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2005 Newsletter - Issue 1
Play Frees Language
The
young child learns through play. As soon as children can move they use
their bodies to express emotions and ideas. Through this play children
learn forms of effective behaviour. They use their bodies in intent exploration
of their physical and social environment and gradually come to the use
of language.
There are four basic ways by which children come to know and understand
their world through play:
Imitative play
In early infancy children imitate their parents in simple copying of sound e.g. the mother imitates the baby’s sucking and this may induce the baby to reproduce that sound on a voluntary basis. Simple games like Peek-a-boo see the young child reproducing the parent’s action and sound. As children grow older they move into pretence and tend to copy the whole person, usually the most important and powerful figure in their lives. i.e. mother and father.
Exploratory play
Children explore their environment through movement. They play firstly with their tongues and lips, hands and fingers, feet and toes. As they grow more active they explore more widely – tasting, scribbling, mixing, filling, throwing, pulling, climbing into and under small spaces. In later exploration they use objects e.g. saucepan lids, boxes, blocks. They arrange these and the objects become toys that are played with in many novel ways with novel effects creating novel relationships. As children play they put words and sounds together in all sorts of combinations – children explore language through play.
Testing play
Children test themselves out in innumerable ways. As they crawl, pull, lift, push, hammer, splash, they directly test what they can do in a given situation. They show the ability to adapt their play to suit the situation available. As children grow older they play with other children and obtain their own self-validation by using others as their standard of competence. In the games that children play together, particularly the traditional games such as hide and seek, What’s the time Mr. Wolf the child tests their ability to hide, to escape, to capture and to rescue.
Model construction
Children build their own world as they play with blocks, building houses,
cars and trucks, dolls and “teddies”. This is most obvious at
about the age of four. Alone or with others, children attempt to put their
understanding of their experiences into the creation of play situations
that are unique and significant to them. This play may take the form of
fantasies about novel human relationships seen in films and on television.
Children try to make sense out of their observation of their environment
through their play.
It is essential that adults understand that children’s playing is
really the activity of intelligence and that there is great value to the
perceptive adult in watching the child at play. If the adult understands
the importance of play in the child’s development, they will gain
an understanding of the individual personality and the ways in which the
child can be helped to learn.
Play is unique in specific ways.
Children
begin to play because they want to and once they are playing they make
their own choices and put their behaviour together in their own personal
way. When children enter play there is a definite relation of feelings,
but as it continues there often arise new forms of feeling and tension.
The play may take on a more dramatic form which will need a more intensive
and involved participation on the part of the player. Children become
absorbed in their creation and are able to produce through play imagination,
invisible companions.
The ability of children to express themselves through play enables them
to gain a true sense of identity that implies the process of self- discovery,
self- expression and a communication of self to others. This sense of
identity is demonstrated by actions in which children see themselves making
things happen and being a true participant. The more completely and positively
this process takes place in children the more successfully they will be
able to cope with and enrich their society.
One cannot assume however that all children when they come to school have
had a rich experience of play. There are many reasons why this may be
so and it is essential that the teacher actively encourages play activities
which can be seen as essential for the child’s intellectual, emotional,
physical and social development. If the emphasis in language learning
is placed too quickly on the formal modes such as reading and writing
and there is inadequate provision made for the speaking and listening
aspects of language the child’s language acquisition will be affected
negatively.
If children are truly involved they will want to talk. In the security
of the situation structured by the understanding carer, children will
have the freedom to learn from other models, to explore with confidence,
to test themselves against themselves and with others in the safety of
the play and building their own model of reality.
Through movement activities the carer can create an atmosphere, an environment
in which the children will be encouraged to look more closely at the things
around them that may normally be taken for granted.
When movement is accompanied by sounds and speech, children can learn
that language is fun, experimenting and exploring language is acceptable,
that sharing sounds and speech with others is enjoyable.
An important factor for movement activities is that without co-operation
and sharing of space and ideas there will be little enjoyment for children
or carers. Through this sharing the whole group comes to support each
individual and with this caring support the individual gains security
and emotional well-being. There is a growth in sensitivity to others and
an increasing ability to establish sound relationships between individuals,
the group and the environment.
Ideas for movement
When children are sharing space and moving freely, the surface they are
working on becomes the structural limit to their creative movement. If
they are working outside, the surface may provide a natural variety of
slope, texture, balance and safety. Carers should look for interesting
areas in the play ground that will provide a variety of surfaces and area.
Natural playgrounds, adventure playgrounds, standard playground equipment,
all provide for a range of activities.
