Fluent Essays

Option A: Personal Philosophy Using the course readings as a guide, write a 8-10-page paper (including References) stating your theoretically grounded personal philosophical approach to early childhood education and care. Provide specific examples to illustrate how you as might apply your philosophy to practice as an early year’s educator, leader or advocate. The work must be grounded in the course content and include direct connections and reference to the course readings and related literature that you have independently researched. Please ensure that your thoughts are organized, concise and employ Times New Roman font, size 12, double spacing with American Psychological Association (APA 7th edition) formatting. Option B: Literature Review Choose a topic covered in this course that is of particular interest to you. Research and choose a selection of academic writing on your chosen topic (for example, 3-4 journal articles). Write a 8-10-page literature review (including References) that is grounded in your chosen topic and that includes:  · A brief summary of each chosen reading (connecting the readings by topics and authors, and linking one sub-topic to the next); · A final summary that synthesizes all the research messages, and; · A short concluding section that offers your own, grounded perspectives on the topic. In this paper, pay direct attention to the concise and sequential presentation of the material while also ensuring that writing is in Times New Roman font, size 12, double spacing with American Psychological Association (APA 7th) formatting. Please ensure that you add three main headers (Introduction, Literature Review and Conclusions) and a Reference list with citations matching your references. For Options A or B · Check with the instructor regarding the topic/books or references proposed · Please ensure that your thoughts are organized clearly and concisely · Employ Times New Roman, Arial or Calibri font, size 12, double spacing, first line indent for paragraphsand hanging indents for references following American Psychological Association (APA 7th) formatting · UBC Library has REFWORKS for all students for free ( https://guides.library.ubc.ca/refworksLinks to an external site. ) - do make use of this excellent database for your references!V o l u m e 3 3 N u m b e r 2 J u n e 2 0 0 8 33 Outdoor play Does avoiding the risks reduce the benefits? helen little shirley Wyver Institute of Early Childhood, Macquarie University AlthOuGh thE tErM ‘risk-tAkiNG’ often has negative connotations, the reality is that the willingness to engage in some risky activities provides opportunities to learn new skills, try new behaviours and ultimately reach our potential. Challenge and risk, in particular during outdoor play, allows children to test the limits of their physical, intellectual and social development. This paper examines the current status of outdoor play in urbanised, Western societies such as Australia and provides a critical analysis of the literature to present an argument for the inclusion of positive risk-taking experiences in children’s outdoor play, principally in the context of early childhood education. The increasingly restrictive regulation of early childhood services is considered in terms of the impact of risk avoidance in outdoor play for children’s optimal growth and development. Finally, a model of possible developmental outcomes resulting from the minimisation of risk-taking in early childhood contexts is proposed. WithiN thE EArlY ChilDhOOD field, play has long been acknowledged as an important context for children’s learning and development. Play is a significant aspect of their lives, reflecting their social and cultural contexts. Consequently, changes within these contexts impact on both the nature and quality of children’s play experiences. This paper aims to examine outdoor play in the light of social and environmental factors that have impacted on children’s play experiences, particularly in urban Western culture. It provides a review of the literature since 1990, drawing on findings from a range of disciplines. It is argued that stimulating and challenging experiences involving physical risk are an important and necessary aspect of children’s healthy growth and development; yet social, institutional and educational factors apply implicit and explicit pressure on early childhood staff to eliminate or minimise experiences involving physical risk. The reviewed literature was accessed through electronic databases (EBSCO, OVID, Science Direct) and includes empirical research and other scholarly sources such as practitioner viewpoints to provide a comprehensive discussion of the relevant issues. The significant role of early childhood education settings and practitioners in supporting opportunities for well-managed risks in the context of stimulating and challenging outdoor play provision is considered. Value of play There has been considerable research documenting the vital role of play in fostering optimal growth, learning and development across all