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Children Can Vote Too

Monday, November 1st, 2010

The Importance of Voting

Voting is one of the greatest privileges given to American citizens. American democracy depends on the participation of all its citizens to elect its officials. Speak out, take action, vote and involve yourself in the political system. Teach your children the values of democracy so they too will become responsible participants in the electoral process. As the election rapidly approaches, teach your children the values of the democratic system. Discuss the U.S. Constitution, Bill of Rights and the basic principals of justice, freedom, equality, diversity, privacy, tolerance, patriotism, civic responsibility and respect. No matter how young your children are, it is never too early to talk to them about the basic principals of being an American and the responsibility that comes with being a U.S. citizen. Discuss the candidates and the issues each nominee stands for in front of your children. Plant a seed of curiosity and interest as early as you can.

Involving Children

It is important to get your children involved in voting as early as you can. Draw parallels between family decisions and national elections. Allow your children to vote on what to have for dinner, snack, TV and radio selections or the allocation of chores. Allowing children to vote at an early age provides opportunities for critical thinking, analysis and debate. Invoke critical thinking and ask your children “What would you do if you were President? What rules would you make up? What problems do you want to solve?” This will allow your children to explore areas of democracy, society and basic human rights in a way they understand. Hold a pretend house helper election: Cookie Monster verses the Count. Help your children create slogans, posters and different ideologies for each candidate. Determine the pros and cons of each candidate with your children to invoke analysis. Discuss which candidate would be the most helpful and elicit debate among your family. Create a ballot box with your children and vote for the house helper.

Election Day

Give your children their first taste of democracy and take them with you to vote. No matter how young your children are, it is important to familiarize them with the process. Explain on the ride to the polling place that voting is a civic act that is extremely important to many people. Millions of people go to great lengths to vote; leaving their homes and places of work, despite the weather or other obstacles, to have their voices heard. When you arrive at the polling place, do not just put in your card, press a button and leave. Explain the process and its importance. Discuss what it means to you. If the voting area allows, take your children into the booth with you, where you can read and explain the ballot process to them. This can be an exciting new process for your children; let them put the ballot through the machine, punch the holes or simply hand it in. Celebrate your child’s civic participation and let them proudly wear the “I Voted” sticker. Treat election day as a great learning opportunity for you and your family. Discuss, participate, vote and celebrate. Happy voting!

VOTING ACTIVITIES

Introduce the concept of voting with age-appropriate activities:

Infant to One Year

✔ Select a favorite toy

First Steps (12 to 18 months)

✔ Learn party symbols of Donkey and Elephant

✔ Select a story to read

Toddler and Get Set (18 to 36 months)

✔ Vote on a game to play

✔ Vote for a favorite color

✔ Vote for a favorite food

✔ Select a food to eat

Preschool to Pre-K (36 months +)

✔ Conduct a mock election

✔ Identify Presidential candidates

Tags: Election, Learning through Play, Socio-dramatic play, Voting
Posted in parenting, Preschool, Tips | No Comments »

Ask the Expert: Transitioning to Childcare

Tuesday, July 27th, 2010

My daughter is currently cared for by my mom (her grandmother) while we are at work. I would like to move her to a center for a few days per week when she is 15 months old, mostly for additional stimulation and socialization. Can you please recommend steps we can take to make the transition the easiest on her?

Transitioning your child from home care to childcare is wrenching for every parent. In fact, most babies and young children adapt to their new environment more easily than parents do. And it’s important for parents to appreciate and care for their own emotions at this juncture.

As with so many things for young children, taking it slow and easy can work wonders. If your child is moving into alternative childcare for the first time, make the transition gradual, providing lots of support.

Make sure your child meets the caregivers or teachers before moving into this new environment. If you choose a childcare center or a preschool, make sure your child knows at least one other child in the class. If your child doesn’t already know someone, ask the caregiver to suggest one or two children who might be good matches for your child, and set up a few play dates.

Talk to your child about the new arrangement, describing the friends to be made and the wonderful things to be done and learned. Talk about being apart and getting back together. Play games such as hide-and-seek that demonstrate being apart and together.

When moving to a new childcare arrangement, start gradually, if possible. For example, allow your child to be alone at the childcare center for short periods at first, then slowly increase the time away from you.

Once the new arrangements are underway, get up a bit earlier so you have time together before you leave. Also, make special family times in the evenings and on weekends.

Let your child take her favorite toy or “softie” to school.

