Early Childhood Essays (Examples)

Early Childhood

Many have agued about the contributing factors to the differences that fathers and mothers have. Some have associated the differences with gender socialization while others have linked it to be biological. Of course, these two have contributed but we cannot run from the key contributor, biological. Our bodies and characters are manifested through the biological process that takes place in our bodies.

Fathers are always different to mothers in terms of their voices where most of the fathers tend to have deep voices contrary to women who have high pitched voices. Emotionally fathers are strong where crying or showing fear is not much evidenced in them like the way mothers tend to be weak emotionally; they cry easily and have a lot of fear. Fathers can also be described as impassive while mothers are passive, fathers are rational in terms of their decision while women are irrational, fathers…

References

John Stossel, (1998) "Boys & Girls Are Different: Men, Women, and the Sex Difference," ABC News Special, The Electric Library.

Leslie Feinberg, (1996) Transgender Warriors, Beacon Press: Boston, Massachusetts.

Early Childhood

The educational setting I have selected in my community to deconstruct within this document is called Thriving Minds (formerly Muskal Assessment and Learning Clinic). I was able to contact two long-term staff members of this organizations for a fairly candid interview revolving around their educational philosophy as specifically applied to parental involvement. Since this particular learning clinic exists outside of the formal constructs of any public or private school educational system, parental involvement is integral to the relationship fostered between clinicians, parents and students since it is usually the parents who decided to enroll their children. As such, the degree of parental involvement actuated at Thriving Minds is perhaps considerably more than that at traditional educational institutions such as schools or learning academies.

Parental involvement is defined at Thriving Minds in a variety of ways, all of which relate to the basic concept of keeping parents informed about…

In this regard, there is a clear sociological agenda which initiates with the expectation that boys will be attracted to certain features in their toys and that girls will be attracted to certain other, divergent features.

Ultimately, this denotes that it will fall upon the shopping parent to determine which type of toy is more valuable to his or her child. To my perspective, those toys which lack an apparent sociocultural agenda do so because they are inherently flexible to the innumerable needs and ambitions of the developing child.

Adolescence:

Paper Clips (2004) is a compelling documentary in which the children of an elementary school in hitwell, Tennessee have been engaged in a project designed to better conceptualize and put into perspective the enormity and horrors of the Holocaust. The class would center on teaching the students tolerance, and would prove directly well-suited to the adolescent stage experienced by most…

Works Cited:

Crain, W.C. (1985). Theories of Development. Prentice-Hall.

Harder, A.F. (2002). The Developmental Stages of Erik Erikson. Learning Place Online.

Early Childhood

Norm-referenced vs. criterion-referenced test

A norm-referenced test is an assessment that usually brings out an estimate of the position of the person who is being tested in a population that is predefined with the focus being the trait that is being measured. The estimate is normally obtained from analyzing the test scores as well as other data which is got from the population and is relevant .in this type of assessment there is identification of whether the person who is taking the test is better or worse than the other people who are also taking the test. However this assessment is not used to determine whether the person who is taking the test knows more or less than the requirement. Criterion referenced test is an assessment involves translating test scores into statements regarding the expected behavior of an individual who has attained a particular score or how they…

References

Dannielle.(2008). Norm-Referenced vs. Criterion-Referenced Testing.Retrieved Novemeber 10,2013 from  http://www.altalang.com/beyond-words/2008/05/22/norm-referenced-vs.-criterion-referenced-language-tests/ 

Robert, C.(2013). Differences Between Standardized & Non-Standardized Assessments. Retrieved Novemeber 10,2013 from  http://classroom.synonym.com/differences-between-standardized-nonstandardized-assessments-4442.html 

Klotz, M.B & Canter, A.(2013). Response to Intervention (RTI): A Primer for Parents. Retrieved Novemeber 10,2013 from  http://www.readingrockets.org/article/15857/

Early Childhood Activities

My Creative Activities Portfolio

My Name

CE230 Creative Activities for Young Children Final Project

Activity #

Creating a Leaf Character

Ehlert, L. (2003). Leaf man. New York: Harcourt Children's Books.

Age(s):

wks-1 yr ages 2-4

ages 5 -- 7

ages 8 -- 10

ages 10-12

Time equired:

minutes

After completing this activity, students will be able to sort leaves by attributes (shape, color, size) and assemble them to create an original art project which they can then use as a story prompt for a subsequent writing lesson.

Materials/Equipment:

Brown paper lunch bags, assorted autumn leaves, collected outdoors by students, 9X12 sheets of construction paper, white school glue, plastic "google" eyes

Highlight (all) elated Developmental Area(s):

Drama

Creative Play

Art

Music

Movement

Individual

Small Group

Large Group

Cognitive

Linguistic

Physical

Sensorimotor

Social-emotional

Procedure: Explain in detailed narrative form using complete sentences how this activity is accomplished. Include the…

Resources/Developing_Estimation.pdf

"Responsive Classroom morning meeting activities." (2008). Northeast Foundation for Children. Retrieved April 15, 2013 from  http://www.responsiveclassroom.org/sites/default/files 

/pdf_files/videos/mmactivities_directions.pdf

Findings from several research studies show that when computer software and classroom manipulatives were compared, "the computer software was found to be the more effective means of skill building in young children" (Hitchcock and Noonan, 2000). The key, it appears, is the judicious use of technology and the timeframe in which computers are used. Computer software can be used as a learning tool, but disguised as a game. Further research found that computers are motivating and promote teacher-student interaction, which allows the teacher to encourage, prompt, and point to display items. While more research is clearly needed, the computer can be programmed to meet individual learning needs and to adapt regular curriculum issues in a more robust manner (Spencer and Baskin, 1997).

Part 4 -- The literature shows us that there are five major ways in which computers enhance learning in early childhood education:

Enhancing Learning -- There is a…

REFERENCES

Cesarone, B. (2000). Computers in Elementary and Early Childhood Education. Childhood Education. 77 (1): 54-63.

Department of Education. (2003). Benefits of Technology use. Retrieved from:

 http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/os/technology/plan/national/benefits.html 

Hitchcock, C. And Noonan, M.J. (2000). Computer-Assisted Instruction of Early Academic

Porch (2002) points out that research unequivocally shows that early childhood education paves the way for later educational success.

As of now, few states offer fully funded early childhood education programs. As of 2002, only three states offered fully-funded pre-kindergarten programs (Porch 2002). The fundamental purpose of the Early Childhood Development Initiative was to increase awareness of the importance of early childhood education. Yet more work needs to be done to ensure government support of early childhood development programs and not just lip service.

