Introduction to Early Childhood Education Essay

The education of early childhood is widely valued in a great variety of human development theories, and in some degree the quality of the early childhood education determines the quality of the child’s future life. In this essay, I will give my views on three quality indicators and relate them to children and Te whariki. A planned curriculum is important for children, and it is one of the sigh of quality early childhood education. The starting point of the curriculum of early childhood education-Te Whariki-is to achieve child’s individual requirements and help him/her to become a competent and confident learner and communicator. (MoE, 1996) A planned program means before the curriculum comes out, educator need to observe the children and discover the particular needs of each child then design a special learning project to mesh with individual child. Partnership with parents and families also a important mark of early childhood education, it provides more comprehensive perspectives about a child, which helps educator to make an Individual Development Plan to enable children with special needs to be actively engaged in learning (MoE, 1996). â€Å"Children’s learning and development are fostered if there is a strong connection and consistency among all the aspects of the child’s world. † (MoE, p42, 1996), families and teacher communicate proactively and to work toward the same goal helps to empower the child to develop holistically within mind, body and spirit (MoE, 1996); Working in partnership with parents and families also helps educators to provide additional learning experiences to complement those provide in the home. Trained staff have the knowledge about children’s development and early childhood curriculum, they also could administer the curriculum (MoE, 1996), is an indispensible part of quality early childhood services, children’s development and learning could be well supported surrounded by trained and professional educators. Assessment: Short Essay 2 Identify TWO early childhood services in your community. Briefly explain their history and then compare and contrast their philosophies, educational  goals and the strategies employed to achieve these goals. In this essay, I will introduce Te Kohanga Reo and home-based education and care services, compare and contrast their philosophies, educational goals and the strategies employed to achieve these goals. Te Kohanga Reo are parent-led services, the first thought of Te Kohanga Reo was begun in 1981, in response to Maori concern of the Maori language survival, by the Department of Maori Affairs. (Te Kohanga Reo National Trust. 1999) Te Kohanga Reo are â€Å"total immersed† early childhood services in te reo Maori program, where the language of communication will be Maori. The operation and running of each Kohanga Reo is the responsibility of the parents and whanau of the Te Kohanga Reo within the guidelines set down by Te Kohanga Reo National Trust Board, and they administer it to ensure the safety and well-being of the children and the whanau and to ensure the survival of te reo Maori. (â€Å"What is a Kohanga Reo?â€Å",1999) Home-based education and care services are teacher-led services, they involve a teacher providing education and care for small groups of up to four young children either in the home of the teacher’s or in the child’s own home. This may be all-day or part-day education and care. (MoE, 2006) The kaupapa (philosophy) of Te Kohanga reo highlight â€Å"The quality of learning and development of mokopuna (young children) stems from the collective strength of the whanau† (Te Kohanga Reo National Trust, 1999). The emphasis for all philosophies of the home-based education and care services is to affirm the value of children learning and being cared for in a home setting. (ERO, 2009) Both kinds of services all showed the high position of children, however, Te Kohanga reo focus on the whanau, lay emphasis on skills of the adult to teach the children; and in home-based education and care services teachers bend themselves to establish positive relationships with children and their families to support children’s well-being and learning. The education goal of Te Kohanga reo is total immersed mokopuna into Maori language and cultures, to achieve this goal, Kohanga Reo are overseen by an organisation call Te Kohanga Reo National Trust. Its role is to ensure the quality of education and care provided by Kohanga Reo and to promote and ensure the survival of the Maori language. (Government Review Team, 1988). The Trust provides Kohanga Reo support and advice to the whanau. It offers Whakapakari Tino Rangatiratanga – a teacher training course, and a training course for whanau in Maori language, computer training, Te Whariki (ECE curriculum) and business administration. (Orange, 2004) Home-based centre hammer at build up a cared, warm and encouraged home setting for children, to insure the environment is safe and the education given by educator/caregiver is professional, the teacher of home-based education and care service must supported by a coordinator who is a registered teacher, just like the Te Kohanga Reo National Trust to Te Kohanga Reo, this person will visits the home based caregiver/educator regularly to check on the child’s safety and wellbeing and their learning progress. The coordinator might help parents to choose a suitable teacher for their children as well, and also involved to create the children’s learning curriculum. Assessment: Short Essay 3 Discuss THREE of the following significant factors which were covered in this course and that promote health and safety in early childhood centres: 1. Providing a safe environment 2. Providing a hygienic and clean environment 3. Identifying and responding to childhood illness 4. Nutrition across the early years 5. Child protection In this essay, I will talk about three significant factors, providing a safe environment; identifying and responding to childhood illness; and nutrition across the early years. I will use the document â€Å"Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Centres 2008, and Early Childhood Education Curriculum Framework† and other relevant literature to support this essay. Health and safety guarantee is an essential part of quality ECE programmes and a major responsibility of ECE providers. Children have the right to be protected and nurtured. As a caregiver, it is necessary to offer an environment which promots their health and nurtures their emotional well-being, and also need to keep the children safe from harm. (MoE,1996) To establish a safe environment in early childhood