Challenging Behavior Among The Children Children And Young People Essay

Abstract

The objectivity of this study is to improve the challenging behavior among the children in early stages of the education and the impact of behavior modification therapy for improvement in the challenging behaviors due to dsygraphia. The hypothesis of the study the implementation of behavior modification techniques gives satiability in challenging behavior of children due to dsygraphia. The study will be conducted in the schools of twin cities of Pakistan (Islamabad and Rawalpindi). This study will helpful in improving handwriting skills and overcome to the behavior issues. For the evaluation the Functional Behavioral Assessment, Wechsler Intelligence Scale For Children – 4th Edition (WISC-IV) and Handwriting Assessment by The McMaster Handwriting Assessment Protocol 2nd edition shall be used. The implementation of behavior modification techniques shall be applied after the evaluation.

Keywords: behavior modification therapy, challenging behavior, Dsygraphia,
Introduction

According to Ormrod J.E Students with learning disabilities have average or above average score on intelligence test. But sometime they experience difficulty with one or more specific aspects of information processing (2009). There are 30% to 40% primary and secondary school-aged students are usually facing handwriting problems. Because of emotional, social and academic, consequences that they can usually impose on the examination of such difficulties are important. These common problems are increasing the tendency of handwriting difficulties and behavior issues in children.

The dsygraphia is characterized as a writing disorder which is associated with the writing impairment. In children, the disorder generally emerges when they are firstly introduced to writing. The term behavior refers as person response internally and externally. The challenging behavior can be attention seeking tantrums, aggressiveness and uncooperative behavior. Handwriting difficulty or dysgraphia was defined by Hamstra-Bletz & Blote (1993) as a difficulty in the production of written language which is associated with of writing impairment. Challenging behaviors give the impression to the parents-child relationship and parents become very conscious while interacting with their children. The dsygraphia or written languages learning disability including problems are copying the correct words and letters, consistence and neatness while writing, spelling consistency and written organization. The challenging behavior of the children are faced by the families, teachers and other individual and even children themselves, when they are unable to behave in the peer group and in their surrounding they often become frustrated, defeated and overwhelmed.

Behavior modification is a using a principals of learning and cognition to understand and changing the behavior of an individual. Behavior modification is an empirically demonstrated of behavior change techniques. Behavior modification therapy is very beneficial for children and successful than in adults. Due to the reason children are in a stage of forming their self-identity. The term behavior modification firstly appears by Edward Thorndike in 1911. His article Provisional Laws of Acquired Behavior or Learning makes frequent use of the term “modifying behavior. The principals of Behaviorism into the classroom setting and the individual with challenging behavior, there are group of procedures collectively known as behavior modification (Ormrod J.E, 2009).

When children are not facing academic problem orally but in the written expression such as, difficult spellings, word utterance and child wants to write but unable to write. There are some possibilities that, the child may be unable to think that’s why they are unable express in written expression. Usually the children with dsygraphia able to express themselves verbally, but unable to write at a level that reflects the complexity of their thoughts. It is the children themselves that feel challenged by the situation they find themselves in; feeling frustrated, misunderstood and sometimes made to feel lazy and unexpressive in the front of adults and also the teachers who should be supporting them. If the adults around these children change their own behavior towards the children and become empathetic and supportive then the child no longer needs to feel all those negative things.

Behavior therapy focuses on the changing desire behavior, it can involve the maladaptive behavior which can be modified with help of behavior modification therapy. The study conducted by Crouch & Jukubecy (2007), simple the address the dysgraphia on a single subject to intervention in literacy instruction and motor skills. The researchers implemented handwriting and letter naming drills, as well as occupational therapeutic techniques for improvement the fine motor skills. As a results written expression slightly improved.

Another study conducted by B. E. Yeger, L.N.Yanuv and S. Rosenblum (2009) based on children perceived self- efficacy self-reporting and handwriting performance due to the dsygraphia. The main purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between children’s performance about the writing skills and self reports, their handwriting expression and motor-perceived self-efficacy. The study conducted on Twenty-one children with dsygraphia for evaluation through Computerized Penmanship Evaluation Tool and Questionnaire for Handwriting Proficiency (CHaP) and the Perceived Efficacy and Goal Setting System (PEGS). After the evaluation of the children were able to identify and report the handwriting deficiency which and facilitated with occupational therapy intervention in class.

Behavior Modification is a type of behavioral therapy, in which principles of Operant Conditioning are used to eliminate some type of unwanted, maladaptive, behavior. Its treatment procedures and techniques are ways of rearranging an individual’s environment, to help individual function more fully in society. For example, a child is showing tantrum while writing, so every time a favorite piece of candy can use as reinforcement, for modifying the behavior with maladaptive behavior replaced. Every time child throws tantrum candy use as reward.

The behavioral therapy plays a vital role in the field of psychotherapy, the cognitive behavioral therapy one of them. Jafari A.S.A and Heidari.F (2012) investigated the efficacy of cognitive-behavioral therapy on the improvement of self-perception among gifted students with learning disorder. They focused on the cognitive-behavioral therapy efficiency and the improvement of self-perception among the gifted students with learning disorders. They evaluated the learning disorder through Wechsler intelligence scale for children on twenty eight students. Experimentation was conducted and cognitive-behavioral therapy administered on experimental group. The finding of experimentation was that the cognitive-behavioral therapy plays an important role for the improvement of self-perception among gifted students with learning disorder.

Aphasia is acquired language disorder due to brain damage. Rapp.B and Glucroft.B (2009) had been done a little research on the behavioral therapeutic techniques can useful for the aphasic with the dysgraphia. The Individuals with the aphasia has a language impairment which id directed associated with written language impairment. The main objective of this study was to evaluated the role and impact of behavioral intervention for dysgraphia because of primary progressive aphasia. The conclusion of this study was that the first time the behavioral intervention can give benefit to improvement in dysgraphia due to primary progressive aphasia.

Dysgraphia is an important aspect which is responsible in some contexts of challenging behaviors in the children. When they feel handwriting disorder become fun in front of their peer group and become an embracement for their parents children usually throw the tantrum and attention seeking behavior.

Another unique study by Adi-Japha, Shalev, Landau, , Gross-Tsur, Teicher, & Frenkel (2005) conducted an experimental design on ADHD students with the writing and spelling deficiencies and also identified dysgraphia. In the study the sample used for an experimental group alone with 20 male students diagnosed ADHD and in the control group 20 non-ADHD male students. The test applied, for speed, fluency and letter naming were given as a Reading tests, along with a spelling test. The analysis of the tests was for motor pattern errors, graphemic errors, and spatial disorders. Motor production was tested by having students write words with repetition. The Results indicated that both experimental group and control group performed same in speed, reading letter naming and phoneme manipulation. The experimental group performed well on the reading assessment as compared to spelling. They also omitted and transposed letters in all tests. The writing skills were inconsistent in letter and word production and font size. The experimenter concluded that word formation and spelling deficiency was due to non-linguistic deficiencies in processing and attention, and only minor affected by motor skill deficiency. The ADHD students required a special attention and additional instructional help on written expression. The use of spell-check programs for spelling deficiencies and an implementation of word processing software to aid in letter formation were suggested.

The children facing emotional difficulty in writing during class room settings, they often face emotional factors. Things are getting worse for them day by day. Usually during school work, when the child is unable to copy from board and class work remains unfinished and incomplete, usually the child experience frustration.

Methodology
Problem statement:

Can the techniques of behavior modification therapy play a vital role for improvement of challenging behavior in children with dsygraphia?

Objectivity

Due to these academic, emotional and social consequences the children are facing difficulties in learning abilities and having behavior issues. The purpose of this study is to help children for investigation and improvement in their behavior issues due to dsygraphia or poor handwriting with the help of techniques of behavioral modification therapy. It is also helpful for the teachers whose are dealing with these behaviors, they can improve their skills for handle these challenging behaviors in classroom setting and improve the handwriting in children with the help of behavior modification techniques.

Significance of this study

The Significance of this study is helpful for children’s improvement in the handwriting skills and overcome the behavior issues. It also helps children to learning the coping strategies of overcoming their behavioral issues by themselves. They come to know about their capabilities in written communication and convert the thoughts into the written expression.

Hypothesis

The implementation of behavior modification techniques gives satiability in challenging behavior of children due to dsygraphia.

The implementation of behavior modification techniques does not give satiability in challenging behavior of children due to dsygraphia.

Procedure

This study will be conducted in different schools of Islamabad and Rawalpindi (Pakistan). Through the participant Observation Functional Behavioral Assessment, behavioral intervention plans, and positive intervention will be use for the evaluation the challenging behaviors. The Wechsler Intelligence Scale For Children – 4th Edition (WISC-IV) and Handwriting Assessment of The McMaster Handwriting Assessment Protocol 2nd edition shall be use for evaluation of dsygraphia.

The structured interview will be conduct with parents and teachers. After the diagnosis the behavioral modification therapeutic techniques will be applied on children with challenging behavioral issues due to dsygraphia. There shall be total 10 school finalized. From each school 10 students shall be taken 5 girls and 5 boys from third grade to sixth grade. After the assessment only 10 students shall be a part of therapeutic sessions for three months. The re-evaluation also will be conducted in the end for assessing the improvement in behavior and hand writing skills.

Participants

Ten different students of third grade to sixth grade shall be randomly select for the assessments from ten different schools of Islamabad and Rawalpindi. Ten girls and boys shall be part of this study from different schools. After the completion of evaluation, the therapeutic sessions for three months 5 boys and 5 girls shall be a part of the further study.

Setting

The study will be conducted within the regular classroom and separate room for therapeutic implementations.

Research design

The design of a study will be descriptive, based on identification and implementations of the behavior modification techniques.

Results

The results shall be explained in the description.

Discussion

Behavior modification is very useful and empirically demonstration of behavior change techniques. It is usually used to modify the behaviors according to the environment. The behavior of an individual can be modified through the positive and negative reinforcement. All behaviors have some set of consistent rules. Behavior modification techniques can develop method of defining, observing, and measuring behaviors, and it can also design an effective interventions. Behavior modification techniques always has solutions for managing challenging behavior and those behaviors can be change , shaped and maintained by the consequences of that behavior.

Due to the dsygraphia the effective teacher training shall be very useful for these individuals. The various activates such as, an active listening, communication and interpersonal skills training for individuals who are very helpful for those whose are facing learning difficulties. The teachers should know about the students who have handwriting difficulties. The children can experience the fearful situation and become very insecure. They can also experience failure, and shameful attitudes from parents and adults. Children usually hide their academic weakness and start cheating. The parents need counseling and training in application of behavioral techniques for modification and changing their own behavior towards their children.

The skinner’s theories of reinforcement play a large role in the education discipline and for the student achievement. An impact on education his theories have been utilized for many years and play a useful role in behavior modification. Reinforcement is a positive way to achieve the goal in classroom setting and even individually if the individual facing is learning difficulties.

Challenges In A Teenage Marriage Young People Essay

“In announcing on Monday that her daughter Bristol was five months pregnant, Sarah Palin, John McCain’s choice for a running mate, added a quick qualification that might, in another era, have eliminated the potential for embarrassment: The 17-year-old girl was to be married to the 18-year-old father of the baby”. (Kershaw, 2008)

“He would be the gentleman, she would be the lady, and with the backing of a strong family they would do what was expected of them”. Since Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin announced her daughter is pregnant, teen marriage and teen pregnancy have been hot topics among parents. But it is teenage marriage today, not teenage pregnancy that is the rarity.

