An Early Childhood Education blog focusing on Licensing, Policies and Best Practices.
If you are new to the early childhood field or a seasoned veteran, this interview with Estora Roberts is sure to give you some things to think about. With over 30 years of experience in the early childhood field, Estora has worked at both privately owned and Head Start programs, having seen how they contrast. This interview goes into her career and her observations in the field. I hope you enjoy it!
Transition times are important to the overall flow of the classroom. Whenever a caregiver says to me “I have such a hard time getting the children to sit down for lunch or to clean up before we go outside” My first question is what is your transition activity? Teachers and children should have a segue from one active to the next; this is called your transition time.
A transition time is when the children move from one activity to another, such as inside to outside, returning to the classroom, classroom to gross motor room (gym, cafeteria, multipurpose room), activity to meal time (breakfast, snack, or lunch), free play to circle time, free play to small group activity, free play to story time, nap time to activity, and any activity to clean-up.
Transition times happen at various periods throughout the day. Some children recognize transition periods because they are clearly defined by the teacher and in other situations, there is not a well-defined transition period and the children are not clear as to what is expected of them. When transition times are not defined and organized, teachers and children tend to become frustrated during these periods. When teachers are frustrated, the children are not provided with clear direction and mistakes can, and often are, made.
One of the major mistakes that happens during transition periods are children are left in the classroom, outside on the playground, or in the gym. Teachers should make sure that they are counting the children before they leave any area. Teachers should have the children line up by singing a song or fingerplay with activities to count the children with a name-to-face. This will ensure that all the children are accounted for before they leave the area. This will also reduce the amount of times that children are left unsupervised by mistake.
Have a clean-up song and transition activity that allows the children to know that they are changing activities. Have the children sing the same clean up song regularly, have a count down before clean-up will begin, and let the children know what activity will be following clean up. Such as, we will be cleaning up in 3 minutes for circle time. The children should know that they are clean-up in preparation for the next activity. Allow enough time for clean up so that you are not feeling the need to clean up the areas to expedite the process.
If you are cleaning up for circle time have the children sit on the carpet once their area is clean. While they are on the carpet have them sing the clean-up song. The children could also help their friends to finish cleaning up the other areas. The teacher could start circle time while the other children are finishing up cleaning. The children can join circle time when they are finished cleaning. Remember that it is ok for children to join an activity; not all children have to be finished before another activity can be started. This is also true for meal times. Is it fair to the children that are finished eating to have to wait for their friends at the table before they can go on to the next activity? Also, should children have to wait for all the children to have their food before they can start to eat? Where this is a very polite trait to have, it’s not fair for the children that are hungry with food sitting in front of them to not be able to eat. Having a well-organized transition period will reduce frustration and mistakes therefore, keeping children safe. This can be accomplished through songs, fingerplay and movements during transition times.
Diversity is important because early childhood classrooms are becoming more diverse in various ways: Cultural, racial, physical, religious beliefs, languages, and family dynamics to name a few. However, I feel that there is not always adequate diversity displayed and shared with young children. At this point, we as early childhood educators have to ask ourselves why our classrooms are not promoting diversity. Is it because we do not always understand different cultures and races? One way to learn about different cultures and races within the center is to have family members share their customs daily through their interactions within the classroom if available. If this option is not available then contact organizations or community leaders to come into the classroom and share with the children.
Diversity must be incorporated into the early childhood curriculum. When teachers are planning their curriculum and activities they must integrate elements that focus on educating children about racial and cultural diversity. Teachers should discuss topics regarding cultural differences with young children in an inclusive and supportive manner.
Children and teachers can explore various cultures and languages through print, speech, dress, stories, and customs. Programs may focus on a different culture each week. A classroom where the staff and children are enjoying an enriched environment that caters to various cultures will generate awareness for the staff, students, and parents.
Activities should be introduced into the classrooms that promote diversity in a positive fashion through the following:
Programs that are racially and culturally sensitive provide the support that children need to grow and mature with a sense of acceptance as well as feeling accepted. It is important to recognize that if we teach children when they are young to accept others, the world will be a much better place. Knowledge and exposure are the true keys to reducing all forms of prejudice.
For additional information on incorporating diversity into your classroom click on the link http://www.drthomasa.com/promoting-diversity-within-the-early-childhood-classroom/
Brain research has provided a foundation within the early childhood field. Brain research has shown that no child develops in the same fashion because all brains are different (Tokuhama-Espinosa, 2011). “The brain is possibly the most complex structure in the universe and our understanding of it is still in its infancy, in spite of the enormous strides in recent times in untangling some of its processes.” (Robinson, 2011, p. 9). The brain is unique in its function and make-up. There are no individuals that have the same brain not even identical twins.
Early childhood educators must recognize that each child is an individual in their brain development and thinking. It is important to develop the brain of young children to increase their functional development. Research studies have suggested that the early years of a child’s life are the most important for brain development and functioning. “It is generally agreed that the fastest period of brain growth is in the first four years or so of life, with the growth in the first year to eighteen months perhaps being particularly dynamic.” (Robinson, 2011, p. 9). When developing programs for young children it is important to provide activities that will address their developmental needs to stimulate their brain development.
Early childhood educators that have the knowledge base of how a young child’s brain functions will provide an age appropriate individual learning environment for the children. We help children to grow and develop by providing them with age appropriate experiences that increase their knowledge base and brain development. When we do not recognize how the brain is affected, we may not provide an individualized program that stimulates and promotes brain development. Therefore, the earlier a child’s brain is stimulated the easier it will be for them to learn later in life. When young children are provided the opportunities to build their knowledge base, with exposer to an age appropriate environment, they will be better prepared to learn in the future.
Robinson, M. (2011). Understanding behaviour and development in early childhood: A guide to the theory and practice. New York: Routledge.
Tokuhama-Espinosa, T. (2011). Mind, brain, and education science: A comprehensive guide to the new brain-based teaching. New York: W.W. Norton & Company.
Whether you are at the NAEYC Annual Conference or just curious to see what tactics you can use to make sure you have quality employees at your center, this handout should help you out. This handout goes with my presentation this Saturday, titled “Are You Hiring the Right Person for the Job? Ways to Recruit, Hire, Train, and Retain the Right Person”
Click below to open the handout: