Shady Grove Preschool Summary

For the classroom observation assignment I was able to observe at Stepping Stones Family Childcare and Preschool Program. I conducted observations for five hours each on the dates of September 24th and September 25th of the year 2015. This licensed home-based daycare and preschool program is located in a quiet suburban neighborhood on 4103 Bryant Street, Blasdell, New York. The facility allows for a twelve-child capacity (ages 6 weeks to 12 years with four additional school age) and is owned and founded by Kim Bannister. When I observed, there were two additional staff present. Therefore, there were a total of 3 adults and 12 children at the center when I observed. New York State Senator Marc C. Panepinto was also present on September 25th as he read to the children and toured the home. I chose this specific setting as I personally thought it would be an interesting dynamic to study how a home-based preschool program is run.

The purpose of this assignment is to closely observe the development of a child through an interview and apply the theories and concept of child development in his particular cultural and educational context. I selected the child who lives in my neighborhood for the interview and began with seeking the permission from his parents. The child’s name is ‘Abdullah’ and he is seven years old. He lives with his family in Terre Haute and his family consists of parents and two sisters. Abdullah goes to Sugar Grove Elementary School in the Terre Haute city along with his two sisters and he is in grade 2. The interview was conducted at his home and I ensured his convenience. He was cooperative and provided insightful responses to the questions and he provided significant detail in the interview. I was able to track his development stages and connect it to different theories of Developmental Psychology including psychoanalytical perspectives and Piaget’s stages of development. In the following paragraphs, I will explain my observations about Abdullah’s development in the light of developmental theories with special focus on cognitive, social, linguistic, and emotional development followed by making connections between his socioeconomic and cultural background and development. Lastly, I will conclude paper by highlighting that the observations during the interview can facilitate my future practice as a teacher.

The preschool is concerned with the child at different developmental stages (Berger, 2009). Teacher must ask herself two questions about the child at those stages. Firstly, how does the child think about and view his world? Secondly, what learning tasks should the child be given at this point in his development? To answer the questions, the teacher must orient herself to Piagetian developmental theory and sharpen her observational skills.

The date of my observation was April 27th, 2010. It was about 9:30 in the morning when I began my study. I went to Grossmont College’s Child Development Center. The first thing I began looking for was if the child-teacher ratio was correct. The child ratio was 2 teachers to about every 8 children. The ratio was good. As I entered there was one large room that almost looked as if it could be two rooms they way it was set up. One half consisted of a large bookshelf with numerous books on it with a couch in the front of it. The other half of the room was almost like a little kitchen. It had a table with chairs around it with a sink and cabinets behind it. There were “age appropriate” toys as well as books all over the

Tracey T. Yearwood is the professional I had the pleasure of interviewing for this assignment. Mrs. Yearwood has been married 21 years to an Active Duty Army soldier who is now retired, and they have one 15 year old daughter. Mrs. Yearwood’s educational background consist of a Bachelor’s of Science in Sociology, a Master’s in Education specializing in Child Development, and she also has over 15 years of experience working with children of all ages. Since Mrs. Yearwood’s husband was in the military they relocated almost every three years, so consequently her occupations have varied from working in elementary schools, middle schools, and multiple child development centers over the years.

Education has come a extensive way from the times of Plato and Aristotle, but from each new era came a person with a concept that effected the world of education eternally. Sisters, Margaret and Rachel McMillian influenced education through their development of the Open-Air Nursery School in more way then one. Not only had they introduced the idea of starting education at a younger age then the fledgling kindergarten program, but their school was devised for kids from low- income areas that needed the extra care as well. A unique concept of the time that grasped my interest and made me want to discover more about their program and it’s effect on Early Childhood Education.

