Merging Vision, Passion, and Practice

   Word Mosaic 

for 

   Early Childhood

            

Below is my first Wordle where I emphasized the word love in response to making a positive change in the field of early childhood. In that light, love means supporting children so their needs are met and communicating with families using Dr. Greene’s (2008)  philosophy “Kids do well if they can” so family members avoid falling in the prejudice that “Kids do well when they want to” and negative consequences  (p. 161). Secondly, the study of play and its trickling down from young children’s life in school and at home triggered my highlighting this fundamental element of EC education such as described in the NAEYC Developmentally Appropriate Guidelines:  

Play is an important vehicle for developing self regulation as well as promoting language, cognition, and social competence. Children of all ages love to play, and it gives them opportunities to explore the world, interact with others, express and control emotions, develop their symbolic and problem-solving abilities, and practice emerging skills. Research shows the links between play and foundational capacities such as memory, self-regulation, oral language abilities, social skills, and success in school” (NAEYC, 2012, p. 2).

                                                           References

Greene, R. (2008). Kids Do Well If They Can. KO811 gre.pdf. Ross Greene, Kids Do Well If They Can, Phi Delta Kappan, Vol. 90, No. 03, November 2008, pp. 160-167

NAEYC. (2012). References to Play in NAEYC Position Statements. Developmentally Appropriate Guidelines. Retrieved from: http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/files/Play%20references%20in%20NAEYC%20position%20statements%2011-12.pdf

My second Wordle highlights issues such as anti-bias education, early education, equity, advocacy  that I will consider while studying the following problem:  What can I do  to prepare Spanish speaking children to be successful at the beginning of kindergarten.