Tell the caregiver or teacher of any factors that might influence your child’s behavior or needs for the day, such as a restless night, family illness or visits from relatives.

Be aware that separation anxiety may come and go in cycles. You can ease your child’s upsets if you make your departure warm and smooth, staying long enough to let your child settle in, but without lingering. And never sneak out or lie, telling your little one you “will be right back” just before you dash to the parking lot. Your child needs to be able to rely on his trust in you as he navigates this new world.

When you pick your child up, ask the caregiver about what happened during the day. Then discuss the day’s events with your child.

Tags: Child care, Early childhood education, Preschool, Transitions
Posted in Ask the Expert, Dr. Kyle Pruett, Preschool, Tips | No Comments »

Parent-Teacher Communication

Wednesday, July 14th, 2010

Teachers - Goddard School Establishing a strong, open line of communication between parents and teachers is an essential part of any child’s education. Doing so allows parents to always remain apprised of their child’s progress and, should a problem arise, allows for easy discussion on ways to address and remedy the situation.

Never hesitate to get the lines of communication flowing. As your child’s teacher greets each new student on the first day of school, take advantage of the situation to introduce yourself as well. Ask how and when would be the best time to contact them if you have questions or just want to check in on your child’s progress.

Try to communicate with your child’s teacher regularly. Frequent chats help build your parent-teacher relationship and allow for a constant flow of feedback so you both can better understand and address your child’s needs.

Becoming involved in school events and/or parent-teacher organizations offers another great forum for developing parent-teacher communication. Make an effort to attend open houses, social events and/or join the school’s PTO.

Once the lines of communication are established, you and your child’s teacher can work together throughout the school year to monitor and guide your child’s educational goals.

Tags: Early childhood education, Preschool, School, The Goddard School
Posted in Preschool, School | No Comments »

Managing Parental Emotions of Childcare

Friday, July 9th, 2010

Don’t pretend you’re fine when you’re not.

It’s much better to acknowledge your feelings. It’s normal to feel grief at this change. You will come through sooner and better if you face your feelings head on.

Don’t believe you are a bad parent for choosing childcare.

If you have chosen a good center or caregiver, you can be confident that your child is in good hands, so there is no logical reason to feel guilty. But if you continue to feel guilty, it’s important to come to grips with these feelings. Be especially alert if you are tempted to change your parenting style. For example, some parents start easing up on setting limits to compensate for their guilt. Such behavior leads nowhere you or your child want to go.

Don’t become critical of your child’s caregiver.

It’s important to have a good relationship with caregivers. Their observations and advice can be extremely helpful to your parenting. If you find you feel critical even though the caregiver’s work doesn’t merit such an attitude, recognize that your feelings are a part of the separation process. Then begin to focus on the caregiver’s talents and good qualities. Rest assured that no caregiver will take your place in your child’s life or heart. The new attachments to other warm and loving caregivers are beneficial. They also are good signs of your child’s emotional maturity and your achievement in nurturing that maturity.

Don’t underestimate the importance of the transition to childcare.

If you pretend the new routine doesn’t matter, you may underestimate the good things that can come from this new experience for your child and you – new friends, new learning, new sources of information and new ideas on parenting.

Tags: Early childhood development, Early childhood education, Preschool, The Goddard School, Transitions
Posted in Preschool, Tips | No Comments »

Child Care Prep Tips for Parents-to-Be

Wednesday, June 9th, 2010

Expectant parents have a lot on their minds from shopping for playpens, to stocking up on diapers, to baby proofing the house. They also have to make a decision about child care. If both parents are going back to work after the baby’s arrival, one thing that must be added to the checklist is finding high-quality child care.

Start Early
The best time to begin researching child care providers for your infant is before your child is born. It might sound a little silly to begin your search so early, but there are a few good reasons to do so. Many families reserve their children’s spots early on, creating long waiting lists at many child care providers. A mom-to-be who waits until the last trimester may encounter some restriction in going out and taking a tour, especially if she needs bed rest. The sooner you find a provider that you are comfortable with, the sooner you can relax and enjoy the time with your newborn.

Location
Another factor to consider is location. You may feel more comfortable having a child care provider close to home, but you’ll need to think about whether this creates problems with picking your child up on time after work due to traffic. You could also choose a location closer to your work, but this could create problems if you ever work from home. If you choose to breast feed, it is more practical to pick a location near your workplace, this way you may be able to go to your baby and nurse. Find out the designated area for breast feeding and if there is a quiet place where you can do this. A few other questions to ask is which parent will be primarily responsible for dropping off and picking up your child, or will you share that role. If you’re sharing the role perhaps you should find a child care provider that is centrally located.

