Childhood Assessments

Childhood assessments can be an interesting topic of discussion. In discussing the area there is much to consider. What comes to mind when we think of assessments and children?  In many ways many may believe that assessments begin and end with the assessments given in school to measure a child’s intelligence in areas of scholastic ability. I have always been of the opinion that assessments such as this can and do hold an important role when taken in the proper context. Assessments can be an important tool to help search out areas of concern as well as high achievement to help any educator look for areas of weakness and strengths in students. Areas of strength can be  encouraged while weaker areas can be retaught and strengthen.

Scholastic assessments set to side, the goal should always be to assess the whole child. When thinking about such assessments there can be much to consider from not only the child in their school settings and how they are developing but also the child in their home environment as well. Setting aside the obvious medical assessments that should always be considered. When seeking to holistically view children and assess them as one whole, instead of what many parts.

In viewing the whole child, all areas of child development should be measured. Any holistic assessment of a child would be incomplete without consideration to the following areas phychosocial  development such as their resiliency, as well their ability to handle stress or stressors in their environement and a child’s concept of self. The biosocial development such as physical activity levels, physical development, and as well as brain development. It goes with out saying children should as well be assessed on their cognitive development as well.

The whole child view is the goal of any such assessment tool. Much thought can be placed into the development of the child. The information attained in such an assessment could be priceless. In looking for areas of strength and seeking to help in areas of concern. In many assessment parents are often used as a source of information, however again in seeking to assess the whole child , parental involvement is a must.

 Chinese Childhood Assessments

In the country of China from the information that I have been able to gather there are several assessments that have been developed for the benefit of the children of their country.  On such assessments are carried to bring understanding in several areas all correlating to another. There have been assessments looking into links between child malnutrition and school performance.

           China also participated and excelled in 2009, in PISA. PISA which stands  for a tradition of international school studies, undertaken since the late 1950s by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA). PISA aims at testing literacy in three competence fields: reading, mathematics, science on a 1000 point scale. In every area China excelled, giving some in China to contribute their success to the hard work, and the workload and testing given to Chinese children.

Link to an interesting article:

Implementation of family-centered practices in child assessments.

Crais, E. R., Vicky, P. R., & Free, K. (2006). Parents' and professionals' perceptions of the implementation of family-centered practices in child assessments. American Journal of Speech - Language Pathology, 15(4), 365-77. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/204280084?accountid=14872

Stressors on childhood

In looking at this subject and the list of any number of stressors children can have in their life, from poverty to war.
 I can say that I have personally had a better life than many. I can not personally say that or anyone I know have experienced of these as children. Living in the United States we are fortunate for the most part. There are still cases of racism that touch the lives of many but in that there is a reminder that have work still to be done. The following is a recounting of a soldier's thoughts of war. I am touched that he has chosen to share them with me although I will not share his name, so with that here is it...

"War is a scary thought for any person. The unknown of what may happen at any given moment. Not sure if you will be triumphant or go home in a body bag. One thing I know is that war never ends. I have been deployed five times and currently serving on my fifth deployment and even with us being a resilient country, we are not making any progress with an enemy that has the capability to hide and accomplish the things they want to accomplish. Still losing American lives but we are absolutely sure we are making a difference. If we are making such a great difference, please show us how instead of constantly being told you are and we are not seeing it. While being deployed in the Middle East you have the tendency to be involved with a natural disaster at any given moment. In both Iraq and Afghanistan, sand storms occur out of nowhere and destroy hundreds of houses and military equipment. There have been witnesses to hail storms that drop hail the size of baseballs that can kill a person in certain parts of Afghanistan."


War happens it is a reality in many children's lives around the world, their childhood is not made up of cartoons, and Saturday mornings. They have to learn to live in a world where guns, ammunition , and vehicles of war are not a part of the latest video game but a part of everyday life. For a child in a war torn country, are more prone to emotional and behavioral disorders, due to the severe violence that they have been witness to. Trauma such as war can have effects on the information processing of a child as well as deteriorates concentration and memory functioning as well.

Whether we agree with war politcally or not; it is a factor in the lives of millions of children around the world. On any given day of the week you can turn on the television and see an act of war in some area of the world.

Immunizations and Children

Recently while perusing through the recent postings of one my social media sites, I was struck by a posting of a friend of mine. The topic happened to be on immunizations and her personal choice to no longer submit herself and her children to immunizations of any kind. This was based upon her personal and religious beliefs of the subject. I am not going to go into my personal beliefs religiously on whether I feel this is a sound decision, however it did make me think. I remember a huge debate and I am assuming the debate rages on whether or not the immunizations our children recieve have caused a rise in the cases of diagnosed austism in children. Now as we move into an age of "natural"  is best,  once again the medical advances that once were praised as miracles are under attack.  In my opinion, if a vaccine is capable of saving the life of one child then that was a life worth saving. I personally have chosen to vaccinate my children against preventable diesases in order to ensure that they lead happy and healthy lives.  As parents  we worry naturally, I know I have always searched for ways to protect my children in every way possible and to me immunizations were just one more way to ensure that they were protected.

