My Connections to Play!!!



"Children learn as they play. Most importantly, in play children learn how to learn."

O. Fred Donaldson

"Free the child's potential, and you will transform him into the world."

Maria Montessori



The role of play was very important to me as a young age. I can remember my mother supporting play with me as a young child. My Cabbage Patch Kid Lolita was favorite doll of all time. I remember getting her for Christmas on year, and it was the best! Lolita came with a birth certificate, and I remember signing my name on her birth certificate. When it was her birthday, I can remember my mom letting me invite a friend over with her Cabbage Patch for a pretend party. Also, I can remember playing school in my bedroom. I would take attendance and teaching my students (dolls). Reflecting on my childhood, I love teaching children. When I was pretending to play school and taking care of my dolls, it has fostered me into this profession. Children are my passion! This is a reason why children need play to learn and explore.  I believe play today is different from my childhood because it is full with technology to assist in the play. Its mind blowing to watch kids use the computer and send text messages better than adult can.  My 5 year-old step-son likes to play video games a lot, and we have always limit the time spend playing. I try to motivate him to go outside and experience just playing.   All early childhood programs should foster child-initial play. As children grow, it is a possibility the play will reflect what the child may become as an adult.

Relationship Reflection

Relationship/partnerships are very important to me because the knowledge gain you learn from these relationships. Relationship/partnerships can build character of person, build trusting relationships, and confidence. The relationships I have in my life represent my beliefs on relationship/partnerships.

Mother- My relationship with my mother is very important to me. My mom is a true nurturing person who taught me how to love and care. My mom made sure I had a childhood of experiencing thing in life outside of my normal environment. My mom made me feel significant by spending time, along with making sacrifices for a better life for me. Our relationship is based on our great conversation and spending time together. Our time together is a way of maintaining our nurturing relationship.

Dad- My father taught me about being an independent person. My dad took the time to teach me about the ways of survival in the world. Our relationship has evolved over the years from the many life lessons I’ve learned from him. He made me feel special by letting me always be, “daddy little girl.”

Fiancé- My Fiancé and I relationship have had multiple levels. We had a friendship that has developed into a relationship, my partner. My Fiancé has been a positive aspect on my life by empowering me to be the best I can, encouraging me when I’m down, and given me confidence. His has given me support and advice to achieve all my dreams. We have maintained our relationship by always being open-minded and supportive.

My relationship has instilled values of hard work and determination to best as I can be in my profession. From these relationships, I can truly said I’ve has blossom into a better person with morals and values that can handle any situation.

There are challenges to maintaining relationships, such as work, school, or living apart from each other. It is important to overcome these challenges by finding quality time together and keeping the connection. Relationship/partnerships developed at an early age look upon into adulthood.

Assessing The Right Way!

Many of schools get caught up with making sure the students can pass a standardized test and leave the creativity of a student behind. As educators, we need to rethink our intelligence. This includes understand the student’s ability and capability. Students should be assessed but using different learning styles to fit their need. Learning styles is a way a person perceives information educational using one or more methods. For instance, learning through auditory, visual, kinetics or tactile methods is a way to help children understand. You could use oral assessment for verbal learners, and for visual students use symbol such as graphic organizers. As educators, you have to accept each child learns differently, and we must adapt. For assessment, another convenient tool would be to incorporate examples from the child's environment. When you can bring good exterior experiences to the students, they seem more interest in what they are learning and understand. I think you can reach students with different muti-intelligence is to use more variety of assessments.

In South Africa, School Age children take an assessment in informal assessment such as observing oral, practical and written activities that the learner does independently. Also, formal assessment is a written test. All assessment is suiting the different learning styles and ability levels of all learners. The form(s) of assessment should also be grade and age-appropriate.

In addition, assessing young children should meet the student’s needs, not what the teacher’s manual tells us what to do.

Department: Basic Education Republic of South Africa (2011) Retrieved November 20,2011, from http://www.education.gov.za/Curriculum/CurriculumStatements/tabid/166/Default.aspx

R.M. Felder and R. Brent, "Understanding Student Differences." J. Engr. Education, 94(1), 57-72 (2005). An    exploration of differences in student learning styles, approaches to learning (deep, surface, and strategic), and levels of intellectual development, with recommended teaching practices to address all three categories

Poverty.....

