Early Childhood Education

Early Childhood Education is the field of practice, research and study that deal with children’s experiences during their early stages of life. During Childhood education, young children receive formal education and are under the care a professionals who may not be a family member.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Early Childhood Education specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Children receive this kind of education outside their homes. The term early childhood is used to refer to children below the age of normal schooling, which according to many nations is five years. However, this is not always true. For instance in the U.S., it includes children below the age of eight years. The educator should be aware of physical, social and cognitive development stages of preschoolers’, toddlers and babies. He/she must also cooperate with their parents in order to bring the child up in a good way (Armstrong, Henson Savage, 2008). According to Blenkin and Kelly (1996), the study on early childhood is important because it is the time during which the body and brain of a child is undergoing rapid development. During this stage, children develop skills and abilities like motor skills, language and psychosocial cognitive and learning. Exogenous factors like the environment in which children are exposed to right from birth to eight years are said to affect the psychosocial cognitive and learning of the child. Early childhood education builds a strong foundation for academic success in children. Its studies prepare the child for primary school education, which contributes to academic excellence of the child later in life. Studies have shown that readiness that children get from early childhood education has positive social and economic impacts during their adult life. Such children have limited chances of engaging in criminal behaviors; attain good results in schools which secure them good places i n employment the result of which is higher earnings. Based on the major role that childhood education plays, the content of this paper will emphasize on the topic.Advertising Looking for essay on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Historical development of Early Childhood Education The Philosophy of early childhood education can be traced from the works of scholars like John Locke, Jean Jacques Rousseau and John Amos Comenius. Sociologists like Jean Peaget, Erick Erikson and Sigmund Freud concentrated much on the developmental stages of children. The scholars approached the discipline in different ways but they all held the belief that early childhood education played a major role in developing interests and abilities of children as they grow up (Blenkin Kelly, 1996). The first and largest early childhood program was Kindergarten, which was developed in the United States between 1782 and 1852 by Friendrich Froebel. Th e program was later on adopted in Europe and other countries. The movement was accelerated by industrial revolution and absorption of women in large numbers to work in factories. Between 1870 and 1952, another early childhood program developed by Maria Montessori’s was also adopted in many countries. However, the role of early education as the first step in the system of education came to the knowledge of many nations after the Second World War (Blenkin Kelly, 1996). Blenkin and Kelly (1996) argue that Kindergarten was the first training institution to offer training skills for teachers of young children. The first training school was begun in Boston by Germany kindergarteners Matilda Kriege and her daughter in 1868. The term kindergartener was used to refer to children attending school and their teachers. The kindergartens were started by Germany immigrants who were running away from the Russian Revolution in which Germany was defeated and that’s why they were initia lly Germany-speaking. Today, the role of early childhood education is recognized worldwide. Public institutions have been established to offer training to these teachers because children at this stage are sensitive and teachers should know how to deal with them. Current Principles of Early Childhood Education In order to enhance early childhood education, the program is based on various principles. These principles are meant to make the system effective so as to improve the level of education. The program requires trained personnel. Teachers should acquire adequate training in early childhood education centers where they will be equipped with necessary knowledge and skills to interact and train young children successfully.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Early Childhood Education specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Early childhood is not only meant to help parents who are working but also help children acquire phys ical, cognitive, socials and emotional experience away from their homes. During this period, children learn how to count, play, interact and socialize with others. Parents should be meant to understand that the purpose of getting their children to school is none other than getting the required knowledge and skills (Beneke Helm, 2003). According to Beneke and Helm (2003), the program is based on the principle that all childhood education programs should be licensed. The teaching methodologies used should meet interests and developmental needs of children. Licensing ensures that children are secure and their health needs are taken care of. Teachers should ensure that the environment in which children live in is secures and healthy. Children learn well when they feel free and secure in the environment. It is therefore important for the teacher to ensure that children are comfortable to enhance their learning. Resources and programs needed in education centers should be coordinated by the government to ensure that children get prepared for elementary and secondary education. The government should fund these institutions so that they can buy materials and cater for all expenses needed for successful learning of children. The institutions should be provided