Small pox since its eradaction has saved more than 5 million lives. Polio which causes life long paralysis since immunizations have begun have thousands of children have been saved. The list goes on and on,  as people have chosen to stop some immunizations the cases of preventable diseases goes up and yet no evidence linking immunizations to cases of austim or to they causing the disease  they are meant to prevent hasnt been shown. Fear is understandable,  I get that, but as parents I feel that we have a responsiblity to take all the facts and make a decision. The lives of the children whose lives we are meant to protect depend on it.

Immunization: the story so far

Progress to date against diseases for which vaccines already exist and deaths from diseases for which vaccines might be developed

	Annual deaths (all ages) if no immunization	Prevented	Occurring	% prevented
Smallpox	5.0 million	5.0 million	--	100
Diphtheria	260,000	223,000	37,000	86
Whooping cough	990,000	630,000	360,000	64
Measles	2.7 million	1.6 million	1.1 million	60
Neonatal tetanus	1.2 million	0.7 million	0.5 million	58
Hepatitis B	1.2 million	0.4 million	0.8 million	33
Tuberculosis	3.2 million	0.2 million	3.0 million	6
Polio (cases of lifelong paralysis)	640,000	550,000	90,000	86
Malaria/other parasitic infections	2.2 million	--	2.2 million	0
HIV/sexually transmitted diseases	1.3 million	--	1.3 million	0
Diarrhoea/enteric fevers*	3.0 million	--	3.0 million	0
Acute respiratory infections	3.7 million	--	3.7 million	0

Chart curtsesy of www.unicef.org

Links for vaccincation facts and Parental choices

http://www.vaccinateyourbaby.org/why/preventing.cfm
Vaccine Exemptions Fast Fact Sheets
http://www.vaccinateyourbaby.org/pdfs/exemptions_fast_fact_sheet.pdf

A new life....

We each begin life as a new born babe, swaddled in the safe arms of our mother. As a mother I have looked at my children in awe and wonder, to me they seem like three miracles of life. It is hard to imagine my life without them, they all have burst forward grabbing onto to life with such personality and exuberance, wisdom and love that I am blessed to call myself their mother.  I can remember the day each was born , such joy and love overwhelmed my soul its hard to put into words for you to read. Even as I sit here its hard not to be overwhelmed with my love for my three miracles of life, for that is what each child is a miracle to the lives that they are on this life to touch.  So I am going to share a story with you of one of my angel's births. My beautiful and only daughter, not because she is my favorite but because she was my first...

My Story....

I was 18 when I met and fell in love with a boy, for in essence isn't that where all birth stories begin. This boy it would turn out would be the love of my life, my best friend , my companion, and the future father of my children. We rushed our selves into marriage, as impulsive teenagers do, much to the dismay of our parents . Thinking ourselves adults already since we both had made the brave decision to join the service. Well shall we fast forward just 11months after marriage , I found myself following my now soldier husband and I am 9 months pregnant and out the service. Stationed 1100 miles away from home and any family support.  As most soldiers do he has been to training in and out on field exercises for the better part of two months. I was often alone and yes afraid that any day the baby would come and he would be off training and possibly miss the whole event. Yes, scared was an accurate description of what I felt a lot of days . April 1, he calls from the company to say he is on his way home me thinking its April Fool's Day tell him please don't play it's not a funny trick. Jubilation! Relief! He is home, if only for a few days he is still there.  My labor began at around 2:30am, I woke up in shock and pain. I cant say that I remember exactly how great the pain was I just know that I felt pain.  I didn't know what was happening, I was 19 how could I know what was happening. My husband,  wakes up to me moaning on all fours rocking next to the bed. He, thankfully was in a better frame of mind than I was because he immediately called the hospital, who verified that they thought I was labor. After that I just remember him saying that I needed to get off the floor, he didn't want the baby to born on the floor( I still chuckle when I think on that) . I just wanted to rock, I do not know how I knew but somehow I just did that me rocking in that position would be the best for me and it would ease my pain. When we finally got to the hospital, I remember being asked what was my pain management plan and all I could think was give me whatever you got back there. I was checked and the nurse told me that I was too far along in my labor to receive in any drugs.  This is the  part that is not my memory but of my husband's.... According to him I was able to manage some of the pain by biting down, I wanted to bite the bed,  anything, he again  thought that it wasn't clean enough( in a hospital not clean enough I don't think I cared too much .. o.K!)  So he gives me his hand to bear down and as he is falling asleep next to me all he feels is me biting into his hand.  OK, I will admit I don't remember doing that but after that he says he gave me the big pack of gum he had and told me to bite down on that.  When our son was being born he refused to hold my hand or come near my head, he said he wasn't going to lose his finger because I couldn't control my animal urges.  Aside from the biting,  my daughter came into the world almost 6 hours after I woke up initially in labor without any incident. At 8:04am we welcomed, our daughter into the world. The doctor who attended  my birth and during this time at the hospital I was at, had a tradition of letting the father of the child deliver the baby during the last moment , as long as there were no complications. Well needless to say my husband, glove less and all delivered his daughter and was the one to place her on my chest during her first moments of life.  I still remember the look of joy on his face, mixed in with disgust, childbirth is not a pretty or clean business.  Our daughter was beautiful in all of her 8lbs 4oz glory, curly hair  who personality matches her dad's.