Kagan (2004) suggests some possible solutions to the lack of comprehensive funding for early childhood education programs for every American. Urban areas should be the number one recipient for federal and state funding, given that most of the nation's disadvantaged students live in urban centers and attend urban schools. Furthermore, wise investments into appropriate early childhood education programs will ensure that the taxpayer funds are spent…

References

Early Childhood Cognitive Development." The White House. Retrieved May 15, 2008 at  http://www.whitehouse.gov/firstlady/initiatives/education/readingprograms.html 

Kagan, S.L. (2004). Improving Urban Student Achievement Through Early Childhood Reform: What State Policymakers Can Do. Early Childhood Reform. Retrieved May 15, 2008 at  http://www.ecs.org/clearinghouse/50/07/5007.htm 

Porch, S. (2002). Early Childhood Education Issues. Educational Research Service. Spring 2002. Retrieved May 15, 2008 at  http://www.ers.org/spectrum/spg02a.htm

Early Childhood (Ages 3 to 7)

Early childhood (3-7)

Development of prefrontal cortex

By early childhood, areas such as sensory areas of the brain are already myelianated and after that the motor areas begin myelination. During childhood, myelination of the prefrontal cortex takes place and the pattern of development goes on until adolescence. The prefrontal cortex is at the front of the brain that is involved in complex and cognitive regulatory behaviors. This rate of development and myelination differs from one child to another hence the differences in their skills and abilities. This part of the brain is evidently one that has the most prolonged development period as its development occurs throughout childhood and into adolescence.

This section of the brain plays a role in different types of functions; goal setting and the planning of a sequence of actions, inhibiting inappropriate reposes and working memory meaning that it keeps information…

References

Tsujimoto1, S.(2009).The Prefrontal Cortex: Functional Neural Development During Early Childhood. Retrieved February 15, 2014 from  http://nro.sagepub.com/content/14/4/345.abstract 

Bergen, D.(2002). The Role of Pretend Play in Children's Cognitive Development. Retrieved February 15,2014 from http://ecrp.uiuc.edu/v4n1/bergen.html

Fairness

When data collection is reliant on teacher reporting and therefore the "...perception and rating of the Kindergarten teacher" (uhn, uderman, & Zumbo, 2007, p. 456), how would you suggest best controlling for or adjusting for perception bias?

Teacher reporting is understandably used in studies like that of uhn, uderman & Zumbo (2007). In the uhn, ederman & Zumbo (2007) study, the Kindergarten teachers rated their own students on the EDI. It is difficult to conceptualize other means by which the students could be evaluated. Researchers could use third-party observers, such as Kindergarten teachers from other schools. This might reduce perception bias in that teachers are somewhat likely to develop personal likes or dislikes during the course of instructing their students. A teacher from another school who has not been in contact with the students might have less personal bias toward the population being measured, but would be lacking in…

Guhn, Guderman and Zumbo (2007), Oliveri, Ercikan and Zumbo (2013), and readings from the text all illuminate some of the ways diverse classrooms function. Early childhood educators face a multitude of issues during the course of their work. One of the greatest challenges to early childhood educators is assessment, and finding the most appropriate, least biased, and least invasive methods of assessing students from diverse populations. Assessments should certainly be comprehensive and refer to the whole child, as Guhn, Guderman and Zumbo (2007), Oliveri, Ercikan and Zumbo (2013), and readings from the text all show. Behavioral issues need to be taken into account, as to issues related to social learning and emotional maturity. Yet concrete learning tasks, ranging from language development to specific knowledge, also need to be measured in ways that are sensitive to different learning styles. One way to ensure a fair assessment is simply to use multiple methods of assessment for each child, and to assess for as many factors as possible to avoid overlooking key areas of strength or weakness. Moreover, administrators or coworkers can monitor assessments or perform independent ones to correct for and address potential biases related to gender or ethnicity. Ideally, observing children in a naturalistic setting over a long period of time would help provide a comprehensive picture of their development. Video recordings might also come in handy for review purposes.

3. Does the prospect and understanding of differential item functioning (DIF) change your perception of reported scores and rankings on tests such as the PISA? Explain how DIF may have changed your perception or did not and why?

Measurement biases like differential item functioning (DIF) has changed my perception of reported scores and rankings on tests like the PISA. The plethora of learning that takes place at home and in communities can often supplant or enhance the learning that takes place in the classroom. Social learning in diverse communities also complicates matters related to DIF. Understanding DIF enhances my personal appreciation for early childhood education methods. Many tests do take place in settings that might enhance DIF, whereas more naturalistic assessments might minimize DIF. Specific methods of controlling for DIF can also be used in more complex data analyses. While I understand the need for assessments, I do believe that standardized systems like PISA can be seriously flawed in their design and interpretation. Learning more about DIF has helped me envision how to design more appropriate assessment methods while still recognizing the role that specific learning plays in education. Assessments that acknowledge cultural bias, allowing more nuance and greater reliance on holistic teacher observations, will be preferable in early childhood education. In many cases, multiple assessment methods can be combined to provide a complete picture of a child's development.

Children constantly grow and evolve with time, and relevant communication, emotional, social, and cognitive changes are experienced. Social and emotional changes are how children start perceiving things around them and respond accordingly. These perceptions can build from the closest relations, like parents and friends. This paper analyzes three developmental domains, cognitive, social, and emotional, of the selected developmental period in my life in relevance to the theories. The practical applications would help gain a deep understanding of the identified stage and theories in the real world.
I interviewed my mother for this paper to get an in-depth analysis of my early childhood stage. She told me that I was kind and empathetic from the beginning, which formed the basis of my upbringing. I was a quick friend-maker during early childhood since I liked to be around people. Making friends gave me confidence that I could adjust to any type of…

Reference
Cherry, K. (2019, August 2). Support and criticism of Piaget\\'s stage theory. Very Well Mind. Retrieved from  https://www.verywellmind.com/support-and-criticism-of-piagets-stage-theory-2795460 

Alternative Methods in eading Assessment for Young Learners

eading is one of the arduous tasks to teach in the early childhood subject. At the same time, it is also a very interesting process. As mostly believed, the beginning of the language learning process always involves enthusiasm and the joy of the subject going through trial and error, recognizing the closest parts of their life. It goes through that way - until one day the process becomes a real and conscious workshop.

As children start getting their formal education, they need to go through the development process with a series of goals, which mostly are carefully set up for them, in order to obtain an addressed achievement in a given time schedule. As the result, they may look a little bit nervous and reluctant to show their real competence, as the process of assessment considered threatening.

This issue has been a…

References

Beck, J.W. (1999). How to Raise a Brighter Child: The Case for Early Learning. Pocket Books. 352

Katz, L.G. (1997). A Developmental Approach to Assessment of Young Children. Retrieved November 6, 2002 from ERIC Digest. ERIC Clearinghouse on Elementary and Early Childhood Education Urbana IL. Web site: http://ericps.ed.uiuc.edu/eece/pubs/digests/1997/katz97.pdf.

Latha, R.H. (1999). A Reading Programme for Elementary Schools. The English Teaching Forum. Vol. 37. No. 4. pp. 12-15.

Meisels, S.J. (1995). Performance Assessment in Early Childhood Education: The Work Sampling System. Retrieved November 6, 2002 from ERIC Digest. ERIC Clearinghouse on Elementary and Early Childhood Education Urbana IL. Web site:  http://www.ed.gov/databases/ERIC_Digests/ed382407.html .