services contain a major problem, how to prevent injury from the environmental setting. Injury prevention is an important method to build a safe environment. Many injuries  can be prevented if staffs understand how they happen and provide preventive actions to avoid them, preventive actions for example such as strengthen security measures on environment setting and enforcement of safety policies. Knowledge of children’s behavior at each stages of development plays a key role in identifying the potential hazards in ECE program. (Marotz, L. R. , Cross, M. Z. , & Rush, J. M. ,2005). Infants are totally dependent on others, have little prior knowledge or experience, and are learning to anticipate events and to communicate their needs in a confusing world. (Ministry of Education,1996) They explore the world by vision, hearing, feeling, smelling and tasting. The save environment for infants, for example, should not have anything small or sharp, babies may swallow things and choke; And no plastic bags, they will be dangerous if these cover infants’ mouths and noses, and it may suffocate the infants. (Ministry of health, 2011) Toddlers are active and curious, determined to become competent and to make sense of happenings, objects, and ideas. They learn with their whole body and learn by doing rather than being told. (Ministry of Education ,1996) The safe environment for toddlers for instance that all the edges are soft or un-sharp; and all electrical outlets contain safety caps. To identifying and responding to childhood illness that is a professional quality as an early childhood educator should never ignore. Firstly, because of the feature of children’s immature immune systems, children always get a viral cold and then later on the viral illness start a secondary infection with bacteria which might turns into a dangerous condition such as a chest infection. Nevertheless, children are still building up their immune systems, there are lots of illnesses caused by the bacteria and viruses, which need immune system to protect people away from. Sick children attending school increases the opportunity of some children’s common illnesses’ contagious and the illness will pass to other children at centre. Furthermore, sometimes children’s allergic could coursed asthma, ‘a common disease of the airways characterized by variable and recurring symptoms and reversible airflow obstruction. Common symptoms include wheezing, coughing, chest tightness, and shortness of breath.’ ( National Asthma Education and Prevention Program, 2007) Children who attacked asthma can be serious but treatable. â€Å"All practicable steps are taken to ensure that children do not come into contact with any person (adult or child) on the premises who is suffering from a disease or condition likely to be passed on to children and likely to have a detrimental effect on them. † (Ministry of Education, P21, 2009) This quote from Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Centres 2008 showed that early childhood educator should have the ability to identifying and responding to childhood illness. Strand 1 of Te Whariki, well-being, empowered that ‘Children experience an environment where: their health is promoted’ (MoE, p48, 1996), early childhood services need to achieve children’s nutrition needs. A nurtured dietary structure is an essential part of helping children develop holistically. When children intake vitamins, minerals and nutrients from eating and drinking, the quality and quantity of them direct influence on children’s bodies grow, bones built, muscles and brain development. A balanced diet for children should include a variety of healthful fruits and vegetables, grain products, lean proteins and dairy products. (Marotz, L. R. , Cross, M. Z. , & Rush, J. M. , 2005). Early childhood education centre need to make sure food is served at appropriate times. And meanwhile, foods are of sufficient variety, quantity, and quality to meet the nutritional needs of each child. (Ministry of Education, P20, 2009) To help to ensure that children receive adequate nutrition, and allows parents to see the commitment the centre has towards the nutritional wellbeing of their children (Leaity, K.2008), there is a practical guide to food and nutrition for early childhood education services, call Food For Under 5’s, to provide information on developing nutrition policies and menu planning in the early childhood education centres setting. Reference List Education Review Office. (2009). About home-based early childhood services – Education Review Office. Retrieved September 13, 2013 from New Zealand government, Web site: http://www. ero. govt. nz/National-Reports Government Review Team. (1988). Report of the review of Te Kohanga reo. Wellington, New Zealand: New Zealand Government. Leaity, K. (2008). Food For Under 5’s. Retrieved September 15, 2013 from Auckland Regional public Health service, Web site: http://www. arphs. govt. nz/Portals/0/Health%20Information/HealthyEnvironments Marotz, L. R. , Cross, M. Z. , & Rush, J. M. (2005). Health, safety, and nutrition for the young child (6th ed. ), (pp. 193–207). Clifton Park, NY: Thomson Delmar Learning. Ministry of Education. (1996). Te Whariki He Whariki Matauranga mo nga Mokopuna -o Aotearoa/Early Childhood Curriculum. Wellington, New Zealand:Learning Media Limited. Ministry of Education. (2006). Choices in early childhood education (pp. 1-4). Retrieved September 12, 2013, from http://www.minedu. govt. nz/Parents/EarlyYears/OtherInformationAndResources/Choices. aspx Ministry of Education. (2009). Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Centres 2008 Early Childhood Education Curriculum Framework. (pp. 21-22). Retrieved September 15, 2013 from New Zealand Ministry of Education, Web site: http://www. lead. ece. govt. nz/ServiceTypes/CentreBasedECEServices. aspx National Asthma Education and Prevention Program (NAEPP). (2007). â€Å"Expert Panel Report 3: Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Asthma† NY: U. S. Department of Health & Human Services Orange, C. (2004). An illustrated history of the Treaty of Waitangi. Wellington: Bridget Williams Books. Te Kohanga Reo National Trust. (1999). History. Retrieved September 12, 2013, from http://www. kohanga. ac. nz/index. php? option=com_content&view=article&id=4&Itemid=10 What is a Kohanga Reo? (1999). Retrieved September 12, 2013 from Ngaio Te Kohanga Reo, Web site: http://www. ngaiokohanga. co. nz/about-us Leaity, K. (2008). Food For Under 5’s. Retrieved September 15, 2013 from Auckland Regional public Health service, Web site: http://www. arphs. govt. nz/Portals/0/Health%20Information/HealthyEnvironments.