie get attention from adults? Does he get more attention when he is being disruptive or destructive than when he is being good?
What does this tell us? Give attention to a child when he or she is behaving appropriately. Catch the child being good!
Often, staff will say that a child like Richie is already getting a lot of attention-even an “unfair” amount of attention-compared to the other children. Why, they ask, should they be asked to give even more attention to him? And besides, they add, Richie never does anything good (or the right way), so how can they pay attention to him when he’s being good? Ask a staff person (or ask yourself) to make “scheduled” observations of Richie. You are likely to be surprised at how much of the time Richie behaves well, and you may be surprised to notice that at those times he is, in fact, not getting any attention from adults.
Strategies for inclusion
Give Richie positive feedback and praise for positive behaviour. Seek out and underscore his success as much as possible. Look over some of the positive techniques that are used with children who have attention deficit disorders. Many of these strategies work well with children who are disruptive.
This is not to suggest that you should ignore or permit disruptive or destructive behaviour that damages toys or interferes with other children’s activities. Sometimes simple, positive redirection works best. For example, “Paint on the paper.” If Richie disregards this subtle cue, make a firmer statement that includes the limits as well as the expectations: “I cannot let you paint on the chair. The paintbrushes stay at the easel.” If Richie continues the behaviour, remove either the material or the child (depending on the situation). If necessary, time-out is the final strategy to stop the disruptive behaviour or to reinforce the adult’s statement: “I cannot let you ... “
Noncompliant behaviour
Emily
has just been asked to pick up the blocks she has been playing with. Instead,
she has said, “No, you do it” and has started to look at a picture book
that had caught her attention.
This behaviour is fairly typical of many young children. It shows how they may ignore an adult’s request or refuse to do what is asked. This behaviour is a problem only when it becomes the child’s usual way of responding to adults. Just as was suggested with Richie, the first step would be to observe the child. When is Emily noncompliant? What things seem to trigger her noncompliance? Consult with Emily’s parents and therapists or resource professionals who are working with Emily and her family.
Strategies for inclusion
Here are other tips to help you deal with noncompliant behaviour:
Identify trouble spots and plan ways to handle the situation before a problem develops.
Give children ample warning before bringing an activity to an end and provide a clue about what comes next.
Make directions clear, brief, and simple. For example, don’t combine three or four instructions in the same breath. Give directions one or two at a time.
Offer opportunities to make simple choices, such as: “Would you rather pick up the blocks on the floor or those on the table?” Choices need to be realistic. For example, saying: “Would you like to pick up the blocks and have a snack?” is not a real choice. Better to say (once earlier warnings have been given), “Time to pick up blocks, it’s snack time.”
Focus the child’s attention by saying the child’s name first. Kneel down and speak directly face-to-face.
Check comprehension by asking a question, such as: “Where do the blocks go?”
Give enough time to comply. Don’t rush to give the instruction a second time until you see clearly that the child is not going to comply.
Don’t coax or nag, but don’t let the child go on to another activity until there has been compliance.
Be matter-of-fact, firm, and consistent. Be quietly confident of your authority. Make sure other adults are aware that Emily has to pick up her blocks before she starts a painting activity.
Offer to help, if appropriate, saying: “As soon as you get started, I’ll help you put those blocks away.”
Aggressive behaviour
Johnny has just pushed Robert off the swing. Robert is crying. Johnny is swinging happily. Is this aggressive behaviour? Johnny’s parents may not find this aggressive behaviour noteworthy. Maybe Johnny has an older brother who is aggressive with him and his parents ignore it.
In a child care setting, safety must be the highest priority. Furthermore, every child in the program has rights. A child cannot be allowed to hurt other children. Certainly, no child can be allowed to hurt other children repeatedly.
Young children with troublesome aggressive behaviours need individual behaviour programs. This is not a simple undertaking, nor one to be undertaken lightly. Parents should be involved and resource specialists included, if possible. Staff from your local school’s special education team also may be able to help develop an appropriate program for this child.
Strategies for inclusion
Here are other tips to help you deal with aggressive behaviour:
Johnny needs more attention but it should never be given at the moment he is hurting another child. At another time, when a positive opportunity occurs for quiet conversation, Johnny can be encouraged to talk about and even rehearse what he might do “next time.”
Young children often behave aggressively because they feel left out or because they don’t know acceptable ways to get into play. You can encourage Johnny to acquire necessary play and social skills. Offer positive and pleasant feedback when he shows appropriate behaviour.
If Johnny hurts another child, turn your full attention to the child who has been hurt. Johnny should not get adult attention at that time. It does not help for you to tell Johnny how much it hurts another child to be hit or pushed down. Johnny knows from previous incidents and from the other child’s behaviour.
If Johnny is frequently and severely aggressive, he may need to be removed from the group each time he acts out. Time-out is a nonaggressive way to help Johnny learn that he absolutely cannot attack other children. If possible, a second adult should move Johnny to the time-out space so that one adult can calm the child who was hurt.