Why am I writing paper on such a topic? Well I will tell you why. I chose to write my paper on teen marriages because I am very interested in how the teens get themselves early into the institution of marriage and face problems later. I’m also interested in why they divorce at such an early time in their marriage. The age and the reason of marrying today have changed dramatically over the years. Many young people today are starting to get married at a very young ages and they are doing it all for wrong reasons.

Young generations today rush into marriage without even understanding what they are getting into. Marriage is a lifetime commitment which the teenagers don’t take seriously. Today’s teenagers don’t believe in the name of trust, faith and love. Teenage marriage has become a challenge in the today’s era.

Instead of just talking about how much fun it will be to live together, talk about the aspects of daily life that won’t be so much fun, and how you will deal with that. Some teens want to get married because they feel that it will give them more control over their partner to crush a lot of jealousy issues. One should understand that marriage is a partnership, it’s not about control. Various reasons leading to teen marriage would be pregnancy, freedom, ensuring relationship, religion, living in together, etc. As a consequence of which, teen marriage serves to be a problem when a couple has disagreements over money, over children and also physical or mental abuse.

Today’s youngsters are married young, but their marriage doesn’t last as long. For example, my friends, Mehraze and his ex wife Khushnaz, married at the age of 17, but they are divorced at the age of 19. Their marriage lasted for just 2 years after they realized that their love for each other was just a toss. According to me, they should not have thought of marriage at that age and that time of their life. Both of them were busy in their own lives and both had decided their future goals. Neither of them had thought of getting married at 17. They took such a step because they thought that they were in love and should just go ahead and take an extra step to get married.

I am not saying that getting married at such a young age is wrong. What I am against are the reasons which one chooses to get married. Reasons mentioned earlier are not enough. People take love as a reason for granted, on which most of the marriages are based on. But, unfortunately, it’s not.

“Oh no, there’s a baby on the way. We have to get married”. This is one of the topmost reasons for getting married. Teen pregnancy rate is very high in U.S. Christie Silvers wrote in her article “Can a teen marriage last?” that in the U.S “there are 1.3 million babies born out-of-wedlock each year. Of course this doesn’t include all of the babies born in a teen marriage”. “Overall, 71.5 pregnancies per 1000 women aged 15-19 occurred in 2006”. (Facts on American Teens’ Sexual and Reproductive Health, 2010). Guys normally think that if they get their girlfriend pregnant, then it’s their responsibility to marry and take care of her, which should never be the case. If you are not ready enough to take the big step of getting married and supporting each other, the feeling of taking care of your child should not come to mind. This will only cause confusion for the child and may in turn lead the child to hate their parents. Marriage is not a solution to an unplanned pregnancy.

In the book called Teens at risk, Isabel Sawhill argues that encouraging teenage parents to marry will not solve the problems associated with teen pregnancy. She grants that children fare better when their parents are married than when they are not married, but notes that teenage marriages have an extremely high failure rate. In addition, she claims that by focusing their efforts on getting teen parents to wed, government programs fail to address why teenagers get pregnant in the first place. The best way to reduce the problems associated with teenage pregnancy, according to Sawhill, is to encourage abstinence, but also to teach teens about birth control.

Births to teens have increased in recent years. “10% (Ten percent) of all U.S. births are to teens”. (Facts on American Teens’ Sexual and Reproductive Health, 2010). According to the data from the Natality Data Sets, National Vital Statistics System, “Teenagers accounted for 23% of nonmarital births in 2007”.

Another most common reason for the teens to consider marriage is freedom. They want to get out of their parent’s home. Most teens do not like listening to their parents and feel they know more than their parents. Teenagers don’t like the rules set by our parents. They have a feeling that parents expect a lot from them. If parents have denial for certain person, they might have their own reasons why they think that way. However, many teenagers fail to understand that their parents are really trying to help them. They think that parents are making their life miserable and not giving them enough freedom. Unfortunately, they don’t understand the importance of parents.

Being married is definitely not about freedom. A person has a lot of responsibility including household work, paying bills, etc. and most importantly responsibility and commitment to another person. If couple argues, none can just walk away and leave home. You won’t have the liberty to go in and out as you did before because other person will also be involved in his/her decisions.

Some teens may also want to marry to ensure their relationship. They may feel that marriage would not lead the other person to ditch them. Well, that is not the case. The high divorce rates are sufficient enough to nullify this assumption. “Figures released from the National Center for Health Statistics found nearly half of marriages in which the bride is 18 or younger end in separation or divorce within 10 years”. (Chan, 2002) Eleanor H. Ayer’s writes in her book, Teen Marriage, that: “A girl married at 17 is twice as likely to be divorced as a girl 18 or 19. If a girl waits until she is 25 the chances that her marriage will last are 4 times better.

Another reason why people marry so young may be because of religious reasons. This means having sex the right way. They figure out that if they are going to have sex then they might do it the right way by getting married. This should not be the reason for getting married. Marriage should be based on how much you love each other and not expecting something from each other. Marriages don’t succeed this way.

Another different reason for teen marriage would be of living in together. Teen may want to live in together before marriage but their parents may not agree to the same. This reason would sometimes encourage their parents to sign the papers for their children to get married because they fear the teens will live together anyway.

Tradition and cultures in some countries have also led to teen marriage. For example, the Brahmin community in India is known to practice early marriages. In this community, a girl is searched for a suitable suitor the moment she is born. The girl’s family negotiates for dowry and once the girl is eleven or twelve, she is forced into early marriages to perhaps a man of forty of fifty years. This trend is however on a decline with the government passing “The Child Marriage Restrain Act, 1929”.

Some marriages work and some don’t. Today’s generation live their lives differently. Many marriages between the ages of 16-21 usually don’t last very long. The reason is nothing but the rush for marriage without realizing the outcomes of it. For example: When teenagers under the age of 18 get married, they are just leaving their parents care and are not accustomed t taking care of themselves such as paying bills, groceries, car insurance, etc. Money is the most common which leads to divorce among young adults. Things change when one gets married. Never rush into marriage if you are not ready otherwise the worst is the future. The happiness of the marriage may not last longer when one understands and recognizes the consequences of it.

The first and the main problem that shakes a teen marriage are over money. Marriage consumes money and time of both the partners. According to an old saying, “Money does not buy happiness” but the fact can’t be ignored that tight monetary situations could create tensions between couples. Youngsters will have to set up a home of their own and bear all the costs of running the house and taking care of the family. They generally do not like to take help from their parents as they have decided to venture out on their own. It is not easy for teens to bear all the financial expenses at such an early age, as they are not so educated to earn a lot of money. As a consequence of which teen marriage turns out to be a costly affair. Also, if one person is frugal and the other is free-spending, the conflict that arises can be extremely difficult to manage.

Financial problems in a teen marriage would often lead to them staying in poverty. Living in poverty would affect the future offspring of the teenage couple. The health and psychological states of the children of teen couples would be affected. It is important to think carefully before getting into an early relationship so that such monetary problems can’t destroy what could otherwise be a very beautiful relationship.

Unplanned pregnancy is the most common problem that the teenagers face. Teen’s body is not ready for pregnancy at such a young age which may be dangerous for the mother. Brides of early marriage are at an extremely high risk for fistulas and they have a higher risk of being infected with sexually transmitted diseases and at an increased risk of chronic anemia and obesity. Francis Hosein states in his article, “Relationship – Teen Marriages” that “Some teens are having sex at an early age of 12 and becoming pregnant and having kids.” He further states to “imagine kids having kids and they (many of them) are having difficulty in taking responsibility for raising their children”.

Lack of experience in bringing up children could generate ill-feelings towards each other. Having to live on their own and with no guidance from adults can cause much strain on the young couple, who have to handle children at an early age. Young women don’t do very well when raising a family. The responsibility that comes in with the birth of a new life is not tolerated by the teens. How can they be responsible for their child if they are not settled in their own lives?

Another problem faced by the teenagers is that of physical and mental abuse. Physical abuse in the context of dating relationships includes punching, biting, slapping, stabbing, and any other method that one person can use to physically harm another with or without the aid of a weapon. Teens at this age are not mature enough. Immaturity often becomes a cause for a broken marriage. Lack of personal maturity can make it difficult for teenagers to handle situations. They often quarrel over petty issues, and sometimes end up in an early divorce. Lack of maturity or self confidence and trust may also lead to jealousy and anger. Jealousy becomes a sufficient reason for broken marriage. Trust is the key in any relationship. Young teen brains are still maturing and they are working through the different steps of growth. Household problems may often lead to physical abuse, which may in turn lead to an unsuccessful marriage.

The next issue that they are likely to face is the problem of housing. Where are they going to live? Will they have enough money to buy or rent a house? Then the realization comes that marriage in their teens would involve the taking up of adult responsibilities and giving up the joys of youth. Teenagers lose out on fun and play by marrying early. Since they have to shoulder responsibility at an early age, they do not have time for leisure and relaxation. Emotional and psychological stress due to inexperience can create disharmony between the young couple. Handling everything on own at such an early age can be difficult and demanding.

Another important problem arising out of teenage marriage is that the teens have to give up on their education after marriage. They are unable to get the time to devote for studies. They miss out on many opportunities in life on account of this. The added responsibilities of family budget deprive them of focusing on their education. Lack of education also doesn’t provide teenagers with good employment opportunities. The partners would have a hard time looking for a well-paying job to support a family because of the absence of a diploma. They are not offered with high paid jobs, since their education level is low.

Teenagers should take into consideration that marriage comes in with lots of responsibilities and that handling these responsibilities is not easy. Teenagers feel very grown up and decide their life on their own. They often feel marriage can strengthen their relationship and solve the problem of teenage pregnancy. It all sounds very cool, but definitely there are many problems to be faced. They would be an added burden to the society if they do not consider the implications of such an early marriage.

Involving into marriage is a real adjustment and even a significant challenge for many couples. Think about yourself at 15. How much had you changed by 18? By 21? By 25? Those 10 years between 15 and 25 are so critical to learning, to development of one’s self, and to life success. It is easy to see why those who attempt the giant step of marriage in the same time period may well be in for a rough road ahead.

The Department of Health and Human Services is showing efforts to reduce teen pregnancies through abstinence from sex. The department initiated programs such as the abstinence education program, grants for community-based abstinence education, adolescent family life program, community coalition prevention demonstrations, and school-based prevention work groups, among others (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2002).

According to Christie Silvers, teens should consider some premarital counseling. This would help them take an important decision whether they should be married or not. She also states that the prospective bride and the groom should talk to other experienced teens. This would give them insight on what consequences would their marriage have. She also suggests reading teenage books as a handy solution.

Teenagers do become responsible with time. They do eventually grow and change. Some will grow apart once they are older. Some will learn that they really did not love their spouse as much as they thought they did. Some may also regret the decision of getting married.

The best way to deal with this problem is to wait until you are older, mature and more established in life. One doesn’t want to regret the feeling of lost teen days. One should consider all the fun things that one gets to do if one marries few years later in life. Marrying young won’t make one feel what it’s like to live by oneself or to do things with friends that one won’t do as a couple.

It’s not necessary that teen marriage has to fail. But getting married is not a game. As a stated fact, life is tough for married teens. So it’s a wise decision to be taken in the end. If you enter this phase of life slowly and know what to expect, then teen marriages can be as successful as other marriages.

