Standards for Early Childhood Education

The Georgia Early Learning and Development Standards (GELDS) support the growth of the entire child, from birth to age five. These standards focus on physical development and motor skills, social and emotional development, approaches to play and learning, communication, language and literacy, and cognitive development and general knowledge.

            The purpose of the GELDS is to help guide teachers who work with children during this period in their lives to ensure that quality learning experiences and provides, and well as helping to guide the parents in the support of their children’s growth, development, and learning potential. The GELDS also lay the groundwork for applying the standards in pre-service training, professional development, curriculum planning, and child outcome documentation. They also help to create a universal language for all stakeholders to use regarding the learning and development of children, as well as raising public awareness about the significance of the early years as the foundation for school success and lifelong learning (Center on Enhancing Early Learning Outcomes, 2016). The information can be accessed by visiting GELDS. This program is also similar to the Georgia Department of Education (GADOE), as one of its programs focuses on supporting teachers and leader effectiveness to improve student learning in every classroom in the state (Georgia Department of Education, 2015).

            The National Association for the Education of Young and Children (NAEYC) is one way similar to the standards of the GELDS in the aspect of involving those who are around and work with children in the process of carrying out the standards for healthy development and learning. The intentions are also like the GELDS in other ways. Another way being to work with individuals regarding child assessment practices and implementing planning and professional development. Focusing on the actual assessments of children is needed more in education, due to over-assessing and creating assessments that are authentic. As Bagnato (2011) stated, assessment information should be immediately helpful to teachers and other providers as they work to identify functional learning targets that are matched to the child’s skills and guide systematic intervention.

            A way in which they’re different is that the NAEYC seems to also put time into creating satisfying learning experiences and better educational and developmental outcomes for all young children. Investments are also being stimulated to create assessable, affordable, high-quality learning environments that support the implementation of excellent early childhood curriculum, assessment and program evaluation.       The GELDS does not appear to focus as much on the assessments and learning experiences as much as the NAEYC, however they still do shed light on its importance. Both programs could possibly focus on the importance of feedback regarding the assessments given. To help create a beneficial learning experience for all students, design one with allows for enhanced opportunities for in which to give the most specific, individualized feedback (Wheatley, McInch & Fleming, 2015).

            While both policies have the same intention when it comes to the healthy development and learning of our children, their approaches tend to lean toward different ways of reading the intended goal.

            Some questions that may be generated regarding this information may be:

How are schools ensuring that their curriculum and professional learning for teachers is effective in promoting healthy development for children?

Are the created assessments effective in preparing the children for the Georgia Milestone test in April? What measures are put into place to provide evidence to whether they are or are not?

Are these assessments created by people from the GELDS or NAEYC? Who is making the assessments for the children?

References

Bagnato, S. J., McLean, M., Macy, M., & Neisworth, J. T. (2011). Identifying Instructional

Targets for Early Childhood via Authentic Assessment: Alignment of Professional Standards and Practice-Based Evidence. Journal Of Early Intervention, 33(4), 243-253. doi:10.1177/1053815111427565

Center on Enhancing Learning Outcomes (2016). State-by-state. Retrieved from

http://ceelo.org/state-information/state-map/

Georgia Department of Education (GADOE). (2015). Retrived from http://www.gadoe.org

National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). (2003). Early childhood

curriculum, assessment, and program evaluation. Retrieved from https://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/postitions/CAPEex-pand.pdf

Wheatley, L. l., McInch, A. a., Fleming, S. s., & Lord, R. r. (2015). Feeding back to feed

forward: Formative assessment as a platform for effective learning. Kentucky Journal Of Higher Education Policy & Practice, 3(2), 34-63.

Classroom Learning Environment Observation

One critical component that I observed in the fifth grade classroom I sat in on that helped to create a positive classroom culture was the relationships the teacher had with her students. She would joke with them and make comments that showed she really knew her students and cared deeply for them. Because of the way she interacted with them, the students knew that she cared and this made them want to do well in her classroom. She praised them often and let them know she was proud of them for trying their best.