domains—physical, cognitive, social, emotional—throughout childhood (Fisher, 1992; Isenberg & Quisenberry, 2002; Stine, 1997). Play provides a vehicle for children to G U E S T E D I T O R I A L Neuroscience, Early Childhood Education and Play: We are Doing it Right! Stephen Rushton Published online: 12 February 2011 � Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2011 Abstract This editorial examines neuroscience and its impact on the field of education. Starting with a narrative between two young children, the author intertwines research with basic principles of learning, using the inter- action between two 4-year-olds to illustrate the precepts. The four principles are: (1) the brain is uniquely organized; (2) the brain is continually growing; (3) a ‘‘brain-compat- ible’’ classroom enables connection of learning to positive emotions; and (4) children’s brains need to be immersed in real-life, hands-on, and meaningful learning experiences. The editorial concludes with an illustration of how the brain works while two children are playing at the small animal center in their classroom. Keywords Neuroscience � Play � Early childhood education � Four principles The Power of Emotions Returning from our weekly Kindergarten swimming les- sons, Alexandra was in a hurry to get to the classroom and have her snack before launching into her hour of free exploration. On her way, she passed a group of boys enjoying their snack. They were engrossed in a deep con- versation about dinosaurs. Alexandra’s backpack inad- vertently knocked over Michael’s glass-lined thermos container, a relic from the past. The inside shattered when it hit the ground. Alexandra turned pale, became speech- less, and was afraid to move. You could see the excitement drain out of her. Michael, on the other hand, looked fascinated as he held up the thermos and a trickling sound rattled inside, somewhat akin to a modern-day rain-stick. I watched Alexandra’s face turn red, consumed with some internal sense of guilt. Nothing was said between the two. A moment etched in time. Should I intervene? What would I say? I stood motionless, waiting. Decisively, Alexandra ran to the paint center, grabbed a long, thin brush, dipped it in the black paint and started methodically painting. She began at the top right corner and slowly, deliberately, painted the paper one precise stroke at a time. Until the once-white paper was covered in black paint. Then she took a deep breath and let it all out as she gazed toward her emotions displayed on the paper. A smile slowly spread across her face. Placing the paint brush back in its container, she sprang back into life, headed over to the house center and started playing as though nothing had happened. (Junior Kindergarten, Ontario, Canada). Introduction Many years have passed since I taught Kindergarten. And yet the memory of watching Alexander’s shock at breaking Michael’s thermos and the subsequent release of her emotions through the painting etched a vivid memory within my own neuro-pathways. I often share this story with my pre-service students and early childhood teachers,Volume 5, Number 1, © JSSE 2006 ISSN 1618-5293 Lothar Krappmann The Rights of the Child as a Challenge to Human Rights Education Often human rights education of children does not include childrens rights. Children get the impression that human rights are rights of adults and are mainly violated in faraway regions of the world. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989) ratified by almost all states has clarified that human rights are valid for children as well, that they have a right to be educated about these rights and to claim these childrens human rights. This step has opened a new approach to childrens human rights education, because rights of children belong to the social reality which children experience and, therefore, are not only theoretically learned, but can also be actively implemented. The article argues that the active exercise of their rights challenges childrens evolving capacities and promotes their insight in childrens and human rights. Keywords: Human rights, human rights education, child, rights of the child, childrens rights, Declaration of Human Rights, Convention on the Rights of the Child 1 Human Rights Education in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) Education about human rights is indissolubly connected with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights that was proclaimed by the General Assembly of the United Nations in 1948. Firstly, all members of the human family should know which rights they irreversibly enjoy, so that in case of violations they can complain and claim their rights. And secondly, they should know these human rights, because these rights form the basis upon which human beings have to become active in order to strive for full implementation of these rights everywhere where they are not observed, and to assist others, who are deprived of their human rights. For these reasons, human rights education as such is one of the rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Article 