In this environment there may be things to hold onto, to push, to pull,
to climb through or under or over, to hang from to hide in – all
of these and many other factors will influence the creativity of the movement
and the children should be encouraged to see the possibilities for variety.
In the playroom, the floor becomes the most important factor in movement.
Allow the children to remove their shoes and socks so that they can really
feel this marvelous floor that takes their weight, that supports them,
that will never let them down. Talk about how the floor feels – let
them move freely and imaginatively and encourage them to talk to one another
about the floor and what they can do with it and on it. Let them explore
individually, with a partner or in a small group to see how many different
ways they can move on this firm surface.
Suggest different ways in which they might balance their weight on their
own or with others. As they move always encourage the caring for others,
the sharing with others that the activities involve.
Bring the children together in small groups. Ask them to form circles
and in this formation work with each other on the floor. Let them lie
on their stomachs, looking at one another, touching hands, touching feet.
Ask them to lie on their backs and see how they can move, stretching arms
and legs. Ask them who they could be, how did they get there, why are
they on their backs, what is going to happen next? Give them time to relax,
experiment, talk and laugh together. Encourage freedom of individual interpretation
but don’t pass judgement on performance.
Use the cymbal for control or you may use it as a percussion background
noise to assist in the development of the activity. Give the children
time to talk to one another when they are resting, ask them to plan another
way of working together.
They may like to work in sitting, kneeling or standing positions instead
of lying down. They may like a mixture. Suggest alternatives and allow
the group to make its own decision.
Children feel differently about themselves as they explore situations.
They can be involved in an individual movement and yet be aware of others
moving and how they look as they move. The child’s perceptual skills
can be stimulated as motor skills are developed. A child looks, observes,
concentrates, and extends their original ideas.
The carer can reinforce this learning by emphasizing the movements she
observes with her accompanying flowing narrative; e.g. “Some children
are going in, some out.
I can see hands low to the floor, twisting and turning. I can see thrusting,
pushing heavy movements and I can see gentle, flowing smooth movements.”
The adult doesn’t direct or stop the movement, demonstrate or praise
or condemn, but becomes a supporting background voice suggesting alternatives
that the children can ignore or adapt as they will. The child’s body
becomes the medium, the creator and the critic. Children can explore movement
and sound with confidence because as long as they are sincerely involved
they cannot fail.
Further information from:The Playgrounds & Recreation Association of VictoriaTel. 9388 1066 Fax 9388 1838 Email: prav@alphalink.com.au
Never turn your back
Position, Circulate, Affirm
Pretend you are giving a party. As host, how do you make your guests
feel welcome and make your party a success? Even more than the food and
music, the most important ingredient in your party is you. You will position
yourself so that you can see everyone in the room and be ready to help
any guest who is in need. You will circulate around the room to make contact
with all your guests, so each is special and you’re glad they came.
If there is a problem, you will deal with it warmly and respectfully.
This is how we treat guests. These same guidelines apply to supervising
children.
Positioning: Your position as you watch children is extremely important.
Depending on the shape of the room, the number of children, and whether
you are the only caregiver, stand, kneel, or squat where you can see everyone
at the same time. Be aware of which areas are trouble spots. For instance,
you may want to stay close to the easel when it’s in use, or near
the puzzle area where there are lots of pieces, or close to an indoor
climbing frame. If a particular child is a biter you will want to stay
near that child. Avoid turning your back to anyone; a conflict between
children can occur at any time without warning.
Circulating: If there is more than one caregiver with a group, it may
be tempting to huddle together and socialise. This happens frequently
on playgrounds, where safety may be the greatest issue. Caregivers should
always be
alert and concentrate on the children. You can accomplish this by moving
among the group, still positioning yourself to see every child. It’s
almost like a dance, where every step counts. In time, circulating becomes
second nature and you won’t even have to think about it.
Affirming: As you circulate, it is natural to make contact with every
child. This is when you can say a word, smile, or gently touch the children
in your care. Give them positive messages, reinforce the kind of behaviour
you appreciate, notice the child who is playing alone, give recognition
to each, and narrate what you see them doing. Affirmations are an important
part of supervision because children behave more appropriately when they
feel important.
If there is a problem, such as a child forgetting to put away toys or
a conflict between children, treat children as you would your guests,
with warmth and respect. Set limits firmly to teach responsibility, but
always remember that our role is to teach children the skills they need
to get their needs met appropriately. This is the essence of effective
supervision.