Time-out must be agreed on by parents and resource specialists (if any are involved). Time-out should be brief. Johnny should be told, “I cannot let you hurt children” but no other attention should be paid to him at that time. When returning Johnny to the group, don’t lecture or moralize. Help Johnny get started in a new activity and offer interested, frequent comments if Johnny plays successfully.
Doreen B. Greenstein, Ph.D.
Developmental Psychologist, Cornell University Extension Service
Technical references
Allen, K.E. (1991). The Exceptional Child: Mainstreaming in Early Childhood
Education. Delmar Publishers, Albany, N.Y.
Del’Homme, M.A. (1994) Preschool children with behavior problems: Observations
in instructional and free play contexts. Behavioral Disorders 19:30: 221-232.
Essa, E. (1995) A Practical Guide to Solving Preschool Behavior Problems,
Third edition. Delmar Publishers, Albany, N.Y.
Farver, J.M. (1996). Aggressive behavior in preschoolers’ social networks.
Early Childhood Research Quarterly 11(3): 333-350.
Kemple, K.M. (1992). Understanding and facilitating preschool children’s
peer acceptance. ERIC document: ED345866.
Strain, P., D.L. Lambert, M.M. Kerr, V. Stagg, and D . Lenker. (1983).
Naturalistic assessment of children’s compliance to teachers’ requests
and consequences for compliance. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis
16: 243-249.
Zahn-Wexler, C. (1994). Social problem-solving in disruptive preschool
children: Reactions to hypothetical situations of conflict and distress.
Merrill-Palmer Quarterly 40(1): 98-119.
Reprinted with permission from the NCSU Dept. of Family Consumer Sciences
(1998). Caring for children with special needs: Challenging behaviors.
North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service. Raleigh, NC.
One of life’s greatest joys is to see smiles on children’s faces and sparkles in their eyes.
In Sickness and in Health
Toy Cleaning
Wipe it. Mop it. Sweep it. Vacuum it. Cleanse it. Clean it. Wash it. Disinfect it. Decontaminate it. Sanitise it. Scrub it. Make it spotless. And, then start again! The cleaning process may seem endless but cleaning is one way to minimise illness, both for children and the adults who care for them.
It is impossible to maintain a germ-free environment all the time, but planning and establishing procedures for attacking germs can help. Begin with prevention by considering how materials and toys can be kept clean even before purchasing them. For materials you already have, inventory toys, blocks, puzzles, and other items, and determine the best way to clean or sanitise each item. Should it be laundered in a washer? Should you use a disinfectant wipe? Should you use warm soapy water? Should you clean it with a bleach solution? Some guidelines are provided below, but you should evaluate your own specific items to determine if the suggestions will work for them.
Next, establish procedures to guide the ongoing cleaning routines. Some items will need to be cleaned several times a day and others daily. In some cases, a weekly or even monthly schedule may be more appropriate, so consider the time period needed when creating your procedures. Toys and other items that the children use must be cleaned, preferably after each use but in some cases on a daily or weekly basis.
Mouthed Items
When caring for infants and toddlers, assume that everything will eventually go into mouths! Dummies, teething toys, and the corner of a blanket are all items destined for sucking or chewing; and if children share these items, they also share the germs. Some items, such as dummies or a child’s favourite teddy bear from home, should be kept for individual use; allow use of such objects only when children are in individual play spaces or being held or rocked. Remember, dummies should never be attached to children’s clothing with clips or necklaces due to potential choking hazards.
All mouthed items, including teething toys, should be cleaned and disinfected after each use. A toy that one child drops on the floor almost always winds up in another child’s mouth; so as soon as a mouthed toy is discarded, it must be picked up and placed in a tub labelled “soiled toys” that is well out of children’s reach. This tub may contain soapy water to begin removal of soil, or it can be a dry container. Immediately wash your hands after handling the item to remove the saliva and germs and prevent contamination of other items. Later that day, you can clean and sanitise all dirty items, and have them ready for use the next day. To follow this procedure, you must have enough toys to rotate through the day.
Stuffed Toys and Puppets, Cloth Items
Stuffed toys, puppets, and other cloth toys should be constructed of washable materials. They should be laundered weekly and when visibly soiled. After laundering, check the items closely to be sure the seams are securely stitched and the stuffing is intact.
“Dress up” clothes and items in the pretend centre should be laundered weekly and when visibly soiled. Hats and items worn on the head should be washed after each child’s use, or use individual hats that only one child wears. Shoes in the “dress up” area can be sprayed with disinfectant at the end of each week or more often, if needed.
Pillows are not necessary for sleeptime and from a safety standpoint, they are not recommended. However, if pillows are used, either for older children’s sleeping or as “soft spaces” in the play area, they should be machine washable or have waterproof, non-absorbent surfaces that can be wiped and sprayed with a bleach solution. The same cleaning methods apply to beanbags or other cushions.