26 (2) demands that education, amongst other goals, shall be directed to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. It shall promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations, 60 Volume 5, Number 1, © JSSE 2006 ISSN 1618-5293 racial and religious groups. Since the Declaration of Human Rights was adopted, there was consent that serious efforts must be made to make these rights known to everybody. There was consent as well, that children must be a target of prior importance, when knowledge of and insight in human rights shall be spread. It took some time, however, until it was understood that more than thorough information of adults and younger persons was needed. Eventually the United Nations Decade of HFull Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at https://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?journalCode=ceye20 Early Years ISSN: 0957-5146 (Print) 1472-4421 (Online) Journal homepage: https://www.tandfonline.com/loi/ceye20 Realizing childrens right to participation in early childhood settings: some critical issues in a Norwegian context Berit Bae To cite this article: Berit Bae (2010) Realizing childrens right to participation in early childhood settings: some critical issues in a Norwegian context, Early Years, 30:3, 205-218, DOI: 10.1080/09575146.2010.506598 To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.1080/09575146.2010.506598 Published online: 09 Oct 2010. Submit your article to this journal Article views: 5832 View related articles Citing articles: 15 View citing articles https://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?journalCode=ceye20 https://www.tandfonline.com/loi/ceye20 https://www.tandfonline.com/action/showCitFormats?doi=10.1080/09575146.2010.506598 https://doi.org/10.1080/09575146.2010.506598 https://www.tandfonline.com/action/authorSubmission?journalCode=ceye20&show=instructions https://www.tandfonline.com/action/authorSubmission?journalCode=ceye20&show=instructions https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/mlt/10.1080/09575146.2010.506598 https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/mlt/10.1080/09575146.2010.506598 https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/citedby/10.1080/09575146.2010.506598#tabModule https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/citedby/10.1080/09575146.2010.506598#tabModule Early Years Vol. 30, No. 3, October 2010, 205–218 ISSN 0957-5146 print/ISSN 1472-4421 online © 2010 TACTYC DOI: 10.1080/09575146.2010.506598 http://www.informaworld.com Realizing children’s right to participation in early childhood settings: some critical issues in a Norwegian context Berit Bae* Department of Teacher Education and International Studies, Oslo University College, Oslo, Norway Taylor and FrancisCEYE_A_506598.sgm10.1080/09575146.2010.506598Early Years0957-5146 (print)/1472-4421 (online)Original Article2010Taylor & Francis303000000October [email protected] The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child has during recent decades influenced professionals and policy-makers in Norway as well as in other countries, resulting in changes in documents regulating early childhood institutions. Little is known, however, about the way this right is understood and realized in everyday practice. How is the concept of participation understood by professionals in the field? What issues emerge as problematic in everyday practice? Combining findings from an evaluation study and research from early childhood institutions, it is possible to unravel three problem areas. They are described under these headings: (a) Interpreting participation with a bias towards individualism? (b) Play and playful interaction – an integral part of children’s right to participation? (c) Are the youngest children ‘mature’ enough? The article is roFull Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at https://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?journalCode=ciey20 International Journal of Early Years Education ISSN: 0966-9760 (Print) 1469-8463 (Online) Journal homepage: https://www.tandfonline.com/loi/ciey20 Early childhood professionals and children’s rights: tensions and possibilities around the United Nations General Comment No. 7 on Children’s Rights Glenda Mac Naughton , Patrick Hughes & Kylie Smith To cite this article: Glenda Mac Naughton , Patrick Hughes & Kylie Smith (2007) Early childhood professionals and children’s rights: tensions and possibilities around the United Nations General Comment�No.