Causes Of The Phenomenon Children And Young People Essay

The most important reasons of this phenomena are poverty, ignorance and poor living conditions, lack of adequate health care, in addition to housing in densely populated areas, It does not have the necessary services where children are forced and under these circumstances to escape to the street, where awaits them criminals who influence them direct their behavior and orientation and often delinquency and homelessness and begging and all that away from parental care and guidance, and the children who are leaving their villages to the cities in search of a living often find themselves vulnerable to delinquency and begging and homelessness due to the scarcity of jobs and lack of competencies educational and the absence of a designated work ,care and guidance Add to these factors prominently the emergence of the child in the family of disjointed decadent moral child who lives atmosphere family decadent whether caused by deviation father or mother must and it will be influenced by and pay towards deviation and homelessness and begging and do not forget here the role of the school, which plays a key role in the proper direction and care, and also the media of books and magazines and radio and television affect children if its purpose is just profit only in exchange for pornographic images and propaganda rave and programs falling and downlink films that often influence children and lead them toward mimicry of delinquency ..

Staggering statistics and other floating and innovative methods in begging and vagrancy invade the streets of Arab cities:

Egypt considers the phenomenon of street children as a ticking time bomb waiting explode from time to time, indicates where the report of the General Authority for Child Protection that their numbers reached in 1999 to 2 million children and continues to increase, making them prone to adopt criminal behavior in the Egyptian society. The statistics General Directorate of Social Defense blame increase the size of misdemeanors related to exposure of street children to violate the law, and including exposure to homelessness by 16.5%, and begging by 13.9%, has been exacerbated begging uniformed worn by workers cleaning companies in Egypt, where not without street of months Egyptian streets or highways, especially in affluent suburb of dozens of these beggars who only several jobs they have on this outfit, in addition to a broomstick represents the role of cleaning the street, has joined them other numbers of beggars in various forms including: sharpening knives, and put medical dressings or carrying an elderly or disabled boy in a wheelchair!

In Jordan, where showed statistically Ministry of Social Development of Jordan issued in 2006 that the number of beggars during the year 2006 amounted to (710) children; (424) male, (286) than females, have proven the existence of organized gangs responsible for the operation of child beggars, for example, was thrown arrested a gang owns bus gathering where beggars young, were seen bus during the distribution of these in different regions in Oman. Overall, 95% of whom almost working under the command of the gang their parents know that they are working these kind of jobs. In Iraq studies indicate special child protection that the phenomenon of homeless children has worsened in recent number increased after the events of the war, where numbered more than 100 thousand displaced children in Iraq, according to figures developed by some humanitarian organizations, and in Morocco has become a phenomenon of street children concern community Civil especially against Tnamea and the increasing number of street children in cities major Moroccan where he scored in the city of Casablanca alone in 2002 approximately 5300 children tramp, where most of these beggars are thus at traffic lights and parking lots and near restaurants.

This situation is rapidly worsening stresses the urgency of finding solutions and processors of this phenomenon and must begin these solutions by knowing the reasons for the arrival of beggars young to the street and how to address them, and by creating legislation militant to reduce divorce and polygamy and what subsequent displacement events, as well as Find the hand for beggars young after the implementation of their judgments and in order to prevent their return to homelessness and begging, as well as licensing of associations of private and civil to turn towards beggars children and most of all cooperation with the Ministry of Education to reduce the phenomenon of school drop-out, as well as from the most important ways to address them media awareness campaigns in this area and that the allocation of television programs and radio host specialists for children beggars and vagrants to study this problem and find solutions to them, as well as holding educational sessions have indicative nature, and research in how to fight begging to solve the problem of poverty and unemployment by adopting by adopting nations and Arab governments deliberate plans that will prohibit the deepening crises .

Street children want the freedom from abuse by parents; nevertheless, their lives seem not so easy. They want working in some odd jobs; if they have no job, the steal to eat, and if they have extra money, they buy drugs. In general, street children’s lives are rather short. They are in bad health, because of their abuse of drugs, venereal disease.

First, street child is a term used to describe those kids who live and work in streets. There are more street children around the world than the whole populations in Egypt and United States, there are currently 100 million children living on streets. In turn this sector population it is increasing through the years, because of the economic crisis, family disintegration. Wherefore they are more inclined to drugs, not only bringing troubles to the society, also problems to their health. When we talk about street children, we are talking about young people who face poverty, hunger, disease, violence and homelessness. We are talking about children who have resorted to all sorts of drugs because they think this is the only way they can remain happy under their difficult circumstances. These children that have been allowed to live on the streets are on a daily basis exposed to diseases of all sorts. We have seen some of these children on the streets a result of poor people since access to food is another problem for them. These children live in the street because they do not have anything to call a home.Street child are children between five and seventeen years old who live in parks, or light stop sign. In the same way they are deprived of family protection. Children on the street divide themselves into groups who can sell things to people and who can steal money from people car. The street kids do whatever they can to earn money. Whereas that more than 20 million of kids are living on the streets, we can see the, drugs as a normal activity in the streets. The reality begins talking about food, because they only eat what they find in the garbage or what they can steal. Likewise they steal money or drugs to forget hunger. Those kids do all of these activities in order to forget about street troubles, but they feel that these activities are necessarily to survive, so it makes them more inclined to drugs.

In addition to that, Street child commit illegal in America. It means if a child’s get in the street without any reason the police have to take them. That called breaking the law because it’s not legal to do it. Each child in America have chance to work and get more also they can learn in the school without any more. United states havedrug policy and Alcohol too. If the police saw any one who drink and child fewer than 18 they will take this child to the police station. But in Egypt child can’t go to school without pay more for their books Because of the high cost of services many street children are unable to go to school .Even in countries where schools are free they are unable to buy books, uniforms and shoes that are required to attend., also they do not have any chance to work to get money. The money is an important factor in their lives that can determinate important things in their daily life like eating or not.

Likewise, the drugs affect not only their thoughts but also affect their health. A street kid, they cannot imagine their daily live in the streets without using drugs. In the other hand the main problem is that most of types of substance consume by street kids are legal, so they can find it easily. The drug abuse is the worst problem for them and it brings them health problems. Those kids do all of these activities in order to forget about street troubles.

Therefore, a lot of country have this problem too, The problem of street children in Vietnam, a country rapidly growing and integrating with the world, arises from the interaction of traditional causes such as the loss or divorce of parents and new causes such as economic incentive. We then propose a new typology of street children based on causes and situations. Causes are classified into broken family, mindset problem, and economic migration. Situations are divided into current protection and future investment. It is shown that the broken family group is most difficult to assist while the economic migration group often shows strong desire for study and better life. Since street children are not a homogenous group, intervention must also be diversified according to the needs of each type of children.

Also, there is a lot of country that effected by street child such as; Russia consists of two million street children. Officially, the number of Russian children without supervision is more than 7 million. Also china the number of street children population continues to grow at 15 million and India is home to 4 million-8 million street children. The republic of India is the seventh largest populated country in the world. Due to the economic growth has appeared.

Consequently, Vietnam is the country that has from 21 thousand in 2003 to 8 thousand in 2007 street child. Not just these countries had effected by the population of street children there are more and more had effected by this population. Which is going to affect all people life and future and countries future too? In a poor developing country, a child will have disabilities to learn how come he will learn without any money and when the children think about their future, they will find out that there are no work no future and they can’t connect with their family too. Poor country gives children scary future.

Moreover, Children who drop out of school due to the wrong attitude of the parents are less deprived, relatively speaking, in the current situation than the first group since their parents can look after them. They are relatively well fed and protected. It is rare to see them severely by street joining them. The biggest problem with this group, however, is the strong opposition of the parents when someone (teacher, social worker, or the children themselves) proposes an education for them.

There are many causes of there being street children: Poverty, Neglect, Disease, War, Famine, Social, and Family Breakups. From another of perspective on the word “causes”, the causes they or others on their behalf fight for are the reasons that they become street children in the first instance and to provide ways out of their problems through things like providing shelter and education them with their families.so they find the way to get themselves freedom from home and school. Do whatever they want to do.

The causes of children to the street can be divided into two main groups which we shall call broken family and mindset problem. First, children with extremely difficult family situations such as being abandoned as a result of the death. This is the traditional cause of street children which exists in any developing country with or without economic growth. Also the parents continue to take care of them. Children abandoned as a result of parents’ divorce have to undergo an even greater emotional shock. Being left with relatives or grandparents, such children are easily discouraged from study and lured by bad friends. Most of the street children who have left home because of domestic violence are spiritually and emotionally impaired.

Second causes where the family enjoys relatively unbroken relations and an average or at least not so destitute standard of living but still sends children to work in the street due to the wrong attitude of the parents or the children themselves. Some children leave home because they are lured by friends or because they want to freedom instead of going to school. Seemingly exciting life in big cities and friends who already know the street life are the pulling force. For such children, earning money is not the main purpose. However, the mindset problem most often arises on the parent side. Some parents think that cash income is more important than children’s education.

How we solve the problem for the street children with their home and family?

For the children and their families, being on the street is not a problem. It is their solution to a number of problems. Crowded living conditions are a problem. A young lad, who shares a single-room with his mother and two grown-up sisters with children of their own, solves a problem by finding somewhere to sleep with his friends. He remains attached to his family and visits them regularly. He is integrated with them and does not need to be reintegrated. But it is better for him to sleep out than to stay at home. When he finds a group of friends with whom he can stay at night, his situation has improved. He becomes visible as a street child and part of our problem, but for him, being on the streets solves the problem of sharing an overcrowded room.

For the families and the children, it is the solution to the problem of not having enough money to feed and clothe the children. Child can be a problem. If a child is forced to work all day for an adult who takes most of the child’s earnings as sometimes happens with refugee children who are afraid .It may be a problem for children to have to do hours of manual at school, or to spend much of their day in misery learning useless and boring information. Somehow, we always accept child if it is enforced in the respectable environment of the school. But spending a few hours earning a bit of extra money for himself or the family can be quite fun.

Sometimes the children have to adopt the tough culture of the streets. When they are with their friends from the street, they have to act and speak as if they enjoy street life. All children should have security. They should be able to play games and have fun. They should be improving themselves at school. Children should not have to earn their own living. They should be clean and wash regularly. They should be healthy, and get help immediately when they are sick. These we regard as the fundamental rights of children and street children appear to all of these rights. This is there life and they should enjoy it.

What happen to today’s street children when they grow older. Are they going to affect their countries or they are going to affect us. These children can grow up and constitute nuisance in the society. They will make government’s project fail. They won’t do these because they enjoy it, but because that is all they have grown to know and love. At the end, nothing will work because they will fight back because we had a chance to give them good lives but we failed to do it.

All children should have security. They should be able to play games and have fun. They should be improving themselves at school. Children should not have to earn their own living. They should be clean and wash regularly. They should be healthy, and get help immediately when they are sick. These we regard as the fundamental rights of children and street children appear to all of these rights. This is there life and they should enjoy it.

Lastly, street children problem always cause a lot of terrible to people who walk in the street and they can’t be save from street child also this children they need a future to be better people and they can help their country. If we help these children they can help us in the future. For example if a child from the street get a good job in the future and he got a lot of money that give his country a better future and his family too and himself. He will be better than anyone who lives in the street. Inside of steal money from people and ate from the street , he can now eat a health food and get a good family that carry his name and his good future.

Overall, streets children are poor and as a result they are untaught. As a result, they have bad food and unhealthy body system. The street children are kids who live and work in streets and homeless people. Furthermore, they use drugs as a way to forget about their harsh reality. Lastly, they steal money in order to get food and survive. Although, they can be educated children with the government help, but they got used to their life as a children streets.