with reading and writing materials as well as good feeding programs for children. Recreational facilities are also needed because playing is vital for young children. Co-ordination between parents, teachers and the government is important. Finally, the system is based on the principle that all children have the opportunity to access early childhood education. Parents are encouraged to let their children go through the program because it creates a strong academic foundation (Beneke Helm, 2003).Advertising Looking for essay on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Professional Organizations Intensive research has been conducted concerning early childhood education because of its importance. It is argued that if interference in the fundamental development of skills and abilities of a child occur during the early stages, this is likely to affect their learning potentiality in future and the damage may be long-lasting. Various organizations have been established worldwide advocating the role played by early childhood education. Professional organizations support early childhood professionals by providing them with guidance and resources needed to better education of the young children. Example of such organizations include The New York City Association for the Education of Young Children (NYCAEYC), World Organization for Early Childhood Education and National Association for Childhood Education International (ACEI) among others (Nutbrown, Clough Selbie, 2008). World Organization for Early Childhood Education is a worldwide non-profit making non -governmental organization operating in more than 60 countries. The organization includes parents, teachers, health officers, activists, researchers, socials workers and students. The goal of the organization is to ensure that children between the ages of zero and eight years access their rights to education in all the member countries (Nutbrown, Clough Selbie, 2008). The NYCAEYC advocates for and promotes the quality of education offered to children below the age of eight years and their larger families as well as enhancing their well being by supporting professional development. The ACEI is a global organization whose aim is to support and promote optimal education and children development from birth till puberty. In addition, the organization encourages people to train and become professionals who would then bring change in the society by passing acquired knowledge to children. The organization sees to it that all children access quality education (Nutbrown, Clough and Selbie, 2 008). In the modern world, some of the best practices employed by teachers in childhood education centers include play, songs and dances that form the basic form of entertainment. Play is very important for young children. This is because their brain is not fully developed and therefore it cannot retain large volumes of information. It is therefore important for the teacher to allocate enough time for children to relax their minds. Since they cannot concentrate for a long period of time, the teacher should have several breaks in between the classes during which children should go to the field and play. The teacher should accompany them and be in charge. The teacher directs the children during the activity. In addition to plays, children can also engage in dances and songs. This is mainly aimed at refreshing the mind. Children should be taught on how to conduct the songs themselves. Finally, other forms of entertainment like watching the television can be of great help. The teacher s hould ensure that the programs enhance academic work of the children (Nutbrown, Clough Selbie, 2008). Technology in Early Childhood Development In the modern world, people are always striving to find solutions to their problems. Technology is a major problem solving tool in education. Technology increases academic skills, reduces the number of school dropouts and discourages racial discrimination in schools. Improvements in technology have made it easier for teachers to execute their duties. Studies have shown that children in the modern world know much more than children of their age sometime back. Modern generations are more advanced than the previous ones. For instance, children can easily access books of all kinds whenever they need them in libraries. This helps in rapid and easy expansion of knowledge (Blake Taylor, 2010). The use of Computers, tablets, laptops and smart phones has increased rapidly in childhood education programs. Through technology, the qualities of educati onal program have been modified in to interesting ways. Computers are used by teachers to teach children and keep records of class performance. Children between the ages of three and eight effectively use computers today. Now that children know how to make use of the above electronics, they have a lot of information at their figure tips. For instance, they only need to â€Å"Google† in the computer and search for answers to their questions. For children whose parents own computers at home, they have a greater advantage because they can access computer services at home. Some mobile phones can also be networked and provide similar services (Blake Taylor, 2010). The media has improved early childhood education. Modern television channels offer quality programs than traditional ones. There are many educational programs displayed in different channels for children to watch. They are so many such that children can never watch them all. The radio offers educational programs for chi ldren in which children allowed to answer question. For instance, the questions are asked by the radio presenter and children answer through a phone call. The presenter then says whether the child is right and if not, he provides the correct answer. The knowledge is passed to all children who happen to be listening making this a way of enhancing education. Other technological advancements which have eased early childhood education include the use of printers, scanner, digital cameras and video recorder (Blake Taylor, 2010). Blake and Taylor (2010) argue that application of technology