Personal Items
Some children may keep items for their personal use such as combs and hair brushes or favourite blankets or toys. These items should be washed weekly and when visibly soiled. Personalised storage areas should be provided for each child to keep her personal items separate from those of other children. You will need to determine if your program will launder combs, hair brushes, stuffed animals, blankets, and other materials brought from home. If it is determined that your program will not take the responsibility for cleaning these items, you will need to create a system for sending them home, working with families to ensure that they are frequently cleaned.
Non-Fabric Toys
Childcare programs frequently have dirty baby dolls, plastic blocks with caked dirt, and safety mirrors with smudges. It is easy to overlook some items because there are so many. But it is important that all toys and play materials be washed weekly and when visibly soiled. Play items should have smooth, nonporous surfaces or washable fabric surfaces that are easy to clean and sanitise, or should be disposable. Toys that can be washed in a mechanical dishwasher can save labour; otherwise, toys can be washed in a tub of soapy water, rinsed, and sanitised. Toys with moving parts or with small openings or indentations can harbour dirt and germs; be sure to scrub these areas thoroughly. Wooden blocks can be washed with mild detergent created for wood, but bleach water may cause harm to them. Blocks also may be sanded if rough places become evident.
Non-Washable Items
Many items may be difficult or impossible to wash and in some cases, they should be eliminated. However, other items are critical to child development and learning, but may be difficult to clean without causing damage, such as paper books, puzzles, head phones, tape players, and computer key boards. Sometimes items can be wiped lightly and quickly with an alcohol-based wipe. Use your own judgement and look for ways to keep even the most challenging items clean for young children. This may mean replacing items frequently.
Involving Children
Children
can contribute to the cleaning process while they are learning. Toys that
are washed with soap and water, like baby dolls, can be included in some
of the small group or learning centre activities planned for children.
Yes, you still may need to wash and sanitise the toys later, but children
will learn the importance of keeping their toys clean.
Cleaning and sanitising the childcare environment should be a regular part of the routine in any childcare setting. Children can be involved in that routine in many ways that will help them learn the importance of cleanliness. Simply watching adults respond to cleanliness issues regularly and thoroughly may be the most effective tool for teaching children that cleanliness must be routine for them as well.
Helping Infants Learn
Caregivers play an important role in helping infants grow and develop. Daily activities should stimulate infants and help them learn.
Try these activities with infants birth to six months:
Talk and sing to the babies, when you feed, nappy change, and clean them.
Imitate the sounds that the babies make.
Point to and say the names of the babies’ mouth, ears, nose, fingers, etc.
Place toys and other colourful objects where babies can see and/or touch them.
Shake a rattle behind a baby’s head, and let the baby turn and grab the rattle.
When you hold or rock the baby, sing lullabies or other soothing songs.
Place babies in different positions. For example, place them on their stomach so they can practice lifting their head and rolling over.
Encourage hand clasping and kicking.
Try
these activities with infants six to twelve months:
Play peek-a-boo or other games in which you disappear and reappear.
Give babies a safe place where they can crawl, creep, and pull themselves up.
Roll a ball or place a toy where babies have to reach or crawl for it.
Give babies toys that squeak.
Give babies teething toys.
Read aloud books that have large pictures and not much writing.
Talk to babies, and name objects as you and the babies handle them.
Begin to teach what is allowed and what is not allowed.
When babies indicate that they want help, provide it.
Rock and hold babies when they are upset.
Let babies fill containers with objects and then dump them out.
Change toys often when babies get bored with them.
Remember ...
Babies learn trust and that they are loved when you respond to their needs for food, comfort, and attention.
Toys that go in a baby’s mouth should be cleaned before giving them to another child.
Toys should be big enough so that infants cannot swallow them.
Games and toys are the tools that infants use to learn.
Unless the parents are harsh or critical, the way you and the parents treat the infant should be similar.
Marilyn Lopes, Extension Specialist, Family Life Education
Cape Cod Cooperative Extension, University of Massachusetts
Reprinted with permission from the National Network for Child Care
- NNCC. (1993). Helping infants learn. In M. Lopes (Ed.) CareGiver News
(December, p.4). Amherst, MA: University of Massachusetts Cooperative
Extension.
Competitions
Congratulations to our recent winners!
Congratulations to Julie J for posting a comment in the Student Forum and signing our Guestbook in out last competition. She and her husband won the fantastic weekend for two at the Cumberland in Lorne. We’re all looking forward to receiving a postcard from beautiful Lorne!
We also had the updating of your profiles on you’re my World web page, where Amy L, Melissa B and Raelene Mc, all won $50 each.
And now a new way to win!!