Health & Safety
There is nothing more important than your child’s safety, and when it comes to health and safety there is no question too big or small. Find out if proper hand washing techniques are being utilized. Go ahead and ask about diapering procedures, and whether the location is cleaned every day by a professional. Be clear about any illness policy that determines when children are too ill to attend. Take a tour and see for yourself if the environment is clean and inviting. With all of the concern over immunizations these days, it’s important to ask if the school requires a medical screen and updated immunizations in order to enroll a child, and if the teachers have to provide a medical screen as well.

Director and Teacher Qualifications
You’ll certainly want to find out if the school employs teachers with education and experience in Early Childhood Education. Don’t assume that the school requires ongoing teacher training and development, ask about their plans for ongoing professional development. Make sure to inquire whether teachers are required to have first aid/CPR training. It’s important to know if children are supervised by sight and sound at all times and if the group sizes are small. Smaller group sizes and low teacher-to-child ratios ensure better supervision and safety. These ratios vary from state to state, so inquire about regulations.

Getting a third party opinion is not a bad idea either. You shouldn’t base your decision solely on that, but getting input from friends and family definitely helps in making a decision. To get a real sense of what the typical day is like at the child care provider, you should also make it a point to visit during hours of operation. Plan ahead by asking about other classrooms as well so that you can see the program that your child will attend as he/she grows.

Tags: Child care, Early childhood development, Early childhood education, Preschool, The Goddard School
Posted in Development, Parents, Preschool, Tips | No Comments »

Preventing Summer Learning Losses

Tuesday, June 1st, 2010

Reading - Teacher & Boy As the school year comes to a close, it is only natural for children to look forward to the leisurely nature of the summer season. The arrival of beach trips, pool parties and sleepovers, however, doesn’t mean that children should depart completely from their daily routine. Keeping particular elements of a child’s day consistent throughout the summer months keeps the brain focused and helps prevent learning losses during the summer. In addition, this can potentially ease the anxiety that often accompanies transitioning into a new classroom or school come fall.

According to research conducted by the National Center for Summer Learning, which is based at the Johns Hopkins School of Education in Baltimore, Maryland, summer learning loss accounts for about two-thirds of the difference in the likelihood of a student pursuing a college preparatory path in high school. As these findings indicate, keeping children’s brains challenged throughout the summer is crucial, since the lack of learning that occurs during these months has both short-term and long-term consequences.

Routine provides structure, which is often lacking during the summer months when children all too quickly become detached from the lessons they learned throughout the school year. Maintaining a schedule throughout the summer supports an environment that is less of a contrast to the classroom and provides a healthy balance between building skills, play and rest.

Families can incorporate the following habits into their child’s day to encourage and maintain a routine throughout the summer season:

Early to bed, early to rise: To the best extent possible, children should adhere to a regular bedtime each night and wake up at the same time each day. This will not only ensure proper rest but will establish a sense of discipline as well.

Clean up and get dressed: Upon waking up, it is important that children brush their teeth, get dressed and perform any other hygienic tasks that they normally would before a school day. Allowing kids to stay in pajamas or dirty clothes longer than necessary can result in lazy behavior.

Make eating an event: Keeping a child on a consistent meal schedule is critical to maintaining a sharp body and mind. Establish specific times for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and sit with children at the table to encourage conversation while eating.

Take a rest: If a child partakes in a scheduled nap time while at school, then he or she should be allotted time at home for regular rest as well. Make this time consistent, perhaps after lunch, and have the child rest in the same place everyday.

Perform daily chores: Asking a child to help around the house is an ideal way to get them involved in a daily routine. A morning chore and an afternoon chore can convey a sense of responsibility and supply a sense of rhythm to the day.

In addition to providing consistency, routines can present children with security and comfort as they adjust to the changes that come along with their new summer schedules. The purpose is not to create rigidity but to provide a flexible structure that establishes a sense of purpose kids need to grow and mature.

Tags: Preschool, Preventing Summer Learning Losses, Summer, Summer learning, Summer routine
Posted in Preschool, Summer, Tips | 1 Comment »

Michele Borba: How to Choose a Quality Child Care

Thursday, May 20th, 2010

by Dr. Michele Borba
Reality Check: Blogging About Parenting Issues and the Solutions to Solve Them
Posted on May 14, 2010

OK, you’ve read the results. You recognize know that the study says the key to reap academic and behavior gains for your child’s success is to find a QUALITY care giver. Of course you want a great day care for your child. But how do you know which facility is the best one for your child? How do you know which is a quality care facility? My strongest recommendation: Observe a few. And always observe when children are there. It will help you decide if it’s a place you want your child to spend part of his or her day.