Sensory Experiences... Ooey, Gooey Fun
Sticky, slippery, gooey, heavy, bumpy...that’s what sensory experiences
are made of. Learning and retention improve depending upon how many of
our senses are engaged. Many of our favourite memories involve multiple
senses. When thinking about my grandma, for example, I remember the smell
of the flowers in her garden; I can see her wearing her favourite outfit;
I remember how her apple pie tasted; and even how the sofa felt.
Sensory activities provide children with another meaningful avenue for
learning. Sensory tables or several tubs rotated regularly with wondrous
sensory materials are worthwhile investments for hours of learning, exploring,
and fun. Because children learn best by having “hands on” experiences
with materials, sensory experiences are vital to young children’s
learning. Imagine trying to teach a group of four-year-olds about melting
by having them watch an ice cube melt in your hand or as a grown up, learning
how to use a new computer program without actually working on it!
While sensory materials are very rewarding for young children, they also
present unique challenges for carers.
Supplies for sensory exploration are usually easy to gather and inexpensive.
The following list provides suggestions for mediums to fill your sensory
table or tubs with and materials to add to the experience. Select items
that compliment your program, and are of interest to the children, as
well as being safe for the age of the children involved.
Mediums
Water
Sand (dry and/or wet)
Dirt (dry and/or wet)
Fingerpaint with additives (sand, sawdust)
Fingerpaint in sealed plastic bags
Scents (almond or mint extract)
Shaving creme (not mentholated)
Playdough
Clay
Confetti
Shredded paper
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 trainer’s 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.
Magic Moments
By Pinky McKay
Nourish children’s imagination. Take time to share some magical
moments...
Make up magical stories about seasons. Become aware of the uniqueness
of nature each season and share this with children: sprout a seed in spring;
talk about elves spring cleaning each petal on all the little blossoms
to make the garden sparkle in Spring; In Summer, watch the waves melt
a sand castle; roll and jump in the Autumn leaves; watch the rain fall
in Winter.
Encourage children to make fairy houses in the garden. Let them make little
gifts for elves and fairies - tiny cakes, little hats from playdough;
a miniature picture or a tiny sleeping bag.
Leave little gifts from the elves and fairies in return - an acorn, some
chocolate chips, a fairy sticker, a daisy chain decoration left in the
children’s playroom. Perhaps a little gift could be placed inside
a daisy chain. Of course, you’ll know if the fairies have visited
because there’ll be a trail of fairy dust (glitter).
Don’t always READ stories to children. Make some up and tell them.
Wonder isn’t only created by magic. Little ones love to hear about
nature, the weather and the ‘olden days’ when you were a child.
Try making up a pass-along story. These are a great group time experience.
One person begins, then each person takes turns adding on to the story,
until……”they lived happily every after”.
Make the most of unstructured time, to tell stories or jokes and share
a moment of wonder. Notice the rainbows and sunsets and remember, Santa
Clause and the tooth fairy are REAL!
Visit our unique centres
Many
training participants have had limited opportunities to discover the wonders
of other child care centres. Although most training participants are comfortable
within their working environments, it is always a fascinating occasion
to see just how unique other centres are.
Whilst visiting over 130 child care centres state wide, it is clear to
trainers that there are no two centres alike. All centres have individual
policies and procedures which determine their individuality.
It is with excitement that we have been able to arrange a visit for One
World training participants to:
Wattletree Early Childhood Centre 256 Wattletree Road, Malvern
Wattletree Early Childhood Centre is an amalgamated service of the Malvern
Wattletree Kindergarten and the Wattletree Child Care Cooperative. After
fire destroyed the building in 1995 the centre was rebuilt to a purpose
built facility to cater for 72 children offering care in an infant room,
toddler room, pre-school room and kindergarten room.
The
Wattletree Early Childhood Centre is truly an inspiration to quality child
care programs. Environments are set up with an emphasis on incorporating
the natural environment. This experience is sure to capture your imagination…
We are planning a visit to Wattletree Early Childhood Centre
Saturday 27th August. 10:30am – 12:30.
RSVP Wednesday 17th August carol@oneworldforchildren.com.au or 03 52 722714
One World Chidren’s Centre 407-411 Thompson Road, North Geelong
One World for Children would also like to invite all One World participants
to an in-service held at its childcare centre in Geelong. This in-service
session will enable participants the opportunity to meet each other, as
well as gain new practical ideas to take back and implement at your own
centres.
Come
to Geelong for the day, and you can be assured that you will leave inspired.
There is NO COST for this in-service to all One World participants. If
there are any other staff members at your centres that would also like
to attend, feel free to invite them as well. (if they come with a One
World participant, there will also be no charge.)