Another important strategy is that of exploring spatial relations. In such activities, children gain a better visual and practical sense of the spatial relations within mathematics. Scholastic's article portrays two girls discussing the appropriate spatial placement of a couch in a dollhouse. Such thinking methods can be influenced utilizing activities asking the children to map their house, their school, or their neighborhood in proportions. This will help open the child's mind to a more organized way of approaching spatial relations.

Using such strategies help lay the foundations of mathematics essential for later higher levels of learning. It is important to introduce elementary topics and concepts as early as possible, without boring young children to loose their interest. Early math lessons should include engaging activities which help keep the child moving and the learning environment active.

Orientation will be held in a similar way, with parents exposed to Hahn's philosophy and rationale of the school curriculum, introduced to each of the teachers and invited to participate in joining in the various activities. Monthly reports will summarize the monthly events. Yearly reports will summarize the institution's annual achievement.

Description of assessment process used to document children's progress.

The Work Sampling System will be used which is a comprehensive assessment system for children in preschool though third grade. This consists of:

1. A modified Developmental checklist, arranged by 4 of the customary 7 domains: social development, language, art and music, and physical development.

2. Portfolios of children's work collected three or more times and year

3. Summary reports, written by teachers three times a year based upon their observations and ongoing records (Valeska Hinton early childhood educational center, Peoria, Illinois).

eferences

6 declines of modern youth; Kurt Hahn.…

References

6 declines of modern youth; Kurt Hahn. Wilderdom www.wilderdom.com/sixdeclinesofmodernyouth.html

Esquith. R. (2009) Lighting their fires: raising extraordinary kids in a mixed-up, muddled-up, shook-up world. New York: Viking

Four antidotes to the declines of modern youth -- Kurt Hahn Wilderdom www.wilderdom.com/fourantidotes.html

Dr. Kurt Hahn www.wilderdom.com/KurtHahn.html

Education in Early Childhood
Early childhood programs are the first source of information and knowledge for the young minds that have just started to explore the world. It is high time when the child's brain and thoughts would be steered in any direction as they are raw and hungry for knowledge. The future development is based on the foundations set in this age as a strong base would help in lifelong learning and social and cognitive development.
One key trend that is transforming early childhood programs is the increased use of technology, which has proved useful in current pandemic times. Children of today are already living in a digital age since the previous generation thought television was the newest form of technology (National Association for the Education of Young Children, 2012). Now, children are well-aware of mobiles, laptops, and tablets that have been increasingly used in schools for better knowledge…

References
Blackwell, C.K., Lauricella, A.R. & Wartella, E. (2014). Factors influencing digital technology use in early childhood education. Computers and Education, 77, 82-90.  http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2014.04.013 
Cassidy, J., Jones, J.D. & Shaver, P.R. (2014). Contributions of attachment theory and research: A framework for future research, translation, and policy. Development and Psychopathology, 25(4 Pt 2), 1415-1434. DOI: 10.1017/S0954579413000692
Cherry, K. (2020, March 31). The 4 stages of cognitive development. Very Well Mind. Retrieved from  https://www.verywellmind.com/piagets-stages-of-cognitive-development-2795457 
Delgado, P. (2019, October 22). The importance of parental involvement in teaching. Observatory. Retrieved from  https://observatory.tec.mx/edu-news/the-importance-of-parental-involvement-in-teaching 
Edarabia. (n.a.). 7 domains of early childhood development. Retrieved from  https://www.edarabia.com/7-domains-of-early-childhood-development/ 
Horsburgh, J. & Ippolito, K. (2018). A skill to be worked at: Using social learning theory to explore the process of learning from role models in clinical settings. BMC Medical Education, 18(156).  https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-018-1251-x 
Kelly. (2016, January 13). Childcare qualifications needed to work in childcare. Early Years Careers. Retrieved from  https://www.earlyyearscareers.com/eyc/qualifications-and-training/childcare-qualifications-needed-to-work-in-childcare/ 
Kharrazi, S.K. & Delgoshaee, Y. (2010). Cognitive approach towards education and its impact on social responsibility of pre-school children. Procedia Social and Behavioral Sciences, 5, 2174-2177. DOI:10.1016/j.sbspro.2010.07.432

Language Development in Young Children

Early Childhood and Literacy

Language is a physical link of a child to his outside world. Language acquisition is essential for a child's social, physical and cognitive development. It plays a vital role in developing an individual who would be able to express himself adequately to his family, friends and the world around him. A vast majority of the children can develop linguistic skills effortlessly, whereas some have difficulty in developing these essential skills. They are slow to learn a language and eventually struggle with academic and literacy skills throughout their educational career. The first few years of a child's life are important and critical for their performance.

This project examines the issues related to language development in first two years of a child's life. It also discusses the importance of the language and the role linguistics play in preparing a child for his academic…

Bibliography

Byrne, M. (1978). Appraisal of child language acquisition. Diagnostic methods in speech pathology, 102-177.

Clark, B.A. (1991). First- and Second-Language Acquisition in childhood. Retrieved from http://ceep.crc.uiuc.edu/pubs/katzsym/clark-b.pdf

CLLRNet. (2007, June). Early Childhood Learning. Retrieved from  http://www.ccl-cca.ca/pdfs/ECLKC/bulletin/ECLKCBulletinLanguage.pdf 

fund, O. o. (2007). The Language of Babies, Toddlers and preschoolers. . Retrieved from http://www.ounceofprevention.org/research/pdfs/LanguageofBabies.pdf

[I also had my students write how they would say it out loud when naming it. Example: "Line AB or line segment AB is perpendicular to line segment CD."] Below is information on how students should label rays, lines, etc.

1. ay - the endpoint letter first, then a second point with a line ending in an arrow over the two letters, pointing to the right.

2. Point - a dot and then the point's letter.

3. Line - Two points on the line with a line with arrows in both directions above the letters.

4. Segment - the two endpoint letters of the segment with a line, no arrows, above the two letters

5. Intersecting - (AB x BC) the AB and BC would have a line or a line with arrows above them to show what figures they were. The x stands for intersects.

6. Parallel - (AB…

REFERENCES

Baiker, K. And J. Robinson. (2004). Origami Math: Easy-to-Make Reproducible Activities that

Build Concepts, Skills, and Vocabulary in Geometry, Fractions, measurement, and More.

Minneapolis: Scholastic Books.

Bedford, M. (2007). Memorization: The Neglected Key to Learning. Efficacy Institute. Retrieved from:  http://www.efficacy.org/Resources/TheEIPointofView  / tabid/233/ctl/ArticleView / mid/678/articleId/84/Memorization-the-Neglected-Key-to-Learning.aspx

seminar was revolving more around why childhood education is important and the various credentials that support increased effort in this arena. Even though there were many related topics covered in this seminar, the major objective and goal is the relevance of early childhood education. It has been stated that early childhood development is a time when the child not only develops physically but socially, emotionally and cognitively as well. The infants enter into this world with a certain group of abilities and talents. They have many potentials that need to be worked on and brought out by the parents.

