"There can be no keener revelation of society's soul than the way in which it treats it's children."

- Nelson Mandela

"Education is the great engine of personal development.  It is through education that the daughter of a peasant can become a doctor, that the son of a mineworker can become the head of a the mine, that the child of farm workers can become the president."

- Nelson Mandela

"Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world." 

- Nelson Mandela

Testing for Intelligence

This is a very sensitive subject for me as I feel strongly against academic 

testing in the Early Years. I feel that this sort of testing that happens 

in certain educational systems can be more damaging than beneficial.  

There has been extensive research and findings that prove that testing in 

the Early Years is not an accurate nor age appropriate technique to gain 

intellectual in site into a child.  Children develop at their own pace and in 

different ways.  As a teacher I have always respected and valued the 

municipal intelligence theory from Gardner.  He talks about children having

8 different types of intelligences and this is very true.  With these 

academic testing we see that it is very much based on language arts and 

mathematics, only two of the eight intelligences.  It is not age appropriate

to be testing children whos emotional and social development is priority 

at this stage of their lives.  Interestingly enough Wales has changed the 

long standing policy of Britain and has abolished standardized testing for 

children up until age 12.  In Germany there was a study performed over 

time on 2 groups of children.  

Those from an academic kindergarten and those from a play-based Kindergarten.  The tests, that are steered towards those academic 

schools, were done on both sets of children.  Initially the academic 

schooling children did better than the play based one, but by Grade 3 we 

see that the children form the academic style Kindergarten are performing

 considerably poorer and have less reading and mathematics skills those 

those of the play-based Kindergarten.  More notable was the social, emotional state of the 

children and how the children from the academic background were having a

 harder time emotionally.  In Britain children are taught to read very 

young, age 4 and although they may be early readers, research has proven 

that they later are not happy and successful readers, they are almost 

burnt out by their teens. 

I feel that children need to be children and learn about life and life skills 

in a way that fosters their curiosity and passion to learn new things.  

There is a place for academics and for testing but in my opinion that in 

not in the Early Years or even in elementary school.  Teachers can get 

an idea of how children are doing without subjecting them to formal 

testing that causes stress and anxiety.  I have just experienced this as a 

Mother of 3 young boys, 2 of which had to sit these tests.  If your 

child is not reading at Grade level then the test will prove very 

challenging and the results will not be accurate as the child has not been 

able to read the questions completely. Children are naturally competitive 

and although the results are not open the children are aware of who 

finishes first as well as the pressure from parents to do well.  

The important aspects of childhood and successful schooling are in the 

social emotional development, the problem solving skills, the self regulation,

the imagination and curiosity.  These are not benchmarks and cannot be 

tested, yet these are the very elements that lead to a successful and 

happy learner. 

References

http://www.cse.emory.edu/sciencenet/mismeasure/genius/research02.html

http://fairtest.org/wales-drops-most-standardized-testing

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2015/11/24/how-twisted-early-childhood-education-has-become-from-a-child-development-expert/

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/freedom-learn/201505/early-academic-training-produces-long-term-harm

Stressors effecting children around the world

There are many different stressors world wide that effect different groups of children from 
different economically sectors.  It is no not only the poorer children that are effected by 
stressors due to their economical situation but also children that fall pray to chaos or violence 
within their family unit.   am fortunate enough to say that I did not experience any major 
stressors growing up, but I did live in a county where there were many children less fortunate 
than myself.   Growing up In South Africa in the late 70’s and 80’s was a very different experience to what it 
would be now.  The law of apartheid was rife and black people had little to no rights.  
They were severely discriminated against and unfairly treated.  Children did not have right to 
education or other basic rights that the white children received.  This absurd ruling led to 
major poverty and an uneducated generation of people, suffering to survive their circumstances.  
My father, a karate instructor, was very involved with the battle against apartheid and didn’t 
see color or race as something that should be differentiated.  He strove to have people of all 
and every race practicing karate.  He was passionate in his conviction and this led him to later
being under house arrest for breaking the rules of apartheid.  I feel blessed to have been 
bought up in a family where my father made a difference in a time where there was so much 
hatred and so much discrimination.  The children of these impoverished and underprivileged 
families would have suffered a lot from their living conditions they would have endured 
malnutrition and poor health due to bad living conditions.  These people had a great sense of 
traditions and culture even within these boundaries, this was a great savior to their people and 
their families. The children were loved and cared for by not only their families but their 
neighbors and other people in the community.  They came together and stood together.