Recently we mailed you a survey relating to MyWorld and online learning. Thanks to those of you who have already faxed your completed survey back to us. However, we would really like to have them all back, and so have decided to run a competition. If you have already returned yours, don’t worry your name will also be in the draw to win.
All you need to do is
1. Find your survey (or ring us for a copy to be faxed)
2. Complete it (tick the boxes)
3. Fax it back to us on 5272 3039
4. Do the above by Friday 15 August, 2003
5. Wait to see if you are one of the lucky 3 people to have their name drawn out to win $50 cash!!
So, for 5 minutes of your time (this doesn’t include time spent actually looking for the survey!) you could be $50 richer - but there’s no time to waste! To be in the draw to win, we must receive your survey no later than Friday 8 August!
So what are you waiting for?? Start looking for that survey! Good luck to you all.
The Community Services & Health 2002 Training Package - CHC02
We thank you all for your patience and enthusiasm as we have been working tirelessly in preparing for a smooth transition into the new Children’s Services training package.
As discussed previously, the Community Services & Health Industry training board (CS&H ITAB) review all the training packages within the Community Services and Health industry every three years. This is in anticipation of improving a quality training system in Australia. The introduction of the 1999 training package, saw the beginning of a national training system. That is, regardless of which state you train in, your qualification under the 1999 training package would now be recognised throughout Australia.
Therefore throughout 2002, the review within the Children’s Services training package unfolded and in December 2002, the CHC02 training package was endorsed.
One World was also involved in a number of consultation groups throughout 2002 and also now in 2003, in finalising requirements within the training package,
Although there are still a few loose ends that are associated with funding requirements, we are confident that the few changes that have been made will improve the Children’s Services training package.
The main changes that you may all be interested in are:
The Certificate III in Children’s Services is now a pre-requisite for the Diploma of Children’s Services, and likewise the Diploma of Children’s Services now becomes the pre-requisite for the Advanced Diploma of Children’s Services.
Certificate II in Community Services ~ Children’s Services and the Certificate IV in Community Services ~ Children’s Services, have now been eliminated from the training package. The reason for this change has been, that there is no vocational outcome for either of these certificates. That is that a participant that completes either a certificate III or IV will have the same classification as a ‘trained childcare worker’. The advantage and reason why many of you may have completed a Certificate IV in Community Services ~ Children’s Services, is that all competencies within the Certificate IV gave you all direct credits into the Diploma. As mentioned above, with the changes of the pre-requisites, this will now longer exist.
Some new competencies have emerged with the development of the new training package. It was recognised as One World was already doing, that many of the previous competencies were similar. Therefore competencies have now merged to collaborate similar training topics. For example CHCIC1C is the new code for a new competency “Interact effectively
with children” which now combines all the communicating with children competencies. You will also note that some other new competencies will include topics such as music & movement and drama.
As you can see there haven’t been any major changes that will disadvantage any of our training participants. As we re-commence visits, One World trainers will meet with you to discuss your individual requirements.
Ultimately we will issue you all with all the information that you will be required to make the right decision for you.
The new training package does not make any previous training packages not valid or any less important or valuable. It simply ensures that by changing into the CHC02 training package you will have the opportunity to complete the most current training available within the Children’s Services industry.
This
has been a snap shot of the process’ within the changes of the Children’s
Services Training Package. Please don’t feel overwhelmed, as we can assure
you that we will not make any decisions on behalf of yourself without
consulting with you all individually.
Celebrating Diversity
Children become aware of the positive attitudes and biases held by family and friends at an early age. Between the ages of two and five, children become aware of gender, race, ethnicity and disabilities. This is also a time when children begin to understand how some comments can hurt the feelings of others. Children need to learn to respect the differences of others and to celebrate the diversity they see among themselves.
How can caregivers help?
Help
children feel good about themselves. Putting others down “hurts” others
and does not help children feel better about themselves. Talk positively
about each child’s physical characteristics and cultural heritage. Be
firm in your rules. A person’s identity is never an acceptable reason
for teasing or rejecting them.
Talk about “stereotypes.” Ideas and assumptions made about people because of the group to which they belong are stereotypes. Sometimes people think that others who aren’t part of their group are not as good as they are simply because they are different. This is called prejudice.
Talk about how unfair stereotypes are. Teach children to recognise and challenge stereotypes and caricatures of different groups. Ask children how they feel when someone calls them a name. Remind them that all people have feelings. Research confirms that you can help a child learn empathy for others by pointing out how the child’s actions make others feel. For example, “When you call Maria that name, it makes her feel bad.”
Encourage children to see strengths in others. Comment on Maya’s skill on the computer or Hector’s ability to write well.
Discuss any racial/hurtful incidents that happen in your program. Do not make any child feel bad if the situation was not handled well. Let the child try to find solutions. Suggest a number of positive ways for the child to deal with these incidents. Use these opportunities to expand the child’s awareness and knowledge.