�7 on Children’s Rights, International Journal of Early Years Education, 15:2, 161-170, DOI: 10.1080/09669760701288716 To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.1080/09669760701288716 Published online: 04 May 2007. Submit your article to this journal Article views: 3006 View related articles Citing articles: 5 View citing articles https://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?journalCode=ciey20 https://www.tandfonline.com/loi/ciey20 https://www.tandfonline.com/action/showCitFormats?doi=10.1080/09669760701288716 https://doi.org/10.1080/09669760701288716 https://www.tandfonline.com/action/authorSubmission?journalCode=ciey20&show=instructions https://www.tandfonline.com/action/authorSubmission?journalCode=ciey20&show=instructions https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/mlt/10.1080/09669760701288716 https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/mlt/10.1080/09669760701288716 https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/citedby/10.1080/09669760701288716#tabModule https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/citedby/10.1080/09669760701288716#tabModule International Journal of Early Years Education Vol. 15, No. 2, June 2007, pp. 161–170 ISSN 0966-9760 (print)/ISSN 1469-8463 (online)/07/020161–10 © 2007 Taylor & Francis DOI: 10.1080/09669760701288716 Early childhood professionals and children’s rights: tensions and possibilities around the United Nations General Comment No. 7 on Children’s Rights Glenda Mac Naughtona, Patrick Hughesb* and Kylie Smitha aUniversity of Melbourne, Australia; bDeakin University, Australia Taylor and FrancisCIEY_A_228775.sgm10.1080/09669760701288716International Journal of Early Years Education0966-9760 (print)/1469-8463 (online)Original Article2007Taylor & Francis152000000June [email protected] Young children’s views are heard rarely in public debates and are often subordinated to adults’ views. This article examines how early childhood staff could support and enhance young children’s participation in public decision making. We argue that when early childhood staff use their exper- tise in young children’s physical, social and cognitive development to facilitate consultations with young children, they are likely to reinforce the view that young children are unable to form and express their own views. Whatever their intentions, this weakens the notF a i r D e a l i n g ( S h o r t E x c e r p t ) Reading: Linking Play and Relationship (in Ch. 4. Relationships) (excerpt) (Authentic Childhood: Experiencing Reggio Emilia in the Classroom) Author: Fraser, Susan Editor: N/A Publisher: Nelson Publication Date: 2006 Pages: 87-89 Course: ECED 400 93Q 2022S1-2 Introduction to Early Childhood Education and Care Course Code: 93Q Term: 2022S1-2 Department: ECED Copyright Statement of Responsibility This copy was made pursuant to the Fair Dealing Requirements for UBC Faculty and Staff, which may be found at http://copyright.ubc.ca/requirements/fair-dealing/. The copy may only be used for the purpose of research, private study, criticism, review, news reporting, education, satire or parody. If the copy is used for the purpose of review, criticism or news reporting, the source and the name of the author must be mentioned. The use of this copy for any other purpose may require the permission of the copyright owner. For more information on UBC\s Copyright Policies, please visit UBC Copyright Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org) http://copyright.ubc.ca/ http://www.tcpdf.org Linking Play and Relationship For the last one hundred years, since the Froebelian kindergartens were estab­ lished in North America, play has been given the central position philosophi­ cally in most early childhood education programs. The key question for early childhood educators in implementing the Reggio Emilia approach is this: If we are to place relationship at the centre of the curriculum, how will this affect our belief in the importance of play? Loris Malaguzzi said, We should not forget NEL C H A P T E R 4 Relationships 87 the relevant role of make-believe play. This type of symbolic play is pervasive in young childrens experience and has an important role in the social devel­ opment of intelligence, development of the skills needed for reciprocity among children, the potential for children to persist in activity and conversa­ tion together, and development of the ability to create symbols (1993, 12). Children in the preschools in Reggio Emilia spend much of their time engaged in play, but the teachers in Reggio Emilia do not focus their attention on the childrens play, as do educators in many other programs. In preschools where play is the central philosophical perspective, teachers spend much of their time and energy on creating environments that foster play. Then, when children become fully engaged in play, the teachers tend to with­ draw and observe. Therefore, the teacher is more of a facilitator than a partici­ pator with the children in the play. For instance, the teachers at the Sexsmith Multicultural Preschool, described above, observed that the children used the cooking theme most frequently in their play in the dramatic play area. The teachers then used this theme as the foundation for building the content of the program. The children, as they prepared the fo65 EXPLORING THE RESISTANCE: AN AUSTRALIAN PERSPECTIVE ON EDUCATING FOR SUSTAINABILITY IN EARLY CHILDHOOD Sue Elliott and Julie Davis SUMMARY Climate change and sustainability are issues of global significance. While other education sectors have implemented education for sustainability for many years, the