Testing For Intelligence

Americans test the academic capability and levels of children in every grade level. There are emotional tests and academic tests that are given to the children in order to classify their age and mental level. Children that do not score as highly or as prominently as the next are then classified into other groups and with other children who might also have the same learning disabilities; of these classifications, children are then labeled into their group.

In other countries, Finland especially, they have been able to rank highest in academic testing because of their testing procedures. Linda Shaw wrote, "Sahlberg's message, although he is too polite to put it so bluntly: Stop testing so much. Trust teachers more. Give less homework. Shorten the school day," (Shaw). 

If anything needs to be tested more, it needs to be children's academic levels. Emotionally, children respond to their daily routines and their interactions with other people; school needs to be an area where children want to be. School is a child's main factor of their life especially because for a good majority of it, they spend it at school. 

Linda Shaw. 

Finland's educational success story: Less testing, more trusting. Seattle Times. 

Consequences of Stress on Children's Development

I believe a large stress factor for children could be violence and war. Violence and war can cause serious mental illness issues and can lead to other consequences in the future for those children exposed. Children in countries like Afghanistan and Iraq consistently see violence and war and it has gotten to the point where these children are used to their environment. This is not healthy and it does not give high hopes to the child to believe that there are other areas that are not consumed by this lifestyle. An article posted on War Child stated, "Growing up in Afghanistan today means growing up surrounded by violence, poverty and exclusion. Entire generations have never seen peace. Thousands of children have been separated from their parents, abandoned in national orphanages or forced into labour," (War Child). 

This type of lifestyle does not give children the emotional growth they need. Their biosocial, cognitive and psychosocial development has been compromised and they are forced to believe that they are supposed to be inducted into this lifestyle filled with violence and war. This representation of life should not be forced upon a child. 

War Child. http://www.warchildholland.org/afghanistan

Nutrition

Nutrition and malnutrition are important topics to discuss when involving children. Helping them lead healthy lives from the moment they're born leading up to an age where they are capable of making decisions for themselves is vital to their development. There is a lot of controversy today about nutrition and how children are not being taught how to live healthy lifestyles. It only gets more difficult if attempting to change your child's food preference goes from chicken nuggets to broccoli and carrots. Schools have started to change their lunch menus to correlate with healthy eating habits, and it only helps support the movement if those same eating habits are being practiced at home. 

Nourish Interactive, an online website, promotes itself by offering ways to help parents change their children's eating habits for the better. For example, they listed:

• Eating breakfast every morning
• Making a healthy lunch for children to take to school or eat at home
• Preparing and having readily available healthy snacks for mid-morning and mid-afternoon
• Planning and cooking the family dinner

These are each very important meals for your child to ensure they grow healthy and build a strong immune system to fight off disease.  Nutrition is the foundation to good health.  It provides the body with the vitamins and minerals needed to grow and maintain a healthy child. (Nourish Interactive).

http://www.nourishinteractive.com/healthy-living/free-nutrition-articles/141-planning-family-healthy-meals

Child Birth

The birth that I chose to write about would have to be my first born. She was my easiest delivery and the only child that I had, where I had family close by. My expected due date was September 10^th, I had gone to work like normal and I had contractions but, not close enough for me to go to the hospital for. I was able to walk around at work, because my co-workers stated that I was waddling and felt the baby would be coming soon, since my belly had dropped tremendously.  It was quitting time and I headed home with my boyfriend at the time. It was about 617pm and I had gone to the hospital because my contractions were about 5 to 10 minutes apart and I wasn’t in any kind of pain, but I read in the book of “What to expect when you’re expecting” and one of the things I remembered clearly was the discharge of mucous and blood and that my contractions would be starting – it was something to that affect. As I was getting prepped onto the bed, and the room, the nurse asked if I felt like I needed to poop or the urge to push and I said “YES”. She said don’t push yet, your doctor is on his way, by the time the doctor came in to check me, I had dilated enough that she was ready to come out, the next thing I remember I had pushed out my daughter, the doctor almost dropped her because he wasn’t ready. I did not get any medication. I was tired and confused because I didn’t know what had just happened, before you know it, the doctor had put her on my chest and said you have a daughter. I cried and laughed and was just amazed that I created this being and here she was; entering the world. My family was not able to be there for her birth, because they didn’t have time to get anything set or even being notified. My first child’s story of child birth is extremely different from my other children.

After reading on China’s child birthing, their custom is not only an important event, but it’s social as well as a family event. The biggest difference between my experience and the Chinese practice is that there is a one-month isolation of mother and child immediately after birth. The reason for the practice is for their health – many women in the past had died during childbirth and many babies died during the critical time. The diet for the mother would include food high in iron and protein due to the blood that she had lost. As a practice for my culture, it is somewhat similar like staying home for the first month, but being isolated isn’t one of them, family come by to visit and carry the baby. I do like the practice of isolation, but it wouldn’t be practical if I was back home. My family wouldn’t understand the isolation process.  

NAEYC and DEC

NAEYC Ideals: 

I-2.3—To welcome all family members and encourage them to participate in the program.

I-2.4—To listen to families, acknowledge and build upon their strengths and competencies, and learn from families as we support them in their task of nurturing children. 

I-2.9—To participate in building support networks for families by providing them with opportunities to interact with program staff, other families, community resources, and professional services. 

DEC Ideals: 

We shall advocate for equal access to high quality services and supports for all children and families to enhance their quality of lives. 

We shall continually be aware of issues challenging the field of early childhood special education and advocate for changes in laws, regulations, and policies leading to improved outcomes and services for young children with disabilities and their families. 

We shall demonstrate our respect and concern for children, families, colleagues, and others with whom we work, honoring their beliefs, values, customs, languages, and culture. 

All of the ideals listed above are important to the early childhood field and my focal point on early childhood. It is important to reach out to families and make them aware of the resources they have readily available because I feel as though most people do not know of the resources they have around them that are waiting to help. It is also important to help them understand that the services we are able to provide are of the highest quality and it is to ensure they have the highest quality of life as they are entitled. 

It is heartbreaking to say the least when a family cannot provide for one another because of a lack of resources. As a professional, I would always want to provide help when it is needed. To be able to build a relationship with family members and give them what they need in order to live how they want to. 

http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/PSETH05.pdf

http://www.dec-sped.org/uploads/docs/about_dec/position_concept_papers/Code%20of%20Ethics_updated_Aug2009.pdf