Cause Of Child Beggars Children And Young People Essay

Child exploitation is defined as taking a child’s advantages in an unfairly manner. It is a problem all of us know much of or have heard much about. Sexual abuse, pornography, kidnapping children and selling children into prostitution, child beggars are examples of child exploitation (Judy H. Wright, 2006). Child beggar is a massive problem in all countries of the world. They often come shoeless, dressed in dirty, scruffy, smelly clothes. It is heart-rending to see little children begging on busy roads. They often scrounge for alms all over the city. They are everywhere, at traffic signals, streets, night markets, peering into vehicle windows, bedraggled, haggard and breaking into a sudden smile when a few coins are dropped into their palms. Sometimes they would narrate and tell a pathetic story to collect more money.

Child beggars are swarmed around us, and often they bearing the marks of abuse, these children work all day, only to earn barely enough to live on. The earnings that they make, child beggars often forced to surrender their wages to the “boss” who will take their money and rob them of their dignity, shoving them right back into never-ending cycle of begging. How much they earn will be the consequences of their marks of abuse. The problem of child beggars is longstanding. What causes this issue? Poverty is the primary cause of this issue. It is claimed that it is poverty that makes parents send their children to prostitute, it is the poverty that make parents sell their children for child trafficking, it is the poverty that makes parents deny their children education and make them work day and night. All forms of child exploitation linked to poverty (xxx). Children from poor families are living in fragile environments, with no clean water supplies and no food. They are forced to work or beg for money to supplement household income. If they didn’t choose to beg for money, for girls, they might fall victim to sexual and physical abuse by family members.

Poverty results in a large number of children not getting the opportunity to join school. They missed the chances to being educated because of poverty. Many poor countries have over the years developed innovative and creative programmes to curb poverty but the programmes always failed. Some NGOs have proposed that the government should fix a monthly grant for the deserving beggars so that the problem could be solved permanently. However, it always failed (xxx).

Apart from that, parents are the secondary cause of child beggars. They play a vital role in numbers of child beggars increasing rapidly. Children brought out to crowded places, but parents did not pay attention on their child give human trafficking organization good opportunity to take away their children and sent to nowhere, make them as child beggars. Many of these children are victimized by human trafficking organization. Children and toddlers are also used as beggars to extract money from pity-filled passersby. In order to elicit sympathy to collect more money, children usually have one or more of their limbs cruelly amputated. Parents are no concern on their child’s attitude and action make the situation worse. Child is easy to attract by something for example food or toys. If a child is targeted by a trafficking organization, the person will attracts the child with food, sweets, or toys. If every parents pay attention and hold their children’s hands tight when they are in crowded places, it will have no chance for others to take away their child.

Furthermore, in poor countries, children are sold by parents to the trade to attain basic living necessities. Parents shows irresponsibility attitude because they didn’t bother what will happen to their child after selling off to these organization. Also, in rural area, where many parents are illiterate, some organization set the title of bringing their child out from the town to city to have education, better knowledge in order to live better. But after the organization took away their child, parents didn’t bother or care much what will happen to their child or where are they being send. These happens because lack of protection of parents on their children.

In addition, uncontrolled birth is also the cause of child beggars. Children from poor family, that their parents have no income, they usually send their children to beg or even sell them off. Children become profitable tool for supporting family life. Unplanned and uncontrolled birth brings trouble to poor family which they feel that they have too many children, and it is fine for them to sell some of their child to collect money and have better living for the elderly children. It is certainly unfair for these children as it is not their fault to be the burden of the family members. It is the uncontrolled birth that causes parents selling off their child, therefore increase numbers of child beggars.

Besides that, increasing numbers of trafficking organization causes increase numbers of child beggars. These human trafficking organizations are cold hearted. They organized crime target children result in children become victims of child trafficking and forced begging. Some of the organization even established working patterns, ‘sales strategies’ to makes child beggars collects more money. According to The Week “Where are our kids?” July 19th, 2009), one child goes missing every hour in Delhi while the police avoid accountability by registering only 20% of missing cases. Most of the missing children are from families without financial resources to follow-up on the cases (xxx).

Last but not least, another cause of child beggars is the lack of free, compulsory education. According to Elena Arnal, parental education plays an important role. Educated parents are less likely to send their children off or selling them off than non-educated parents (xxx). In poor countries, peoples mostly are illiterate. Parents didn’t know they should send their children to schools. Despite the fact that The Child Rights Act (2003: Section 1) that stated a child must join schools when they are at suitable age, in poor family that has no income, they don’t have enough money to buy food and support the livings; therefore, they will just ignore the laws and send them children to beg for money. Forced begging brings continuous derivation on the children who do not see their families, do not go to school and never has the chance to rest. Sooner or later, the children are likely to become a machines and this is definitely a very bad thing for children themselves.

In a nutshell, plenty of children become beggars because they are poor. No alms will change that; they will just make it worse. What we peoples can do is try to change the circumstances that cause their poverty (xxx). Effective operations from time to time are underway to eliminate child beggars all around the world. Children welfare organization should do something to alleviate their plight instead of just giving money to child beggars. Besides that, it is a must to report to the authorities when you see child beggars hanging at the streets. Missing children exploited as child beggars or drug smugglers, these cases have been happening in all countries. To avoid unfortunate cases from happening, everyone have great responsibility.

Case on a childs childhood and upbringing

A kid’s childhood should be filled with happy moments, laughter and lovely toys, not memories that make one shudder even at the thought of it. Being a child should not be a painful journey. After all, children are equal holders of human rights and they should not be denied a safe environment to grow and mature. However, many adults have failed to see the importance of ensuring the well-being of these young innocent kids. Every single day, almost five children die as a result of child abuse and at least one report of child abuse is made every ten seconds (“National”). Child abuse may take the form of physical, sexual, emotional or neglect, with physical abuse being the most common (“Child”). The incidence of parents and other guardians consciously, or even willfully, committing acts that harm the children they’re supposed to be nurturing is a sad fact of human society that cuts across all borders of ethnicity and class (Joseph). It’s high time for us to dig deep into the roots of this evil and look for solutions to combat the issue, before it continues to bring detrimental impacts to both the abused victims, and also, the society.

Behind any actions, there is always a reason. Same goes to child abuse. Child abuse is triggered by many factors. According to Dr. Joel Akande, among all the contributing factors, lack of insight is the main culprit. Child abusers lack insight into the value of the children and this leads to sexual, verbal or physical exploitation of these kids (Akande). This may be due to the fact that the children are unwanted from unplanned pregnancy or they may be physically or mentally impaired (Akande). When these adults are engulfed in frustration or anger, children become their easy targets as they are vulnerable objects. If they were to value their precious kids dearly, they would always place the children’s happiness as their utmost priority. A responsible parent will try his very best to protect his child from any form of danger at all times. Apart from that, some caregivers lack parenting skills and they might have unrealistic expectations about child care (Saisan et. al). Child care is a daunting task, especially for working adults who have the heavy responsibilities to juggle between career and family. Without necessary parenting skills and support from others, caring for a child can be very stressful. Caregivers who are unable to handle child care stress tend to abuse their children as an outlet of their emotions (Gibson). They unleash their anger on the children to make themselves feel better as they have little control over their own emotions. This is especially evident in teen parents who have unrealistic and immature expectations about how much care babies and small children need (Saisan et. al). Also, parents under the power of drugs and alcohol can be abusive and easily neglect their children (Gibson). Drugs and alcohol abuse increases the likelihood of violence, because it interferes with communication among family members and abusers have lower abilities in controlling their behaviors (Miller et.al 357). Underestimation of the consequences of violence takes place at the same time as a result of interference with the brain centers that control socially unacceptable behaviors when adults abuse drugs and alcohol (Miller et.al). They lose their ability to judge what’s right or wrong when they are not sober. Parents who come home drunk or high on drugs are unable to take good care of their children, make good judgments and have control over often-dangerous compulsions (Saisan et.al). The neglected children are often left to fend for themselves and scavenge for their basic needs such as food under such harsh environment.

Herbert Ward once said, “Child abuse casts a shadow the length of a lifetime”. Indeed, it is true that child abuse leaves deep and long-lasting impacts on the victims, be it physically or emotionally. Physical abuse leaves visible signs, such as frequent physical injuries or unexplained bruises, cuts and wounds. This is often done by slapping, spanking and caning by the caregivers. Some may even resort to harsher means such as using hot iron and leather belt to harm their children. The visible physical scars and wounds will heal someday, but the emotional scarring will be embedded deep down in the children’s hearts throughout their lives. Victims of violence may face trouble developing self-confidence and a sense of self in them. It is difficult to overcome the core feelings of being worthless and hopeless, if a child is being repeatedly told that he is good for nothing since young (Saisan et. al). They no longer believe that they worth more or stand a place in the society. Abused children also cannot regulate and express their emotions effectively, in turn leads to unexplained anxiety, depression and anger in adult survivors of abuse (Saisan et.al). In addition, child abuse is a vicious cycle. Based on a literature review, Kaufman and Zigler have estimated that inter-generational transmission rate of child abuse is approximately 30 percent (186). This signifies that three out of ten people who were neglected in childhood will abuse their own children in the future. They are more likely to raise their children in the way they have experienced as a child, repeating the horrible cycle unconsciously. This causes unfavorable effects to the society as a whole, as the future leaders of tomorrow are not empowered to fulfill their potential as productive human beings, said Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, the prime minister’s wife of Malaysia (“Getting”).

Hence, it is essential to put a halt to this terrible chain of abuse. First things first, caregivers have to be equipped with good parenting skills and it is vital to be mentally prepared for all the child care stress and challenges that follow. Parents should set realistic expectations of what children can handle at certain stages of development as it can help avoid frustrations and anger at normal child behavior (Saisan et.al). Emotional control and developing emotional intelligence is equally critical especially when one needs to handle children with special needs. Society has a pivotal role to play in combating this issue as well. The mindset of not wanting to encroach into other people’s lives should be discarded. One should not be reluctant to make a report to the authority if a child is suspected being abused by his caregivers. Society must realize that a small act of kindness can actually bring light into the darkness of a child’s life. The earlier the victims get help, the higher chance they have to recover from the abuse and not perpetuate the vicious cycle (“Child”).

“Truly, if there is evil in this world, it lies within the heart of mankind.”

Caring For Children

Firstly, the part of the practitioner in caring for children contains the practitioner meeting the single necessities of children. Examples are, that providing food and drinks to the children which meets their dietary necessities. Furthermore, care plans are formed by the early year’s practitioner to help to see the child’s necessities which are unsimilar from all other toddlers. Refer to appendix one which is a care plan of a child, within a child care setting formed by an early years practitioner. As when referring to the Early Years Foundation Stage, under “Food and drink” “Before a child is admitted to the setting the provider must also obtain information about any special dietary requirements, preferences and food allergies that the child has, and any special health requirements. (Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage) (pg.22). In addition, these care plans will help the practitioner to confirm that the child’s individual necessities are seen through this care plan. Refer to Appendix 1 which is an example of a care plan which a setting in Wales uses which is produced for the ages of 0-2. These care plans aids the practitioners to give out a day-to-day arrangement for children’s and their respective families.

Examples from my placement are that, child I is not allowed normal milk as they have an allergy to it. In turn, for the child’s dietary and nutriential necessities, soya milk is replaced and used within the setting, when the rest of the children have normal milk according to their individual necessities or parents’ necessities which have been set out. Furthermore, the practitioners within my placement e.g. childcare practitioners have met the child’s individual necessities of not being given the normal milk to child I, and giving the child soya milk which is permitted.