 With poverty and racism come violence and these children were no exception to that.  
Many witnessed  things that no child should every be a part of, and this lead to many grown up 
criminals.  When thinking about the consequences and the effects on their bio-social, cognitive and psychosocial development, one can clearly see that they would have had 
major disadvantages growing up with no access to education and little access to a clean and 
safe living environment. With little to no education you can imagine that their cognitive 
development was effected and with their poor diet and  threat of disease they would have had 
major effects on the development on a whole. Developmentalists have noted that the 
consequences of malnutrition and poverty have noticeable intellectual effects.

I am pleased to say that South Africa has come a long way, but sad to report that their are still 
many children that are not getting the basic needs that they should be getting.  It will take a 
long time to undo the damage of the past. 

References:

Berger, K. S. (2015). The developing person through childhood (7th ed.). New York, NY: Worth Publishers.

IMMUNIZATION 

Immunization is very controversial subject and is often the center of discussion around moms

with newborns.  I wanted to research more and find out how immunization effects a child’s 

healthy development. It is a very big decision to make as parents and can often be something 

that parents do not agree upon.  I have a Dutch husband and I am South African, fortunately 

our countries were very similar in what they schedule for immunizations.  

We also did lot of research and my husband being a doctor had an advantage of  having dealt 

with immunizations and knowledge of them.   In both South Africa and Holland immunizations 

are strongly recommended but not compulsory.  They are funded from the government and there 

are also a number of private ones you can get if you wish.  My boys were born in South Africa 

and of course are exposed to more disease than they would be in Holland.  In South Africa it is 

recommended that babies have the BCG (anti-tuberculosis vaccine). South Africa has the second 

highest tuberculosis in the world after neighboring country, Swaziland. (Health 24, 2014). 

In the village where we lived in Cape Town, SA, there were a group of people who were against the 

vaccinations and who made the decision not to give them to their babies.  

While I agree with each and everyone having the freedom of choice I have to say that I found 

this disturbing. I feel that the only reason they have the luxury to not vaccinate is because

most of the children around them have been vaccinated. 

In 1998 claims of a link were made between the MMR vaccine and autism by Andrew Wakefield.  

This became a very hot topic and the use of the MMR vaccine dropped to an all time low in 2003/04.  

The higher the percentage of unprotected children got the higher the cases of measles became.  

The decade before saw only a handful of cases and those were imported from out of UK.  

After the drop in vaccine usage the outbreak of measles went from below 2 cases to over 2000.  

Measles is highly contagious and 1 in 15 cases of the illness can lead to complication such as 

inflammation on the brain and pneumonia. They are now facing a generation of unprotected children 

in secondary school.  The links made between the MMR vaccine and autism have since been discredited.

 (BBC News, health 2013, May 2).

At many schools it is compulsory to have all the scheduled vaccinations, in order to protect the

children around us.  In an interesting article I read that  most of the outbreaks of vaccine-preventive disease came from non-vaccinated children. (Lancet, 2006)

In Australia the government have stated that families who choose not vaccinate their children could 

loose up to $11 000 a year in child benefits.  This of course is highly effective and increases the cases 

of vaccinations.  Certain North European countries are less forceful and although they recommend 

vaccinations and fully fund them, they still leave the choice in the hands of the parents.  

These are however countries where most families choose to vaccinate and disease is low.

Personally I feel that the benefits far outweigh the risks of vaccinating.  In my opinion it is our 

responsibility to keep our children safe and well and in doing so we give other children the same chance. 

 References:

(2014, February 14). SA TB rate among the highest in the world. Health 24. Retrieved from 

http://www.health24.com/Medical/Tuberculosis/News/SAs-TB-rate-among-the-highest-in-the-world-20140213

South African’s immunization schedule is in line with World Health Organizations recommendations on 

how children should be vaccinated. By Child Magazine. Retrieved from: 

http://www.childmag.co.za/content/immunisation-schedule#.Vjv9_TahfIU

BBC News, Health. (2013, May 2). Measles outbreak in maps and graphs. 

