Foundations of Early Childhood Education: Teaching Children in a Diverse Society

by Gonzalez-Mena, Janet

• ISBN13: 9780078024481
• ISBN10: 007802448X
• eBook ISBN(s): 9780077519353
• Edition: 6th
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2013-02-19
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill Education
• More Book Details
• Purchase Benefits

Summary

Foundations of Early Childhood Education: Teaching Children in a Diverse Societyis designed to help increase the quality in early care and education programs through training teachers. It features skill building with a solid theoretical base,a nd provides students with an overview of early childhood programs through the use of examples, anecdotes, and scenarios. Readers will come away with an understanding of what makes a quality early childhood education program, where children gain the foundations they need for school success and beyond.

Table of Contents

Contents

PREFACE XIX

ABOUT THE AUTHOR XXV

Part 1

Foundations of the Teaching–Learning Process

The Role of the Early Childhood Educator

1 Early Childhood Education as a Career 4

FOUR THEMES IN EARLY CHILDHOOD TEACHER TRAINING 6

The Value of Reflective Practice 6

A Multicultural Perspective 7

A Holistic Approach 7

Professionalism 9

CHILD-DEVELOPMENT HISTORY 18

Historical Trends and Figures 18

CHILD-DEVELOPMENT THEORISTS AND THEIR THEORIES 21

PIONEER EDUCATORS 28

Brain Research 30

WHAT IT MEANS TO BE AN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATOR 31

