The pedagogy of listening is one that is closely intertwined with early childhood education (ECE) and, within this context, it is acknowledged as being more than the word itself implies. Listening in an early childhood setting is not merely to hear what a child says and act on it, rather, it is to open yourself to different perspectives and be willing to not only act on but also adopt new ways of thinking (Davies, 2014). To truly use this as an effective pedagogy is to turn the act of listening into an intentional and meaningful interaction (MacNaugton & Williams, 2010). In doing so, relationships you are forming with everyone that you interact with – be they two feet tall and in nappies or fully grown and in uniform – can only be strengthened as you show them the respect and reciprocity that is needed to achieve meaningful bonds (Gonzalez-Mena & Widmeyer Eyer, 2018).
It is through listening that the Graduating Teacher Standards (GTS) relevant to personal values and relationships can be met and thoroughly explored. GTS 6a, for example, requires teachers to recognise how different values and beliefs impact learning (Education Council New Zealand / Matatu Aotearoa (ECNZ), 2015). Through listening, we as educators are able to experience and gain some understanding of the diverse backgrounds and interests that are within the centre and thus plan appropriate experiences that can accommodate everyone or can be altered to be inclusive. Every encounter with another person is an
Infants and toddlers develop attachments to the people in their lives and make a relationship with them, depending on how parents and early childhood educators treat them. Young infants seek out security, and mobile infants are excited to explore. Also, toddlers are working on their identity, and they want to know who they are.
Think about your early childhood education (or your child’s early education), was it flexible to suit individual learning experiences or were children required to conform to the teacher’s methods of teaching? If you answered the latter, do you think the former would improve the quality of education? The initial years of education are crucial to learning, development and growth, during these first years children’s experiences shape their learning methods and they are able to learn rapidly, for this, early childhood educators must use teaching methods that are suitable for each child. Teachers must consider the attitude they bring to the classroom; how it affects children’s learning and the value, of the information and knowledge that
Health promotion is very important to early childhood education to improve the well-being of children and parents’ health and behaviours. “It is important for early childhood educators to recognized their essential role as health promotors” (Pimento & Kernested 2015, P. 4). There are 12 social determinants in daily life for childhood programs, however I have identified that social support networks are most important determinants of health. Likewise, educators and families are both mutually directly and indirectly supporting children to improve their healthy development and education (Pimento & Kernested, 2015, P.34). In early childhood, educators have very important role in daycare which is communication. That means, that we need to communicate with family (parent, grandparent), children and coworkers to share the daily basic tasks and any other ideas or information for improving environments and supports. It is especially important that we support mothers who have very limited knowledge about their first-born baby, such as lack of information about breastfeeding, sleeping routine, formula ratios, nutrition, healthy eating habits, or any parental skills. Not only that, we can also help parents to get benefits and support from the government such as financial support, subsidized daycare, and community information resources on healthy nutrition food.
A professional educator will actively view the child’s in association with their family and environment. They need to be viewed in context with their family as this will make the educator aware and respect the values and culture of each family and student. Principle 2 of the EYLF mentions ‘Learning outcomes are most likely to be achieved when Early Childhood Educators work in partnership with families’ (EYLF, 2009, p12). This is mostly effective when a successful educator uses strategies that actively involves the family, by introducing families to the classroom through plan programs that invites parent input.
• Diversity: Everyone is different and these differences need to be valued, the tolerance of different cultures, beliefs, races, ages and gender to name a few, needs to be of importance not only to the tutor but the students as well. Creating a classroom atmosphere of valuing and understanding individual experiences and views can be achieved through ground rules and by the example set by the tutor.
Chapter two discusses various theorists that helped to mold and shape early childhood education to where it is today. There are several different theorists that contributed to the development of early childhood education. Some of these theorists include Alfred Adler, Jean Piaget, Lev Vygotsky, and John Dewey. Each theorist developed a unique theory that has caused early childhood guidance and education to flourish like it has today. Without learning and building on these theories, early childhood guidance and education would never develop or change. The chapter explains how some theories may seem strange to the contemporary families, but these theories are the foundation of how early childhood education got to where it is today. The book goes
I am a student at Florida Atlantic University studying early childhood education. I am enrolled in EEC 3214 class this semester; the class is called designing and implementing a blending curriculum: birth to age eight. I am required to complete a field experience assignment at a preschool. I will observe young children ranging from three to five years old. I assure you that I will keep all information confidential. In addition, I reassure you that I will not share the information collected outside of my course and that no identifying information will be shared. I will respect and follow all the school’s policies and procedures in a professional manner.