Encourage children to celebrate diversity. Enjoyment can be found in ethnic celebrations, music, art, food, and dance. Give children a chance to learn more about these diverse heritages as well as about their own.
Act as a role model. Help children see that you value diversity and that you are open to others, whatever their race, religion, sex, age, or disability. Let children know that unjust things such as racism and sexism can be changed. Help children see that it takes personal strength to participate in the struggle to eliminate racism.
National Network for Child Care’s Connections Newsletter. Wendy C. Horikoshi, M.S., 4-H Youth Program Coordinator, University of California Cooperative Extension
REFERENCES
Derman-Sparks, L., Higa, C., & Sparks, B. (1980). Children, race
and racism: How race awareness develops. ‘Interracial Books for Children,
Bulletin’, 11(3&4).
Derman-Sparks, L. (1985). How well are we nurturing racial and ethnic
diversity. ‘CSAC Review’, 4(2).
Celebrating our differences. (1985). R.T. Schofield (pub.) ‘School
Age Notes’, 5(3).
Note: Article was originally published in PARENT STYLES: TIPS FOR BUSY
PARENTS. (n.d.). 4-H School-age Child Care Program: University of California
Cooperative Extension.
Reprinted with permission from the National Network for Child Care
- NNCC. Horikoshi, W.C. (1993). Celebrating Diversity: Resisting bias.
In Todd, C.M. (Ed.), ‘Day care center connections’, 3(1), pp. 6p;7. Urbana-Champaign,
IL: University of Illinois Cooperative Extension Service.
Book Review
Developmental profiles: Pre-birth through eight
Developmental
profiles: Pre-birth through eight is a concise guide to the development
of young children - from pre-birth through eight years. This new fourth
edition provides basic information about expectations and developmentally
appropriate learning experiences for each stage of development. Featured
are: concise profiles of development that clearly outline the stages of
development; illustrations that highlight key developmental norms; full-colour
insert illustrates of pre-birth development; learning activities that
contain suggestions for developmentally appropriate activities and materials.
This text has recently been re-printed to include more colourful illustrations.
The text retails for approximately $45.00
POWERPLAY: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
One of the most frequently heard complaints among caregivers is that young children insist on playing super hero or fighting games. Around the age of four, a perfectly sweet and wonderful group of children can transform into a miniature commando unit, arms and legs flying as they challenge anyone and everyone wandering into their territory. It’s as predictable as puberty, and often just as frustrating for adults.
Why do young children play aggressive games?
Anything
that children do as often and as universally as power play must have some
basis in children’s typical development. If children between 4 and 6 years
of age consistently act out dramatic play scenarios that involve power,
aggression, and good vs. evil, regardless of where they live, economic
status, or family background, there must be something that they all have
in common that is motivating this kind of play.
Many critics of modern media blame children’s aggression on the high level of violence found on television and in films. There is no doubt that violence in the media is a valid concern that needs to be addressed. But power play among children is not a modern phenomenon. Long before Power Rangers(r) ever hit TV screens, children were playing good guys vs. bad guys.
Although the form that the characters take changes often, there are a few basic characteristics that are common in power play.
- there are always good guys and bad guys; good vs. evil; there is no grey area, you are all one or all the other
- there is always a conflict between the two; it is the responsibility of the good guys to fight the bad guys
- control or power is always the issue - who will “win” or be in control?
What are children learning?
If we believe that children are always learning something about themselves and their world through their play, then what can we conclude about the concepts learned in power play?
Some clues can be found if we look at other characteristics of children between the ages of four and six.
- Typically, children at the age of four begin testing their independence, as they did when they were two.
- They are still quite “black and white” in their thinking and tend to categorise people in simple, one-dimensional ways (for example, how can my teacher also be a mother?).
- They are becoming more aware of the effect of their own actions on others and the need for social rules of behaviour. However, it is still difficult for them to see things from another person’s perspective.
- They are beginning to form an understanding of morality, a universal code of “right” and “wrong” that is beyond simply knowing which of their own actions will result in punishment.
- Although they are given opportunities to make more decisions than they have at earlier ages, they still have relatively little control over what happens to them in our adult world.
-
The line between real and pretend is still fuzzy, particularly when it
comes to threats to be feared.
Perhaps power play is a means for young children to grapple with these concepts. In a dramatic play situation, the children have made the rules and drawn the boundaries. Within this safe environment, they can take on adult or super-human roles and experience a feeling of control. They can feel the satisfaction of good winning over evil and of knowing that they had the ability to overcome the bad guys. The very real fear of evil is brought down to a controllable size. And in the end, the children have the ultimate power to stop the whole game, knowing it is only pretend, making the issues of good vs. evil and power much more manageable.
Where are the boundaries?