When looking into this subject through the perspective of a psychologist, many different theories can be used For instance; Sigmund Freud talked about the three essays sexuality and the different stages that a child must pass through in the right way. If a child does not successfully finish a stage, he…

References

Bornstein, D. (2013). Protecting Children from Toxic Stress. New York Times.

Felitti, M., Vincent, J., Anda, M., Robert, F., Nordenberg, M., & Williamson, M. et al. (1998). Relationship of childhood abuse and household dysfunction to many of the leading causes of death in adults: The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study. American Journal Of Preventive Medicine, 14(4), 245 -- 258.

Lazar, I., Darlington, R., Murray, H., Royce, J., Snipper, A., & Ramey, C. (1982). Lasting effects of early education: A report from the Consortium for Longitudinal Studies. Monographs Of The Society For Research In Child Development, --151.

Zigler, E., Taussig, C., & Black, K. (1992). Early childhood intervention: a promising preventative for juvenile delinquency. American Psychologist, 47(8), 997.

What contribution to the understanding of early childhood development did this theorist make?
Jean Piaget has been one of the most influential early childhood and developmental psychologists. Focusing primarily on childhood cognitive development, Piaget hypothesized that children used different logical schemas than adults, and also that children progress through stages of cognitive development as they acquire new knowledge from the world around them and incorporate that information into their mental constructs (McLeod, 2018). The four stages of cognitive development Piaget proposed include the sensorimotor stage, the preoperational stage, the concrete operational stage, and the formal operational stage. Piaget contributed tremendous understanding to how children adapt to new stimuli and changes in their environment, through the assimilation of new concepts into their schemas, the accommodation for potentially conflicting ideas or objects within those same schemas, and through the achievement of cognitive equilibrium as each individual progresses through the various stages of…

Early Childhood Special Education Curriculum, Instruction and Methods Projects

This beginning chapter delineates education to the young children with special needs. In particular, early childhood special education mirrors impact and acclaimed practices resultant from the special education and early childhood fields. In the present, emphasis that is laid on early childhood does not encompass whether these young children can be provided with special needs service in typical settings but focus is rather on how the design of these inclusive programs can be most efficacious. Therefore, taking this into consideration, it is necessary to have early intervention for children with disabilities. However, an important element that is delineated in the chapter is that in as much as these children have special needs, they ought not to be treated in a dissimilar manner. The programs of early intervention for kids and preschoolers with special needs have to be centered on the similar…

References

Blackwell, W. H., & Rossetti, Z. S. (2014). The Development of Individualized Education Programs. Sage Open, 4(2), 2158244014530411.

Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University. (2011). Inbrief: The Science of Early Childhood Development. Retrieved from:  http://developingchild.harvard.edu/index.php/resources/multimedia/videos/inbrief_series/inbrief_science_of_ecd/ 

Cook, R. E., Klein, M. D., Chen, D. (2012). Adapting Early Childhood Curricula for Children with Special Needs, 8th Edition. New York: Prentice Hall.

Edutopia. (2007). Smart Hearts: Social and Emotional Learning Overview. Retrieved from:  http://www.edutopia.org/social-emotional-learning-overview-video

Early childhood education is instrumental in a child’s life because it facilitates the developmental process. Children learn to develop relationships outside their immediate family; they acquire language, reading, mathematics and science skills even if on only a rudimentary fundamental level; and they begin the process of self-actualization, even at this young age. Early childhood education impacts the child be providing a safe and stable environment in which the child can explore, learn, interact with teachers and peers and observe model behavior that can shape the child’s psychological and behavioral development. Early childhood education impacts society by providing a foundation for life-long learning at an early age that can carry over throughout the years as the child grows.
Families benefit from early childhood education by being given educational support and training that can ease them of the burden of providing lessons for their children and leave it in the hands of…

Standards for Early Childhood Professionals

Early Childhood

There have been a great number of advances, strides, and changes in the field of Early Childhood or Early Childhood Development. Perhaps one of the most overt changes in this field is the nomenclature and jargon. This field was not always called Early Childhood. The field of Child Development is fairly recent as well. Expansion in perspectives on education and human development sparked the invention and subdivisions of stages of development. The stage dedicated to infants, toddlers, and children that have not yet reach the age for formal education is called Early Childhood. Since the existence of Early Childhood, there have become a number of degree and certification programs for Early Childhood. Early Childhood was not always available as a major or degree concentration. Some of the changes and increased formality in Early Childhood have changed the way Early Childhood professionals are educated…

References:

Ackerman, D.J. (2004). What do teachers need? Practitioners' perspectives on early childhood professional development. Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education, 24(4), 291 -- 301.

Sheridan, S.M., Edwards, C.P., Marvin, C.A., & Knoche, L.L. (2009). Professional Development in Early Childhood Programs: Process Issues and Research Needs. Early Education Development, 20(3), 377 -- 401.

infancy early childhood. Include: Explain families affect

Early Childhood and Adulthood

There are a number of key facets and processes that occur during infancy and early childhood that profoundly affect an individual's growth and development. Some of these factors include early childhood education, a variety of parenting styles, as well as familial involvement in cognitive and physical development. All of these factors indicate that parents and surrounding family members play a highly important role in the development of infants and young children.

One of the most eminent ways in which families produce a direct influence on their children is through the establishment and implementation of rituals or routines. The repetitive nature of these daily constructs provides a valuable structuring for activities that has been linked to cognitive and emotional processes in children and infants -- most discernibly when there is a break or a shifting in a particular ritual that…

References

Spagnola, M., Fiese, B.H. (2007). "Family routines and rituals: a context for development in the lives of young children." Infants and Young Children. 20 (4): 284-299.

SPECIAL EDUCATION & EALY CHILDHOOD

Special Education

Tasks in Special Education and Early Childhood

Defining Intellectual Disability and Degrees Thereof

Language is a powerful tool or a powerful weapon. The language used to described non-normative populations is often accompanied by a vigorous and often difficult discussion regarding what kinds of words are academically, professionally, and medically describing abnormal populations. One such term with an interesting history is the term "mental retardation." Within the recent years of the 21st century, there has been a shift away from the term mental retardation and more toward the phrase intellectual disability. The American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD) has been an influential party with respect to this linguistic, conceptual, and social shift. Dunlap (2009) elaborates upon the definition of mental retardation that the AAIDD proposes, stating that it is "a disability characterized by significant limitations both in intellectual functioning and in adaptive…

References:

Dunlap, L.L. (2009). An introduction to Early Childhood Special Education. NJ: Pearson.

Schalock, R.L., Luckasson, R.A., Shogren, K.A., Borthwick-Duffy, S., Bradley, V., Buntinx, W.H.E., Coulter, D.L., Craig, E.M., Gomex, S.C., Lachapelle, Y., Reeve, A., Snell, M.E., Spreat, S., Tasse, M.J., Thompson, J.R., Verdugo, M.A., Wehmeyer, M.L., & Yeager, M.H. (2007). The Renaming of Mental Retardation: Understanding the Change to the Term Intellectual Disability. Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, 45(2), 116 -- 124.

Schalock, R.L., Luckasson, R.A., Shogren, K.A., Borthwick-Duffy, S., Bradley, V., Buntinx, W.H.E., Coulter, D.L., Craig, E.M., Gomex, S.C., Lachapelle, Y., Reeve, A., Snell, M.E., Spreat, S., Tasse, M.J., Thompson, J.R., Verdugo, M.A., Wehmeyer, M.L., & Yeager, M.H. (2008). The Intellectual Disability Construct and Its relation to Human Functioning. Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, 46(4), 311 -- 318.

Psychology Development

Early Childhood

Medelein N. Moody, (2013). A Relational Aggression Intervention in Early Childhood. University of Nebraska. ProQuest LLC.

The paper was aimed at interrogating the relational aggression in early childhood and if there are interventions within the school setting that can act to reduce the aggression. This intervention is referred to as the Early Childhood Friendship Project and entailed taking stock of the changes in the behavior of the children as they undergo the study and the project. The preliminaries within the article indicates that there is usually a significant differences between the relational aggression between the boys and girls in school with the later recording a higher rate of aggression.

The study was conducted through a survey method and formal testing as the children went through the project and the teachers concerned recorded the results and any noticeable changes over time.

The results that were observed showed…

Sebastian H. Scharf, (2013). Chronic social stress during adolescence: Interplay of paroxetine treatment and ageing. Neuropharmacology 72 (2013) 38e46

The research is centered on the effect of exposure to chronic stress during development especialy at the adolescent and the possibility of developing psychiatric disorders. This was motivated by the fact that little is known about the long lasting effects of the exposures to stress and their relation to age.

The study was focused on the direct and long-lasting impact of chronic social stress during adolescence as well as the chronic treatment of SSRI. Adult and aged animals were used since the experiment could potentially harm human subjects. There was use of CD1 mice at the age of 28 days and these were subjected to a chronic social stress for 7 weeks among other treatments with chemicals. It was observed that the chronic stress as well as the antidepressant treatment at the end of the development period could have a significant and long-lasting impact which is very relevant to healthy ageing.

Conversely, where the exhibit is actively incorporated into a lesson on the moral basis for sensitivity to animals, the existing educational environment contributes to the formation of a moral conscience even where direction of that kind is lacking at home.

In very much the same way, the preschool and primary grade school environment is conducive to teaching other important moral values that are often postponed until much later, despite the fact that early introduction to those concepts is much more likely to result in their absorption than later introduction. acism, sexism, and other forms of bias that are no longer condoned in American society are also capable of being addressed in the preschool years so that those important lessons take root before contradictory messages are received from the external environment.

Informal Assessment of Social and Emotional Well-being in Children:

All too often, educators and other caregivers perform their professional responsibilities…

References

Bimonte, R. (2005) "If your class were optional, would anyone attend?" Momentum, 36(4), 6.

Byerly, S. (2001). "Linking classroom teaching to the real world through experiential instruction." Phi Delta Kappan, 82(9), 697.

Cookson, P. (2005). "The enriched classroom." Education Module, 35(4), 10.

Gerrig, R, Zimbardo, P. (2005) Psychology and Life. 17th Edition.

City, ST ZIP Code]

Early Childhood Intervention

Developmentally appropriate activities

Play school using pictures, such as animals, numbers, alphabet, helps in recognition and identification of the things in the world. For example, a picture of an apple to relate to the letter A.

Reading stories from picture books.

Playing with age appropriate puzzles.

Sing-a-longs with well-known, easy to understand children's songs.

Keeping the child busy to occupy the mind with positive things.

Effective Strategies

Characteristics of effective strategies include:

Reading stories to help language, literacy, and communication.

Moving objects in sequence helps physical development and health.

Recognizing objects by sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell starts learning about science.

Counting with fingers or objects starts learning in Math.

Organizations that Offer Services

Children's Medical Services www.cms-kids.com

The Florida Center for Early Childhood

(941) [HIDDEN]

Space Coast Early Intervention Center

3790 Dairy Rd

Melbourne, FL

(321) [HIDDEN]

Email:

How Children are…

Bibliography

Community Outreach. (n.d.). Retrieved from The Florida Center of Early Childhood:  http://www.thefloridacenter.org/Community-outreach-esperanza.php 

Florida's Early Step System. (2012, Aug 30). Retrieved from Children's Medical Services:  http://www.doh.state.fl.us/AlternativeSteps/CMS-Kid/families/early_steps.html 

Who We Are. (n.d.). Retrieved from Space Early Intervention Center:  http://www.sceic.com

Generally, it works by either giving a reward for an encouraged behavior, or taking something away for an undesirable behavior. y doing this, the patient often increases the good behaviors and uses the bad behaviors less often, although this conditioning may take awhile if the rewards and removals are not sufficient to entice the patient into doing better.

Existentialism is important to discuss here as well, and is often seen to be a very drastic way to examine human behavior. There are two types of existentialism. One is Atheistic Existentialism, and the other is Theistic Existentialism.

Atheistic existentialism has its basis in the statement that the entire cosmos is composed only of matter, and human beings see reality in two forms. Those forms are subjective and objective. People who believe in Atheistic Existentialism do not believe that anyone or anything specific made the world. They do not know whether it…

Bibliography

Adams, M.J., Treiman, R., & Pressley, M. (1998). Reading, writing, and literacy. In W. Damon (Ed.), Handbook of child psychology: Child psychology in practice, 4, 275-355. New York: Wiley.

Albertson, L., & Kagan, D. (1988). Dispositional stress, family environment, and class climate among college teachers. Journal of Research and Development in Education, 21(2), 55-61.

Amidon, E. (1980). Personal Teaching Style Questionnaire. Philadelphia: Temple University, College of Education.

Allison, Anne. (1996). Producing mothers. In Anne E. Imamura (Ed.), Re-imaging Japanese women (pp. 135-155). Berkeley: University of California Press.

35). Information can also be added that relates to families, parents, and others whose primary culture and language are not in the mainstream.

Using children's literature to teach diversity: It is not a new idea for teachers to use literature to educate young children. But because Gillian Potter and colleagues assert that teachers are being challenged "as never before" to create experiences that are culturally meaningful to all children -- literature has come under a new and vitally important focus. And for those purposes, children's literature is a "powerful resource" to aid children in the knowledge of their known world, and literature allows them to travel to other worlds and "explore the unfamiliar" (Potter, 2009, p. 108).