Retrieved from: http://www.bbc.com/news/health-22277186

Salmon, D. A., Teret, S. P., MacIntyre, C. R., Salisbury, D., Burgess, M. A., & Halsey, N. A., 

(2006, February 4). Compulsory vaccination and conscientious or philosophical

exemptions: past, present, and future. Lancet, 367, 436-442. Retrieved from http://www.commed.vcu.edu/IntroPH/Communicable_Disease/

cmpulsoryimmunization.pdf

The magic of childbirth

Childbirth is a magical and extraordinary experience.  I know for some it is a frightening and anxious time and for others it is more clinical but for many it is a natural and exhilarating journey.
I come from South Africa where 70% of woman with private health care opt to have a selective cesarean.  It is a worrying figure and is not getting any less.  I respect the choice and feel that we all need to chose what is going to be the best option with the least amount of stress on the mother and baby alike. 
My husband is a doctor, born and raised in Holland and studies medicine in Amsterdam. We lived together in Amsterdam for 8 years and during that time our friends started to have babies.  In Holland childbirth is an extremely nature procedure and from early on in the pregnancy it is treated so.  A woman chose a midwife and unless there are complications she never sees a doctor.  There are 2 scheduled scans and the birth can either be at home (which is very common) or at the hospital under the guidance of the midwife.  Once the baby is born (and this is usually with no epidural or pain relief) the mother and baby leave within three hours to go back home.  The government provide each family with a nurse that comes to the house for 10 days and teaches the family how to take care of their baby, she relieves the family of other duties and even makes tea for the visitors that come to meet the baby.  These are long standing traditions that have not changed in Holland.  Having experienced this, when it came to my turn I was very calm yet excited.

We had moved to Cape Town, South Africa, two months before the birth our first son, Joshua.
I found a midwife (which was not as easy as in Holland).  I didn't read very much about birth but felt that it was a natural process and that I would know what to do at the time.  I felt a strong sense of trust in my midwife and also knew that my husband would be beside me throughout.

At around 3pm I felt the first contractions start and so the excitement began. We took a long walk and played boardgames, we drank tea and counted the minutes between the contractions.  They were far apart and I knew it would be some time still. We went to bed and I slept as much as I could while having contractions every 20 minutes.  The next day we went about as usual and things started to speed up.  The midwife came to the house around 4pm and said I was 6 Cm's and that she would meet us at the hospital (after peek traffic). So my husband had a swim, mowed the lawn and then we took off around a windy mountain pass to the hospital.  By this point I was unable to sit so was on all fours at the back of the car.  I was in a lot of pain but could bear it and kept thinking that each contraction was one less to meeting my little boy.  
At the hospital we went into the active birthing room and I got into the water.  My husband rubbed my back and the labour got heavier.  We were a great team and my husband's calm and loving presence made me calm and able to continue.  After four hours I was able to start pushing and an hour later Joshua was born.  A healthy little boy weighing 3.4kgs.  Maarten phoned his parents and mine to let them know and then I heard a loud cheer from outside the window - they had been camping out, patiently waiting on any news! Joshua was put straight onto my chest and Maarten cut the cord. I got back into the water and washed him and myself. He came back to me and that is where he stayed.  After 2 hours we went home and I kept him on my chest for days after that. It was a beautiful experience and I am grateful that I had no complications.  My two other boys came a lot faster but just as naturally.  I consider myself lucky and look back on the experience with such love and joy. 

 

 