Here are a few questions to ask yourself and the staff in making your final decision:

1. Does this seem like a place my child would like to be?
Use your instinct on this one. Can you see your child fitting in and being comfortable in this environment? Are the children enjoying themselves? Do they appear to be happy and active? Is there a variety of activities that are age-appropriate for the children? You know your child better than anyone, so rely on your instincts.

2. Are there rich, interactive language experiences?
Watch the staff interaction with the children closely. Are they talking with the children? Are the children communicating with the staff? Are there rich language experiences and if so are they “hands-on” (not just paper and pencil)? For instance, is the staff reading, speaking, listening to the children? Are there outings, art, dress up, and play type of activities in which children can communicate with peers? Is there a television and if so, is it being used as a “baby sitter”?

3. Is the staff knowledgeable about child development?
Ask the staff what their philosophy about early childhood education is (don’t worry if you don’t know their answer – make sure they have one). Ask how the staff is trained in child development and how frequently? How many of the staff are credentialed in early childhood education? How do they stay current on the latest child development research (such as this study)? What is the educational background and credentials of the supervisor?

4. What is the daily schedule?
There should be a consistent daily structure where children know what is expected. Is there a balance between physical activities and quieter ones? Watch the children. Are they doing the kinds of activities your child would enjoy doing? There must be rich language experiences and activities that stimulate cognitive growth to reap those gains. Make sure children are actively engaged in creative play, interacting with adults, and are not just sitting and doing paper and pencil tasks. Make sure the television is not used as a baby sitter! Then visualize your child in this setting: Is this a good match for your child’s needs, temperament and abilities?

5. What is the ratio between staff and children?
It’s always best to have a smaller number of staff to children. You want to make sure your child is being closely watched. You also want to make sure there is positive interaction (face-to-face!!) between that caregiver and your child.

6. Is the staff “kid friendly?”
Watch the interaction between the staff and children. Do they enjoy kids? Are they patient and kid-oriented? Are they respectful towards them? And (most importantly) do the children appear to enjoy the staff? The “kid friendly” rule has always been the one I was the pickiest about when choosing a school for my own children. A key to the study was that a “High Quality Caregiver” was warm, supportive and provided quality cognitive stimulation. Watch for those traits!

7. What is the discipline policy?
Ask what their discipline approach is for inappropriate children’s behavior – especially for hitting or biting. Ask, “How do you deal with aggressive children?” Make sure they have a thought-out plan and you agree with their plan. Watch how the children interact with one another: are they caring or aggressive? If you witness an aggressive child, how does the staff respond? The NIH report found that the longer a child was in day care the more likely he would be impulsive at age 15. Habits are formed early. Make sure the facility has a proactive approach to behavior and knows how to replace acting out, aggressive behaviors with more appropriate ones.

8. Is the Day Care within my budget?
Are there any additional costs for the program such as materials or transportation? Find out the entire budget. Is it worth the cost?

9. Will my child fit in and be safe here?
Is it well gated? Are electrical sockets covered? Are fire extinguishers available? How well are they equipped to deal with accidents? Is the staff trained in CPR? Hopefully, there will never be a safety issue, but a good day care makes sure that children’s safety is a primary focus. What do you when my child or other children are ill? Find out what the policy is when children are ill at the center. Is there a supervised location where they can be removed from the other children? Could I see my child in this facility or with this care giver? Is this a place where he would fit in, feel comfortable and thrive? (Use your instinct! Get into the shoes of your child and see the caregiver or facility from your child’s eyes!)

10. Does the staff share the same values as I do?
These people will be sharing their lives with your child, so you want them to hopefully share a few similar values. Think through what are your core beliefs about raising your child and watch to see if the staff models them. For instance: Are they respectful? Do they require children to be courteous and are they courteous to children? Are they dressed neat and appropriately?

For more parenting strategies on this and 101 other issues refer to my latest book, The Big Book of Parenting Solutions: 101 Answers to Your Everyday Challenges and Wildest Worries. You can also follow me on twitter @MicheleBorba and subscribe to my daily blog, Dr. Borba’s Reality Check on my website, MicheleBorba.