Legal Responsibilities 32

CODE OF ETHICS 34

A STORY TO END WITH 34

SUMMARY 35

ONLINE RESOURCES 35

REFLECTION QUESTIONS 36

TERMS TO KNOW 36

FOR FURTHER READING 36

2 First Things First: Health and Safety ThroughObservation and Supervision 38

OBSERVATION, SUPERVISION AND GUIDANCE 40

OBSERVATION SKILLS FOR BEGINNERS 41

SUPERVISION SKILLS FOR BEGINNERS 43

Focusing on Individuals and the Group 44

A Crash Course in Guidance 46

Conflict as a Safety Issue 51

Risk Taking as a Safety Measure 54

Helping Children Learn from Their Experiences 54

A SAFE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT 55

Developmental Appropriateness 55

Maintenance as Prevention 56

Sanitation Procedures 56

Program Policies and Procedures for Health and Safety 57

Stress and Frustration as Health and Safety Issues 58

A STORY TO END WITH 59

SUMMARY 60

ONLINE RESOURCES 60

REFLECTION QUESTIONS 60

TERMS TO KNOW 61

FOR FURTHER READING 61

3 Communicating with Young Children 62

COMMUNICATION, RELATIONSHIPS,AND THE COGNITIVE CONNECTION 64

LISTENING: AN IMPORTANT SKILL 66

Listening and Giving Feedback Are Valuable to Communication 66

Listening and Responding to Different Situations 68

HOW TO COMMUNICATE CLEARLY 74

Ask Real Questions, Not Rhetorical Ones 75

Validate Feelings and Perceptions Instead of Discounting Them 75

Address Uncomfortable Situations Instead of Ignoring the Obvious 76

Be Congruent; Avoid Incongruence 77

Watch Out for Double-Bind Messages 78

Use Redirection Instead of Distraction 78

Be Sensitive About Questioning Children 81

USING OBSERVATION AND REFLECTION TO IMPROVE COMMUNICATION 82

A STORY TO END WITH 84

SUMMARY 84

ONLINE RESOURCES 84

REFLECTION QUESTIONS 84

TERMS TO KNOW 85

FOR FURTHER READING 85

4 Facilitating Young Children’s Work and Play 86

WHO’S IN THE SPOTLIGHT—ADULT OR CHILDREN? 88

The Teacher as Director and Star 89

The Teacher as Responder, Protector, and Facilitator 90

PLAY, COGNITION, AND LEARNING 90

Focus on Inclusion: Making Play Available and Appropriate for All Children 94

Playing to Get Smart 97

Is Play Always Fun? 97

How Does Play Differ from Work? 98

Types of Play—Cognitive and Social 98

Benefits of Play 102

WORK: A WAY OF LEARNING 104

Adult Attitudes Toward Work and Their Effect on Children 104

Children’s Observations of Adults at Work 105

The Project Approach to Learning 107

THE ADULT’S ROLES IN CHILDREN’S WORK AND PLAY 107

The Adult as Observer 107

The Adult as Stage Manager 109

The Adult as Teacher 110

The Adult as Encourager 112

A STORY TO END WITH 116

SUMMARY 117

ONLINE RESOURCES 117

REFLECTION QUESTIONS 117

TERMS TO KNOW 117

FOR FURTHER READING 118

5 Guiding Young Children’s Behavior 120

APPROPRIATE BEHAVIOR AL EXPECTATIONS 122

PUNISHMENT, INCLUDING SPANKING, IS A NO NO 123

What’s Wrong with Punishment? 124

Side Effects of Punishment 127

GUIDANCE ALTERNATIVES TO PUNISHMENT 128

Time-Out 129

Learning from Consequences 130

Setting Limits 130

Redirection 135

Teaching Children to Express Their Feelings 135

Modeling Prosocial Behaviors 136

Focus on Inclusion: Children with Special Needs 140

INTERPRETING CHILDREN’S BEHAVIOR 142

A STORY TO END WITH 145

SUMMARY 146

ONLINE RESOURCES 146

REFLECTION QUESTIONS 146

TERMS TO KNOW 147

FOR FURTHER READING 147

6 The Teacher as Model 148

MODELING NONVIOLENT PROBLEM SOLVING 151

Seeking Information 152

Recognizing Alternatives 154

Considering Consequences 156

The Many Roots of Violence 157

MODELING SELF-ESTEEM 159

Modeling Virtue 159

Modeling Power 160

Modeling Significance 162

Modeling Competence 164

MODELING EQUITY 165

MODELING LEARNING, DEVELOPMENT, AND COGNITION 167

Reflective Practice and The Importance of Observation 169

Creating an Emergent Curriculum 170

A STORY TO END WITH 175

SUMMARY 175

ONLINE RESOURCES 175

REFLECTION QUESTIONS 176

TERMS TO KNOW 176

FOR FURTHER READING 176

7 Modeling Adult Relationships in Early ChildhoodSettings 178

WORKING WITH EACH OTHER: RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHEREARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS 181

Being Sensitive to Cultural Diversity 183

Recognizing Some Differences in the Way Adults Approach Problems 183

The Importance of Being Authentic 186

Handling Adult Disagreements Through Dialoguing 187

Teachers Dialoguing: An Example 188

WORKING WITH FAMILIES: PROFESSIONALS’RELATIONSHIPS WITH FAMILIES 190

Making Families Feel Part of the Program 192

Honoring Diversity 193

Focus on Inclusion: A Special Kind of Partnership 194

Recognizing That Parents’ and Providers’ Roles Are Different 195

Handling Conflicts with Parents 196

Facilitating Communication with Families 203

Supporting Families 204

A STORY TO END WITH 205

SUMMARY 206

ONLINE RESOURCES 206

REFLECTION QUESTIONS 207

TERMS TO KNOW 207

FOR FURTHER READING 207

Part 2

Foundations in Supporting Development and Learning 210

8 Setting Up the Physical Environment 212

SETTING UP ACTIVITY AREAS 216

Focus on Inclusion: Modifying the Environment for Special Needs 217

Physical-Care Centers 218

Infant Play Areas 220

Interest Centers 221

Gross-Motor Learning Spaces 222

OTHER CONSIDERATIONS FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD ENVIRONMENTS 223