For children of diverse cultures literature enhances their development of language, it fosters intellectual development and supports the growth of the child's personality and moral development as well, Potter goes on (p. 2).…

Reference List

Biles, Barbara. (2008). Activities that Promote Racial and Cultural Awareness. KCET. Retrieved

January 26, 2011, from  http://www.pbs.org/ .

Corso, Robert M., Santos, Rosa Milagros, and Roof, Virginia. (2002). Honoring Diversity in Early Childhood Education Materials. Teaching Exceptional Children.

Gonzalez-Mena, Janet, and Pulido-Tobiassen, Dora. (1999). Teaching "Diversity": A Place to Begin. Early Childhood Today. Retrieved January 26, 2010, from http://www2.scholartic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=3499&print=1.

Male Teacher etention in Early Childhood Programs: Why They Stay.

quick glance into any elementary, preschool or child care center quickly reveals that very few men work with young children. This cursory observation is solidly supported by the fact that fewer than five percent of all early childhood teachers in the United States are male (U.S. Department of Education, 1994).

There are a wide variety of reasons why so few men remain in the field of early childhood education. These reasons include suspicion, subtle discrimination, social isolation, pressure to move into administrative position away from children, and a double standard for behavior and performance (Sargent, 2001).

Importantly, the recent upsurge of reports of sexual and physical abuse in schools has made many male teachers feel vulnerable to unfounded charges of sexual or physical abuse against children in their care. Certainly, our societal tendency to see males as perpetrations of violent…

References

Kennedy, N.M. 1991. Policy issues in teacher education. Phi Delta Kappan, 72: 658-665.

Neugebauer, R. 1994. Recruiting and training men in your center. Child Care Information Exchange, May: 8-11.

Robinson, B. Vanishing Breed: Men in Child Care Programs, Young Children, Sept 1988.

Sargent, P. 2001. Real men or real teachers: Contradictions in the lives of men elementary school teachers. Harriman, TN: Men's Studies Press.

Disrupting by Imagining: ethinking Early Childhood esearch

Early Childhood esearch

This research highlights four teachers who work in early childhood classrooms who have chosen to implement the use of video-observations of their teaching in conjunction with the reflective process. Each teacher profile will include discussions and interviews about their teaching and change implementation. The ideas for change will be based upon their own knowledge, skills, and dispositions along with evidence from the recorded and observed videotapes. After viewing their own instruction, practitioners began the process of implementing change for individual students as well as for their class overall. Teachers shared this experience with others in their school and provided information regarding their results based on the following three areas: 1) Analysis: individuals and/or groups in the process of reflection (grade level teams); 2) Strategies: offers other teachers and/or programs ways to introduce concepts to a group of teachers and/or school;…

References

Bandura, A. (1997). Self-efficacy: the exercise of control. New York: Freedom.

Brophy, J.E. (2004). Using video in teacher education. San Diego, CA: Elsivier.

Copa, A., Lucinski L., Olsen, E, & Wollenburg, K. (1999). Promoting professional and organizational development: A reflective practice model. Zero to Three, 20(1), 3-9.

Cross, N. (2011). Coaching: Seven reasons to go to the tape. ASCD Express, 7(1).

Early Childhood: Play Years

Early childhood is a time of rapid mental, physical and emotional growth. As children move past infancy, they begin to explore their surroundings and to build relationships with other children. Four areas of early childhood will be explored; the differences between male and female brain development, pretend play in early childhood, conflict negotiation, and the male and female approaches to relationships and problem solving.

Biology and Language

Scientists have been aware for many years that there are physical differences between the physiology of male and female brains, especially in the way that language is processed. Experts generally tend to agree that women are superior at language skills, while men are stronger in spatial skills. The reason women are better at language is because females have a larger and thicker corpus callosum, which is a bundle of neurons that connects the two hemispheres of the brain and…

References

Bergen, D. (2002). The role of pretend play in children's cognitive development. Early Childhood Research and Practice, 4(1), 193-483.

Block, C. (2003). Literacy difficulties: diagnosis and instruction for reading specialists and classroom teachers. (2nd ed.). Boston: Pearson Education, Inc.

Church, E. (n.d.) The importance of pretend play. Scholastic Parents. Retrieved January 30, 2010 from http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=10175

Slavin, R. (2009). Education psychology: theory and practice. New Jersey: Pearson.

Curriculum Early Childhood Education

Literacy is considered to be a fundamental human right and is considered to be "essential to social and human development," used for exchanging knowledge and ideas" (UNESCO, 2015).

The development of literacy is critical to learning, in particular the development of communication skills, critical thinking and fostering the ability to analyse and comprehend material (Australian Curriculum, n.d.). While basic reading and writing skills are the foundation of literacy, the concept of multiliteracies reflects that there are many different purposes for which students must become literate. Literacy is not simply about learning the mechanics of a language, but about being able to function in a society. Multiliteracies recognizes this, in particular that language is used for business, for social purposes, and for the performance of everyday tasks. The concept has emerged in light of the realization that simply being able to read and write is insufficient for…

References

Australian Curriculum and Assessment Reporting Authority [ACARA]. (n.d.). English: Rationale. Retrieved from  http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/English/Rationale 

Australian Institute or Teaching and School Leadership [AITSL]. (2012). Multiple literacy outcomes [video file]. Retrieved from  http://www.aitsl.edu.au/australian-professional-standards-for-teachers/illustrations-of-practice/detail?id=IOP00179 

Meiers, M. & Department of Education and Training, Victoria. (2006). A Chronological Review of Literacy Policies and Programs of the Western Australia Department of Education & Training, Victoria, 1980-2005. Retrieved from https://www.eduweb.vic.gov.au/edulibrary/public/publ/research/publ/Literacy_Chronology_Paper_9-rpt-v1.01-20060830.pdf

Connor, J. (2011). Foundation for Learning: Relationships between early years learning framework and the Australian curriculum [An ECA-Australian Curriculum and Assessment Reporting Authority paper]. Early Childhood Australia: Canberra.

Gap: Early Childhood Intervention and the Development of the Disabled Child

Children with special needs include those who have disabilities, developmental delays, are gifted/talented, and are at risk of future developmental problems. Early intervention consists of the provision of services for such children and their families for the purpose of lessening the effects of their condition. Early intervention may focus on the child alone or on the child and the family together. Early intervention programs may be center-based, home-based, hospital-based, or a combination. Early intervention may begin at any time between birth and school age; however, there are many reasons for it to begin as early as possible. Early Intervention is the key to achieving the most positive outcome in aiding the disabled child to develop as normally as possible.

There are three primary reasons for intervening early with an exceptional child: to enhance the child's development, to provide support…

Works Cited

Bayley, N. (1970) "Development of mental abilities." In P.H. Mussen (ed) Carmichael's manual of child psychology, 1, New York: Wiley.

Bayley, N. (1955) "On the growth of intelligence," American Psychologist, 10, 805, Dec.