Valuable resources

Position Statements and Influential Practices

• NAEYC. (2009). Where we stand on child abuse prevention. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/ChildAbuseStand.pdf
• NAEYC. (2009). Developmentally appropriate practice in early childhood programs serving children from birth through age 8. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/dap
• NAEYC. (2009). Where we stand on school readiness. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/Readiness.pdf
• NAEYC. (2009). Where we stand on responding to linguistic and cultural diversity. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/diversity.pdf
• NAEYC. (2003). Early childhood curriculum, assessment, and program evaluation: Building an effective, accountable system in programs for children birth through age 8. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/pscape.pdf
• NAEYC. (2009, April). Early childhood inclusion: A summary. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/DEC_NAEYC_ECSummary_A.pdf
• Zero to Three: National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families. (2010). Infant-toddler policy agenda. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://main.zerotothree.org/site/PageServer?pagename=ter_pub_infanttodller
• FPG Child Development Institute. (2006, September). Evidence-based practice empowers early childhood professionals and families. (FPG Snapshot, No. 33). Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://community.fpg.unc.edu/sites/community.fpg.unc.edu/files/imce/documents/FPG_Snapshot_N33_EvidenceBasedPractice_09-2006.pdf
• Turnbull, A., Zuna, N., Hong, J. Y., Hu, X., Kyzar, K., Obremski, S., et al. (2010). Knowledge-to-action guides. Teaching Exceptional Children, 42(3), 42-53.
  Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

Global Support for Children's Rights and Well-Being

• Article: UNICEF (n.d.). Fact sheet: A summary of the rights under the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.unicef.org/crc/files/Rights_overview.pdf
• Websites:
• World Forum Foundation
  http://worldforumfoundation.org/wf/wp/about-us
  This link connects you to the mission statement of this organization. Make sure to watch the media segment on this webpage
• World Organization for Early Childhood Education
  http://www.omep-usnc.org/
  Read about OMEP's mission.
• Association for Childhood Education International
  http://acei.org/
  Click on "Mission/Vision" and "Guiding Principles and Beliefs" and read these statements.

Selected Early Childhood Organizations

• National Association for the Education of Young Children
  http://www.naeyc.org/
• The Division for Early Childhood
  http://www.dec-sped.org/
• Zero to Three: National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families
  http://www.zerotothree.org/
• WESTED
  http://www.wested.org/cs/we/print/docs/we/home.htm
• Harvard Education Letter
  http://www.hepg.org/hel/topic/85
• FPG Child Development Institute
  http://www.fpg.unc.edu/
• Administration for Children and Families Headstart's National Research Conference
  http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/opre/hsrc/
• HighScope
  http://www.highscope.org/
• Children's Defense Fund
  http://www.childrensdefense.org/
• Center for Child Care Workforce
  http://www.ccw.org/
• Council for Exceptional Children
  http://www.cec.sped.org/
• Institute for Women's Policy Research
  http://www.iwpr.org/
• National Center for Research on Early Childhood Education
  http://www.ncrece.org/wordpress/
• National Child Care Association
  http://www.nccanet.org/
• National Institute for Early Education Research
  http://nieer.org/
• Pre[K]Now
  http://www.pewstates.org/projects/pre-k-now-328067
• Voices for America's Children
  http://www.voices.org/
• The Erikson Institute
  http://www.erikson.edu/

Professional Journals Available in the Walden Library

• YC Young Children
• Childhood
• Journal of Child & Family Studies
• Child Study Journal
• Multicultural Education
• Early Childhood Education Journal
• Journal of Early Childhood Research
• International Journal of Early Childhood
• Early Childhood Research Quarterly
• Developmental Psychology
• Social Studies
• Maternal & Child Health Journal
• International Journal of Early Years Education

My additional resources

• Kaiser, B & Sklar Rasminsky, J. (1999). Meeting the Challenge: Effective Strategies for Challenging Behaviors in Early Childhood Environments.Canadian Child Care Federation
• Kaiser, B & Sklar Rasminsky, J.(2012). Challenging Behavior in Young Children. Understanding, Preventing, and Responding Effectively. Pearson Education, Inc.
• Professional journal: Child development Perspectives
• Cline, F (M.D), & Fay, J. (2006). Parenting with Love and Logic. NavPress.
• Kindlon, D, PH.D., & Thompson, M, PH.D. (2000). Raising Cain. Protecting the Emotional Life of Boys. USA. The Random House Publishing Group.

Jean-Marc-Gaspard Itard

 

 

Inspirational quotes from education specialists
 

"To be judged fairly, this young man must only be compared to himself." In his introductory statement to the French   Minister of the Interior when explaining his work with "The Wild Boy of Aveyron"

"If at the height of this emotion, I suddenly left off reproaching him and substituted caresses and a few words of affection and encouragement, I obtained an increase of emotion which doubled the expected effect." Always remember that natural caring can result in a bonding way more powerful than threat.