Anne’s First Street Preschool is in Beaufort, North Carolina. Anne Street has a Mother’s Morning Out Program. The MMO is everyday 8 to 12, so the mothers and fathers can do what they need for that brief period of time without having to watch over their child. The MMO has two teachers, A and G. They supervise 7 children, 4 girls and 3 boys. The child used for this project is named C and he is almost 2 years old. The other girls named L, B, K, and T. L and B were twins who were 2 years old. K was almost 2. T was almost 3 years old. The boys, not including C, were D and M. D and M were both around the same age, almost 2 years old. The observation took place from 8 to 9:30, when the children went outside to play.

Early childhood education is crucial for success in the formalized education system. Many children born into lower income communities do not obtain this advantage. According to Kozol, simply based off accident of birth a child will lead completely different educational lives (2005). For example, a white toddler in an upper middle class neighborhood might attend a prestigious educational preliminary kindergarten. These respected early education schools are often referred to as “baby ivies” (Kozol, 2005). The child participates in pre-numeracy skills along with pre-writing skills. Conversely, a child of minority descent living in an underprivileged neighborhood may not initiate school until they are five years old. In the three previous years a

In the last few decades, many circumstances have been changed to adapt to what the modernizing society demands. For example, parents have revised society to what they believe would create an auspicious environment for their children. The lecturer, Dr. Wendy Mogel, begins her speech with the example of babysitting, and that children used to babysit at the adolescent age of nine. However, in contemporary times, according to Dr. Mogel, nine year olds have babysitters, a security guard, and an adult watching over them. She then continues her explanation will an example of a kindergarten teacher. Dr. Mogel referenced this teacher, and a student of hers, two physician parents who confronted the teacher accusing the Kindergarten curriculum of not

I interview the Brenda. She is the Center Manager for Episcopal Children Services Peck Head Start. This is a program in Nassau County, FL. They provides full-day center-based early learning to children ages 3-5 years of old. They have two classrooms of 20 children. Their program provides comprehensive services in the areas of health, mental health, and nutrition, disabilities and parent and community engagement, in addition to early childhood education as part of a complete approach to school readiness. They have a population of 75, 00.00 people. The county that this program is in has an estimated poverty ratio of 691 families. The county is made up of the following races White – 78%, Black – 15%, and Hispanic –

A child’s intellectual development can vary greatly and is usually dependent on what opportunities they have been given and on different experiences they see or actively participate.

The lack of attention given to an individual child’s needs can be observed in the structuring of the classroom at Head Start. The program places

     I noticed that in this article, Parker challenges the media’s representation on the effectiveness of early childhood development by stating that you should not change how you raise your child based on trivial news articles. Parker lists sources: Newsweek, the Clintons, and books about early development, as causes for parents to go overboard on developing their young children. The point that Parker is trying to get across is that these articles are not reasons for society to change their parental habits. The author is saying that the news articles can not prove one way or the other that teaching your child early in life gives them the advantage. Just because an article says that in some cases child development is effective, it doesn’t mean that it is true or appropriate to change the way you are teaching your two-year old. Parker’s technique is to debunk the idea of these sources, and to get the reader to believe in her side.To further her persuasive article, the author wanted to show that the media can not prove one way or the other that teaching your child early will affect how smart they become in life. Parker mentions that Thomas Jefferson’s

Early childhood education is one of the most important policy topics out there. Research has proven that the early years in childhood is a critical period for opportunity to develop a child’s full potential; as well as form academic, social, and cognitive skills that determine not only success in school but also their entire life (The White House). The right to a free, public education is guaranteed to all children in the United States. Early education is voluntary, and therefore some children are not given the opportunity to reach their full potential.

The developmental theories can not be more evident than during the out of class assignment at the daycare facility. During this independent assignment, I was able to observe and interact with pre-school children in an environment that is both encouraging and facilitating to a child’s developmental growth. So, just as Piaget in his developmental theory believed that children takes an active role in the learning process, acting much like little scientists as they perform experiments, make observations, and learn about the world; the pre-school teachers allowed them to do just that. Indeed, the teachers at the day care provided room for the child to learn and explore while at the same time adhering to a structure that set boundaries and limitations. Thus, the pre-school children, begrudgingly, learns to follow a meticulous schedule of activities and rest.