early childhood sector has been slow to take up this challenge. This position paper poses the question: Why has this sector been so slow to engage with sustainability? Explanations are proposed based on a review of research literature and the authors’ long engagement in seeking to bring early childhood education and education for sustainability together. The imperative is for the early childhood sector to engage in education for sustainability without delay and to ‘get active’ for a sustainable future. RÉSUMÉ Les changements climatiques et le développement durable sont chargés d´une signification globale. Alors que d´autres secteurs de l´éducation se sont impliqués dans l’éducation au développement durable depuis plusieurs années, celui réservé à la petite enfance a tardé à relever le défi. La question que pose cet article est: Pourquoi ce secteur a pris tant de temps à s´engager vis-à-vis le développement durable? Des explications sont proposées sur la base d’une revue de la recherche et de l’engagement des auteurs qui tentent de réunir l´éducation de la petite enfance et l´éducation pour le développement durable. Il est impératif que le secteur de la petite enfance s´engage dans l´éducation pour le développement durable sans délai et qu’il demeure alerte dans le futur. RESUMEN El cambio climático y la sustentabilidad son cuestiones de importancia global. Mientras que otros sectores educativos han implementado la educación para la sustentabilidad hace muchos años, el sector de la temprana infancia ha sido lento en asumir este desafío. Este trabajo plantea la siguiente cuestión: ¿Por qué este sector sido tan lento para comprometerse con la sustentabilidad? Las explicaciones que se proponen han sido basadas en un estudio de investigación literaria y el largo compromiso del autor buscando unir la educación de la temprana infancia con la educación para la sustentabilidad. El imperativo es que el sector de la temprana infancia se comprometa con la educación para la sustentabilidad sin más demora y se plantee activamente por un futuro sustentable. Keywords: Sustainability, early childhood education, education for sustainability, environmental education. 66 International Journal of Early Childhood, Vol. 41, No. 2, 2009 INTRODUCTION National and international media events, reports and conferences such as Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth (2006), the Stern Review of the economics of climate change (2006), the reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (2006; 2007), the Garnaut Climate Change Review (Commonwealth Government of Australia, 2008) and most recently, the United NationsJANUARY 2020 33 Vol. 45 No. 1 JOURNAL OF CHILDHOOD STUDIES ARTICLES FROM RESEARCH Ethics of Care in Practice: An Observational Study of Interactions and Power Relations between Children and Educators in Urban Ontario Early Childhood Settings Rachel Langford and Brooke Richardson Rachel Langford is a professor in the school of early childhood studies at Ryerson University. She is the principal investigator of an SSHRC-awarded project that seeks to theorize and frame a robust and coherent integration of care, ethics of care, and care work into Canadian childcare advocacy, policy, and practice. She is a co-editor of an edited volume, Caring for Children: Social Movements and Public Policy in Canada (UBC Press), and the editor of an anthology, Theorizing Feminist Ethics of Care in Early Childhood Practice: Possibilities and Dangers (Bloomsbury Academic Press). Email: [email protected] Brooke Richardson is a postdoctoral fellow in the department of sociology at Brock University. She is currently working on an SSHRC- funded project examining the increasing privatization of childcare in Canada and editing a forthcoming anthology, Mothering on the Edge: A Critical Examination of Mothering within the Child Protection System (Demeter Press). Email: [email protected] Dominant discourses around care and care workers in Canadian early childhood programs conceptualizes care as instrumental1 and carried out by women with a “natural” propensity for the work. The idea that care is “natural” to women (increasingly, poor and racialized women) has undermined, and continues to undermine, its social and economic value while situating it as immune to change. At the same time, dominant conceptualizations of care work in early childhood programs are relegated to outcome-based activities and interactions instrumentally addressing children’s immediate physical and social needs. These discourses and understandings contribute to care’s taken-for-granted nature, with care often taking place in the private sphere, and systematic devaluation in the formal market economy (Daley, 2012). Ironically, “care is so fundamental to our capacity to live together that we simply cannot see its significance and it becomes possible to ignore it” (Barnes, 2012, p.3). The marginalization/occlusion of care work is particularly poignant in early childhood education (ECE), where the contemporary trend in most Western, English-speaking nations (e.g., Canada, the