Communication with Children

As I was sitting in the park the other day, I overheard a mother talking to her toddler about feeding the ducks. The mother explained how to tear off a piece of bread and toss it into the water. The toddler listened, but wanted to get out of her stroller and throw the bread. The mother explained that she needed to stay in the stroller and couldn’t get out. The toddler listened and threw the piece of bread while sitting in her stroller. She then exclaimed that she wanted more bread, and so the mother continued to help her tear a piece off and feed the ducks. The mother talked to her about the ducks and what they were doing, how they were coming up to the side walk and swimming across the water to get the food.

I think this mother did a nice job communicating with her child, especially as she explained specific things, giving the child more information. It would have been nice to hear the child talk more, maybe to see what would come up if mother didn’t explain certain things. Would the child ask questions? Would the child say things that could lead to more conversations?

I do believe that the child could have felt more validated if the mother would have praised her for staying in her stroller and not trying to get out or argue about it. I also feel like the child’s self-esteem and independence could have been positively influenced if the mother would have let her out to walk around. (Although I understand why, because the sidewalk is right beside the water and the child could fall in which is definitely not safe.) But maybe they could have taken a few steps back and sat on the edge closest to the grass to feed the ducks. At that point the ducks may have come onto the sidewalk which would have allowed for more interaction and conversation from the little girl.

The biggest thing that has stuck with me from the readings this week is the statement about “stepping back” and really taking time to listen to the child. “Stepping back became a strategy that helped me listen with an openness that allowed me to hear unexpected meanings in what children shared with me” (Stephenson, 2009). I feel that by “stepping back” you can receive messages that you would not have otherwise heard or noticed because you were busy multitasking while trying to listen to a child. I am guilty of this and actually have found myself just agreeing and not even realizing what I am agreeing to until I truly stop to listen. I think good communication with children requires attention and listening with an open mind, instead of assuming that a child is going to say this or that.

References

Stephenson, A. (2009). Conversations with a 2-year-old. YC: Young Children, 64(2), 90-95. Retrieved from the Walden Library using the Education Research Complete database. http://ezp.waldenulibrary.org/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&AN=37131016&site=ehost-live&scope=site

Family Child Care Home

Family Child Care Home

In my home I would have an indoor and outdoor play/exploration area. The indoor would have carpet, flooring, tables, chairs, kitchen eating area, quiet/calm down area, nap area, bathroom area, library area, and learning/sensory centers.

I would include pictures of the families and children from home and at the care center and a schedule for reference. Posters and toys of various racial and ethnic  groups, as well as various jobs and careers, playing or spending time with family, various kinds of families including heterosexual, gay/lesbian, single parent, other caregivers are also important. Pictures and toys that show history and our future, ie presidents, famous people, etc would show children different ways of life then and now. I would also include games, books, puzzles, dolls, posters/pictures and toys of feelings and emotions, and other educational toys that help children interact and work/learn together. I really liked Adrianna’s idea of having a share area, will children can bring something special that tells about them or their families and it stays on the wall for the week/month and then changes for new children to have a chance to share. I also liked Adrianna’s idea of the communication board, where families can communicate information to me that they feel is important for me to know about their child/family.

I think that in order to connect with families and make them feel welcome, it’s important to have those pictures of the families in our groups. I think it’s also important to invite the families in for special activities and be involved in our program. Helping families to connect with each other is important as well, so having that family time is going to make them feel more comfortable.

As I was reading and thinking about what my family child care home would look like, I read the statement “What children do not see in the classroom teaches children as much as what they do see” (Derman-Sparks, & Olsen Edwards, 2010) and that spoke volumes to me. Much of what we learn comes from our environment and experiences, so it’s important to create a diverse learning environment for the children in your program. I believe that all of the setting, the structure of the program, and all of the things included will help children to learn in a diverse setting, which will be the first step in creating an anti-bias community.

References:

Derman-Sparks, L., & Olsen Edwards, J. (2010). Anti-bias education for young children and ourselves. Washington, D.C.: National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).

Laureate Education, Inc. (2011). Strategies for working with diverse children: Welcome to an anti-bias learning community. Baltimore, MD: Author