This session will take place on Sunday 20th November 10:30am- 1:30pm.
RSVP Wednesday 9th November carol@oneworldforchildren.com.au or 03 52
722714
Both of these sessions are of significant benefit to all training participants.
It takes many hours of planning and preparation for such events to take
place, therefore we would require a minimum of 20 interested participants
for either event to take place.
Open ended materials
Some
playroom materials can be used only one way. Tops, wind-up toys, talking
toys, worksheets, and colouring sheets are generally considered convergent
materials. They lead children to think that there is only a single correct
way to use them, and they require little, if any, higher-order thinking.
Other playroom materials like clay, water, blocks, and other manipulatives
have many possible uses. These materials are considered divergent (Isenberg
and Jalongo, 1997). Open-ended or divergent materials encourage original
thinking, creativity, and experimentation.
Open-ended materials are valuable for active learning. Any safe use is
acceptable. As children carry manipulatives from area to area, they engage
in creative thinking. They can change the material’s identity to
match the activity in a play area. Bristle blocks, for example, become
combs and brushes for a doll’s hair in the dramatic play area. Pattern
blocks can become green beans when a child in the dramatic play area uses
a wooden spoon to stir them in a pot on the stove. Pieces from an alphabet
puzzle go to the writing area so children can copy the letters. Bottle
caps become number covers in a BINGO game or a pirate’s treasure
when they are hidden outside in the sand.
How to play with children
Here are some of the best ways to make play with children.
- Follow the child’s lead but make sure the game is safe, don’t allow it to get out of control.
- Play with the child but don’t take over, let the child change the game.
- Listen but don’t tell what to do.
- Talk about what the child is doing and encourage eg “It looks like the spaceman wants to rule the world. What are the people going to do?”
- Allow plenty of time.
- Allow for experimenting and mistakes.
- Don’t compete with young children; this can discourage them from wanting to play with you.
- Appreciate and encourage the children’s effort by praising them.
- Play and feelings
- Play is one of the important ways that young children, who do not have good language skills, can express and work through their feelings.
- Play is the language of very young children. Play can show you how a child is feeling.
- By playing out situations that have been stressful, children
can learn to cope with their feelings. If you provide dolls or puppets,
mud, paint and water, children can
express their feelings through these. - Children who are very distressed and angry may like to play messy games with mud and water.
- With dolls and puppets children can go over the things that upset them until they feel better about them.
- Doll and puppet play can also help children to deal with
expected events, such as; starting school or going to hospital. The
puppets or dolls can play through what is
going to happen and help the child be more prepared. - Games where children can dress up or play as someone powerful (like superman) can help them to cope with feeling powerless and unimportant.
- As children get older playing games of skill helps them
to learn to control their impulses and to be patient. For example children
cannot do well at ball games if they
become impatient and do not use all their skills.
Hand washing - Keep healthy with clean hands
Infectious diseases can spread in a variety of ways. One common way is when hands that have picked up germs carry those germs to the mouth or nose. Hand washing is the single most important way to stop the spread of many infections. Here is some practical advice on preventing illness in yourself and those around you. When to wash your hands:
BEFORE:
- preparing and handling food
- eating food
AFTER:
- going to the toilet
- handling raw food and cracking raw eggs
- using a tissue, coughing or sneezing
- smoking
- handling rubbish
- touching ears, nose, hair, mouth
- changing babies’ nappies
- touching objects that are soiled by blood or other body fluids
- gardening
- touching animals
5 STEPS TO CLEAN HANDS
- Use soap (a plain bar soap or liquid soap is suitable) and running water, disinfectant soaps are usually not needed
- Rub your hands vigorously under the water for 10-15 seconds
- Wash all surfaces: backs of hands, wrists, between fingers, under nails
- Rinse well
- Dry hands thoroughly (wet hands promote germ growth)
The
Food Safety Information Council (previously known as the Food Safety Campaign
Group) is a group of organisations with a mission to stop Australians
getting sick from food poisoning. Its members include representatives
of government, the food industry and professional associations. The Food
Safety Information Council observed 200 people washing their hands in
the public toilets of a food hall on the 11th October 2002. These were
their findings:
- 8% of females and 29% of males failed to wash their hands at all after going to the toilet.
- Only 23% of females and 15% of males washed their hands for more than 10 seconds.
- Only 31% of females and 27% of males used soap and rubbed it all over their hands.
- Only 17% of females and 3% of males dried their hands on paper towel for more than 10 seconds.