Lastly, the Children’s Act 2004 legislation aids promote the necessities of children to be established at all times to help a child’s well being. This is as, under the Children’s Act 2004, a child’s well-being has to be seen and the food necessities which is a part of their care necessities has to be obeyed too. In turn, this includes a child’s food necessities such as dietary necessities being seen within any child care setting. In conclusion, this legislation aids to develop children’s necessities and any special necessities, as children’s individual dietary necessities to be accurately met.

Secondly, ensuring the rights of the children are being established which it’s a statutory responsibility for the practitioner to follow whilst working with early aged children. This right is the Children’s Act 2004 which is the highly regarded legislation which has been set out within the UK that supports the single rights of early aged children. This act provides the national Framework for all children’s services and is identified in the Every Child Matters five outcomes for early aged people and children which all Professionals regarding to any child care job would need to follow.

Refer to Appendix 2, which is the copy of information about the Children’s Act 2004. Examples are, such as the childcare practitioners at my placement, school teacher, after school club teachers, early year’s practitioner. The Government aim for every child regardless of their upbringing or situation, in which they have been brought up to, is to have the support they require. Also, a significant policy change in relation to the Green paper is the introduction of the five outcomes that are considered key to children’s on-going progression and well-being. Furthermore, Refer to Appendix two which is a document of the Every Child Matters act which the practitioner practices during their development practice. Inturn, from the every Child Matters act under “Being healthy” Evidence will include ways in which providers promote the following: physical, mental, emotional and sexual health; participation in sport and exercise; healthy eating and the drinking of water;”. (Every Child Matters (2012) < [online] < http://archive.excellencegateway.org.uk/page.aspx?o=167914.

In conclusion, practitioners would be compulsory to offer food which is strong for the children and at the same time meets their single special dietary necessities.

Examples from my placement is that, children are provided with healthy meals daily which are different from each day. As one day the cook would prepare tuna pasta, and at another day the cook would prepare rice with curry. In conclusion, the staff e.g. childcare practitioners at my placement are ensuring that children are getting all the fuels from the nutrients from the healthy balanced diet sheet chart to benefit majorly with their improvement of development.

Thirdly, working with their families and obeying their wishes. Examples are that a parent for any reason would not want their child to eat biscuits within the setting. Furthermore, the early year’s practitioner would be essential to ensure that parents’ necessities which have been set out to the child care provision type of setting are obeyed too and the child does not be given any biscuits. As when referring to the Early Years Foundation stage, under “Food and drink” “Providers must record and act on information from parents and carers about a child’s dietary needs”. (Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage) (pg.22). In conclusion, listening to parents’ requirements and responding on them is vital as the statutory piece of framework states that. Refer to appendix 3 which has nutrition information for early year’s practitioners to obey and know.

Examples from my placement is that, child S is not allowed chocolates or biscuits according to their parent’s requirements for any of their snack or as a part of their dinner meal. In addition, my placement listens to child S parents and ensured child S does not be provided with that food. In addition, when the rest of the children have a chocolate treat or a biscuit, child S is given another food to swap the chocolate treat, such as crackers. This ensures that the parents’ necessities are being obeyed, and the snack replacement is a healthy type of food which child S likes which is highly important and is according to child S’s parents necessities which has been set out, which allows child S to have.

Fourthly, working in a team and with other professionals is vital for the early year practitioner to do when caring for children. This is as, each child has unsimilar individual necessities and own unique weaknesses and strengths. Furthermore, it is the duty of the early year practitioner to ensure that they work with other professionals to help overcome the difficulties which could alter their learning or improvement of development and boost it in whenever possible. As when referring to the Early Years Foundation Stage under “Progress check at age two “If there are significant emerging concerns, or an identified special educational need or disability, practitioners should develop a targeted plan to support the child’s future learning and development involving other professionals (for example, the provider’s Special Educational Needs Co-ordination) as appropriate.” (Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage, (pg.10). In addition, refer to Appendix 4 which is a copy of the Disability Act 2001 Act’s Information which early year’s practitioners could be compulsory to follow and accurately use when it is vital, whilst working with children.

Examples from my placement is that, child K has special needs in which they have difficulty speaking. Furthermore, my placement referred him to a speech therapist that visits them daily and my placement and helps to enhance child J’s speaking skills. This involves the whole family and the setting, in which the setting has to build up on it from the tips being given by the speech therapist. In conclusion, by working with other professionals early year’s practitioners can get effective help to help stop any obstacles on the child’s learning and improvement of development.

Fifthly, compliance with legal requirements which a must for early years practitioners to follow whilst caring for children. The EYFS is a statutory framework meaning it’s a legislation that provides the standards for the care, learning and development of children from the small birth of a child to the growing age of toddlers of five years old. Furthermore, as it’s a statutory framework all providers/practitioners must use the EYFS to make sure that which ever type of setting a Parent decides to choose for their child, they can be assured that their child will receive a satisfactory experience that will help and support them in their learning, development and care. In conclusion, practitioners and registered providers in childcare in the UK who are caring for children under the age of five years old are required to use the EYFS, which are then dealt in two processes. In turn, they are registered and then are inspected to see if they match the standards of requirements of the EYFS by the Ofsted.

EYFS framework provides the standards for the care, development and learning of children which are from small birth of a child to the last stage of foundation stage of a child’s learning. The purpose of the EYFS is to help each child to achieve the five Every Child Matters outcomes which are the follows;

Early Years Foundation Stage ( birth to five years old ) < (online) England - "To be healthy". Early Years Foundation Stage ( birth to five years old ) < (online) England - "To be safe". Early Years Foundation Stage ( birth to five years old ) < (online) England - "To enjoy and achieve". Early Years Foundation Stage ( birth to five years old ) < (online) England - "To make a positive contribution". Early Years Foundation Stage ( birth to five years old ) < (online) England - "To achieve economic well being".

EYFS has 4 themes which are the follows;

A unique child = Early Years Foundation Stage ( birth to five years old) < (online) England "every child is competent learner from birth can be resilient, capable, confident and self assured" which means that every child is able to do something well and is able to do many things as well including, they can quickly return back to a previous good condition, also is able to do things effectively and skilfully and to achieve results, and finally having confidence in their own abilities.

Positive relationships = Early Years Foundation Stage ( birth to five years old) < (online) England "children learn to be strong and independent from a base of loving and secure relationships with parents/or a key person". This means that Children start to understand that they must change the way they behave, by not being weak and not influenced or controlled in any way by other people, things or events from a bottom part of an event or thing by showing a lot of love and being in a protective relationship with their Parents/or a key person.

Enabling environments = Early Years Foundation Stage ( birth to five years old) < ( online) England "the environment plays a key role in supporting and extending children's Development and learning". This tells us that the environment plays a major part in helping and developing the learning and development process of Children's.

Learning and development = Early Years Foundation Stage ( birth to five years old) < ( online) England "children develop and learn in different ways and at different rates and all areas of learning and development are equally important and inter-connected". This indicates that Children grow and learn not in the same way and not in the similar rates and all areas of development and learning are very important and are if two or more things.

The EYFS applies to:

Every Child Matters is also another legislation which supports the rights of children to a healthy way of life. It’s a programme which is a statutory framework which is essential to be obeyed. EYFS applies to Early Years Foundation Stage (birth to five years old) Early Years Foundation Stage ( birth to five years old) < ( online) England " early years providers in the private, voluntary, and independent sectors caring for children from birth to five must use the EYFS". In conclusion, it applies to all sectors which are provided for children's care from small birth to young age of a child or a toddler being five. Examples could be, Playgroups, Childminders, Day Nurseries, After school clubs, Breakfast clubs, Sure Start Children's Centre, Holiday Playschemes. The EYFS makes sure that Parents are kept updated with their Child's progress, child care based settings providers working closely with parents, and Children study complete play.

Refer to Appendix five, which is a job description of an Early Years practitioner which has all the abilities and approvals stated an early year’s practitioner would need within themselves such as their abilities, and approvals which they have took before to work with early aged children.

Examples from my placement is that, the setting at the staff room has a poster of the Early Years foundation stage with each of the five outcomes on it. This shows how important this document is for any child care setting and my placement. Also every nursery nurse, whilst doing observations or planning any education progress activity for the children practices it. Examples are, child care practitioner H did an observation on child L, which they then sat down and looked through the EYFS. By looking through the EYFS, it helps them see what period a child is at. Examples are, a child care practitioner would look and establish their observation around it, such as a toddler and do an observation on their fine motor skills which is a development of their major stage of physical development, which could not be very good. In turn, it shows the nursery nurse how the period of a child is improving on development as they are growing up. Furthermore then produce more activities around it, which involves practising different strategies and doing one to one support with the child’s respective families, for them to encourage their knowledge of how to help support their child’s progress of development and the different ways they can aid it, this why working with families is vital.

E2:

There are many different ways in which how care for children may be provided within families and society.

Firstly, a child could be cared for within families and society by a Day nursery type of setting. This is as a, child is cared throughout the day within a day nursery. Inturn, a child is cared in a day nursery as all of their care necessities are met. This includes the main basic care needs of children which are Play, Food, Care and access to pure water which is a child’s right. Furthermore, examples of care necessities of children being met, such as play would be met by having set routines such as free play for babies such as mornings and set times for outdoor play and indoor play for pre-schoolers. This is important as, by ensuring that children have set times of play will allow to promote children’s social development and independence skills which is an obligation for an early year’s practitioner to do. In turn, when children play together, they’re communicating with each other which helps with their social development as they’re communicating with other children and other different children, by doing different types of activities such as playing cars with each other, or another example could be an activity which could help develop children’s physical development of an running game, such as tag rugby with pre-schoolers. Inturn, it would encourage their gross motor skills, which is the child’s body increasing correctly as when children run, their body metabolism is working and putting their body into the correct type of practise which helps a child with their overall body’s development growing.

In conclusion, a day nursery cares and helps promote children’s development such as social and physical development of children, as using the milestones of development for children as a guide and basing correct types of different activities around it. As when referring to the Early Years Foundation Stage “Providers must provide access to an outdoor play area or, if that is not possible, ensure that outdoor activities are planned and taken on a daily basis (unless circumstances make this inappropriate, for example unsafe weather conditions). (Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage, pg.24). In conclusion, by children participating in activities which helps promote their physical and social development, it’s a Head Manager’s and a duty of a statutory setting, such as a Day Nursery.

Examples from my placement, is that my placement ensures that every child’s care necessities are seen. As, my placement has a set routine of how to meet children’s care necessities such as foods. This is shown and understood by parents, as it’s placed within the main room. In turn, my placement provides snacktime in the morning, which is a selection of milk and biscuits. Secondly, my placement provides lunch to food which meets each child’s dietary necessities and a tea time. Also, outdoor play for children, which aids children’s physical progress of motor and gross skills. In conclusion, my placement ensures that children’s care necessities are being seen through a certain structure of a day’s timetable of small snacks, big meals such as lunch, and play provided to children at all times or when it is required.

Secondly, a child could be cared for within families and society by an After-School clubs. This is as After school clubs; offer care to early children. Examples are, when a child finishes any child care setting, e.g. Private day nurseries, schools periods, they could join straight to an after school club location. In turn, by having after school clubs ensures that children are being cared for the rest of the remaining day, by proper staff members of child care practitioners. This rest assures parents, who jobs are all day long, that their child are in safe hands and are being observed and meeting their necessity’s properly after such as always being kept a watch that they’re safe and carefree. In conclusion, after school clubs offers good care to children throughout the extent of time period a child is at. Also, after school clubs help build children’s social and emotional development. This is as, a child would be taking parts in a wide range of varied events which is placed infront of them and which interests them.