US, the UK, Australia, and New Zealand) has been to separate care and education policy and provision. One problematic consequence has been the inferior positioning of care relative to education in early childhood programs. The widespread belief that care work carried out in ECE programs comes “naturally” to women legitimizes its subordination and glosses over the inherent complex, messy, contextual, and emotional nature of working with young children. Instead, the primary path to professionalizaF a i r D e a l i n g ( S h o r t E x c e r p t ) Reading: Ch. 3. Dewey, Piaget, Vygotsky: Connections with Malaguzzi and the Reggio Approach (Next Steps Toward Teaching the Reggio Way: Accepting the Challenge to Change) Author: Rankin, Baji Editor: Hendrick, Joanne Publisher: Pearson/Merrill/Prentice Hall Publication Date: 2004 Pages: 27-35 Course: ECED 400 93Q 2022S1-2 Introduction to Early Childhood Education and Care Course Code: 93Q Term: 2022S1-2 Department: ECED Copyright Statement of Responsibility This copy was made pursuant to the Fair Dealing Requirements for UBC Faculty and Staff, which may be found at http://copyright.ubc.ca/requirements/fair-dealing/. The copy may only be used for the purpose of research, private study, criticism, review, news reporting, education, satire or parody. If the copy is used for the purpose of review, criticism or news reporting, the source and the name of the author must be mentioned. The use of this copy for any other purpose may require the permission of the copyright owner. For more information on UBC\s Copyright Policies, please visit UBC Copyright Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org) http://copyright.ubc.ca/ http://www.tcpdf.org Dewey, Piaget, Vygotsky Connections with Malaguzzi and the Reggio Emilia Approach Baji Rankin Professional Development and Training Specialist, La Madrugada Early Head Start Program, Office of Child Development, Albuquerque, New Mexico 27 28 Chapter 3 Dewey, Piaget, and Vygotsky were powerful figures in education and psy­ chology in their lifetimes and all three continue to have strong influences on early childhood education in the U nited States, in Reggio Emilia, and throughout the world. While these three theorists lived in different eras and worked in very different social contexts, the work o f each is still a rich source for our thinking and educational systems today. In this chapter, I present several key points about the lives and theories of these three men. I point out similarities and differences in some o f the current debate and reflection about their work today, and I examine the im pact o f these theorists upon theory and practice in Reggio Emilia. I also look at how Loris Malaguzzi and other Reggio educators, while generating their own ideas and practices, put the principles o f these three men into practice in an educational setting more fully, in my view, than any o f the three were able to do in their lifetimes. I will examine only some aspects of the theories and experiences o f these men: the role o f collaboration and the co-construction o f knowledge, the interdependence o f in­ dividual and social learning, and the role o f cul­ ture in understanding this interdependence. John Dewey (1859 -1952) Dewey, Piaget, and Vygotsky agree that the in- Jean Piaget (1896-1980) dividual child is active in constructing his Lev Vygotsky (1896-1934) o r ^ ¡nteueciuai an{j socjal development; Loris MalagF a i r D e a l i n g ( S h o r t E x c e r p t ) Reading: The Childs Environment - The Where (in Ch. 2. Children, Environments, Programs and Practitioners) (Foundations of Early Childhood Education: Learning Environments and Childcare in Canada) Author: Dietze, Beverlie Editor: N/A Publisher: Prentice Hall Publication Date: 2006 Pages: 42-46 (excerpt) Course: ECED 400 93Q 2022S1-2 Introduction to Early Childhood Education and Care Course Code: 93Q Term: 2022S1-2 Department: ECED Copyright Statement of Responsibility This copy was made pursuant to the Fair Dealing Requirements for UBC Faculty and Staff, which may be found at http://copyright.ubc.ca/requirements/fair-dealing/. The copy may only be used for the purpose of research, private study, criticism, review, news reporting, education, satire or parody. If the copy is used for the purpose of review, criticism or news reporting, the source and the name of the author must be mentioned. The use of this copy for any other purpose may require the permission of the copyright owner. For more information on UBC\s Copyright Policies, please visit UBC Copyright Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org) http://copyright.ubc.ca/ http://www.tcpdf.org 42 Chapter 2 The Childs Environment-The Where Children’s environments are the where of early childhood, with the home being the first physical and socio-cultural environment to which children are exposed and within which they interact. Children’s physical environments are thought to have important effects on their behaviour. Bandura’s model of learning and develop­ ment (1986, 1998, 2000) suggests that children’s