- Only 3% of females and 4% males that used hand dryers used them for the required 20 seconds or more.
- Best performers were primary school aged girls who all washed their hands (but only 50% for the correct time) and also 55% used soap correctly.
- Worst performers were males of all age groups where 29% failed to wash hands at all and only 31% used any soap.
- 6.5% of those observed were noticeably food handlers (eg they wore a uniform or apron), of those only one washed their hands for more than 10 seconds, used soap and dried their hands correctly.
- Young children of pre-school or early primary age were observed to try to do the right thing with hand washing and drying, using soap, but were often hurried by their parents.
With hand washing being such a vital aspect of controlling infection
it is extremely important that as carers of children, you too not only
promote correct procedures but role model accurate techniques yourself.
As trainers this is still an issue that is being constantly reminded to
training participants, as an area where vigilance is not being adhered
to.
Make hand washing a priority!
For more information contact: info@foodsafety.asn.au
Social Skills Children Need to Make and Keep Friends
At
age four Rachel became “fast friends forever” with her child
care playmate, Meagan.
At least, that’s how Rachel’s mum describes it. Back then, the
girls had been casual playmates for a few months. But one day, a particular
event cemented the friendship bond. You see, Rachel could get up into
and climb an apple tree in the play yard all by herself. It was only about
four feet off the ground, but to young children, that’s a Mt. Everest
moment.
Rachel’s achievement impressed a lot of the children, but no one
more than Meagan. Meagan longed to be up in the branches with Rachel.
But she just couldn’t muster up the confidence. That is, until Rachel
took her under her wing. Rachel, perched pleasantly in the tree, looked
down to see Meagan standing nearby, gazing up at her. Rather than ignoring
her, Rachel eagerly encouraged her to climb up, too. At first, Meagan
was hesitant. Her self-doubt made her hang back. But Rachel persisted.
She began to patiently walk Meagan through her first successful steps
of tree climbing. She pointed out the lowest branch and the sturdiest
branches from there. She helped Meagan analyse when and where to move
a hand or foot “just so” to maintain her balance.
With Rachel as her personal coach, Meagan succeeded. She overcame her
nervousness and gained a whole new perspective on her abilities. Rachel
learned she could be a good teacher and friend to someone in need.
For weeks, both girls beamed about the cooperative achievement, at home
and child care.
But that was all years ago. The girls are now in grade six. And they still
regularly meet at each other’s houses, so mum’s prediction of
“fast friends forever” held water.
That story reveals many of the social skills children need to possess
in order to form rewarding, mutually enjoyable friendships. Below I highlight
how Rachel and Meagan’s experience represents each one.
To make and keep friends, children must be able to:
- Recognize shared interests: Both children recognized that they enjoyed outdoors.
- Gracefully join into play: Meagan was brave enough to show interest in tree climbing by watching Rachel. Rachel accepted Meagan’s wish (invitation) to engage in a mutual activity.
- Pay attention to non-verbal communication cues: Rachel “read” Meagan’s body language well enough to know that Meagan envied Rachel being able to climb the tree. She picked up that Meagan was a bit anxious about it.
- Identify common goals: Both agreed the goal of climbing a tree was a good one.
- Listen to and respect feelings: Meagan risked telling Rachel she didn’t think she could climb a tree. Because Rachel listened to Meagn’s “I don’t think I can do it,” she responded with patient encouragement to support Meagan’s confidence. If she hadn’t listened to Meagan’s total communication, Rachel would have overwhelmed Meagan with rapid-fire, overwhelming directions. That probably would have lead Meagan to failure rather than success.
Compromise
and negotiation skills help children build upon each other’s ideas
for mutual enjoyment.
But of course, that’s not all there is to making and keeping friends.
Human’s social relationships are much more complex than that. Like
those of adults’, children’s friendships are full of ups and
downs. Every child must learn how to navigate them with poise and a positive
attitude. As you reflect on your own childhood friendships, I’m sure
you’ll agree that’s easier said than done.
There are many more social skills children must develop. For instance,
they must learn to tactfully stand up for their wishes and to express
their own point of view during social play. And children must learn how
to get their own play needs met without resorting to aggression, unethical
manipulation, or name calling.
To function in the real world of social relationships, children must also
be able to cope with rejection from time to time. It’s hard to hear
a child being told, “No, I don’t want to play now.” But
it’s a reality that some people want alone time when others don’t.
To face such rejection without taking it too hard, children must be able
to de-personalize statements and learn that people’s moods vary.
If one child declines an invitation to play, children can learn to seek
out another playmate.