in early childhood education will be at increase even in future. However, less fortunate and children from poor families will be disadvantaged. These electronics are very expensive. Accessing and using them will be difficult for children from poor families. Improvement in technology level is likely to increase immorality rate among school children. The more the children know how to operate computers, t he more they will get in touch with sites not fit for their stage. Research has shown that many children visit pornographic sites in computers. As much as technology is going to affect early childhood education positively, it will also have its side effects. Improvements There are many challenges which children encounter during their studies which should be well- known to their teachers and other educational employees who interact with them directly. These are the right people to determine the areas which require improvements. In order for children to learn well, physical, social, emotional and learning needs should be met. Failure to satisfy one of the needs makes it hard for the child to study well. The performance of children improves when they are encouraged and supported by adults. Teachers should ensure that they make the necessary improvements to ensure that children succeed in their studies whenever they realize points of weakness among students (Jalango Isenberg, 2003). Ch allenges Among the challenges facing early childhood education include lack of enough funds. Early childhood education is mainly offered in the private sector at very high costs. Lack of finance makes it hard for some parents to enroll their children in schools. Accessibility of such institutions may be a challenge. People may have to travel for long distances before getting to the learning institution. Other challenges include lateness from school, a lot of home work given to children that cannot be completed overnight, competition in class, lack of enough playing grounds, competition with neighboring schools and lack of enough sleep for children (Jalango Isenberg, 2003). Controversial issues The list of controversial issues in early childhood education is long. Some of the debatable issues in early childhood education include young children should use computers, whether viewing the television leads to violent behavior among children, whether homework improves the performance of c hildren and finally the correct age at which young children should join kindergarten among other issues (Jalango Isenberg, 2003). Conclusion The study of developmental stages of young children is a vital topic. I personally chose the topic because I like interacting with young children and helping them whenever it’s necessary. My desire is to see children live comfortably and succeed in their studies and that’s why I have chosen to pursue a course in early childhood education which will help me understand the concept better. My goal is to see that I help children pursue and succeed in their studies once I become a professional in the field. References Armstrong, G., Henson, T. Savage, V. (2008). Teaching today: An introduction to education. London: Prentice Hall Higher Education. Beneke, S. Helm, H. (2003). The power of projects: meeting contemporary challenges in early childhood classrooms– strategies and solutions. New York, NY: Teachers College Press. Blak e, S. Taylor, S. (2010). Technology for early childhood education and socialization: developmental applications and methodologies. London: IDEA Group Inc (IGI). Blenkin, M. Kelly, A. (1996). Early childhood education: a developmental curriculum. New York, NY: SAGE. Jalango, R. Isenberg, P. (2003). Major trends and issues in early childhood education: challenges, controversies, and insights. New York, NY: Teachers College Press. Nutbrown, C., Clough, P. Selbie, P. (2008). Early childhood education: History, philosophy and experience. New York, NY: SAGE Publications Ltd. This essay on Early Childhood Education was written and submitted by user Liam Richardson to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Dont call me a cougar

Don't call me a cougar Although the term cougar has become synonymous with older women who date younger men, its predatory image is neither accurate nor acceptable in the opinion of many women tagged with the label. Since theres no similar word to describe an older man who dates younger women, many feel its far from complimentary. In fact, they say it is ageist, sexist, and certainly not empowering to women. Celebrities from Demi Moore (whose husband Ashton Kutcher is 16 years her junior) to Kim Cattrall have emphatically stated, Dont call me a cougar! Cattrall in particular rejects the the idea that Samantha, the iconic character she played for six seasons on Sex and the City, is a cougar, saying that some who are uncomfortable with strong women use the term to label women. As Cattrall told the celebrity news show Extra, I dont see anything negative about Samantha and her sexuality, sensuality and choice. Long before Moore or Cattrall took a public anti-cougar stand, UK artist and entrepreneur Julia Macmillan defied the label by making the domain name dontcallmeacougar.com her own. There, she started a blog supportive of women in relationships with younger men because, as she sees it, it should be as normal for a woman to date a younger man as it always has been for a man to date or marry a younger women. Like many attractive and intelligent women who look younger than their years, Macmillan typically dated younger men not because she sought them out but because they had approached her and were more compatible than men her age. When she tried online dating in 2006, she found she wasnt connecting with the same type of men she had met in person; and those that were contacting her didnt suit her at all. Thinking that there had to be a better way, in 2007 she founded a UK dating website with a deliberately sassy, tongue-in-cheek name ToyboyWarehouse.com where members abide by one simple rule: that women date men at least a year younger, and men date women at least a year older. Nowhere on the website