learning is influenced by the sig­ nificant people in their worlds and by the environments that are created for them to grow and learn in. Bandura indicates that each of these factors operates interac­ tively, meaning that children’s environments can influence their behaviour, or role models can influence their behaviour, and vice versa. In fact, children’s environ­ ments are often described as their third teacher (Morrison, 2003). Through perception, children process knowledge and learn new skills. Children are active perceivers. They are motivated to discover, explore, and wonder. They examine information, extract information, and differentiate objects within their environ­ ment (Read, Sugawara, 8c Brandt, 1999). Recent studies that examine the relation­ ship between children’s development and their environmental space are almost non-existent (Read, Sugawara, & Brandt, 1999), although Nash (1997) indicates that the experiences within children’s environments affect the neural connections that are formed early in life. We draw upon Havinghurst and Neugarten’s (1967) seminal work to introduce the relationship of a child’s life space to development. We also present the ecological model created by Urie Bronfenbrenner (1967) to illustrate how children’s families and communities influence development. ChildF a i r D e a l i n g ( S h o r t E x c e r p t ) Reading: The Roots of Early Childhood Services (in Ch. 1. Exploring the Foundations of Early Learning and Child Care) (Foundations of Early Childhood Education: Learning Environments and Childcare in Canada) Author: Dietze, Beverlie Editor: N/A Publisher: Prentice Hall Publication Date: 2006 Pages: 9-14 Course: ECED 400 93Q 2022S1-2 Introduction to Early Childhood Education and Care Course Code: 93Q Term: 2022S1-2 Department: ECED Copyright Statement of Responsibility This copy was made pursuant to the Fair Dealing Requirements for UBC Faculty and Staff, which may be found at http://copyright.ubc.ca/requirements/fair-dealing/. The copy may only be used for the purpose of research, private study, criticism, review, news reporting, education, satire or parody. If the copy is used for the purpose of review, criticism or news reporting, the source and the name of the author must be mentioned. The use of this copy for any other purpose may require the permission of the copyright owner. For more information on UBC\s Copyright Policies, please visit UBC Copyright Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org) http://copyright.ubc.ca/ http://www.tcpdf.org Exploring the Foundations o f Early Learning and Child Care 9 The Roots of Early C hildho od Services Students frequently ask why it is important to explore the roots of early childhood services and how historical perspectives impact current practices (see Figure 1.1). Exploring those roots is essential because the historical perspective gives practi­ tioners insight into the beliefs, ideals, and concepts impacting current practices. Exploring previous practices and determining which ones, according to our belief system, are appropriate to use in a given situation leads to “new knowledge.” This new knowledge, combined with a practitioner’s own beliefs, influences standards of practice. For example, Montessori, Froebel, and Waldorf each deter­ mined that young children benefit from outdoor play. Why would this be impor­ tant? Each of these theorists recognized that outdoor play provides children with rich learning experiences about nature and the environment while contributing to physical development. Children who have hands-on experiences with our natural environment develop a respect for living things and a curiosity about how things grow and why our environment is important. At the same time, children are learn­ ing to move their bodies, develop balance, and strengthen their kinesthetic aware­ ness. As obesity increases among children, and as we try to support children in learning about their environment, there is a renewed interest in early childhood practitioners’ increasing the amount o f outdoor play and the options for children to explore and discover (Crossley & Dietze, 2004). Examining the roots of early learning and child care helps practitioners understand how the field has developed over time. Equally imF a i r D e a l i n g ( S h o r t E x c e r p t ) Reading: Ch. 5. Firstschool: A New Vision for Education (School Readiness and the Transition to Kindergarten in the Era of Accountability) Author: Ritchie, Sharon; Maxwell, Kelly; Clifford, Richard M. Editor: Pianta, Robert C.; Cox, Martha J.; Snow, Kyle LaBrie Publisher: Paul H. Brookes Pub. Co. Publication Date: 2007 Pages: 85-96 Course: ECED 400 93Q 2022S1-2 Introduction to Early Childhood Education and Care Course Code: 93Q Term: 2022S1-2 Department: ECED Copyright Statement of Responsibility This copy was made pursuant to the Fair Dealing Requirements for UBC Faculty and Staff, which may be found at http://copyright.ubc.ca/requirements/fair-dealing/. The copy may only be used for the purpose of research, private study, criticism, review, news