Of course, it is the responsibility of adults to provide an atmosphere in which children are physically and emotionally safe. Left unchecked, power play can become too aggressive, leading to physical harm and fear. How can caregivers allow children to work through important developmental issues and concepts while still maintaining a safe environment? Here are a few suggestions:
1. Make it very clear to children that one rule is always in force: everyone must be safe. If play will hurt anyone physically or make them feel unsafe, it must stop or be changed. You may need to write down this rule and post it for easy reference. Some caregivers even have children sign their names at the bottom to show their agreement with the rule.
2. Another good rule is that no one’s feelings should be hurt during play. If you find that the same child is always playing the bad guy (possibly because he/she doesn’t have the social skills to join play as a good guy), you can use this rule to reason with the children, saying that always being the bad guy will hurt his/her feelings. Then you can suggest that they think of a good guy character that he or she could be. You may want to go so far as to say that no children can be bad guys, but that bad guys will have to be imaginary.
3. As you see a power play scenario begin, have the children take a minute to explain to you the plot and the characters. As you remind them of the basic rules, encourage them to problem-solve ways to play their game within those rules. Be supportive as you help children try to think through the ways that their play affects others.
4. Observe power play closely - both the children involved and the children close by. Children at this age are still developing self-awareness and self-control. Physically, they may not realise that their action could truly hurt someone, especially when they are immersed in a pretend role. They also may not be able to control the intensity of the feelings brought out in power play. If you sense that a child is getting too intensely angry or upset in his or her role, step in and help the child calm down and regain control.
5. Join in the play periodically. Allow the children to assign you a role and find out the plot. This will allow you the opportunity to ask questions and find out what they are thinking as they act out the story. It will also give you the chance to suggest more constructive alternatives to violence as a solution or to stretch their thinking about why people might do bad things and whether or not they can change. Use a light touch, however; children have selective hearing and will quickly tune you out if they detect a “lecture voice!”
It is possible to allow children to act out power play scenes and to still maintain your sanity!
The keys are to:
- understand the developmental aspect of power play
- recognise what children are learning
- establish reasonable, understandable limits
Before you know it, you may find yourself involved, too. Who knows, you may find you rather like being SHE-RA, GODDESS OF THE UNIVERSE!
Kathy Reschke, M.S. Family Life Extension, Human Development and
Family Studies, Iowa State University
Reprinted with permission from National Network for Child Care - NNCC.
My name is ???
We often find ourselves at work complaining about unnamed jumpers, lost hats and missing socks. Have you ever had the conversation with some of your parents about the importance of naming all of their children’s items of clothing and toys? Or have you felt frustrated when a parent angrily confronts you because their child’s t-shirt has gone missing again? You ask the parent respectfully, “but was it named?”
If you look around your room at work, there is probably a basket of odd unnamed clothes and toys that struggle to find owners.
This is a situation that trainers have found is an ongoing problem with assessments that we receive, not just via the mail, but even assessments that participants hand to trainers.
It is impossible for trainers to remember who has given them what, when assessments are unnamed. Sometimes we can guess handwriting, or piece the puzzle together to find an owner. At times participants write their names on the envelope in which they send their assessment, thinking that this is sufficient. Trainers do not open the mail, your assessments are sorted and placed into the relevant trainers assessment filing tray by our administration staff.
This is not an ideal situation and thus assessments are not recorded correctly.
You may be one of the participants that are asked to send back a copy of an earlier assessment that a trainer may not have recorded the correct result. It is your responsibility to ensure that you keep copies of all your work and name each assessment accordingly.
PLEASE take extra responsibility in ensuring that you name your work to eliminate any misunderstandings, just as you expect parents to name their children’s belongings please identify yours as well.
Faxing Assessments
It is NO LONGER accepted that assessments be faxed through to our training office. The quality of many assessments that are faxed through are unprofessional and often hard to read. This will also include the resubmission of ANY assessment.
We have had situations were participants are faxing through an entire assessment that may take up to 30 minutes to complete. The fax will only be accepted on the request of One World administration or training staff where copies of competent assessments may need to be kept on individual files.
Activities for Infants
Learning takes place from the very beginning of an infant’s life. Having a plan to help babies learn is an important part of caring for them. Infants, however, learn very differently from older children. Therefore, you should offer activities that are carefully tailored to their methods of learning.
Teaching through caregiving
Much of an infant’s day involves caregiving activities such as feeding, nappy changing and holding. Infants learn a great deal during these routines. You can foster language development by talking to infants as you change or feed them. You help them learn that they can affect others through your reactions to their facial expressions. When you smile and touch them softly, you are helping them learn to trust others and to feel good about themselves.
Learning through exploration
Playing
with objects and people around them is another significant way that infants
learn. When the baby is awake and alert, provide equipment, materials,
and activities that encourage the baby to explore. Wait a minute, you
say! How do you plan activities for babies? What materials and toys do
you use?
To answer these questions, you will need to carefully watch the infants in your care. Observe them as you care for them and while they are playing. Watch what they are doing with their mouths, their fingers, their bodies, and the things around them. Then plan activities that will help them practice these skills. Keep in mind that each baby is different from the other. Two infants the same age may be at different stages of development. Therefore, it is important to watch each child carefully.