Another critical component I observed was the routines and procedures the students were involved in. They knew what to do and how to do it. If they got off task, the teacher simply looked at them and they were able to redirect themselves. This had a lot do to with the relationships that had been built, as the students respected their teacher and wanted her to be proud of them.

It was obvious that the teacher had taken time to get to know her students because of the way they interacted and joked with one another. The students knew when to joke and when to get back to work. Mutual respect was apparent within the classroom. The teacher said she had given the students interest inventories at the beginning of the year in order to get to know them.

This age group needs someone who shows they care in order to create a positive classroom culture. It is hard for young students to engage in school activities effectively when they are not made to feel like they are important. Building a positive classroom environment is all about taking the time to build those positive relationships with the students in order for them to feel comfortable and loved when they are with the teacher, as well as when they’re in the grade levels to come.

One challenge that was apparent was the different levels and needs of the students in the classroom. The majority of the students had IEPs and needed extra help from the teacher. She stated that it was oftentimes hard for her to keep up with all the demands of the differing students in her class. She said sometimes this affected the culture because the students would get frustrated with the work. She also said that the other students did a great job of encouraging one another to try their best.

The teacher said she takes the time to get to know her students prior to the first day of school by driving through neighborhoods her students live in, in order to gain an understanding of where they come from. She then makes sure to look them up in previous yearbooks to make sure she is able to greet the appropriately when they come for open house or the first day of school.                 

While this teacher already has a positive learning environment, the following articles provide a great depth of knowledge regarding ways to increase and/or improve the learning environments within a classroom:

 

McDonald, T. (2010). Positive Learning Framework: Creating Learning Environments in Which

All Children Thrive. Reclaiming Children & Youth, 19(2), 16-20.

 

Pickett, L., & Fraser, B. (2010). Creating and Assessing Positive Classroom Learning

Environments. Childhood Education, 86(5), 321-326.

Van Stone, B. b. (2013) Creating a Positive Classroom Environment. Teach, 11-23.

Dissertation Assignment

The title of the dissertation for this assignment is titled: Teacher Child Interaction Training Creates a Positive Classroom Environment.

 

Early Childhood Research Problem

The early childhood problem researched in this dissertation was the issue of positive learning environment. If the quality of the relationships between child and teacher are improved upon early, a child may improve his socio-emotional competence and decrease behavior problems. The teachers who participated in the Teacher Child Interaction Training (TCIT) were taught to use principals of learning and behavior management in the classroom to enhance positive interactions and attachment, and to prevent and reduce problem behaviors in young children.

            The research was conducted in a public elementary school in rural Virginia during January to May of 2011. Two preschool classrooms were selected to participate: one class being a general preschool classroom, and the other a HeadStart classroom. The five teachers and instructional assistants who also participated were all Caucasian females. Each class had 18-20 students, ranging in age from three to five. Seventy-five percent of the school was on free or reduced lunch and the classes had about the same ratio of boys to girls.

            A letter was sent home with students describing the purpose and procedures of the study. The letter offered an opportunity for parents to decline the participation of their child in the study. To protect identities, both teachers and students were assigned random numbers for identification and the data sheets only named the random descriptor. The children who presented a particular challenge in the classroom were targeted by the teachers; meaning these students were more frequently observed throughout the duration of the study. Teacher and child behaviors were recorded by a team of eight undergraduate and graduate psychology students. This took place over a semester and the observers did not interact with the teachers or students, they only recorded their observations while interfering as little as possible.

            Each day, the observer would enter the data collected (3-4 raters, 22-26 observations per day). The databases each had separate sections for child and teacher and had behaviors listed across the top. The percentage of intervals in which a behavior was observed was tallied for each day and displayed graphically. During and after this time, teachers were placed in interventions where they learned how to interact differently and more effectively with students. The interventions they were involved with depended on the observations of the people whom were rating.

            Overall, the results show that TCIT is an effective intervention to promote positive behavior support in the classroom. Follow-up is vital to ensure the success of any training program (Sigurdsson, 2013), and TCIT continues to provide consultations and feedback following their workshops (Devers, 2015).