reporting, education, satire or parody. If the copy is used for the purpose of review, criticism or news reporting, the source and the name of the author must be mentioned. The use of this copy for any other purpose may require the permission of the copyright owner. For more information on UBC\s Copyright Policies, please visit UBC Copyright Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org) http://copyright.ubc.ca/ http://www.tcpdf.org 5 F ir s t Sc h o o l A N ew Vision fo r Education S h a ro n R itchie, Kelly Maxwell, a n d R ichard M. C liffo rd K ious chapters have addressed the reconcepciialization o f transitions, the increased em- asis on the early years o f schooling, the move toward alignment, and the rethinking accountability. This chapter outlines the purpose, rationale, conceptual model, fun­ damentals, and components o f FirstSchool, an innovative, comprehensive plan for the educa­ tion o f children ages 3 -8 years (Bogard, 2003). FirstSchool aspires to promote and support public school efforts to become more responsive to the needs o f an increasingly younger, more diverse population o f children. Making a real difference in the lives o f all young children re­ quires rethinking public education in complex and meaningful ways that optimize expertise, broaden the knowledge base, and challenge any practices that sustain inequity. PURPOSE A N D RATIONALE Early education in the United States is changing in ways that provide unique opportunities regarding [he beginning o f school and the potential to influence practice. By the end o f the 20th century, an estimated nearly 1 million children were entering kindergarten prior to the traditional entry age (Clifford, Early, & Hills, 1999). This num ber equals roughly one fourth o f all children in this age cohort in the United States. T he time is rapidly approaching that, for all intents and purposes, school will start a year earlier than it did between the 1980s and 1990s. Currently, 38 states offer prekindergarren services co ar least some 4-year-olds (Barnett, Hustedt, Robin, & Schulman, 2006), and universal preschool is finding footing throughout thF a i r D e a l i n g ( S h o r t E x c e r p t ) Reading: Theories That Influence Program Models (in Ch. 4. How Theories Influence Program Models) (Foundations of Early Childhood Education: Learning Environments and Childcare in Canada) Author: Dietze, Beverlie Editor: N/A Publisher: Prentice Hall Publication Date: 2006 Pages: 97-109 (excerpt) Course: ECED 400 93Q 2022S1-2 Introduction to Early Childhood Education and Care Course Code: 93Q Term: 2022S1-2 Department: ECED Copyright Statement of Responsibility This copy was made pursuant to the Fair Dealing Requirements for UBC Faculty and Staff, which may be found at http://copyright.ubc.ca/requirements/fair-dealing/. The copy may only be used for the purpose of research, private study, criticism, review, news reporting, education, satire or parody. If the copy is used for the purpose of review, criticism or news reporting, the source and the name of the author must be mentioned. The use of this copy for any other purpose may require the permission of the copyright owner. For more information on UBC\s Copyright Policies, please visit UBC Copyright Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org) http://copyright.ubc.ca/ http://www.tcpdf.org How Theories Influence Program Models 97 P A R E N T I N G P O R T R A I T We, Margaret and Leo Gandinice, are considering moving from Vancouver to rural Newfoundland with our 3-year-old twin daughters. One of the deciding factors will be the types of early learning and child care services available to our family. Our children have been involved in a Waldorf preschool since they turned 3, and we love the exposure to music, arts, and drama. We attribute our childrens imagina­ tion and pretend play to their play experiences there. We understand that there may not be a Waldorf program in rural Newfoundland, but we are hoping to find a program that is rich in play, staffed by individuals who are willing to help our chil­ dren adjust to rural living and who value some of our cultural traditions. As a way to help us examine the early learning and child care programs, we have identified the following as essential to each facility we visit: 1. The program offers equal indoor and outdoor play experiences, where children are able to participate in outdoor experiences similar to those indoors, as well as providing active gross-motor play. 2 . The program is one that offers children a rich play environment rather than one that is academically focused. 3 . Teachers will accept each of our children as individuals rather than as twins and will accept and appreciate the childrens Kenyan heritage. 4 . Teachers have specialized training in early childhood studies, and the staff-to- child ratio is acceptable so that our children will receive adequate attention. 5 . The environment promotes the childrens creations rather than commercial products. Our findings will help us make a decision about a new environment for our family. Do