To decide what materials to provide for each infant, ask yourself these questions:
- What objects interest the baby most?
- Are there things the infant tried to do but couldn’t because they were too difficult?
- Will the materials be challenging enough to attract the baby’s attention?
- Are the materials, equipment, and toys safe?
Suppose you observe these children in the following situations:
Laura loves tapping a spoon at lunch time. She taps the high-chair tray, her bowl, and her cup.
Laura is learning about the world through her sense of hearing. Help extend Laura’s learning during playtime by fastening wooden, metal, and plastic bowls to a board with tape. Give Laura a big spoon so she can bang on the objects. Enhance language development by saying the words that go along with the sounds she makes, “tap tap,” or “bong, bong, bong!”
Charlie also plays with bowls, but in a different way. He likes to pick them up and handle them. He touches the cool metal bowl to his leg. His fingertips stroke the grooves along the rim of the plastic bowl. He suddenly spies a place on the back of the plastic bowl where a piece of tape containing your name had been. It is still a little sticky. Charlie touches the sticky surface again and again.
Charlie is learning about the world around him through his sense of touch. He will especially enjoy a texture walk. Arrange fabrics with different textures - soft, furry, and slightly rough - on the floor. Glue a strip of contact paper to a heavy piece of cardboard so the sticky side is up. Place it on the floor. Add an old biscuit sheet with smooth edges. Watch as Charlie crawls and walks over the items, experiencing the different feelings. Talk to Charlie about what he is feeling. Say, “Yes, it’s sticky,” or “That’s cold,” or “The fur is soft.” This will promote cognitive and language development.
Manuel is an older infant. He is developing the ability to coordinate the muscles in his arms and legs by trying to climb up your step ladder!
Respond by creating a safe, low climber. Make a ramp from sturdy cardboard or boards. Pad the edges with foam or a folded blanket. When Manuel has mastered climbing up and down the slightly inclined board, challenge him by increasing the slope (angle) of the board. Enhance his problem-solving skills by asking, “How can you get up that ramp? How can you get down?” Allow Manuel to solve the problem of getting up and down the ramp on his own through trial and error. But supervise him closely. Be ready to quickly lend a hand if he gets into trouble!
Chris is older still. She is trying to fit some shapes in a sorting ball, but is frustrated by the small openings.
Chris needs a less challenging task to help her develop the small muscles in her hands and her eye-hand coordination. Make her a shoe-box sorter. Find some large peg-like objects, such as the bottoms of plastic film containers. Make sure the edges are smooth. Cut some holes in the top of a shoe box large enough for the pegs to fit through easily. When Chris succeeds in getting the pegs in, enhance her self-esteem by saying, “Very good. You did it - you got all the pegs inside.” When dropping the pegs into the sorter is no longer a challenge, line the openings with some foam rubber. The foam will provide resistance when she is pushing the peg through. This task enhances muscle development and further develops eye-hand coordination. Because the task is now more challenging, Chris will continue to be attracted to the sorting box.
Safety first
Safety should be the main concern when determining what toys, material, and equipment to provide. Look the materials over carefully. Toys given to infants should be at least 3 cms in diameter. Provide toys and materials that are easily sanitised. Make sure they have no small pieces or sharp edges. Never use balloons as toys. Many children have died from suffocation after inhaling a piece of a popped balloon.
Wooden toys should be checked continually for any splintered corners or surfaces. Items that are made of small, easily-swallowed pieces, such as a string of beads, should be tested often to make sure they will not come apart. Also, be aware of materials, such as paint or styrofoam, which could flake off or crumble when they are mouthed or chewed.
The key to providing quality activities for infants is close observation as they interact naturally with their environment. By responding to their interests and abilities, and by monitoring the safety of the materials you have provided, you are creating a healthy and challenging environment that will promote physical, mental, social, and emotional growth.
Donna Wilber.
Former Supervising Teacher, Child Development Laboratory, Northern Illinois
University
Reprinted with permission from the National Network for Child Care - NNCC.
Wilber, D. (1993). Activities for infants. In Todd, C.M. (Ed.), ‘Day care
center connections’, 2(4), pp. 4-6. Urbana-Champaign, IL: University of
Illinois Cooperative Extension Service.
Get Down and Dirty Outside
There
are so many possibilities for play, learning and exploration outside.
We are blessed in Australia with a beautiful natural environment - rivers,
oceans, mountains, bush, and desert - as well as some wonderful urban
and suburban areas. One of the values that most parents and carers who
care about children want to instil in children is a love of nature and
enjoyment of the outdoors. It isn’t actually a matter of instilling however
- it’s more a matter of nurturing and supporting the interest in the natural
environment that very young children already have. Birds, butterflies,
rain, puddles of water, leaves blowing in the wind, flowers, stones, dirt,
sand, mud and grass are all sources of wonder and interest to babies and
toddlers.