 Resources

           The following resources were helpful in the preparation of this dissertation:

 Collett, B.R. (2002). Addressing disruptive behaviors in the preschool classroom: An

           adaptation of Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) for Head Start teachers.
           (Doctoral dissertation). Available from ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database.
          ( UMI No. 3040720)

Denham, S., & Burton, R. (1996). A social-emotional intervention for at-risk four-year
           olds. Journal of School Psychology, 34,225-246.

 Filcheck, H.A., McNeil, C.B., Greco, L.A., & Bernard, R.S. (2004). Using a whole-class

           token economy and coaching of teacher skills in a preschool classroom to manage
           disruptive behavior. Psychology in the Schools, 41, 351–361.

           These resources were relevant to the study because each of them gave pertinent information regarding ways in which to alleviate behavior problems within the classroom and ways to implement effective interventions necessary.

 

Further Study

 This dissertation will be beneficial in my work toward my learning about fostering positive learning environments because of its findings in ways for teachers to promote positive learning environments within their classrooms. The interventions utilized during this research study will be helpful in learning ways in which to foster positive learning environments within my own classroom.

 

 

Reference

 

Devers, K. (2015). Teacher child interaction training (TCIT) creates a positive classroom

          environment: Improving attachment and management of child behavior problems. Dissertation           Abstracts International, 76.

 

Module 6 Week 11 Blog

         A couple of years ago, I had a student who couldn’t read or speak coherently and had behavior issues. She was diagnosed with an emotional and behavior disorder and before she was put into the classroom that would have provided her with the least restrictive environment, she was with me for a few weeks. Her name was Eryka and she was a feisty one. She would swear and the students, and at me, but you could tell she felt self-conscious because it was apparent she was used to being made fun of. That is not how I run my classroom, so she was surprised when she found the children in our classroom wanted to help her learn to read.

            She was on beginning reader books and found an interest in the Biscuit series. Each day she would fight me when I asked her to read, but then slowly, she would throw the book in front of me and say, “read.” The fact that she went about it inappropriately was beside the point, as I just wanted her to want to read. After we read the book, I decided to make Eryka some Dolch site word cards and we would practice them 3 times a day. The class and I were upset when she had to leave to move to her new school and new classroom, but we knew we, as a team, had made a difference in her life.

            This course deepened my perspective of that memory by completing the field experience. When I observed children interacting in the library, and saw how their faces lit up at the displays of literature, I decided that next school year I am going to do a classroom makeover to incorporate well-known and popular children’s books into my classroom’s appearance.

            I would still like to pursue the impact of language development on young children and different strategies that can be taken to help ensure that children are being taught the most effective strategies to help ensure their current and future successes.

Module 2 Assignment 4

The advocacy message I would like to send is one that empathizes the importance and severity of education geared toward the development of children’ brains. Familes and teachers do not always realize how crucial the first few years in a child’s life are, when it comes to the development of the brain.

According to Zero To Three (2014a), the first three years of life are a period of incredible growth in all areas of a baby's development. A newborn's brain is about 25 percent of its approximate adult weight. But by age 3, it has grown dramatically by producing billions of cells and hundreds of trillions of connections, or synapses, between these cells.

Simply because of this, there are many reasons why understanding brain development is critical to understanding how important children’s earliest experiences are to their overall well-being. Understanding this may help us learn how experiences truly affect children. It may also help us learn when experiences affect children. Knowledge of these two examples could help us in aiding us to prevent damage that could potentially occur, as well as understanding patterns that could help us in interventions for the children (The Urban Child Institute, 2015).

Waiting until a child is in school is too late to begin to educate parents on the importance of brain development because of the obvious development that has already taken place. I do feel, however, that early childhood teachers should be educated on this and that kindergarten and first grade teachers should attend training and be given information on this topic since they’re the teachers who work with them early on in their academic lives. If teachers and daycare providers are not educated on this, then they cannot truly understand the importance level and how it will help them with educating, as well as understanding their students.

