My Connections to Play

I have many wonderful memories playing. My mother always made sure that my brother and myself enjoyed being little kids. My favorite dolls were Baby Alive and Baby Crissy and Baby Thataway. I can remember playing for hours and hours on end with them. I loved playing "Mommy".  One of my fondest memories was when I went to purchased  the Baby Crissy doll how my mother was more excited than I was. She opened the box and cradled the doll and kept saying how the doll reminded her of me when I was a little baby (fat cheeks and all).

Being sick with chicken pox my mother came home with the spirograph and I enjoyed making so many geometrical designs that I taped all over the house. When I was seven, my mother and aunts taught me how to play jacks. My mother said how much she loved playing with her sisters when they were little in Puerto Rico. After a couple of tries I became an expert!

 Play was supported and encouraged while I growing up.I enjoyed spending time with my toys and playing with my mother and aunts at times. Having the opportunity to enjoy my childhood is one of many things that I am grateful to my family for. Even as an adult I do enjoy playing a game with my own children and now as a preschool teacher.

                                               
                                    Quotes about Play                                      

Play gives children a chance to practice what they are learning.

                -Fred Rogers

Play is the highest form of research.” ~ Albert Einstein












        

Relationship Reflection

 Looking back, I can say that my family is one of the most important relationship I have. My up bringing defines me, and my family became a part of my identity. Values that were taught and instilled in me has prepared me for many obstacles that I have encountered.  I remember many times growing up just enjoying being a little girl and I have to thank my mother for that. I remember the routine to this day. Breakfast and Saturday morning cartoons, fix my bed and play outside in the backyard all morning., lunch, more play, a bath and dinner. Saturday night was the best because we would always sit together to watch the Carol Burnett Show. 

Once I had a family of my very own, the bond of family and its importance became stronger.  My children has been the most important and the most valued relationship I have. The responsibility that NOW I was creating my own family unit, was exciting and scary. I did the same as my mother, I made sure my daughters enjoyed being little girls. The only difference I played with them a lot. Rainy days, I do remember giving them crayons and paper and their drawings covered the whole house. 

Bonds can be created withing the outside of family relationships. Friendships blossom and continue to flourish for years where they in part become family members. Marilinda and I have been friends for 27 years. At this point we say we are sisters. Since our late teens we have shared so many ups and downs but somehow worked it through. She moved to Florida 7 years ago, but our friendship continues. We share frequent flyer miles and talk and text every chance we can.


December 21,2007 I had the second chance in working on a personal relationship when I married my husband Joe. Being single and a single mother for a long time made  this type of relationship  one I wanted and didn't at the same time. Love on a personal level is a relationship and partnership that is a continuous working process. Two people with two different personalities, opinions, and beliefs can make living under the same roof at times difficult.But sharing love for  someone can overcome many obstacles that come around.
 
In view of relationships is it human nature to feel the need to belong, accepted, love, etc, etc, etc. In the early childhood profession one brings all those qualities to all those you meet. With the children I go back in time when I had little ones at home, and the desire for them to continue to enjoy being little is an instinct. Working with parents one works with them sharing ideas, opinions, hopes and celebrate accomplishments at a distance but always as a team. Working with colleague's relationships are like a marriage. Sharing opinions, thoughts, ideas and fussiness can make for very long day, but sharing a love for the profession the end result is seen every end of the school year.

I would like to extend a thank you to Lynette P, Melanie and Magretta Nelson. Your personal stories were empowering, informative and took much courage to share. I look forward to continue to work with you in our continued journey in early childhood field. Here's wishing a safe and restful holiday and a successful new year!

Thoughts about Child Development

 Play increases an awareness of oneself and others in their environment.  Playing stimulates the brain and stimulates the skills that they take through the stages in their life. As and adult when you are watching children playing you see all the skills that they will as they grow. As a preschool teacher I try to explain to parents that their is a method to their madness. Parents just see the children just passing time as they play. Once skills are explained and tied to play, many of them are surprised and respect the preschool environment even more.

Assessing Children

  When assessing children, the assessment first of all should be tailored to a specific purpose and fair for that purpose. The assessment should also include a plan of action to continue working also focusing towards a child's progress. Observing children and having conversations with children during play is a way to assess the children's problem solving skills  and cognitive skills.  Children can share methods and ideas while they are at play.  Also this form of assessment one can see the children "in action" instead of a standardized test where it is teacher structured not child oriented.