Furthermore, this would promote a child’s self-esteem, as they are being given an selection of different choices as to what they like and would like to do, which they can choose from, without any one else telling them what activity they think should the child participate and give a try according to them, such as staff members which could be teachers.

In turn, this is self-reliance abilities and qualities being established within early children’s. Also, a child’s social and emotional development is occurring as when a child is contributing in activities they like, they would meet and began to communicate with other children which could be new to them. Furthermore, by doing an activity of their choice would help build their friends circle to get huge, as they would meet new different children with the same taste alike to them. In turn, friendships could occur, which would help promote a child’s self-confidence and ability to begin communicating with different children, with different personalities.

As when referring to children’s Development Milestones, “Encourage children to choose to play with a variety of friends from all backgrounds, so that everybody in the group experiences being included”. (Development Matters in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Positive Relationships: what adults could do, (pg.9). In conclusion, children’s social development and confidence should be encouraged all times, within any types of child care settings meeting single children’s rights, of meeting single children’s care necessities.

Examples from my placement, is that the setting has an Afterschool club which is delivered for children to join and share, which could be a child attending an statutory school type of setting and Tea time lunch is already provided for them with an range of activities to do such as free times, this includes drawing, paintings, writing, computer time. In conclusion, after school clubs are delivered within my placement, and appeals to majority of all age ranges.

Thirdly, a child could be cared for within families and society by Preschools. Firstly, as child care practitioners provide intense care throughout the day meaning a Parent can leave their Child there and be assured their Child is going to be in safe hands as they’re in the hands of a qualified child care practitioners who know what and how to do their job rightly and properly. Secondly, same as a statutory school setting which offers care for children; it provides meals to children which are adjusted to a child’s single dietary necessities or parents necessities being given out to the setting. Examples are, a parent might not like their child to eat certain foods, which could be provided within a Preschool, e.g. Chocolate/Cheese.

Therefore, the Preschools makes sure that that certain child does not eat that type of food and swaps it with another piece of which is not a related food, an example would be mini cheddars instead of Chocolate in which the child does not feel left out and the Parents voice is listened too. It develops to care children’s improvement as some Pre-schoolers have a daily learning plan, however on the other hand the early years practitioners use learning plan and plan activities such as hand painting which means the child can go and try-out and progress their skills such as some Pre-schoolers have play normally throughout the day or at a specific time meaning that play would help the child’s cognitive development to increase.

Also, it keeps the parents updated with their child’s progress throughout the day as some Pre-schoolers have a board in which they could write each child’s name and tick against if they ate some, or full or none of their dinners and writing what they had against the dinner which let’s the parents know what exactly their child ate throughout the day. Therefore if the parents not happy with it, they can talk about it to the child care practitioners. Each Child has a designed Key Worker in which has a job of keeping an eye and developing a certain child Development therefore each child needs are being met and are tried through observations meaning the child’s progress is being monitored and discusses with parents through one to one tutorial sort of meeting. Lastly, it helps the child’s physical development as for children/babies use play to work all their vital body parts such as hard inside muscles therefore when they play it helps develop their gross motor skills. As “controlling their large muscles”. (Tassoni, P, (2007), pg. ) and their fine motor skills, “controlling their smaller muscles of their hands and feet”. (Tassoni, P, (2007), pg ). In conclusion, it helps practice a child’s physical development which includes their hands in fine motor skills, and their body, gross motor skills.

Examples from my placement is that, they keep parents updated about their child’s health and well-being throughout the day, through post it notes which includes their Lunch/Snacks/Nappies information on it. This includes how much or how little their child has eaten and what exactly they ate. As child T, was not feeling well and ate very little for their lunch which was Tuna pasta. In conclusion, the post it notes was given to Parents and explained to the parents when coming to collect, child T that their child has had not ate enough and they’re ill. In conclusion, by settings having an policy of post it notes will ensure and prove, how the child got cared throughout that one day and if there was any accidents, parents can fill an accident form, and be aware of how and where exactly their child has an accident within the setting.

Lastly, such as a signing in policy meaning all Visitors will sign in and sign out. My placement also has a signing in policy in which I always have to make sure I do also. The signing in policy is a sheet of register paper with all the staff’s name and the date written. It also has a space for students and volunteers in which I sign in. As I’m not a member of staff I have to write my names unlike the permanent member of staff who already have their names printed. This helps a lot as if an serious emergency happens then the building has to be evacuated immediately therefore the visitor safety will be ensured, as a whole the students, volunteers, staff’s and for example an electrician came to my placement the other day, he also had to sign in. This ensures if a crisis happens or fire, their safety will also be ensured in this way, no one will be missed in numbers and so will be mine as I am working as a student there.

The attendance of any visitor, student, staff, of which time they came in and out of the building will be recorded therefore my setting will have the correct date and time for their own assurance. Therefore for example, if a crime crops up or if the college requires seeing if the student really went to their placement for example me. I could say that day I was at placement, when I might not truly have been therefore, the placement could show their record as a proof.

E3:

Statutory, private, voluntary and independent settings, all have different roles when caring for children.

Firstly, statutory types of settings are those types of settings in which the Legal Law is involved with and confirming it’s provided to all early children and early aged people. A popular example of an statutory service would be a School. School’s is necessity for all parents to join and make sure, that a parent ensures that their child goes to school as it’s a statutory type of legislation which has to be listened too. In turn, all children are obliged to attend school. Refer to Appendix six, an plan of promoting the well-being of children within a within a statutory place of a school which delivers education to different abilities and aged groups of children, such as a plan which meets the individual necessities as when giving out or meeting parents’ wishes of providing medicines to their child. These guide plans are for settings to use properly and consider if a child requires any type of medical help which could be in a form of medicines, pumps, tablets according to a child’s group of age. In turn, these care plans are based on what a child requires according to their necessities and how they could aid them. Furthermore, these guide plans of health would be within the statutory type of setting with the Head Manager within the office, as it’s necessary for them to know any kind of medical problems which have occurred or are being occurred recently and, if there was an issue to arise, the office would know immediately know what action to take or who should be the first and utmost priority to contact when an emergency arises. In conclusion, these guide care action plans are vital for a setting to have, and know beforehand about a child, this could also include staff members being aware of also beforehand, as this helps them as an Head manager within an office, as to what action or what allergy’s a child has and the immediate action plan for that.

As when referring to the Early Years Foundation Stage, under “Health-Medicines”, “They must have a procedure, discussed with parents and or/carers, for responding to children who are ill or infectious, take necessary steps to prevent the spread of infection, and take appropriate action if children are ill”. (Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage), (pg.21/22). In conclusion, as its legal for schools and vital staff members, such as Teachers,Head Manager, Head Teacher to be aware of, and organised a way of dealing with giving medicines to children who are poorly.

Examples from my placement, is that Child O has an allergy to many different types of foods. Furthermore, a guided plan of his medicines and care within a setting, e.g. class is placed on the board which is completed. This ensures, that Teacher W knows when how to prevent any issues from occurring. As once, a child was giving chocolate with nuts on, which Child O is not allowed. Immediately, Teacher W did not allow Child O to have it. In conclusion, it’s vital for the setting, and staff members to have a guided plan of health for the child as it benefits, the staff members and Head manager majorly.

Secondly, private types of settings are those types of settings which earn money at all times. An example, of a private service would be Private Day Nurseries. Private Day Nurseries are places for Parents who normally work full time to leave their child in a safe environment in the hands of a skilled Nursery Nurses who help the development of the Children and provide them with regular requirements with the Parents agreements on food/sleep time or other kind of similar activity’s. Refer to Appendix seven, which is a Policy of Behaviour within a Private Day Nurseries. A policy of behaviour is very important within all categories of child care settings who look after small age types of children. A policy of behaviour is different within each child care settings, however it is essential as it inboards instructions and guidelines within the child care settings of what is accepted through behaviour and what is not accepted. As when referring to the Early Years Foundation Stage, “Managing behaviour”, “Providers must have and implement a behaviour management policy, and procedures. A named practitioner should be responsible for behaviour management in every setting”. (Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage, pg.23). In conclusion, a policy which stresses the importance of accurate behaviour, and inappropriate behaviour amongst children’s is vital.

Examples from my placement, is that my placement has a policy of what behaviour should be and how children should meet that criteria. Furthermore, this includes the classroom as well, as when a child is not behaving well or disturbing the class, Teacher R writes the child name on the board, amongst the sad face. This is a type of a warning for the child, for the child to calm down and relax, however if it continues another tick would go amongst the child’s name. In turn, if it’s continues, it could go serious and the child misses their break and lunch time. In conclusion, a policy of a behaviour structure will enforce and promote good understanding amongst children’s of what a right, accurate behaviour is.

Lastly, Human Rights Act 2000 is a development of the importance of meeting children’s care necessities, as it gave single obligatory rights to early children which includes that whenever any conclusions on early aged children and grown-ups are built around using the Human Rights Act 2000 guidelines. In turn, this Act provided children with having general basics rights, such as being treated alike with each and as single human being in a positive way which resulted that, children are required to be respected and being objectively treated when child care practitioners communicate with early children.

Thirdly, voluntary types of settings are those types of settings which contain certain types of charities behind the voluntary types of settings, which include major kinds of organisations. Playgroups help children’s with their cognitive development as cognitive skills are based on learning and thinking and play is a form of way in “children research the world, playing allows children to test and develop these skills”. (Tassoni, P, 2007, pg.) as whilst they are learning as they’re discovering new things by playing with differ

Can Child Toys Create Problems?

Every child has a favorite toy bought or custom made by parents or older siblings, if that is not the case a replica from the available objects in a child’s environment. Traditionally toys such as dolls were made from clay, wood or wax, airplanes from paper and cars from malleable cable. All these were materials could be obtained from nature or the environment easily. However, all this has changed with post-modernity and urbanity. With post-modernity comes capitalism, which has industries invent products that will fetch huge sums of money from the populace. Artificial substance has seen its way in production of ample toys to cater for the increasing demand. Technology has also found its way into the children’s objects, as they are available with real movement and voice hence making them popular for children.

Toys are important in children growth and very dear to them a reason they clutch to them at all times. In addition, parents in a bid to provide sufficiently for their children invest heavily on toys to make their children happy. Nevertheless, the very toys parents rush to in stores to keep up with the latest fad can be harmful to children. Children develop physically, socially and emotionally. Childhood helps determine character for an adult. An adult with a questionable character must have acquired it in childhood. This happens when parents overwhelm their children with toys that create social and emotional problems.

The twentieth and twenty-first centuries present the world with postmodernism, which has families living in cities. Cities, unlike the rural areas have limited playing fields owing to the fact that developers are always coming up with commercial buildings. Similarly, cities are full of activity on the outdoor therefore making it unsafe for children to play. Pollution, unsafe road usage by drivers and crimes such as kidnapping make it difficult for parents to let their children out for play. These circumstances of city life have contributed to the popularity of modern toys, which according to Goldstein are efforts to curb bodily harm. Recreation activities for children move inside the house a thing that has led to the growth of technological toys. These toys allow for private recreational activities (5). In the past, without the hustles and bustles of city life children could enjoy play with friends an alien occurrence for today’s children who live in isolation. Isolation of children not only impedes speech but also makes the child to be timid unlike children who play outdoors (Liz Hollis, The Guardian 16). Such children never learn the value of sharing by interacting with other children.