Sharing, negotiation, and compromise are skills that come into play as
children interact with others. Children will be left alone and isolated
if they don’t gradually learn to adjust and tweak ideas to keep play
partners actively engaged and mutually satisfied.
During play, children must learn to express their ideas and reasons for
them. But at the same time, they must be responsive to the ideas of others.
Compromise and negotiation skills help children build upon each other’s
ideas for mutual enjoyment. Children who dictate play or only issue commands
to others quickly become isolated or rejected as play partners.
The ability to form relationships begins during the earliest months of
life. That means mums and dads lay the foundation for children’s
lifelong friendships.
Written by: Karen Stephens, Director of Illinois State University Child
Care Center and instructor in child development for the ISU Family and
Consumer Sciences Department.
Taking dress-ups outside
Some
dress-up items tend to stimulate more active, noisy, or aggressive play
than is usually desirable indoors. Articles such as boots, superhero,
or circus accessories may be used outdoors with fewer limitations than
would be necessary indoors. Since children’s outdoor play is generally
more active and dirtier than indoor play, outdoor dress-up materials should
be sturdier to withstand frequent washings.
Capes, for example, are particularly effective outdoor dress-up items
and can be quickly made from a rectangle of fabric. Using the selvages
as the sides, gather one end and cover with a strip of wide bias tape
to finish the neckline. Attach Velcro to enable children to put on and
remove the cape easily without help. Hem the bottom and the cape is ready
for use. A fake fur cape becomes an animal costume; nylon net or other
sheer fabric creates a bride or princess; black cotton allows children
to be a witch or a magician. And the inevitable superhero play will result
from capes of plain or printed fabrics.
For safety, never allow children to use climbing equipment while wearing
dress-up clothing. Select a location for the dress-up interest area well
away from climbing equipment to reduce the temptation to combine the two
activities. Always avoid long dresses that might induce a fall since children
tend to be more active outdoors.
To keep the dress-up items reasonably clean, teach children to return
them to the open suitcase or basket when they are not being worn. Setting
up an outdoor dress-up area is so easy, effective, and fun you will wonder
why you have not done it before!
Starting a New Apprenticeship at School
Many schools now offer the option for students to start a New Apprenticeship while at school. School-Based New Apprenticeships (SBNA) enable participants to gain a national vocational qualification while continuing school studies. They have a number of features including:
- attendance at school and work
- attainment of a senior secondary certificate and a vocational education and training (VET) qualification
- to earn a wage for the time spent in productive work
School principals, careers advisers and teachers can assist in planning
for a New Apprenticeship by helping participants to select the most appropriate
subjects.
One World for children deliver training to school based new apprentices
and would like to congratulate all SBNA’s for choosing children services
as a career path for your school based new apprenticeship. We are sure
that you to will find the children services arena rewarding.
STAFF SWAPS
The possibility of staff swapping centres has again been bought up for discussion. It has been requested that staff do “staff swaps” into other neighbouring child care centres. As you are aware, in undertaking a traineeship, there is no requirement of placements into other services, unless you are required to do an “infant placement”. A staff swap in essence would be organised between employers and their employees but facilitated by One World. If you are interested in doing a “Staff Swap” then let One World know and we will put you in touch with the other centres that also may be interested and you then can make the relevant arrangements. Contact Carol on 52 722 714 or email carol@oneworldforchildren.com.au
Valuing Diversity
Diversity means the range of differences among people that we need to
take into account if we are to work effectively with children, families,
and communities. The concept of diversity includes the perspectives of
multiculturalism and non-sexist and anti-bias education. Diversity encompasses
children’s individual interests and capabilities, racial and cultural
differences, age and gender differences and language differences. It also
includes the social realities that affect children and communities, including
availability of economic resources, access to technology, health and safety
concerns, demographic make-up, and environment.
Think about the concept of “family,” which is a universal human
experience, and consider the diverse meanings it may have for children:
n For one child, “family” may mean a mum and a dad and siblings;
for another, “family” may mean the grandmother and aunt who
raised her; for a third, the two dads who adopted him.
n “Family” may be a mum or a dad, or two households where a child divides his week - mum’s house some days, and dad and his new wife’s house other days.
n In some situations, “family” may include a person who is hired to care for a child when parents travel or work away from home; in others, “family” may describe three generations who live in the same building and speak a language other than English.