  Three and four year old children in Japan attend preschool and learn the importance of respect, language skills. Preschoolers are not taught math and literacy because it is expected that their mothers teach these skills at home.  T he kindergarten entrance exams tests children on their knowledge of shapes, the color of fruit, number sequences and polite behavior. Many parent stay on  lines to enroll their children to help prepare them for these tests. Some children begin studying for these exams when they are 6 months old, learning activities like how to open and close their hands. 

Japan is a very group oriented society, where interdependence is more important than individual independence. Preschool classrooms are equipped with large very heavy wooden blocks to encourage children to work together and play together and cooperate as a group.

More information:

 

 https://www.ed.psu.edu/educ/dcec/jtobin-komatsudanithennow.pdf

 http://www.eltnews.com/news/archives/2010/06/a_comparative_s.html

 

 

 

Poverty

In regards to the issue of poverty sadly my mother was very poor growing up in Puerto Rico.  When my daughters throw out food she tells them  how many times she went to sleep without nothing to eat or barely anything to eat.

  My mother is one of five children. My grandparents did everything they could to provide for the family. They first started with a few chickens and a cow. My grandfather worked as a farmhand in another town and wouldn't come home until very late at night. At times he had just enough money to have food to feed the animals so that they could have eggs and milk. My mother said that was their daily meal, morning, noon, and night. At times she said, her father would bring some rice or flour and that was a feast for them. Going to school was hard. There were times she couldn't go because she had to help at home. As for clothing, they all lived on hand me downs even the shoes!



 Once she moved to NJ she told herself she was never going to struggle like that again. She didn't. She learned the language and continued to study. She is 67 years old and still takes an online course here and there because she says " Not only should you fill up your belly, but you must continue to feed your mind." She does refuse to go hungry though. Growing up my mother always made sure my brother and myself had all our favorite foods, snacks and beverages to our hearts desire. We had so much to eat that it was so hard to pick what snack we wanted for school. Our lunchboxes had so much I shared it with my friends. She is still like this til this day. She lives with my grandmother and her younger sister, but that pantry and fridge is full to capacity.


 Children suffering in poverty

 Imagine life  without the comforts we have. Clean water, immunizations, education, food, a safe place to live. There are so many children who does not have at least one of those luxuries.  Many children live in extreme or moderate poverty and live on less than $2.00 a day.  Children deserve the right to have a long and healthy life. Children should just be that just children. They shouldn't have to worry about when they will be able to have something to eat.

Here are a couple links about poverty:
 

 http://www.worldhunger.org/articles/Learn/world%20hunger%20facts%202002.htm

http://www.barnardos.org.uk/what_we_do/our_projects/child_poverty/child_poverty_what_is_poverty/what_causes_child_poverty.htm


 Poverty Quiz

In order for me to continue my understanding how poverty affect everyone around us, I took this quiz. Please take a few minutes of your time after reading my post to take this quiz. I for one was surprised how little I truly I don't know  on the issue. I ranked 60%.  How do you think you would do?

http://www.compassion.com/poverty/poverty-quiz.htm



Anything and Everything Counts!
 
There are so many organizations built to try to end poverty. The Global Poverty Project is an organization that works with charities, community groups and other organizations. Their main focus is to educate others through presentations, conferences, etc  The Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand are working to have at least 100,00 children out of poverty by 2014.These groups are just a few that are contributing to help many children out of poverty. 

 Don't be an Armchair Advocate

There was a time that I had some change in my purse and began to get rid of the pennies. Someone stopped me and said " You know, with one penny you can make a dollar, so every penny counts." That simple sentence has stayed with me and I repeat it to anyone who would listen. So remember to count you pennies. 100 pennies equals a dollar, and a dollar is all a child who lives in poverty needs to live.

 

Immunization

Before vaccines many children suffered diseases that either crippled them or died from them. In the 30's and 40's children were vaccinated for diphtheria. This disease slowly began disappearing and now this has became a rare condition, smallpox was one of the most devastating diseases the world has ever known. Millions died from it every year. In 1967, the World Health Organization declared war on smallpox and worked on an intensive vaccination program. After 12 years, smallpox has been erased forever

These examples are a few of many reasons immunizing children at an early stage is vital.Since children are so vulnerable scheduled routine vaccinations are the parents responsibility. The possibility that children will become seriously ill or die depends largely on whether their immune systems can fight off infections. The idea behind vaccination is to give you immunity to a disease before it has a chance to make you sick.



 Many parents today  chose not to vaccinate their childrenn for fear of toxins in the vaccine.  Parents are concern with the side effects also their child may have after being vaccinated. Personally, as a parent I didn't see major side effects on my children.If they had a side effect it wasn't major. A slight fever and a sleepless night is far better than my child facing a fatal disease.

 Making a difference for children of our world