“Poverty is the state of one who lacks a usual or socially acceptable amount of money or material possessions.”( Britannica, 2011)

With the many changes to our economy, the US is seeing a lot of poverty stricken families. I work in an Early Head Start program where we serve low-income families. I have the opportunity work with a variety of cultures that are in poverty. One family in particular I worked with was extremely poverty stricken. They were a family of 5 and with 3 children under the age of 4. The mother struggled to maintain the living environment while the father looked for work in another state. The living condition was in a mobile home that needed to condemn from the lack of repaired needed, no heat, unsafe and clearly unlivable for the family. It is a rental, and the slum lord did not care about the living condition as long as he was getting the money. The mother had to find ways to keep her family safe and warm. She would have all kids sleep in their clothes at night with a space heater. For safety, she would put the dresser against the door and pray that no one would hurt them. The mother would very sad a lot because she came to this country for a better life and everything was not what she thought it was. Her children would see her cry a lot and she missed her husband. The children seem very happy at times, but I observed the children being sad when the mother would cry. At the ages of the children, they could sense something was different, especially with the father not there. The children medical needs where not being met because they were living in poverty. The mother did not take them to the doctor because she was not concern with that because of everything she was dealing. As being a part of the program, we worked with this family to better the situation. We connected the mother with resources in the community that could help her, and made a referral to the doctor for medical service. We connected the father to job resources where he was able to get a job and move the family. Also, we have a license mental health specialist on staff that was able to talk with a parent on improve their emotional health. Once the family moved, they happier and the children seem to be progressing developmentally. The mother was back working with her children. The children seem more responsive to the mother and happy that the father was there every day. This was such a success story for our program. From helping the family become self-sufficient, the child’s development had improved.

The poverty rate in Mexico is the #1 stressor. I’ve learned the children in Mexico are experiences the same stressor as the US. For kids, poor health from poverty meant affliction for life. The children were severely sick at an early age due to lack of medical treatment. Many common diseases cause the children death in Mexico. From poverty, I believe the children developmental domains become delayed. Having access to the basic needs such as food, safe shelter, and medical treatment will foster the development; along with the family being emotionally stable. What is being done to minimize poverty is creating a Conditional cash transfer (CCT) programs. CCTs consists in cash rewards in exchange for investments in education, health or food. It should help fight child malnutrition and nurture social capital. The conditions can then vary from sending a child to school to looking for a job in order to receive that money.

Berrebi, D. (2011, July 07). Poverty in mexico: economic crises. Retrieved from http://www.poverties.org/index.html

Poverty in the United States - Britannica, the free encyclopedia. (n.d.). Retrieved from http:// Britannica.org/wiki/Poverty_in_the_United_States

“Breastfeeding...more than just good nutrition.”



I’ve been an advocate for breastfeeding for several years. I’ve became an advocate when I had an experience with a breastfeeding mom at my former job as a WIC Nutritionist. I learned that breastfeeding is the best you can give your baby, it has all the nutrients, babies are less likely to suffer for colds, flu, ear infections, and may help the mom return to normal weight. Also, I had a client that was physically disabled and obese to breastfed her baby for 12 months without formula supplement and lost 30lbs. I was so inspired to encourage all of the moms to breastfeed.
In Singapore, infants are breastfeed for at least 6 months for their life. Working mothers in Singapore nevertheless continue to breastfeed even though they are still working. Singapore is working towards make their work environment more breastfeeding friendly for the mother. This is a challenge that the US continue to make places breastfeeding friendly. I will continue to be in the family services field where I will promote breastfeeding because of the tremendous benefits. My motto is, “Breastfeeding...more than just good nutrition.”

Childbirth.....

I was a part of older sister birth of my nephew Myles. From her pregnancy, I was apart by taking my sister to the doctor and going to birthing classes with her. I would watch TV shows about the birthing process but, I still didn’t know what to expect. On August 13, 2000 my sister water broke at home, and I remember going to the hospital that morning ready to help. My sister was schedule for a vaginal birth, but due do to the umbilical cord being wrapped around the baby’s neck a C-section had to be performed. Along with my brother-in-law we became a support team for my sister. I tried to make her comfortable and keep her calm. Since it was her first baby, she was a little stress and scared. Overall, the delivery went well and a health boy was born. I believe I served as Doula to my sister giving that support to her. I choice this example because being a part of my first nephew’s birth 11years ago has left an impression on me, I wanted to be there for my sister. The birth of a child has such an impact on a child’s development because the bonding starts at the beginning. For example, my nephew was surrounding with plenty of love and support, which the child’s development is influenced by the family.

In the India, their culture performs ceremonies to ensure the health of the baby and mother. For example, at birth before the umbilical cord is severed the father may touch the baby’s lips with a gold spoon or ring dipped in honey, curds, ghee. This is a ritual to ensure a long life. This is different from the U.S., but we have similarity ritual. For example, once the baby was born in my culture we pray over the infant for health and prosperity. From this comparison, I’ve learned we are very similar.


Religion in India: Hindu Rituals - Agnosticism / Atheism ... (n.d.). Retrieved from http://atheism.about.com/od/hindusandhinduism/a/IndiaRituals.htm

Thank YOU!

I WISH EVERYONE LUCK ON YOUR  ENDEAVORS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!