Burts, Diane C.; Hart, Craig H.; Charlesworth, Rosalind; DeWolf, D. Michele; Ray, Jeanette; Manuel, Karen; & Fleege, Pamela O. (1993). "Developmental appropriateness of kindergarten programs and academic outcomes in first grade." Journal Of Research In Childhood Education, 8 (1), 23-31. EJ 493-673.

Cooper, J.H. An Early Childhood Special Education Primer. Chapel Hill, NC: Technical Assistance Development System (TADS), 1981.

Abstract
This paper explores two fundamental theories that are considered to be worthy guides and reference points in different discourses of early childhood cognitive development and education. Scientists and scholars world over hold the principles established in the two theories in high esteem. However, the theories, though explicably analyzed the behaviors and learning abilities at each developmental stage of early childhood, but have divergent opinions on how those behaviors early are formed. Jean Piaget (1896-1980) theory basically attributed a child development and learning process to self-discovery and natural abilities. Lev Vygotsky (1896-1934) on the other hand, believed a child’s learning abilities and mental development are facilitated by his immediate socio-cultural environment. This paper focuses more on early childhood as presented in the preoperational stage of Piaget's theory’s, and the information processing, language development and individual differences in mental development as established in Vygotsky's sociocultural theory.
Keywords: early childhood, cognitive development…

II. DEVELOPMENT TIMING VARIED AMONG INDIVIDUALS

It is necessary that the teacher of early childhood individuals understand that different individuals develop at different rates and that this is due to "differing physiological factors and differing experiences." (Growth Stages 1: Infancy and Early Childhood, nd) in a 2005 news report of the National Academies Education & Research entitled: "Timeout for Child Policy" relates that the United States "has not made the most of scientific knowledge about children's development between birth and age 5 - a period that sets the stage for their intellectual and emotional growth. y and large, what currently exists for America's children is a mixed bag of policies and practices...." (National Academies, 2005)

III. RESULT WHEN TEACHERS DOES NOT UNDERSTAND

In the case where a teacher does not understand the stages of development of children and where the teacher fails to understand that children develop at different rates…

Bibliography

Growth Stages: Infancy and Early Childhood - Science for All Americans (nd) online available at  http://www.sciencenetlinks.com/pdfs/growth1_teachsheet.pdf 

What Early Language Teachers Need to Know About Language (2000) Center for Applied Linguistics? November 2000. online available at http://www.cal.org/resources/digest/0007bredekamp.html

Timeout for Child Policy (2005) NewsReport Online. The National Academies. Online available at  http://nationalacademies.org/onpi/newsrpt/fal00edr.htm

EC Assessment & Intervention

Mission Statement

Partial Portfolio

Background Information elated to Diagnostic Test

Diagnostic Test -- Developmental Area of Concern

At the Playground.

At Home.

Developmentally Appropriate Instructional Goals

Cognitive Instructional Goal

Motor Instructional Goal

Physical Instructional Goal

Language Instructional Goal

Mission Statement

The purpose of early childhood assessment is to document the present status of the child with regard to developmental milestones and to identify any developmental areas that require follow-up assessment or follow-along. Assessment of very young children needs to be integral to their daily activities. Children change very rapidly and it is too easy to assume that they have reached developmental milestones in all areas: marked development in one area can distract caregivers and therapists from a deficit or an area in which development is occurring at a slower rate than typical. ecording the developmental progress of children is not an onerous task if it is…

References

____. (2010, May). Developmental Checklists Birth to Five, The Early Childhood Direction Center. ASQ-SE-Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co. Retrieved  http://ecdc.syr.edu/wpcontent/uploads/2013/01/Developmental_checklists_Updated2012.pdf 

____. (2014). The HighScope Difference. HighScope. Retreived  http://www.highscope.org/ 

Vygotsky, L.S. (1987). Thinking and speech. In R.W. Rieber & A.S. Carton (Eds.), The collected works of L.S. Vygotsky, Volume 1: Problems of general psychology (pp. 39 -- 285). New York: Plenum Press. (Original work published 1934.) Retreived  http://www.simplypsychology.org/vygotsky.html

ising Poverty in the Nation's Young Families

My goal is to make a positive change in the lives of young children, families, and the early childhood field by targeting childhood poverty.

Concepts

Poverty is increasing most rapidly in families with young children. While poverty only rose by 1.3% in the childless 30-64 age bracket, it rose by nearly 8% in families with a head under 30 years old with one or more children in the home (Sum, 2011). In fact, young families with children are more than six times as likely to be impoverished as older families (Sum, 2011). This marks a shift in communities at-risk for poverty, from the elderly to children (Sum, 2011). In addition, this wealth disparity is not only visible among the impoverished. "By 2010, slightly more than one-third of the nation's young families were poor or near poor, up by nearly 10 percentage points from…

References

American Psychological Association. (2013). Effects of poverty, hunger, and homelessness on children and youth. Retrieved October 2, 2013 from: http://www.apa.org/pi/families/poverty.aspx

Engle, P. & Black, M. (2008). The effect of poverty on child development and educational outcomes. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1136, 243-256. Retrieved October 2, 2013 from Digital Commons website:  http://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1002&context=psycd_fac 

Salopek, J. (2010). Homelessness: Creating a welcoming classroom for homeless students.

Association for Staff and Curriculum Development, 52(6).

Child Psychology

The author of this brief report has been asked to answer a number of questions relating to child psychology and the development thereof as a child ages and grows. The primary source of answers that shall be used for the answers shall be the tenth chapter of the Berger book. However, the text itself offers other sources and there is a wealth of information on the topics to be discussed in the scholarly sphere. While every child is different and thus develops in their own way, there are tried and true patterns and standards that most children are held to based on the development and progress of millions of prior children.

Emotional development is indeed something that is very strong and in motion when it comes to the early childhood time. As a young child grows, this is when their emotional regulation comes into focus and this in…

References

Berger, K. (2012). The developing person through childhood. New York: Worth Publishers.

Enright, T. (2015). Encouraging Your Child's Socio-Dramatic Play. Child Development Institute. Retrieved 23 October 2016, from  https://childdevelopmentinfo.com/child-activities/encouraging-your-childs-socio-dramatic-play/ 

McLeod, S. (2016). Psychosexual Stages - Simply Psychology. Simplypsychology.org. Retrieved 23 October 2016, from  http://www.simplypsychology.org/psychosexual.html 

Snow, K. (2016). Bullying in Early Childhood - National Association for the Education of Young Children - NAEYC. Naeyc.org. Retrieved 23 October 2016, from  http://www.naeyc.org/blogs/bullying-early-childhood

esearch states that "As the child develops and goes through the process of assimilation and accommodation, their brain will develop through the natural process of maturation, and therefore their understanding of the world matures and their ability to accurately interpret and predict the world develops," (Oakley ). A whole new understanding of themselves and the word around them is facilitated through preschooler's cognitive developments. Psychologists Jean Piaget places preschool children within the preoperational stage, between the ages of two and six years old. According to his research, this stage in the theory of cognitive development harbors increased language development and imaginative play, hence books chosen for this stage should appeal to both. Expanded memory allows for children to gather and retain much more information than in previous years. However, this rapid new development is limited by egocentrism, where "the child can only view the world from their perspective and finds…

References

Cooper, Janice L. (2009). Social-emotional development in early childhood. National Center for Children in Poverty. Retrieved October 10, 2009 at  http://www.nccp.org/publications/pub_882.html 

This publication explores the factors which influence a child's social development within the preschool years. It gives clear research findings regarding parental and caregiver influences along with social and neighborhood ones as well. It also outlines the potential hazards and issues of a child who develops within a problem area.