            A related advocacy message I would like to address is the importance that parents play in the role of not only brain development, but teaching their children the importance of empathy. This is character trait that is taught by parents and also has to do with brains and learning things when children are young.

This topic is of importance to me because I have seen the lack of participation from parents in the 10 years that I have been teaching. I would love for parents to make more of an effort in partnering with me, the person who spends more than 8 hours a day with their child, to improve their learning and self-efficacy.

 

 

The Urban Child Institute. (2015). Baby’s brain begins now: Conception to age 3. Retrieved

from http://www.urbanchildinstitute.org/why-0-3/baby-and-brain

Zero to Three. (2014a). Brain development. Retrieved from http://www.zerotothree.org/child- 

           development/brain-development/

 

Assignment 1 Module 4

After reading the blogs of a few of my colleagues, I found that there are many who share my views on education, empathy and attachment. I am looking forward to working with them in the future.

 

Some questions I have after reading the posts are:

 1.) Why are not all teachers instilling values in their students? Do they not realize that they're not necessarily receiving this at home? Many children do not learn empathy at home and it becomes another one of our responsibilities to do this, and we should see that we do.

2.) What can educators do, if anything, to help others not view us as simply “babysitters”? This seems to be a stereotype that doesn’t go away.

3.) What can teachers do to help parents understand the importance of forming a bond with their children? I know that, sadly enough, some parents do not care, but more do. We need to do something to help raise awareness of attachment.

 

These are the topics I would like to probe further in the future and some resources that will allow for this are as follows:

 

Ainsworth, M., Blehar, M., Waters, E., & Wass, S. (1978).Patterns of attachment: A

psychological study of the strange situation. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.1980-50809-000.

 

Bernier, A., Carlson, S. M., Deschênes, M., & Matte-Gagné, C. (2012). Social factors in the

development of early executive functioning: A closer look at the caregiving environment. Developmental Science, 15(1), 12–24.

Allen, J. P., Hauser, S. T., & Borman-Spurrell, E. (1996). Attachment theory as a framework for

understanding sequelae of severe adolescent psychopathology: An 11-year follow-up

study. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 64, 254-263.

 

ATTACHMENT DISORDER DISMISSED TOO LIGHTLY. (2004, Jan 13). Pittsburgh Post –

Gazette Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/390956327?accounti

 

Behrman, D. (2012, Feb 15). Society: 'where do we go for help?': Families of disruptive children

with attachment disorder are finding that support for the condition is in short supply. The Guardian Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/921457558?accountid=14872

 

Bowlby, J. (1977). The making and breaking of affectional bonds. British

Journal of Psychiatry, 130, 201-210, 421-431.

 

Fonagy, P., Steele, H. & Steel, M. (1991). Maternal representations of attachment during

pregnancy predict the organization of infant-mother attachment past one year of age. Child Development, 62(5), 891-905.

 

Gingras, J.L., Mitchell, E.A., & Grattan, K.E. (2005). Fetal homologue of infant crying. Archives

of Diseases of Childhood (Fetal Neonatal Ed.), 90(5), 415-418.

 

Sallenbach, W.B. (1993). The intelligent prenate: Paradigms in prenatal learning and bonding. In

T. Blum (Ed.), Prenatal perception, learning, and bonding: Learning and bonding (p. 61). Hong Kong: Leonardo.

 

Spitz, R.A. (1945). Hospitalism—An Inquiry Into the Genesis of Psychiatric Conditions in Early

Childhood. Psychoanalytic Study of the Child, 1, 53-74.

 

 

TAYLOR, J; et al. Common Genetic and Nonshared Environmental Factors Contribute to the

 

I can keep in touch with my colleagues through email, as well as Skype and phone calls. It’s important to keep in touch with those who share your vision because we all need people in our corner who understand us and share the same goals. That is motivation to continue and complete our Scholar of Change.

If we work together and support one another, we will be more likely to complete and accomplish our goals. We could even help one another with our change views and expand it to more than 1 state. That would be an amazing feat, and hopefully, accomplishment.

