Observing Communication

This past week I observe a mother and her young son in Wal-Mart buying grocery.  He looks to be no more than five years old, pushing the grocery cart and was well dress and mannered.  I can say that most of the time when I observe parents in a store with their child/children, they are usually yelling and pulling at their kids, but not this one.  I was so amazed at the way she was communicating with him, it really took  me for a turn.  They pass by the children books, and he noticed a book, picked it up and glance through it.  I noticed she took the time and observe what he was doing and I could hear her ask him “do you want that book” and to my belief he replied back and said “yes mom”.  I can count the number of children on my hand that has been well trained and brought up in a home like that.  In most situations the parents would yell at the child, “put that book down, you don’t have any money and I don’t either!”  We all know that children are sensitive and love to feel accepted and this provides the space for each child to be their unique self (Laureate Education, 2010).

 

            So in this case, the young child picked up the reading book and his mother simply ask him did he want it.  Instead of doing all that yelling that some parents would do, she kneel down to his level and softly asked him did he want the book to take home to read.  This gives the child a sense of feeling important and supported by their mother, not just at home, but also in the community.  So lets continue to give that encouragement as our children moves toward independence. 

 

                                                      Reference:

Derman-Sparks, L. & Edwards, J. (2010). Anti-Bias Education for Young Children and Ourselves. NAEYC. Washington, DC.

Creating Affirming Environments

I have always wanted to open up my own Family Child Care Home center in the rural delta of Mississippi.  There are so many children that rely on an older brother or sister to babysit them after school and during the spring/summer break.  I love to see children strive and develop through the help of a nurturing educator.

 

If I was to open up a family child care home it would be important for it to be safe and welcoming.  I would offer many tools for children to learn from and also space for them to play.  After touring Adriana Castillo’s home, I believe I would also display images (family pictures or drawings) of my children, along with their family bringing in cultural items to share in the classroom while promoting diversity (Laureate Education, 2010).  This will give the children/parents a way to connect to the other families that come to my family child care. 

 

          Each month I would create a different anti-bias curriculum that allows children to learn about different foods, cultures, and languages.  As stated in the media segment, Adriana also focuses on children’s interests and this month was emotions, you have so many different emotions that come into a care center every day (Laureate Education, 2010).  One day Jane might be nice and the next day she might be angry, everyone has different emotions and that’s one of the main focus of a child.

 

        I would also like to build a sense of communication, having the family become involved in the morning sign-in or out.  Once children interact with other families and children, this will bring a sense of emphasis on partnership/involvement.  My center would also include a bulletin board with the weekly activities, letting the families know what will be happening in the classroom and outside the classroom.

With this environment, I want to provide enough space for them to learn and also have fun at the same time.  There is so much for a child to learn and explore about themselves; so as we learn together, we will also grow together.  As stated in the text, in many cultures, a teacher is someone to be respected.  We have some families that wouldn’t even consider raising issues of concern.  It’s our job to listen and learn as we talk, and initiate solutions to specific differences (Derman-Sparks & Edwards 2010).

 

                                                Reference

Derman-Sparks, L. & Edwards, J. (2010). Anti-Bias Education for Young Children and Ourselves. NAEYC, Washington, DC.

Laureate Education (2010). “Welcoming children in the home.”  Retrieved from http://www.waldenu.edu/