is the word cougar ever used. As Macmillan says, Its not empowering to women. She seems to have hit a nerve. Three years later, the site is so successful shes planning to launch a US version of ToyboyWarehouse in late 2010 in the New York City area. I spoke with Julia Macmillan about the cougar stereotype, the reasons why it persists even as women reject the term in growing numbers, and whether theres greater cultural acceptance in the UK or the US toward older female/younger male relationships. You avoid the term cougar and have said, In my view there should be no label. After all, there isnt one for a man who dates a younger woman. What is that stereotype that people have regarding cougars thats offensive to you? Its a stereotype of a woman whos looking for younger men for casual sex which is how the term started originally. I think theres so much more to it than that. The attraction is an enormous part a relationship but sometimes two people can be attracted to each other because they have so much in common. Cougar is too oversexualized and too predatory an image to apply to a broad section of women. Its just one particular type of woman, not all the types of women that necessarily date younger men. Quite a lot of women find it offensive because theyre not the predators. In fact, I know on our site its the young men who are chasing the women. These women are just fabulous. Theyre independent, attractive, but theyre not pouncing on young men. So I think its inaccurate and limiting. Women who routinely date younger men have told me its not as if either side is asking about their partners age. In fact, they say that age doesnt come up in the discussion. The men take the women at face value. Do you find this to be true? That is so true that comment is so spot on. Age doesnt really come up in the conversation. Women are looking fantastic; theyre looking better than before and taking care of their bodies. Its not like 10-15 years ago when a woman over 45 found herself abandoned by a husband who had left her for some young secretary. Today women have the same choices as men. I think cougar is a bit demeaning. Many women say it doesnt apply to them at all. They wouldnt want to be called a cougar and never refer to themselves as cougars. When you look at all the dating sites with cougar in the title there are pictures of attractive middle-aged women in a state of undress. Theres something slightly tacky about that. Theres a lot of really classy women out there who wouldnt want that label attached to them. When an older man dates a younger woman, nobody blinks. Yet not too long ago, if a woman dated a man just 3-5 years younger than herself, she faced disgust and outrage. Back then, shed have been called a cradle robber. Why does this double standard exist? Why is there such animosity towards women? I really think it has to do with whos losing ground in this whole thing. When you look at news articles in the online media referring to some new celebrity whos going out with a younger man, you get a lot of really unpleasant aggressive comments from men because theyre the ones who are going to be left out. Theyve had it their own way for so long; theyve always been able to play the field with women their own age or younger. For women, its been very restricting and socially unacceptable until fairly recently although I do think its been going on longer in a more secretive way for women to date younger men. And I dont mean to be racist about this, but it tends to be older white men that are upset. More and more women are acknowledging their sexuality which before they had to keep in a closed closet. And older white men dont like the kind of freedom that women have been gaining because they dont have so much power anymore. Unfortunately theyre the ones who tend to run the whole establishment and their views have been the predominant views. Women are becoming more powerful in more and more areas, including business and in their choice of partners. Men are going to have to accept the fact that theyre going to lose ground but that its going to be better for all of us in the end. What do you think younger men appreciate about older women? Older women, younger women thats all relative too. Ive got younger women signing up on ToyboyWarehouse who are 30 years old. Its the type of women they are. Theyre independent; theyve got great jobs; they arent looking for a man as a meal ticket because they can take care of themselves. Instead, theyre looking for a man to have a connection with. It could be a purely physical connection; it could be a mental and physical connection (which is obviously the best); but theyre not looking to be dependent on a man. I think that is what the men absolutely love. Older women tend not to have the ticking clock young women have who are looking for husband material. Older women tend to take the relationship as it comes and see how it develops. Most cougar dating websites treat women as if were simply sexual toys; they dont take the whole woman into account. Thats not the case with your website. What did you want to create in ToyboyWarehouse that you had not found on other existing sites? Ive had feedback from other women that confirmed my own bad experiences with online dating. I was 46 when tried it for the first time in the summer of 2006. On the mainstream sites I found that a woman over 40 would tend to get messages from rather boring older men. Id always dated younger men and I just wasnt interested in the type of men I was meeting. Although Id never done anything in the dating industry, I thought, well it cant be too difficult to create the kind of site that I would actually like to be on. The very name ToyboyWarehouse is humorous and witty, and thats an essential part of attraction. The idea was to be fun and playful its from a womans point of view. It evokes the image of a woman going around with a shopping cart and saying, That one looks nice on the shelf. Ill have that one. When the site went live in 2007 there was literally nothing out there for women in their late 30s or older who wanted something a little more