Module 3 Assignment 1

The topic I have chosen to be an advocate for is attachment. The audience for whom this information is intended are families, parents, early childhood teachers/coaches, principals, and any other people pertaining to the early childhood profession. It’s important for these different groups of people to be informed on the importance of attachment because these adults work closely with children, and also have children in their families. Understanding the love and care that children need when they’re younger is important in making sure that they’re able to grow up in an environment that is conducive to this. Many do not realize the necessity of this and, therefore, do not always show this kind of attention. This tends to have negative impacts on children. According to Ainsworth & Bowlby (1988), a stable and loving attachment relationship is essential for bringing the child out from the dark place. The child needs a consistent and predictable source of love and care that with time can become strong enough to melt the ice of deep distrust and a fierce resistance for connection. A secure attachment relationship that serves as a safe haven and secure base is what a clinician strives hard to establish, maintain, and strengthen. With a safe haven, the child has a chance to heal the wound and further, can use an attachment relationship as a secure base from which to explore the unknown; in this case, a new way of relating, based on trust that brings joy.

I am speaking as a teacher because that is what I am. I have seen students who have gone through periods in their lives where attachment disorder has affected them. I have seen what it does to students as they grow older. I looped with a class from third grade to fifth grade and a child I had in that class suffered from attachment disorder. Although I only began to teach this student when he was in third grade, I knew him when he was in kindergarten and saw how it was difficult for him to form relationships, trust adults, and make friends. He had a stuffed animal that he used to carry with him before he got to third grade and if someone tried to take it, he would become very upset. I never understood why until I had him in class. It was the only item he was given and he didn’t want to have it taken. He was attached to it. Spitz (1945) found that there is somewhat of an emotional deprivation when a child loses an object in which they love. He called this "anaclitic depression". Spitz found recovery was prompt when the object was returned within a period of three to five months, but if it takes longer than five months to be returned, serious deterioration will become symptomatic. He coined this "hospitalism."

 It was heartbreaking and if I can share this story with others, I feel I can reach them and help them understand the importance of helping them to avoid this when they’re young. This is the role that I can relate to and show emotion for when I’m speaking. When emotions come through, people are more likely to empathize and listen.

One goal I hope to accomplish by sharing this information is that teachers will be more aware of this issue and understand that some children in their classrooms may suffer symptoms because of it. It is not an issue that if often discussed in schools. Teachers aren’t always aware of what children have gone through during their beginning years and how those years can impact their future behavior. If teachers are aware of the signs, they can show these kids the love and understanding they need to hopefully have a healthier life.

Another goal I have is to let parents know that the way they interact with their children when they’re young is so, so important. According to an article by Bernier, et al. (2012) a study indicated that children exposed to higher-quality parenting, and those more securely attached to mother, had better impulse control at 3 years of age.

Parents need to know it’s normal to feel overwhelmed, and that if this feeling becomes too powerful, that they can talk to someone. It’s important that they show their children love and don’t neglect them when they’re feeling down. Parents don’t always know the impact this has on children. Attention to the child is necessary to support overall development (Laureate Education, 2015). It is also necessary to make sure of this because children who have a lack of parental involvement and are exposed to negative environmental factors also contribute to the development of ADHD. According to Tayler, et al, (2013) the influence of environmental factors consistently support the idea that substantial genetic and small nonshared environmental influences contribute to the overlap among ADHD, ODD, and CD. Hopefully, if parents are made aware of the importance of this, they would act in a manner that would prevent it.

 

 

 

Ainsworth, M., Blehar, M., Waters, E., & Wass, S. (1978).Patterns of attachment: A

psychological study of the strange situation. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.1980-50809-000.

 

Bernier, A., Carlson, S. M., Deschênes, M., & Matte-Gagné, C. (2012). Social factors in the

development of early executive functioning: A closer look at the caregiving environment. Developmental Science, 15(1), 12–24.

 

Laureate Education (Producer). (2015d). Early childhood education history and theory

[Interactive media]. Baltimore, MD: Author.

 

Music, G. (2011). Nurturing natures: Attachment and children’s emotional, sociocultural, and

brain development. New York, NY: Psychology Press.