Toys not only serve the purpose of enjoyment but also education. However, some of the toys chosen may impede originality and thoughts. Television as an object of entertainment has children glued to the screen “passively watching the creativity of others rather than manufacturing their own fun” (Cambre and Hawkes 13). This has the effect of children not thinking on their own and having the television dictate their thoughts. Therefore, the teachers have a difficult time in teaching such children.

Computers and computer games also give the same effects of lack of originality. Parents on the other hand, feel pressurized by advertisers to invest in electronic toys that according to Lucy Ward are not specifically advantageous in education (The Guardian). Parents who just buy toys because they are on sale instead of looking for the benefits they bring to a child is an impulse buyer and may pass on the value of extravagance to the child. In addition a customer society is created by television which advertises for toy companies. Parents are held culprits of responding to each technological innovation in order to please their children. Similarly, computers as toys render the children to attend to obscene material through the internet. This is because parents leave their children in the refuge of toys as they are busy earning a living. Consequently, children fall culprits of unlawful dealings such as child trafficking, abuse, child pornography, theft and abduction. This is because children are inexperienced in the proper use of the internet.

Other toys such as guns and dolls have effects on behavior and emotions. Cambre and Hawkes argue that, “research over the course of many years aˆ¦has shown aggressive play can and sometimes does lead to violent behavior” (18). This could only mean that any time a parent buys a toy gun for his/her child there is a possibility that the child at some point will exhibit brutality. Other traits such as despair and compulsion to drug abuse also emanate.

Similarly, dolls shape the dreams of young girls who would want to be petite and attractive as seen in “Barbie” the doll (Cambre and Hawkes 17). Consequently, children will abstain from eating to maintain a slim body figure. This also explains why teenagers suffer from disorders such as anorexia. Girls inspired by the Barbie doll will obviously suffer from low self-esteem should their body size increase. On the other hand, children form inactivity from watching television and playing computerized games, such children can become obese. This is due to the fact they have no activity that bring them to physical exercise all they do is eat, sit, be simulated and not think.

The other social problem presented by toys has to do with stereotype of gender roles. Girls often have toys with a kitchen setting or dolls, which they ‘nurture’ while the boys have cars, shooting video games or racing cars. These stereotypes also affect careers where girls believe they should be homemakers while boys explore in fields that require masculinity and aggression. “Feminists argue that gender-free play is essential if girls are to grow up realizing they can pursue any career they choose in adult life and if boys are to realize that making a home is a shared endeavor” (Goldstein 21). This therefore calls for parents to buy their children a variety of toys to enable them to experience different gender roles.

The divide on gender roles is not the only accomplishment as toys also bring about a class divide “of the haves and the have-nots” (Cambre and Hawkes 21). Rich parents can always spoil their children into having any fad toy while struggling parents will have their children possessing old and broken toys because they do not have the money to move with the trends. The divide is visible when children bring their toys to school and this may contribute to low self-esteem in children who do not have trendy toys. According Donahoo, parents with autistic children are in pains to get money to invest in an ipads to aid in development of their children even though the gadgets do not work to provide development (Wired Magazine). This clearly shows that the technological toys are not items that every parent can afford. Children whose parents cannot afford will have to make use of alternative development techniques.

Unlike in the past where a child held a single toy dearly because it took a lot of energy and material to make one. Today children have toys spilling all over the house. Once it gets broken, it can always be replaced. In fact, a child can intentionally destroy one in order to get a new and trendier one. Such children make up for the adults who are money-oriented (Goldstein 21). These children may grow to despise children from poor families.

The problems caused by modern toys are mostly social in nature and very few are emotional. Other problems created by toys are pollution. The artificial material making the toys mainly plastic cannot decompose. Therefore, when disposed on to land the soil does not aerate properly hence making it not suitable for cultivation.

In addition, materials manufacturing toys and the wonderful colors used on them could be harmful for ingestion. Parents should pay caution when making purchase to ensure the material and paint are not harmful.

Every technological progression comes with both advantages and disadvantages. Children’s toys are one such advancement that we should embrace as well as scrutinize to ensure that the children are learning while having fun. To counter for the social, emotional and environmental problems caused by children’s toys parents must take an active in being present during play. This is in order to encourage creativity and imagination, which lacks in the use of modern toys. Children should also be encourage to play outdoors where they play while enjoying nature and learning about it. For example, a visit to the parks will not only help children to interact with others but also creative play can come up such as hide and seek.

Children also need assurance from parents on their uniqueness in form and character hence they will avoid falling prey into the internet evils of sexual abuse. Furthermore, their self worth should be defined by parents’ assurances instead of toys. Children should be encouraged to read or read to stories as reading makes the mind active in imagination. Play should not a whole day without a break as this will help the child think of the next activity in plan hence making the mind active.

Modern toys are result of continued advertising from televisions that make parents attend to the messages and heed to them without questioning the impact involved. The television continues to play its role perfectly at the expense of innocent children. It is therefore the obligation of every parent to make sound judgment when buying the next fad toy in the market. The parent should also practice using it to find out what impacts is had on him/her before releasing it to the vulnerable child. Toys should be bought according to age to ensure that the specific needs of the child are met. Parents should in addition invest in a few toys to test how that effects on the child and thereby prepare the child for the eventualities of life.

Finally, the culture of homemade toys should be renewed to allow for creativity. Clay is fun to work with and it will have children making their own designs that describe the world as they see it.

Breaking The Television Watching Habit

For most of you, as it was for me, I grew up watching three, four and even five hours of television a day. It was a part of my daily routine and it wasn’t easy for me to break. I managed to do it when my family and I moved to a small city in the west. After we moved in we found out that you had to buy cable if you wanted to have television. So we attempted a little experiment. We decided that we were not going to get cable and just tough it like the good old pioneers. This was partly because we couldn’t afford it after the great expense of buying a new house and out of the wishes of my wise mother. So the family tuned out and switched off. It was nuts for a while but then I began to notice some changes taking place in my family and myself. I started to realize that television increased violence and aggression in my siblings and I, detracted from the way our family interacted and finally I noticed its adverse effects on all of our school scores. I plan to show that these adverse effects of television are reason enough to give your TV to the neighbor.

Now your probley saying that people are naturally violent. Look at Gengis Kahn and Adolph Hitler . None of them grew up with television and they were still killing innocent people. From what I can tell if TV had been around they would have been a whole lot worse.

In the book Televisions Effects, a government study compiled by George A Comstock , It states on page twenty five, that children who had viewed violent programming exhibited more aggressive behavior than children who had viewed a sports program. In the study they were able to tell which children would exhibit this behavior this shows a correlation between violent programming and violent behavior.

Even if a naturally violent nature is the root of the problem we also need to recognize that the television is making those naturally aggressive and violent children even more so. We need to realize that these people have a hard time distinguishing between right and wrong. We need to help correct this problem by total abstinence to television. In the book The Plug-In Drug by Marie Winn, a book about the ill effects of television on the different aspects of human life, it states “It is particularly hard for parents to buy the Idea that television instigates aggressive behavior when its function in the home is so different, television keeps children quiet and passive, cuts down on loud and boisterous play, prevents outbursts between brothers and sisters.” The sad fact of the matter is, parents sometimes have to work and are not able to spend nebulous amounts of time with their children. We need to stop allowing our children to be exposed to the violent distortion of reality that TV projects, Our children should be out playing sports or just romping around in the backyard. Activities that are proven to wear kids out and don’t bombard them with all kinds of extremely violent stimuli. By destroying TV we can increase productive family time. Stop desensitizing our children to violence and begin to reteach our children good manners and good morals simply by our example. In a story by Ray Bradbury called The Veldt. We see the extreme end of this TV addiction when the existence of the children’s parents is of less importance than continued access to the TV room.

Parents you need to let TV be a tool instead of a replacement. We must take up the reigns again raise our future generations the right way, by good old human contact.

Now you’re probably thinking to yourself, how am I supposed to live without television. It’s the peacemaker in our home. When it’s on the children stay out of my hair and they stop fighting with each other. Anyway it’s the only time that the family really gets together. It really helps our family get along.

You see not only have we replaced the parent with TV we have replaced the good old-fashioned family as well. I think the effects of television on the family and person are best stated in a quote by Urie Brofenbrenner “Like the sorcerer of old the television set casts its magic spell , freezing speech and action, turning the living into silent statues so long as the enchantment lasts. The primary danger of the television screen lies not so much in the behavior it produces – although there is danger there – as in the behavior that it prevents: the talks, the games, the family festivities and arguments through which much of a child’s learning takes place and trough which his character is formed. Turning on the television set can turn off the process that transforms children into people.” We neglect our responsibilities as parents and families to build children and future generations with character and moral values. When the TV is on we subject our children to the values of the world. We see TV as the fix all for the evening problem. Instead of playing, nurturing and loving we use the TV as the escape hatch. It lets the adults, the rolemodels, have their time and gives the children the necessary attention that they need. While at the same time allowing the parents to keep some semblance of sanity. You see why it is so easy for us to justify TV as a necessity. The bad thing about this is that children spend very little time interacting with adults and their other family members. All they ever see are two-dimensional flashes of lights and sound, merely impressions of a human soul. So good is TV at tricking the mind that we don’t even realize that children are lacking something they desperately need, a strong family.

In the LDS church families are a very important thing. The LDS church encourages families to take at least one night of the week and set it aside for just the family. This time is spent singing songs, playing games, and doing small acts of service. A lot of good television free family time results on this night and many needed skills like cooking and cleaning are taught to sons and daughters.

We need to stop letting TV be our social outlet. It just isn’t the same. We are so addicted that without it for even a short period of time we go stir crazy and have no idea how to entertain ourselves. We have forgotten how to enjoy ourselves and our own family members. We need to unplug and tune out. Read a book or even play a game of Monopoly with a younger sibling. We have lost the arts of interaction. We waste our lives away trying to escape, not realizing what we have around us, always wanting the next Scooby Snack, exploding truck or funniest home video.

The worst place that TV beats us upside the head is in the learning department. Its like letting Dirty Harry put a big 44 round trough your skull. Now your probley going to try and tell me about good educational programs like Bill Nye and Sesame Street. We can’t forget the Discovery channel. Yes, these are the rare jewels of television programming. We need to concentrate our viewing time in these areas.

Television despite what programming may be on is an inefficient way to learn. TV is so easy to use and it is so easy to change to a totally different program if it becomes disinteresting or boring. I personally have noticed that whenever I get the remote in my hand I have to switch channels constantly. I think if you asked me what I saw on TV I could only tell you selected parts of the last five minutes.

In a study conducted by Canadian researchers three towns were surveyed. One had no TV capabilities. The second city had only one channel. The third city had many channels. When reading score were compared between the three town they found that the highest scores were from the city with no TV. The next highest from the city with one channel and tailing closely behind the second city was the third in last place with many TV stations. Now you might be thinking that this study is not so great because they didn’t take into account income and education of the people studied. The thing that make this study so intriguing is that the same group was able to go back into the city that had no TV after it had television for about two years. They found that the scores in the first city had dropped down with the scores of the other two cities. A sad testimony to the ill effects of television.