exciting than a pipe-and-slippers man whose highlight of the week was probably watching his car in his drive. That was what was missing for me. Do you see any cultural differences in the way older woman/younger man relationships are perceived in the UK vs. the US? It seems that in the UK these women are seen as cheeky and playful, whereas in the US were much more judgmental and make moral assumptions about women who date younger men. I think there are two slightly different issues here. Theres the issue of the actual word cougar. My feeling is that its more acceptable in the US than the UK. We did a survey to see what women thought of the word whether theyd like to be labeled as that. And 95% said, No, it doesnt apply to us. We dont like that word. Possibly in the UK its more acceptable that a older woman should go out with a younger man. Every time a film star or pop star dates a younger man it puts the idea out there. In the US some might see the word cougar as positive because its a beautiful animal; they like the idea of it and they dont see it as a stereotyped label whereas in the UK we fight labels more and its not a badge of honor to be called a cougar its seen as really derogatory. Were going through a transition period. In the next generation it will be as normal for a woman to date a younger man as it always has been the other way around. Were fighting for equality in how were being referred to as well as acceptance that a women can express her own sexuality. Women are so critical of themselves when theyre younger. But as we get older, particularly once were into our 40s and 50s, we tend to become free of those former constraints. Wed like to see that freedom reflected in the partner were with. Yet it seems that at the same time women become more free and liberated within themselves, men seem to shut down. Youve absolutely hit the nail on the head. Young men dont close down but older men do. Ive heard from women who say that if they go out with a man their age, generally hes been through a marriage and hes got a lot of baggage and the kids and the awful ex-wife that he goes on about. Its not much fun for a woman to deal with all of that. Younger men dont tend to have that. Theyre much freer to appreciate a woman. We get a lot of divorcees on the site that have just come out of a 15-year marriage. Maybe their husband hasnt paid them much attention and they havent had sex for years and their self-esteem is at rock bottom; they think theyre not attractive. But then they get adoring emails from young men who say, Youre so beautiful, and suddenly they realize how attractive they really are. Its the most enormous ego boost. They begin dressing up again and then relationships start and suddenly its a whole new world for them. Your website understands what a woman past a certain age wants, and you emphasize intelligence, elegance, and wit. How is it that you get this when so many mainstream sites completely miss this? I think its because Im one of the very few site owners thats a woman. Most sites are run by corporations with all-male boards. There are only a couple of sites that I know of that are founded by women, and women know what other women want. All the marketing I do tends to be social media marketing aimed at women because weve never had problems getting men. There are three times as many men on the site as women. The more you move towards classy, intelligent, elegant, the more women will come. The more you move towards its just about sex the more you cut out a whole swath of women who wouldnt join that kind of site. You can be sexy and intelligent thats going to come through in a site but you cant just push it as a sex site, because that will put a lot of women off. Ive tried to make sure that ToyboyWarehouse is responsive to our UK members. Ive been good at listening to what they ask for. Id like to hear what women want in the US version of ToyboyWarehouse. The tagline in the States will be Where smart meets sexy and I think that encapsulates what its really all about.

Summary of Articles Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Summary of Articles - Assignment Example which impact on the establishment of intervention needs for infants with torticollis include: presence of torticollis itself, absence of improvement with current treatment, limitation of range of motion, palpable mass of sternocleidomastoid, maintaining head and body positions, developmental delays, feeding problems, parental concerns, and resources available. Intervention needs of infants with this condition are complicated. Applying holistic approach by the therapists based on ICF-CY would assist in ensuring quality of care. There were different workloads within hospital sites and fields. Objectives on attention functions as well as transferring were related to support of neurological and musculoskeletal conditions. The study revealed that to some extent, these elements can impact and determine therapy workload for hospitals (1) Among inpatient clients, their objective is to accomplish activities and ensure participation; for the outpatients, they are focused on ensuring the balance of activities and taking part in body functions. During therapy sessions, the two groups are focused on ensuring bodily functions as well as structures (1). The physiotherapists used current methods in the individualized treatments. They also included different ideas from other available methods. In the assessment and outcome evaluation, body function activities were mostly applied. (1) The ICF domains which usually were considered significant for respondents were on mobility, self-care, as well as communication. Unimportant domains included spare time, learning, and thinking, as well as domestic life. There were no differences observed for participant groups. Statistical differences were however noted in relation to spare activities, communication, and mobility. To establish if the clinical evaluation carried out by physiotherapy students on children with neurological conditions can be improved with the application of the International Classification of Functioning,