 

Spitz, R.A. (1945). Hospitalism—An Inquiry Into the Genesis of Psychiatric Conditions in Early

Childhood. Psychoanalytic Study of the Child, 1, 53-74.

 

TAYLOR, J; et al. Common Genetic and Nonshared Environmental Factors Contribute to the

Association between Socioemotional Dispositions and the Externalizing Factor in Children. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry. 54, 1, 67-76, Jan. 1, 2013. ISSN: 0021-9630.

 

 

 

 

 

                                                        Module 2 Discussion 3
                                                                12/30/15

 

As the new executive director of my state’s child care resource and referral system, sharing this information with others regarding the importance of brain development in children is vital if I want it be taken seriously. There are too many, teachers included, who do not realize the importance of these developmental years of children’s lives. If it’s possible to have the opportunity to get this information shared so that others can be educated on the topic, then it needs to be done. It’s not that people necessarily don’t care about this topic, it’s sometimes because it’s not a topic that is often discussed or taken seriously. Because of this, my job is to inform and make sure this ends.

According to Zero To Three (2014a), the first three years of life are a period of incredible growth in all areas of a baby's development. A newborn's brain is about 25 percent of its approximate adult weight. But by age 3, it has grown dramatically by producing billions of cells and hundreds of trillions of connections, or synapses, between these cells.

Simply because of this, there are many reasons why understanding brain development is critical to understanding how important children’s earliest experiences are to their overall well-being. Understanding this may help us learn how experiences truly affect children. It may also help us learn when experiences affect children. Knowledge of these two examples could help us in aiding us to prevent damage that could potentially occur, as well as understanding patterns that could help us in interventions for the children (The Urban Child Institute, 2015).

Waiting until a child is in school is too late to begin to educate parents on the importance of brain development because of the obvious development that has already taken place. I do feel, however, that early childhood teachers should be educated on this and that kindergarten and first grade teachers should attend training and be given information on this topic since they’re the teachers who work with them early on in their academic lives. If teachers and daycare providers are not educated on this, then they cannot truly understand the importance level and how it will help them with educating, as well as understanding their students.

Because I am now in charge of my state’s child care referral and resource system, I have the ability to make sure this information is given to daycare centers and elementary schools in my state. I will start with writing a letter to the newspaper, encouraging parents and teachers to join me in meeting that will be held to discuss this topic. I will see that my letter is sent to the correct person since there are different editors for each section. I will be sure to peruse the paper in major cities in my state to get my letter out. I will make sure it’s to the point and that it informs the public with research and ensures that I am someone worth listening to. I want to start small and then move to bigger outlets.

Next, I can begin to work with local news reporters. Respecting the news reporter’s time is important and I will let them know that I can always call them back at a different time if it’s necessary. I will practice my pitch before I call so that I’m straight to the point and so it doesn’t seem that I’m wasting someone’s time. I will follow-up with the newspaper, but will be sure not to overdo it to the point of pestering (Berkeley Media Studies Group, 2004).

Hopefully, once I reach these media outlets, I will get myself into the public eye where more people will be willing to listen to what I have to say. I will also contact principals around the state with this information and offer workshops with their teachers to educate them on the importance of understanding brain development in children.

Of course there will obstacles to overcome, as there are with any situation, but I will have to power through them and see that my goal is met. It’s always hard to get someone to listen to you, but with the research behind me to back me up, it should be easier. I will continue to research this topic and ensure that I do the best I can to get the information and importance out to those who will benefit from it most.

 

Berkeley Media Studies Group. (2004). Making the case for early care and education: A

message development guide for advocates. Retrieved from http://bmsg.org/sites/default/files/bmsg_handbook_making_the_case_for_early_care_and_education.pdf

 

The Urban Child Institute. (2015). Baby’s brain begins now: Conception to age 3. Retrieved

from http://www.urbanchildinstitute.org/why-0-3/baby-and-brain

Zero to Three. (2014a). Brain development. Retrieved from http://www.zerotothree.org/child- 

           development/brain-development/