 Maria Montessori

"In the life of the child play is something of little importance which [the child] undertakes for lack of something better to do". When I watch students play, it doesn't seem to me that they are doing it out of only boredom.  

" The wandering minds that breaks away from reality, breaks away also from healthy normality." I think I disagree with this statement completely, basing my belief on my own experience as a teacher. I have very rarely encountered a child that couldn't make the distinction between pretend-play and reality. 

-Sandy Escobido, Deputy Field Director, Los Angeles Preschool Advocacy Initiative, California Community Foundation: "We, as professionals in the early childhood field, have an opportunity to shape a child's life for the better."


-From Louise-Derman-Sparks, Professor Emeritus, Pacific Oak college, CA: Early childhood education is "the passion to make sure that all children are taught in environments and in ways that truly nurture their ability to grow and to develop to their fullest ability." 

Personal Childhood Web

The four adults that helped to shape my life and with whom I had a special relationship with as a child:

My Granny

The first person that comes to my is my Grandmother.  My relationship with her was a very special, an exceptional one.  We had a close connection and I spent a lot of time with her.  I remember my parents going over seas with my brother and I, aged five, got to stay with my Granny for 6 weeks.  It remains to this day one of my fondest childhood memories.  

My granny was kind and loving to me, she was interested in me and taught me many things.  She taught me games and read me books, we baked together and I loved going with her to her favorite beach to swim in the icy water.  It was peaceful with my Gran and I felt extremely safe and loved.  If anything happened in my life I would phone my gran to tell her first.  As I grew up my relationship remained strong with my gran and she became my confidant.  We keep a close relationship and even when I was overseas I sent many letters and called regularly.  She was my rock and my soft place to fall.  She loved me unconditionally and I always felt that.  She died 3 years ago - and to this day I miss her.  I miss not being able to share things that she would have so appreciated, like this masters that I have started.  My gran made me feel important, she made me feel special and I loved her very much.

My mom

My mom and myself (baby on the left)

My mom was a very nurturing and protective mother. I was always perfectly dressed and groomed.  She made sure we had all that we needed and was fiercely protective of my bother and I.  At times as children we didn't appreciate it but now as an adult and a Mother I understand that feeling she had.
My mom taught me to see the beauty in nature and to appreciate our surroundings.  She taught me to be a strong and self assertive woman.  My mom would never take no for an answer and taught me to do the same - do not settle for less, persist till you get what you want.  My mom is very generous and a giving person and taught me to be the same way.  Humor was a great part of my upbringing and we laughed a lot in our home.

My Dad

My Dad was a hard worker and moved in many different circles.  We had an adventurous life with many different sorts of people from different walks of life around us.  My father exposed us to a side of South Africa that most white families didn't care to know or were afraid to be involved in.  My Dad was karate instructor and taught in the townships (areas where black people were made to live in the times of apartheid) he didn't see the division and didn't care to keep us separate from people of a different color. 

My dad and I having a swim

This was greatly to our advantage and I feel that it molded my brother and I into the adults we are today and influenced our careers and choices.  My dad made our family a colorful and exciting one.  My dad supported me in every choice i made for myself, even when it wasn't what he would have chosen for me.  He understands the way I think and I think that is because we are similar in many ways.  Like my dad, I too am a Global nomad, and he both appreciates and supports me lifestyle.  My dad made everything fun.  everyone would come to our house and he would make the Olympics games a Saturday ritual.  Dig up the garden to bury tins for our nine hole putting green, drawing a chalk tennis court of the road and playing water tennis to mention just a few.

 

      My brother, Frank, and myself with our dog Sandy.

 

My Auntie Maureen

My Auntie Maureen with myself (on her left) and my cousins

My moms younger sister was a constant person in my life.  She was always there and is still a very special person in my life.   I looked up to her as a little girl and loved being in her company.  I remember brushing her long beautiful hair. I was very special to her and knew it.  I felt safe with her and loved.  Even though she had a daughter six weeks younger than me she treated me equally and I was a second daughter to her.  My aunt was someone I felt I could tell anything to and she wouldn't be angry and I could trust her.  I remember the deep feeling of love I had for my aunt as a little girl.  To this day we remain close and share a very special adult relationship.