Lopes, Marilyn. (1995). Selecting books for children. National Network for Childcare. University of Massachusetts. Retrieved October 10, 2009 at http://www.nncc.org/Literacy/select.books.html

This site is a recommendation-based site which takes proven strategies and concepts developed by child psychologists at the University of Massachusetts. As part of the national network for child care, it aims to help parents make appropriate decisions for their children regarding books based on that child's age.

Mr. Cardot is doing a great job using extrinsic motivation, but what would really help his students to grasp the concept of setting in stories would be to increase the use of intrinsic motivation. Increasing intrinsic motivation requires Mr. Cardot to connect with this second grade class, understanding their needs and creating lessons that are responsive to their needs to be "competent, connected, and in control," (Chapter 12, p. 451). Being competent, connected, and in control simply means that the students need to be challenged just enough. As Woolfolk puts it, "Moderate difficulty provides a challenge, but not an unreasonable one," (p. 452). Lessons that are too difficult might end up creating long-term problems in the classroom including learned helplessness and frustration.

Perhaps the lessons on setting have been over their heads, offering concepts or vocabulary that they are unfamiliar with and so are not responding. It is also possible…

life are in many ways the most exciting, as the newborn develops rapidly into a toddler. Changes in sensorimotor skills, in sheer physical growth, in behavior and brain development, language acquisition, and spiritual formation all comprise some of the key components of life during the first two years. Some of these changes are more noticeable than others. The ones to be most aware of include the following:

Body Changes (Biosocial Development)

Motor Skills Changes (Biosocial Development)

Sensorimotor Changes (Cognitive Development)

Language and Communications Changes (Cognitive Development)

Emotional Changes (Psychosocial Development)

These five are the most crucial areas in the baby's first two years of life because of how these changes will impact biological, psychological, and social development later in life. Many of these changes are plainly visible to the parents. For example, the physical size and body of the child will rapidly change over the two years. Likewise, the baby's…

References

Berger, K.S. (2009). Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence. 8th Edition. NY: Worth.

Children's Hospital of Richmond at VCU (2015). Fine motor skills: Birth to 2 years. Retrieved online:  http://www.chrichmond.org/Resource-Library/Fine-Motor-Skills-Birth-to-2-years.htm

children whose parents are alcoholics shows those children are at risk for many problems, and that is of great interest to me. It is a very worthy bit of research because it has to do with alcohol abuse and how that condition impacts the ability of children to lead normal healthy lives.

a) The article references the issues children experience when their parents are alcoholics including "…socioemotional" and "behavioral" problems (Edwards, et al., 2006, 409).

b) Edwards, P.E., Eiden, R.D., Colder, C., and Leonard, K.E. (2006). The Development of Aggression in 18 to 48-Month-old Children of Alcoholic Parents. Journal of Abnormal

Child Psychology, 54(3), 409-423.

Part TWO -- Article Summary

ONE: Introduction

This research paper zeros in on the problems that children have whose parents are alcoholics. The study involved 226 families. While it comes as no surprise that children whose parents are alcoholics have problems adjusting to life and…

Disabilities

Interviews with four individuals confirmed my hypothesis that there are a diversity of opinions and responses to disability issues. Of the four people interviewed, two had a close friend of family member who was physically or developmentally disabled. Their attitudes and responses to interview questions ironically did not seem to differ appreciably from the other two interview subjects. Three of the interview subjects did use the phrase "special needs" when describing children with disabilities. When confronted with Snow's (2007) proposition that "special needs is a loaded descriptor that has done nothing to improve perceptions and everything to reinforce negative images," the interview participants seemed surprised. Especially the two without close friends and family members who are disabled stated, "Well isn't that what we are supposed to say?" Or "I thought that was what we were supposed to call them; well, whatever." Language used to speak of disabilities can be…

References

Snow, K. (2007). The case against "special needs." Retrieved online: http://new.gbgm-umc.org/umcor/media/pdfs%20health/thecaseagainstspecialneeds.pdf

Snow, K. (n.d.). People first language. Retrieved online:  http://www.disabilityisnatural.com/images/PDF/pfl09.pdf

chilhood?

Play has an essential role in a person's development, as it enables the individual to gain a more complex understanding of the world around him or her and as it is basically a learning tool that children use with the purpose to overcome challenges, experience pleasure, and become more motivated. Children are in a position where they are obsessed with learning and as they grow up they get actively involved in a struggle to be perceived as intelligent individuals and as equal to everyone else. Play is largely a condition in which children experiment with things they learnt and try to take on attitudes people generally interpret as 'childish', only to actually significantly improve their cognitive skills.

Individuals in the contemporary society have access to information and tools they can effectively use with the purpose of improving the social order as a whole. By acknowledging the important connection between…

Works cited:

Broadhead P., Howard, J., and Wood, E. (2010). "Play and Learning in the Early Years: From Research to Practice." SAGE.

Featherstone, S., & Cummings, A. (2009). "Role Play in the Early Years: Developing Imagination and Creativity Through Role Play." A&C Black.

Kernan, M. "Play as a context for Early Learning and Development," Retrieved February 25, 2014, from  http://www.ncca.ie/en/Curriculum_and_Assessment/Early_Childhood_and_Primary_Education/Early_Childhood_Education/How_Aistear_was_developed/Research_Papers/Play_paper.pdf 

Whitebread, D. "The importance of play," Retreived February 25, 2014, from  http://www.importanceofplay.eu/IMG/pdf/dr_david_whitebread_-_the_importance_of_play.pdf

common core state standards are a set of standards that have been adopted for K-12. States have the ability to adopt the federal CCSS. The CCSS intended to provide new expectations for each grade level.

There are a number of different instructional approaches for language. Meaning-based approaches are based on the idea that children learn about literacy mainly through activities, interaction and observation, with little need for formal education. Skills-based approaches are those rooted in five core skills that are related to literacy: phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, comprehension, and fluency. Students learn to read by learning skills related to these elements. The blended approach combines the two, where teachers help the students to build on the base that they acquire via the meaning-based approach.

Meaning-based and skills-based perspectives need to be interwoven to provide effective preschool and elementary school education. There are several traits of effective teachers that go along…

Reference

Christie, J., Enz, B., Vukelich, C., & Roskos, K. (2013). Teaching language and literacy: Preschool through the elementary grades, fifth edition. Pearson.