There are many reasons this story  touches me  one at the point my daughter was born she was actually 5 days overdue, I had  spent so many nights praying that she would not be born while I was by myself I lost count, I think I made my prayer a mediation chant. She was actually born  two days before her father's birthday, and even now they celebrate together.  Even though I was scared much of the time during my pregnancy, not sure what was going to be the outcome. The minute she was born everything came into focus and I was centered. Every birthing experience is different but if they all were exactly the same, life would have no color and uniqueness. My child was delivered into the hands of her father and immediately given to me.

Brazilian Birthing Experiences vs. My Birthing Experience

In Brazil the birthing experiences for women may seem very similar on the surface. However in the references that I have found give birth in a hospital setting such as I did. On one website it is mentioned that many doctors find it convenient to schedule c-sections or Cesarean section, when births do not happen according to their plan. In many cases only one relative and not husband are allowed in the Labor and Delivery RM. In another article women seemed to have a high value in their ability to maintain self-control. Finding that their positions during labor helped or weakened their feelings of control. They believed that good self-control contributed to a good birthing experience.

In comparison when giving birth in the US, I will go into further detail I was on a military installation at the time. Yes, I was in a hospital assisted by a Nurse Practitioner and a Doctor,  I believe both were soldiers. I was given as close to a natural birthing experience as possible.  A C-section, was never even mentioned. My husband was not only in the room as my coach but he was an integral part of the whole birth. I'm sure if complications had come up I would have been writing a very different story, but again I know that my husband would still be a part of it.

Where both countries have a similarities and I would venture to guess all women have a similarity is our ability to maintain control during the process of giving birth. Not to control the birth itself, a baby will come when it comes, but to maintain control over our emotions and become brave when we may be unbelievably afraid. To suddenly find strength when we are tired beyond all reasonable imagination. To push new life, with that last ounce of strength we have in our being because deep in our souls we know this is our meaning in life.


http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2393/13/171
http://www.gringoes.com/articles.asp?ID_Noticia=365

Professional Ethics of NAEYC

Another great resource as an educator I feel is the professional Ethics as seen by NAEYC

I-1.7—To use assessment information to understand

and support children’s development and learning, to

support instruction, and to identify children who may

need additional services.

I know that in education we are always hearing about assessment  and more assessment but it is important to remember that assessment can be an awesome tool in which we can see where a child is in need of help. It should never be something that is fearful for parents of edcuators to face, we should look at assessments as an opportunity to seek to help children in their development and look for areas of improvement in our selves where we may be failing to reach every child on the level they are at. 

I-2.2—To develop relationships of mutual trust and
create partnerships with the families we serve.

I am a firm believer as a parent that I am my childrens advocate, I am my child's teacher partner as well. As an educator I look at myself as a partner to the families I serve as well. That is an important idea to get across. We should always want the families we work with to trust us and look to us as here to help, not to take over their lives with the children but to partner with them in their child's education and development. 

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.

As an educator I want to hear my families, I want them to feel empowered as parents. I would always hope to help them as their partner to build upon their strengths in nurturing thier children in every aspect of their lives.

Professional Ethics of the Division of Early Childhood Education

As an educator we are all held to a standard as an professional should be.  Like many professionals we should hold ourselves to a higher standard than those who outside of the profession. The Division of Early Childhood Education has published a code of ethics that I find that helps to give me a moral compass that gives me a guiding light in my professional career. I wish to share them here...

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

This is important as an educator to remember that every child is different, every person we encounter in our professional and personal life will be different. They come from all walks of life, cultures, and will have different values and beliefs from our own. Just as we wish for respect ;we should give respect. We as educators should always remember children are different ,will learn differently and be different. They are individuals unique creatures. Each and every one them.  We should embrace them and love them and teach them.