Early childhood is a time of curiosity, a time for play, and a time of rapid development. Every child is unique and deserving of an early childhood education that facilitates academic, social, and developmental growth through a variety of enjoyable experiences. Differentiated instruction adapts content, products and processes to meet the diverse learning needs and preferences of students (Thousand, Villa, & Nevin, 2007). Friedrich Froebel, the creator of Kindergarten, believed that children grow and learn as they play (Bruno, 2009). Play-based instruction not only enables young learners to have fun, but it also encourages interactive and cooperative learning, passion for discovery, and a foundation for later learning experiences
Talking and listening are essential life skills. The ability to talk in order to communicate and exchange ideas and information, to negotiate with others, to express feelings and emotions, allows human beings to function well in the world and to be full and active members of society. Communication, to be effective, requires the ability to listen, to understand and to make sense of what is heard. On the personal level, when we listen, we give attention to the other person in such a way as to allow them to feel heard, understood and therefore respected. In that way, listening is more than
In my first semester of college at Concordia, I had the opportunity to have the class EDU 120. A requirement for this class was having 10 hours of fieldwork; at least 3 hours in each level of childhood. The reason for this requirement is to help the students discover what grade level they want to teach in the future.
In early childhood education, lessons should be prepared to meet children’s needs through the use exploratory play, guided discovery, problem solving, and critical thinking. I seek ways to differentiate instruction and provide different teaching styles to reach students of all abilities and intelligence. I believe that students in an early childhood setting should be exposed to social interaction, cooperative learning, hands-on experiences, and real-life applications. Early childhood classrooms should have plenty of books for children to get exposed to enriching texts and literacy at an early age. I believe that in early childhood settings, teachers need to teach about values learn honesty, kindness, cooperation, patience, and respect to be positive role models in society. I seek to develop close relationships with my students, and their families and provide an environment where they feel welcomed and
This research report presents an analysis of and conclusions drawn from the experiences and perspectives of two educators that work in the early childhood setting. The main objective is to identify key elements and issues in relation to the families, diversity and difference. In particular how an early childhood educator implements, different approaches to honour culture and diversity, and to advocate for social justice in an early childhood settings. As such, it allows an insight into the important role that families and their background plays in the everyday lives of the children and educators within early childhood settings. In today’s ever-changing growing society it is essential for educators to be flexible to the
Good communication skills form a critical element of early childhood education. Communication consists of two main styles: Verbal and non-verbal. These styles of communication form the foundation of effective teaching and learning within the early childhood forum. A good early childhood educator will enhance learning and development with an extensive knowledge of both the verbal and non-verbal elements of communication. An early childhood educator will understand what constitutes good communication and the positive impact this can have on effectiveness of a successful learning environment. This impact extends to personal affective traits such as self esteem, self belief, desire and motivation. Relationships between the educator and
When a teacher fully understand the development stages and know what stage their children are in they will be in a better position to assist in their students' development. One important skill a teacher a can assist early childhood children develop, especially children in the early part of the stage, is there listening skills. It is important that teachers know that taking advantage of the world of sounds is a wonderful way to help young children develop their listening skills. (Miller, 2001) Students can read stories, play music, or just simply talk to the students in order for the children to pay attention. If it is something of interest, they will often listen to what is going on. However, having children pay attention to the sounds is not enough; therefore teachers mush request the students to repeat what is going on. This year I have decided to incorporate the Arthur® cartoon series into my classroom. This series teaches educational lessons through a story plot. I have the kids to pay attention to what is being said and ask them what is going on. I noticed that kids that watch the cartoons will remember
Early education for children is very crucial as it helps shape up the foundation of their knowledge and behavior development process. Children begin to develop the sense of curiosity from the age of two. And from age 2-8, children go through a very crucial period of mental development, which shapes up their future mindset (Grayson, 2016). Early children education (ECE) has been listed as the number one priority of the National Association of Education. The teachers or educators at nursery and primary level are responsible to for developing young children’s sense of knowledge and education. In this paper, we will assess the roles and skills that are vital for an early childhood educator. Moreover, the paper will also present a