Tags: Choosing a child care, Early childhood development, Michele Borba, Preschool, The Goddard School
Posted in Ask the Expert, Preschool | No Comments »

Michele Borba: Study Finds Impact of Child Care on Teens

Wednesday, May 19th, 2010

by Dr. Michele Borba
Reality Check: Blogging About Parenting Issues and the Solutions to Solve Them
Posted on May 14, 2010

Over 2.3 million American kids under five are cared for at day care centers. If you’re like most parents, I’m sure you’ve pondered the age-old question: “What impact does child care have on my child? Now there’s an answer.

A federally funded study by the Early Child Care Research Network just released results that will have parents and educators alike on alert.

I shared those results with Ann Curry this morning on the TODAY show. Here are key discoveries from this fascinating research:

Since 1991 researchers have been tracking over 1364 families. Children in the study were randomly selected at birth (all born within 24 hours of each other) from 10 different American locations and have been followed since one month of age. Upper, middle, and lower income families were represented. Investigators examined how differences among families, children and child care arrangements might be correlated to their health as well as intellectual, social and emotional development. The children were evaluated periodically, most recently at age 15, with a host of measures. The study is significant because it is first to track children representing all demographics and incomes a full decade after they left child care.

Key Findings Parents and Educators Should Know

As the researchers point out, “Parents have far more influence on children’s growth and development than any type child care they receive.”

Academic and behavior gains from child care that endured until age 15 were slightly higher when children were involved with “high quality child caregivers.” High quality is defined as caregivers who warm, supportive and provide high quality cognitive stimulation.

Teens who were in high-quality child care settings before age 5 scored higher on measures of academic and cognitive achievement.

Specific academic areas (in order) that showed the highest gains at age 15: Reading, Vocabulary, Verbal Analogies, and Math.

Teen also reported fewer acting-out behaviors than peers who were in lower-quality child care arrangements during their early years.

Teens who spent more hours in child care in their first 4½ years of life reported a greater tendency toward impulsiveness and risk-taking behaviors (taking drugs, smoking, and alcohol) at age 15 than did peers who spent less time in child care.

More than a decade after parents stopped those day care payments the behavior differences were still evident.

Though differences in these measures among the youth were deemed small, researchers still considered them significant since the gains latest until age 15. Translation: high quality care giving in the early years affects children’s social, academic, and behavioral development in the teen years.

For parenting strategies and 101 other issues refer to my latest book, The Big Book of Parenting Solutions: 101 Answers to Your Everyday Challenges and Wildest Worries. You can also follow me on twitter @MicheleBorba and subscribe to my daily blog, Dr. Borba’s Reality Check on my website, MicheleBorba.

Tags: Child care, Early Child Care Research Network, Michele Borba, NICHD, Preschool
Posted in Ask the Expert, Preschool | No Comments »

The Symbols of Play

Thursday, May 13th, 2010

Excerpt from Me, Myself and I

Think about it. Play helps children understand that things can stand for other things – that keys or shoes can stand for “Daddy,” that her purse or lipstick can stand for “Mommy,” that a leash or collar can stand for “dog.” It is quite amazing, really, because there is no way we can ever achieve that for our kids. They simply have to sort it out on their own.

Dramatic Play How? As a child rummages through the bottom of the closet and pulls out a familiar pair of big, old shoes, someone who takes notice in the sequence of the child’s play will say the word “Daddy,” and probably more than once. The child plays (with pleasure) as she pairs them up, hefts her weight, maybe even struggles to put on those size 12s. And the “power” word she hears in this whole scenario is “Daddy.” After the memory and pleasure centers in the brain connect with the word heard for this experience, the experience gets filed (pleasantly) under “Daddy” or “shoes” or “smelly feet” – probably all three.

But more importantly, the experience gets remembered (learned), and soon the play starts to symbolize the child’s experience with any or all of the parts of this scene. Which experience is hard to predict, be it remembering her father when he is gone, classifying pairs of things that belong together, or the raw joy of exploring. But the experience now has some kind of symbol connected to it, thanks to play.

Moreover, experience gets symbolized and images fixed through play in a way that the child can create new symbols over time. He combines and reshapes old ones, or uses them in novel ways. This capacity to manipulate and change them gives him wonderful new tools for elaborating his own experience and understanding of the world and his place in it. This remarkable capacity it what we call “imagination.”

Tags: Child's play, Dramatic play, Imagination
Posted in Dr. Kyle Pruett, Learning through Play, Preschool | No Comments »

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