Knowing and recognising the diversity of family experiences affects the way in which caregivers make decisions in planning appropriate programs. Some decisions may affect how you think and relate to the children and families in the program; others may affect the content of the curriculum choices. To value these diverse family experiences, you need to think about:
- n when and how to speak to children about families;
- n how, when, and with whom to plan family meetings;
- n in what language to communicate with the children’s families;
- n how families prefer to describe themselves to their children and others;
- n how to interpret children’s play, especially around family themes
- n how to select materials that reflect different kinds of families.
Diversity represents the richness and uniqueness of human life. It is
something we want to value and share with the children we work with.
Why include diversity in early childhood?
There are many reasons to include consideration of diversity as a central
theme in early childhood programs. When you value diversity, you maximise
the positive impact of your program for all your children by:
- n building children’s positive self-esteem (when you do this you give them the confidence to reach out to new learning experience);
- n affirming children’s identities with regard to race, ethnicity, gender, religion, handicapping conditions, class (when you do this you pave the way for children who are ever fascinated with how they are alike and different from one another - to appreciate human differences as a natural part of life);
- n strengthening ties with families (when you do this you promote families’ involvement with their children’s early childhood programs).
Further,
when you include diversity in your work with children, you are preparing
them for citizenship in a society where people speak different languages,
practice different customs, and embrace different values. By starting
in early childhood, you will be helping individuals learn to work together,
communicate across their differences, and value just and fair treatment
for all. You will also be preparing children to fight bias and discrimination
directed toward themselves or other members of society. Preparing children
for active participation in a democracy is an important educational goal.
Making consideration of diversity a major part of your program is particularly
important in early childhood because it is during this period, and especially
between the ages of 2 and 5 that children become aware of gender, race,
ethnicity, disabilities, and other differences among people. Because young
children are aware of diversity, you need to be prepared to address it
in your work with them. You need to treat their questions and comments
seriously and respectfully, just as you would if they were expressing
curiosity about nature or other phenomena. Young children also acquire
attitudes and values from their families and society about which differences
are positive and which are not. How you respond to the ideas they express
will influence the feelings and judgments they will form.
When you value diversity, you too become a learner. You learn about the
children you work with and the communities they live in. You may also
learn about the educational theories, practices, and policies that will
strengthen your program’s response to diversity. For example, you
might choose to learn about second language acquisition or legislation
pertaining to low-income. As a caregiver, you need to be aware of the
laws that challenge unequal practices and policies and promote equal educational
opportunity.
If you work with children and families from diverse cultural and linguistic
backgrounds, the opportunities for valuing diversity in the curriculum
may be quite apparent. But if you are working with children from similar
backgrounds, you also need to address diversity in the curriculum. You
may need to counter stereotypes or misconceptions they have. All children
need to be exposed to new experiences and broaden their understanding
of how people live.
There are many ways for caregivers to help children learn about human
differences. Margarita, a carer of 4 and 5-year olds, encounters chronic
illness for the first time in her room. Two children have diabetes and
three others have severe allergies. At first, she worries about how to
remember who can eat or drink what kinds of things. She thinks of her
curriculum and how she can incorporate these aspects of diversity into
the children’s learning experiences. She begins with a class discussion
of favourite foods; she writes down children’s responses on a chart
“Our favourite foods.” Then she leads the children into further
discussion about their eating habits, and from these emerge other charts:
“Snacks some of us should not have” and “Snacks we can
all have.” The charts are put up in the room for all to see and are
a reminder of the similarities and differences in this group of children.
With these charts as a beginning, Margarita develops a curriculum study
around health and nutrition, helping the children learn to take good care
of themselves and each other.
Underlying a commitment to diversity is a set of beliefs and values. Caregivers
like Margarita share these:
- a sense of trust in others;
- a sense of justice;
- a belief in cooperation and shared learning;
- a belief that all children can be competent;
- a belief that all children can be proud of their culture and heritage;
- a belief that all children can be curious about and learn to accept human similarities and differences;
- a sense of the individuality of each child;
- a sense that a group of children is a small society where there is fairness, opportunity, caring, and satisfaction for all its members.
When you value diversity, you are addressing the needs of the “whole child” and promoting both affective and cognitive development. You are recognising that children live in diverse social and physical environments. You are imparting a sense of shared humanity.
Teaching Children to Share
“Miss Harper! Miss Harper! Willard won’t share the blocks!
He has them all!” Emily cries.
Every early childhood carer has heard similar complaints from young children.
Many of us move in quickly to insist that the “greedy, selfish”
child share some of the coveted item with the newcomer. Refusing to share
is often treated as a crime in the eyes of adults. While our intention
is good, we may be teaching children that others’ rights are more
important than their own and that problems should be resolved by adults
rather than between the children themselves. We want children to be generous,
kind, and cooperative, so we demand that they share.