Sometimes the outdoors is thought of, in relation to young children, as mostly a space where there is lots of room for “letting off steam” or running around. The outdoors is indeed a stadium for the athletic pursuits of under three year olds, whether it is:
- creeping through the grass on hands and knees,
- mastering the tricky business of maintaining balance while manoeuvring the little mounds and dips of the back garden,
- pushing a small pram in a reasonably straight line along the footpath,
- getting the hang of catching a ball or running and stopping,
- or simply moving around freely in a large space because it feels so good to be able to do it by yourself.
The outdoors is so much more than a space for “big body” activities however. It is a laboratory for eager babies and toddlers to experiment and find out about the world. It is a gallery full of beautiful, engaging and mysterious objects to admire; it is a concert hall filled with intriguing sounds.
If it is cold or rainy, or if there are several young children, it takes a bit of energy on the part of the adult to get children outside. The outdoors is a ready-made setting for children, changing constantly through seasons, so your child can be assured to find something new. Encourage them to listen, look at and do. It sometimes makes things more interesting when you add something to what is there such as:
- containers for collecting leaves,
- spades for digging in the mud,
- trolleys to push.
Often the experience of being outdoors is enough in itself. What is required of you on these occasions is to slow down to baby and toddler time, try to open your eyes and ears to how children experience things. What they find interesting and engaging often it isn’t the same thing that you find interesting or expect children to be impressed with.
Whether it is the garden at home, a walk to a nearby park, or a walk to post a letter or buy something at the local shops, children are much better than adults at finding things to marvel at, explore, and be interested in. The sticks on the ground may be a much greater fascination than the bulldozer in operation, the small puddle of water infinitely more fascinating than the waterfall in the distance, the ladybird more worthy of attention than the plane in the sky.
Almost any experience is more fun when it is shared with someone else who is sensitive and sensible. Adults sharing children’s experiences need to be involved in a way that still lets the child be in charge of the experience. While there is so much potential in the outdoors for meaningful learning experiences, adults must not be preoccupied with making everything into a “lesson”. Sometimes you just need to be there, showing interest, talking about what is happening, sharing in the surprise, discovery, amusement, and satisfaction.
These are wonderful ways to assist children’s learning.
Anne Stonehouse
Make Sure Children Excercise Regularly
Brandon does the bunny hop twice and stops. He would rather watch the other children. Brandon is overweight.
Wendy has high cholesterol. Her caregiver can’t believe that a child as young as Wendy could have this problem.
Juan never charges around the play yard with the other children. He says he would rather watch.
Most of us believe that preschoolers are always active. Research has found, however, that children spend very little time exercising vigorously. Children who are overweight or inactive are the least likely to participate in vigorous exercise. These children are at special risk.
People who work with young children are usually more concerned about language development, science projects, and art than with developing large motor skills. Although caregivers often urge children to participate in indoor activities, outside time is often viewed as free play. Caregivers are apt to set up the slide or put out the tricycles and then stand by and watch. They rarely encourage the children to take part in gross motor activities, even though fitness is vital to good health.
Children
imitate adult behaviour, and children with active parents are usually
active themselves. You can be good role models, too. Get involved in the
activities you plan for them. If children see you running, jumping, climbing,
dancing, and exercising, they will probably join in.
Build an activity plan for large-muscle physical activity, just as you would for art and science. Here are some ideas.
- Help children do warm-up routines that include stretching, flexing, and balancing. Make sure the exercises you select are suitable for small children. Draw attention to their bodies. Get them to feel their muscles, enjoy their flexibility, and compare tight muscles with relaxed ones.
- Present exercise in ways that will interest children. Plan active games, dancing, group exercises, and relay races.
- Start with very brief activities so that overweight or inactive children can succeed.
- Be sure that children participate on the playground, especially the ones who need it most.
- Plan daily physical activities for adults and children to do together. Plan to jog or walk around the block once or twice before going to the playground. Or you could exercise to music each morning. Start slow and work up to 10 minutes.
- Combine music and movement every day. Give children the chance to be a jet plane, a galloping horse, or a speeding train.
- Set up obstacle courses designed for your age group.
- Require children to take part in gross motor activities, just as you require them to wash their hands after using the toilet.
It’s hard to break old habits, but you can help children get into the exercise habit early. This habit will pay off both now and later for carers, children, and their families.
Gail Carlson, MPH, Ph.D.
State Health Education Specialist, University Extension, University
of Missouri-Columbia
Reprinted with permission from the National Network for Child Care
- NNCC. Carlson, G. (1994). Make sure children exercise. In Todd, C.M.
(Ed.), *Family child care connections*, 4(3), pp. 6-7. Urbana-Champaign,
IL: University of Illinois Cooperative Extension Service.
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