“Dimensions” 223

Space 225

How Much Should There Be to Do? 226

Circulation Patterns 226

Balance 228

A SAFE AND HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT 230

Ensuring Developmental Appropriateness 230

Providing Protection 232

Focus on Inclusion: Safe Environments for All 233

Assessing the Environment for Safety 234

Sanitation and Cleanliness 234

THE ENVIRONMENT AS A REFLECTION OF PROGRAM

GOALS AND VALUES 236

Individuality 237

Independence and Interdependence 237

Cooperation 237

Authenticity 239

The Outdoors and Nature 240

Exploration 241

Aesthetics 242

ENVIRONMENTS FOR VARIOUS TYPES OF PROGRAMS 242

Full-Day Child Care Center 242

Half-Day Parent Co-op 243

Half-Day Head Start Preschool 243

School-Age Child Care 243

Family Child Care Home 245

Kindergarten and Primary Programs 245

A STORY TO END WITH 245

SUMMARY 246

ONLINE RESOURCES 246

REFLECTION QUESTIONS 247

TERMS TO KNOW 247

FOR FURTHER READING 247

9 Creating a Social-Emotional Environment 248

QUALITIES OF THE SO CIAL-EMOTIONAL ENVIRONMENT 250

Respect 250

WARMTH, NURTURANCE, ACCEPTANCE, PROTECTION, ANDRESPONSIVENESS 253

Continuity 255

Focus on Inclusion: A Feeling of Belonging 256

SHOULD THE PROGRAM FOCUS ON THE COMMUNITY OR ON THEINDIVIDUAL? 257

CULTURAL ISSUES 258

The Child’s Home Culture 261

The Dynamic Nature of Culture 265

THE EVOLUTION OF THE EARLY CHILDHOOD CULTURE 267

A STORY TO END WITH 268

SUMMARY 268

ONLINE RESOURCES 268

REFLECTION QUESTIONS 269

TERMS TO KNOW 270

FOR FURTHER READING 270

10 Routines 272

CAREGIVING AS CURRICULUM 274

Synchronous Interactions 278

Attachment 280

PHYSICAL-CARE ROUTINES 281

Feeding 281

Toileting 284

Resting 286

Grooming and Dressing 288

Focus on Inclusion: Adapting Routines for Children with Special Needs 288

OTHER ROUTINES 290

Transitions 290

Group Time 295

A STORY TO END WITH 297

SUMMARY 298

ONLINE RESOURCES 298

REFLECTION QUESTIONS 298

TERMS TO KNOW 299

FOR FURTHER READING 299

11 Developmental Tasks as the Curriculum: How toSupport Children at Each Stage 300

WHAT CHILDREN NEED: A BROAD VIEW 303

DEVELOPMENTAL STAGES 306

Young Infants 306

Mobile Infants 309

Toddlers 311

Two-Year-Olds 314

Three-Year-Olds 316

Four-Year-Olds 318

Five-Year-Olds 321

School-Age Children 323

A STORY TO END WITH 325

SUMMARY 325

ONLINE RESOURCES 325

REFLECTION QUESTIONS 326

TERMS TO KNOW 326

FOR FURTHER READING 326

12 Observing, Recording, and Assessing 328

OBSERVING 334

RECORDING 336

Anecdotal Records 336

Running Record Observations 336

Incidents Reports 339

Journals 339

Photographs, Sound Recordings, and Videos 340

Checklists and Mapping 340

Time Samples 343

ASSESSING 345

Assessing the Children 346

Assessing the Program 350

A STORY TO END WITH 353

SUMMARY 354

ONLINE RESOURCES 354

REFLECTION QUESTIONS 354

TERMS TO KNOW 354

FOR FURTHER READING 355

Part 3

Planning for Learning and Development by EnhancingChildren’s Curiosity, Joy, and Sense of Wonder 356

13 Enhancing Children’s Learning and DevelopmentThrough Language and Emergent Literacy 358

DIVERSITY AND LANGUAGE 361

HOW TO FACILITATE LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT 364

Facilitating Language Development in Infants and Toddlers 365

Facilitating Language Development in Two Year Olds 367

Facilitating Language Development in Three, Four, and Five Year Olds 368

Facilitating Language Development in School Age Children 374

Emergent Literacy 375

A Reading-Readiness Approach Versus an Emergent Literacy Approach 378

Emergent Literacy for Infants and Toddlers 379

Promoting the Development of Emergent Literacy Skills in Three, Four, and Five Year Olds 380

Promoting the Development of Emergent Literacy Skills in School Age Children 383

A STORY TO END WITH 385

SUMMARY 386

ONLINE RESOURCES 386

REFLECTION QUESTIONS 386

TERMS TO KNOW 386

FOR FURTHER READING 387

14 Fostering Joy in Developmentally AppropriateExperiences in Math and Science 388

THE CONSTRUCTIVIST APPROACH 390

What Do Children Learn? 391

How Do Children Learn? 391

MATH 392

Infants and Toddlers and Math 392

Preschoolers and Math 394

School Age Children and Math 395

Concepts of Time and Space 395

“Real-World Math” 396

Games 397

SCIENCE 397

A Constructivist Approach Versus Formal Science Lessons 397

Physics and the Project Approach 398

Chemistry and the Project Approach 400

Two Basic Science Concepts 401

Nature Study 403

Transitions Projects 404

BASIC EQUIPMENT AND MATERIALS FOR MATH AND SCIENCELEARNING 408

A STORY TO END WITH 410

SUMMARY 411

ONLINE RESOURCES 411

REFLECTION QUESTIONS 412

TERMS TO KNOW 412

FOR FURTHER READING 412

15 Integrating Art, Music, and Social Studies into aHolistic Curriculum 414

ART 416

What Do Children Gain from Art Experiences? 418

Facilitating Art Experiences 421

MUSIC 422

Facilitating Music Experiences 422

Group Time: Singing 423

Group Time: Instruments 425

Creative Movement 425

SOCIAL STUDIES 426

Social Studies Begins with Self 426

From Self to Others 428

From Self and Others to Community 430

HOW THE EARLY CHILDHOOD PROFESSIONAL WEAVES THE FABRIC OF THE PROGRAM 430

Creating and Explaining a Holistic Curriculum 430

A STORY TO END WITH 432

SUMMARY 433

ONLINE RESOURCES 433

REFLECTION QUESTIONS 434

TERMS TO KNOW 434

FOR FURTHER READING 434

ENDNOTES E 436

GLOSSARY G-1 445

REFERENCES R-1 453

PHOTO CREDITS C-1

INDEX I