Demanding that children share ignores their feelings and does not truly
teach them to share. It more likely teaches children to feel angry and
resentful toward adults and to believe that sharing is always accompanied
by emotional pain. The irony of sharing is that when children know that
they are not required to share, they are most likely to do so!
What is sharing?
Sharing is agreeably giving one’s possessions to others. However,
when a child is forced to give up his or her possession, it is not true
sharing but rather surrender of property. When Miss Harper uses the office
copy machine she is not required to interrupt her task and relinquish
the copier to a coworker just because she has had it long enough. She
may finish her task, even though the copier belongs to everyone in the
building. Yet when Willard is using all of the blocks, engrossed in building
a small city, some carers believe it is their responsibility to make him
relinquish what is at that time his property, because it belongs to everyone
in the class.
Rather than label Willard as “selfish” or “greedy,”
the teacher should see his refusal as assertive self-protection. Forcing
him to give us the blocks will only make him want to protect future possessions
more energetically. Too often we take the side of the newcomer. Instead,
we should give children choices. Miss Harper should give Willard the choice
to share or not. There are many other activity options for Emily in a
well-equipped early childhood playroom.
A Better Way to Respond
Miss Harper can encourage Emily to solve her own problem by responding,
“Emily, you’d like some blocks. Ask Willard to please give you
some as soon as he can.” If Emily resists this suggestion, Miss Harper
can go with her and give the message to Willard herself on Emily’s
behalf, thereby modeling one method of problem solving. Both children
benefit from this approach. Willard learns that he has authority and control
over the blocks, because he was playing with them first, and that his
rights will be protected. He can be the one to decide when he is finished
and ready to give up some blocks. When Emily must wait, she learns to
deal with disappointment and frustration, two of life’s realities.
Miss Harper might also say, “Emily, you want the blocks right now,
but Willard is not ready to share them. I’ll help you find something
else to do while you wait.” Such a statement makes Emily feel supported
and understood by the carer, not abandoned. When this strategy is used,
children often do not have to wait long. Willard, given the power of authority,
is eager to exercise his right to decide who gets some of the blocks and
when. Soon Emily will hear him say, “Hey, Emily! You can have some
blocks. I don’t need them all.”
Children Who Habitually Cannot Share
Occasionally there are children who head for the same material every
day and refuse ever to give it up. Several approaches may be appropriate
in this situation.
Consider why the child must possess this item. Children who come from
large families or impoverished homes may feel a strong need to claim something
as their own. Perhaps it is an object or material the child never has
a chance to use outside of the playroom. A duplicate or equally attractive
item can be provided for other children to use. It is important not to
label this child as a “problem,” but to try to understand the
behavior and the child’s need to possess the object.
Establish a system for equitable use of an item. Use a clock or timer
to show children they can use the favoured item for five minutes. A child
might be allowed to ride the popular tricycle four times around the concrete
track and then give it to the next person. If a system such as this is
in place from the beginning, no child feels singled out.
Sue Grossman, Ph.D. is an assistant professor of early childhood teacher
education at Eastern Michigan University.
Sue Grossman, Ph.D.
Take advantage and save yourself time
Why not send your assessments to us via e-mail?
It will save you time and your assessments will get to us promptly and
safely. All trainers have direct email addresses, so you can send all
assessments to individual trainers.
Individual addresses are:
carol@oneworldforchildren.com.au
michelle@oneworldforchildren.com.au
tammy@oneworldforchildren.com.au
sue@oneworldforchildren.com.au
susan@oneworldforchildren.com.au
karyn@oneworldforchildren.com.au
ange@oneworldforchildren.com.au
lisa@oneworldforchildren.com.au
suzie@oneworldforchildren.com.au
jo@oneworldforchildren.com.au
Any administration queries may be made directly to:
angela@oneworldforchildren.com.au
diana@oneworldforchildren.com.au
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Childcare Services
One World For Children Pty Ltd
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Finalist in the Victorian Training Awards 2006 for Training Initiative of the Year: Online Advanced Diploma of Children's Services
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Highly Commended in the 2006 Victorian Community Services Health Industry Training Board's Innovation in Training and Assessment Award:Innovative Product
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Finalist in the 2006 Victorian Community Services Health Industry Training Board's Innovation in Training and Assessment Award: Recognising Competency RCC
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Winners of the 2003 Victorian Community Services Health Industry Training Board's Innovation in Training and Assessment Award: Innovative Training Product"
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World For Children Pty Ltd