Effective communication in the classroom

The observation I observed was in a preschool classroom between the teacher and the child and it was really quite interesting.  The children were writing in their journals about strawberries and drawing pictures to go along with their writings and one particular child was describing her strawberry in details with the colors she was using stating the yellow was the seed, and the green was the grass and the red is the actual strawberry and I thought it was interesting that the teacher would repeat what the child would say but put in into a question as to further scaffold her knowledge on strawberries they were studying that week.  According to Stephenson (2009), just being interested in what a child is saying can make all the difference in their world.  Communication with children is not always necessarily getting them interested into your ideas but you as the adult being interested in what they are saying.  Just the simple fact that the teacher took time to interact with the child for a few minutes and really understand her perspective made that child feel special, and though you cannot always put emotions on an observation it was clear to see by her laugh and smile she was enjoying the conversation and taking and giving the lesson she was teaching and learning at the same time. 

In the end, I believe what I have learned about children and communication is that it is better to be receptive and not put words in their mouth and let myself be surprised by their ideas and interest.  Communication with young children is about respecting and accepting them for who they are as a person (Laureate Education, Inc. 2011).  I am an advocate for developing the whole child however, I am guilty that I often initiate more than I should just watch and grow.  I need to learn that it is okay to sit back and learn from their perspective and not necessarily push curriculum based goals on their learning.  Words are empowering and communication will make all the difference in the world!

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2011a). EDUC 6357-6 Diversity, Development, and Learning [Webcast]. Communicating with Young Children. Baltimore, MD: Author. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_2819834_1%26url%3D

Stephenson, A. (2009). Conversations with a 2-year-old. YC: Young Children, 64(2), 90-95

 

Creating a Multicultural Environment

In my mind of opening a family child care I imagine a place where all families and children feel welcome and I would begin with the idea of a greeting room in my foyer where families and children can sign-in filled with the daily schedule and greetings the children can choose from in their native language or another country (Laureate Education, Inc., 2011).  I believe it is important to greet each family and child in the morning because it gives them a sense of belonging as well as sets the tone for the day with children.  It also allows ma and the parent time to exchange information as far as how they slept the night before etc…

In the next part of my house I would have a safe place which is design for children to go if they are feeling sad or mad and it will be lined with bean bags and pillow where children can go to give themselves the needed moment privately in order to transition or calm down it will also have pictures of children and their families in which they made at home like the family culture shelves Arianna had in her home.  It is important to incorporate families into a program because all too often children feel invisible in an environment in which there is do depiction of themselves or their culture in the environment (Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2010).  Positive social identities begin with the environment.

The rest of the house would be divided up into centers consisting of dramatic play which includes multicultural props and cookbooks. In other words, half of all the materials especially in dramatic play should reflect specifically the children you serve in the program.  Like Arianna, I believe dramatic play is a great asset in conflict resolution because it truly is a place in which children act out roles that have influenced them in some way (Laureate Education, Inc., 2011). 

The other centers that would be incorporated into the other areas of the house would be sensory and science, writing, listening center, art in which it would also incorporate multicultural collage material so that we could discuss culture while being creative.  Other centers would be blocks in which we could incorporate multicultural families and different box houses.  Books would be in every center as well as, multicultural pictures of children and their families doing some of those activities.  According to Derman-Sparks & Edwards (2010), an environment rich in anti-bias materials invites exploration and discovery and supports children’s play.  I want my family child care to be an environment that is culturally consistent with the families that I am serving.  Early childhood is about the development of the whole child and in order to partner with families we must make their environment of care and extension of their family home life. 

 

Derman-Sparks, L. & Edwards, J. (2012). Anti-bias education for young children and ourselves. Washington, DC: NAEYC.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2011). EDUC 6357-6 Diversity, Development, and Learning [Webcast]. Welcome to an Anti-Bias Learning Community. Baltimore, MD: Author. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_2819834_1%26url%3D