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

Advocacy should never end, there are many issues that affect the children and their families. Until we can truly say that there is equal access for all in order to improve everyones quality of life then our work as educators , is not over. This is a personal issue to me because not only am I am an educator , I am a parent.  I am an advocate for my own children, I am also an advocate for the children and families I work with. I feel very strongly if I am not taking care of my own family how can I take of anyone else's family. 

*We shall respect families' rights to choose or refuse early childhood special education or related service. 

Even though we may feel strongly as educators that a child may benefit from special education services as early as possible. We have to remember that parents have a right to process and deal with thier child's delays, or needs as they choose. We can stand in judgement or we can choose in those moments to respect  the parent's rights  and help to empower them in their decision making. I can honestly say as a parent I am always second guessing my decisions. We have to remember that although we have the knowledge to help the child, we should also seek to empower parents. 

Education Resource Section

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. (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
ACEI( n.d.).  Principles and Governances.  Retrieved October 2, 2013, from
            http://acei.org/about-us/principles/governance.html

A Child's  Work: The Importance of Fantasy Play by Vivian Gussin Paley

 Powerful Interactions: How to Connect with Children to Extend Their Learning by Amy Laura Dombro, Judy Jablon, & Charlotte Stetson

http://www.naeyc.org/yc/article/gifts_of_the_stranger_bernheimer

Education

As we raise our families have ever stopped and wonder where do I go from here? how do we do this?   whats the right way to do that? Am I doing this right way? ....

I know I have, countless hours I have spent awake in the middle of the night wondering am I making the right decision for my children and their education. As an educator I can honestly say I do not have all the right anwers, sometimes I just dont know. I ask all the right questions and I still somehow find myself second guessing myself. This is because I want to make the best decision for the children involved. Not just because they are my children because they deserve they very best as innocent beings who trust that I will find the right answer. The side of me that is an educator looks at this dilemna and says ok we can do this , the mom in me say ok  we better do this. All in all the best solution I have found is to gather a list of resources, of books and people ( my partners) who I use to help make each decision a little easier.

Balancing

A balance act has begun in my life, and I am sure we all have faced this or are facing this or will face this... balancing the needs of family, with the needs of work, with the needs, of school. Recently I have begun the all to familiar juggling act that all parents do keeping multiple balls in the air for the members in my family while letting trying to balance my own needs and wants. I have found that their is no perfect balance. I have wanted to give up and quit scream and cry, but where would that leave my family? Where would that leave the children that I care for each day that aren't my own? Where would it leave the parents who depend on me to step in and care and nurture and teach their little ones while they are away? No where is where? So in those moments of crisis I may have to let a ball slip out of alignment because another became a priority for the moment but I have to remember that's why we are human to make mistakes. We are not perfect. We are not meant to be, I can catch up with my school work, I can take read that book while waiting outside of the school to pick up kids or while in the dentist's waiting room for an hour. It's about slowing down and not worrying about how little we have accomplished but congratulating ourselves on how much we have accomplished.

A Start...

     A few years ago I started a blog to help myself channel the emotions of dealing with several life challenges, I found that it was challenging to write for an audience of people with no sure idea of what  I would like to say. Now with a better understanding of myself and with a clear idea ( I hope) of what I would like this blog to develop into,  I am optimistic that this can become a successful venture , a place to gather my thoughts and meet the challenges of life by putting words on screen.
     So let me start off by giving a little background about myself. I am a military wife of 15years with three children. My husband is currently serving on Active Duty. As you can imagine this is a unique situation for anyone to find themselves however I am fortunate to have a very strong support system of colleagues, friends, family and other military wives here and all over the world in which to connect and grow with. As you might have guess with constant moving about and a focus on my husband career at the forefront of much of my life, following my own dreams has been a challenge. As any military spouse learns that we are not merely spectators of our husband's job choice, we make a real lifestyle change. Which sacrifices some for all members of the family. Through this choice which I have never regretted. I have reinvented the idea of who I thought I was and who I can be personally and in terms of my career.
     Once a upon a time, I saw myself as a traditional classroom teacher, I pursued my educational goal, through the raising of two children , the birth of a third and through 3 deployments. However as my husbands career has flourished, mine dream I found was not able to continue quite as I thought. So after  two moves across the United States in 3 years, I hit upon a way to impact positively the children and families of my military community and help support my husband as well, thus I was able to open a child care center within my home. Through this I am finding as much enjoyment as I believed was always there for me within education just maybe not to the audience that I once that I would be reaching.
      It is a rewarding and challenging as any career and really once you find a career you enjoy shouldn't that be what the focus should be on?