One thing we fail to realize is that little things count when it comes to TV and how it relates to school performance. Things like reduced sleep time caused by late television viewing. Loss of productive play and self-learning time and a reduction of time spent on school work and studying. TV is like a drug, it acts like a good emotional and mental laxative. It lets us forget the things that we don’t want to deal with and allows us to take the back seat and partake of the action guilt free. All the while we let our school books rot and our lessons pile up until we have no way to make up for the lost time. This wasted time is hard to fathom. Millions of man-hours wasted on what, a useless story, a few loud explosions and a dead policeman. We should be spending this time on reading, writing, arithmetic, and maybe even some thing we could turn into a career. You don’t see an awful lot of people getting paid to watch television.

An interesting comparison was done of SAT test score before and after the introduction of television. They found that between the years of 1964 and 1981, The exact years when children who had been exposed to large doses of television during their language learning years came up to take the SAT challenge the researchers witnessed a steep decline from the years before television. I can see how this wasted time that was before used on studying and hobbies was now channeled into six and seven hours of viewing a day. (Plug-In Drug) Could mean the difference between Harvard University and Southern Utah University.

Television has proven to be one of the most effective drugs in human history. We can learn to live without it and we can learn to enjoy our families more. We must separate ourselves from that great monster. We must do as my family did and eliminate the need for television. I can honestly say that my grades went up. I had more time to read. We started to do things together as brothers and sister. Now we just have long conversations with each other. If you would like to see the good changes it can make in your life and the numerous benefits that abstinence provides then join me. Throw you TV’s in the street.

Boys Girls Clubs Of America

Socialization is generally thought of as being an essential part of human development in that its importance is often times disregarded. However, understanding socialization can be a complicated and enduring process. “Sociologists use the term socialization to refer to the lifelong social experience by which people develop their human potential and learn culture” (Macionis, 2011, 68). Humans need social experience to acquire the skills needed to learn their culture and for survival. “Social experience is also the basis of personality, a person’s fairly consistent patterns of acting, thinking and feeling. We build a personality by internalizing – taking in – our surroundings” (Macionis, 2011, 68). When an individual is lacking social experience, personality seldom develops. People usually rely on others for assistance when their children are growing physically and emotionally but most importantly as their personality is developing. Many theorists have focused on childhood as being the most critical time when personality is formed; however, Erik H. Erikson’s eight stages of development have set apart that focus and places emphasis on socialization throughout the life course as being the most influential (Macionis, 2011). Erikson centralized that challenges are faced throughout the life course fluctuating from infancy, toddlerhood, preschool, preadolescence, adolescence, young adulthood, middle adulthood to old age even though not everyone faces these challenges in the exact order (Macionis, 2011). In summary, Erikson’s stages of development model calls attention to how several factors, including the family, school and peer groups, shape our personalities.

Since socialization is a learning process that begins after birth and is learned throughout an individual’s life span, a common question is how can people be socialized? Looking around the world, we see that different cultures used different techniques to socialize their children both formal and informally through school and peer groups. As we age, we enter new statuses and need to learn the appropriate roles for them. Across America, there are many national organizations that have been organized to provide programs for young people that help with maintaining socialization skills that have been embedded amongst our youth. “The Boys & Girls Clubs of America is a national organization of local chapters which provide after-school programs for young people” (http://www.bgca.org). The first Boys’ Club was founded in Hartford, Connecticut in 1860 after a group of women noticed how young boys from needy families would hang out on the streets after school because they didn’t have anywhere else to go. The club was created to provide them with a safe place to play. By 1906, there were fifty-three independent Boys’ Clubs that came together in Boston for form a national organization known as the Federated Boys’ Clubs. After many years, the organization renamed itself Boys’ Clubs of America and in 1990 renamed itself to Boys & Girls Clubs of America. There are currently over 4,000 autonomous local Clubs, which are affiliates of the national organization and serve over four million boys and girls. Clubs can be found in all fifty states, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and on US Military Bases. In 2010, member percentages included: 65% are from minority families, 5% are 5 years old and under, 43% are 6-10 years old, 19% are 11-12 years old, 21% are 13-15 years old, 12% are 16-18 years old, 55% are male and 45% are female (http://www.bgca.org).

The Boys & Girls Clubs are a safe place to learn and grow. “It is the place where great futures are started each and every day” (http://www.bgca.org). The goals set forth by the Boys & Girls Clubs of America basically includes their mission statement which reads “to enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens” (http://www.bgca.org). The organization gives young people a safe and supervised environment, an especially important task as more and more families have needed to work multiple jobs and cannot be home for their children. They also encourage kids to get involved in activities, learn team skills, and associate with people they might not meet at school or in their neighborhood. Many clubs offer an after school program as well as an extended summer program, giving kids a real opportunity to make friends and be involved in the programs and services offered at the clubs (http://www.wisegeek.com). Their core beliefs are for “The Boys & Girls Club to aspire to provide all young people with a safe place to learn and grow, and establish ongoing relationships with caring, adult professionals by providing them with life enhancing programs and character development experiences” (http://www.bgca.org).

There are many strategies that have been implemented by The Boys & Girls Clubs of America each help youth in distinctive ways. The Education & Career Programs which help youth create aspirations for the future, providing opportunities for career exploration and educational enhancement. The Character & Leadership Programs which help youth become responsible, caring citizens and acquire skills for participating in the democratic process. The Health & Life Skills Programs in which those initiatives develop young people’s capacity to engage in positive behaviors that nurture their own well-being, set personal goals and live successfully as self-sufficient adults. The Arts Programs which are programs in this core area that enable youth to develop their creativity and cultural awareness through knowledge and appreciation of the visual arts, crafts, performing arts and creative writing. The Sports, Fitness and Recreation Programs which help develop fitness, a positive use of leisure time, reduction of stress, appreciation for the environment and social and interpersonal skills. The Specialized Programs in which these initiatives focus on meeting the significant and specific needs identified within the Boys & Girls Clubs. This broad scope complements several or all of their core program areas within the organization.

According to Kidzworld, the Boys & Girls Clubs are community based and building centered. “Since 3:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. is the time of day when children are usually unsupervised, The Boys & Girls Clubs run their programs after school, and on weeknights and weekends” (http://www.kidzworld.com). The Clubs provide a safe and affordable place for these programs to run; all the while, clubs do charge a monthly or seasonal fee and some assistance may be available to families in need (Ellis, 2003-2012). The Clubs are led by trained, paid youth-development professionals. Signing your child or young friend up for the club can make a positive impact in every area of their life.

The Boys & Girls Clubs of America provide young people with a safe learning environment and opportunities to build new skills that raise each child’s belief that he or she can succeed and receive recognition for personal accomplishments. They also assist in building ongoing relationships with caring adults and connections to new friends in a positive environment, reinforcing a sense of belonging, personal accountability, civility and civic responsibility. Finally, they offer generation-changing programs that support a commitment to learning, positive values, healthy habits and high expectations for success as an adult. Many people credit The Boys & Girls Clubs with changing their children’s direction in life or teaching them vital skills. “The Chronicle of Philanthropy ranked Boys & Girls Clubs of America number one among youth organizations for the 13th consecutive year, and number 12 among all nonprofit organizations” (http://www.bgca.org).

Both Montessori and Waldorf education view

Philosophy. Both Montessori and Waldorf education view the child with utmost respect and reverence as an individual, spiritual and creative being. Both methods believed in the education of the whole child, to teach it how to think for itself, with the goal of producing a better society living in respect, peace and harmony. According to Maria Montessori, “establishing lasting peace is the work of education; all politics can do is keep us out of war.”

Both methods based their education on satisfying the needs and capacities of the child, believing that this will lead to responding to the needs of the community they belong. Both methods also believe in alleviating and protecting our children from the stresses of modernization.

Curriculum. According to Maria Montessori, “one test of the correctness of educational procedure is the happiness of the child.”

Both methods adhere to developmentally appropriate principles and provide a variety of art, music and other creative means in their curriculum. Waldorf education is divided into the three phases of growth: the imitative nature of the young child, the imaginative undertaking of the middle childhood and the thoughtful age of the adolescent. Montessori education, on the other hand, is according to the child’s sensitive years where they easily master particular learning skills. They adopt a three-year age grouping called the Planes of Development, which corresponds to the child’s natural stages of development (three-six, six-nine, nine-twelve and twelve-fifteen). While Waldorf curriculum moves with changes of the season, Montessori education is set at the pace and will of the child.

Both emphasize on spiritual, mental, physical and psychological development rather than academics. Waldorf education, however, introduces academics at later ages, particularly when the child “changes his teeth.” During this time he is deemed ready to take on more intellectually-oriented activities but prior to this, play, both indoor and outdoor, which they hold as the highest integral part of learning, enhanced by the arts, music and cultural beliefs, takes an enormous part of a child’s learning regime as it is believed to develop children emotionally, mentally and actively. While Waldorf emphasized on the cultivation of imagination, Montessori education, however, shifted from make-believe play to real life work, when children prompted that they are more interested in such activities. They now offer children mathematics, manipulative language and academically oriented materials that would introduce them concepts and certain functions.

Although Waldorf education is more of an integrated-approach, or what they call spiraling, and Montessori education more child-directed, both methods have great regard for the hands. Both believed in that education should be highly experiential and sensorial. According to Dr. Maria Montessori, “the hands are the instruments to man’s intelligence,” while Rudolf Steiner proposed education through the art with the hands, heart and head as mediums to achieve its goals. Both believe that the use of the hand and the development of fine motor flexibility lead to the development of the brain.

Intellectual development. Both Montessori and Waldorf education emphasize on the importance of imagination in education. According to Maria Montessori, “we especially need imagination in science. It is not all mathematics, nor all logic, but it is somewhat beauty and poetry.” Montessori education sees the child as having an absorbent mind. They believe that to fully educate the child, she must be offered intellectually challenging tasks even from an early age, that is why at casa level (nursery), children are already being introduced to subject matters like botany, zoology, geography and history.

Waldorf education on the other hand, sees the child as growing and evolving and aims to nurture the child’s imaginative and creative potentials. They believe that the key to critical and scientific thinking is through creativity and imagination. Quoting Albert Einstein, “The greatest scientists are artists as well. Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination circles the world.”

Interactions. In a Montessori prepared environment, children work individually, sometimes in groups, according to their interests, while in Waldorf, children work as a class on activities prompted by their rhythm, the natural flow of the day. Both methods implement multi-age classes, most especially during pre-school years. Both methods see the benefits of employing mixed groupings like older children providing scaffolding for younger children and acting as models for younger children to imitate. However, Montessori teaching emphasizes on socialization as a form of respect; children are not to bother each other while doing their work, that they should help a younger child to perform a new task and that each would take turns in the activities they want to engage in inside the classroom. Waldorf on the other hand encourages that children should play together, move together and to solve conflicts together.

Montessori teachers facilitate interventions by offering children new materials when she deem the child is ready to move on to more difficult tasks, while Waldorf teachers orchestrate children’s rhythm and learning activities and act as mediators for all children to socialize. Both Montessori and Waldorf encourage the looping of the students, or that the children and teachers stay in a class for a certain number of years to provide stability, ease of communication and familiarity in the class. However, this may be optional for some schools under these methods.

Both methods emphasize on the importance of nature, its part in the children’s lives and the roles of children in nature. They highly encourage keeping in touch with the environment and to make use of natural materials. Montessori education has specific subjects for getting in touch with nature. Waldorf, however, has designated outdoor playtime for the children to devote themselves in appreciating their environment. Furthermore, while in a Montessori setting, the children are encouraged to make use of materials especially designed for their learning purposes, Waldorf encourages children to create their own toys and materials as they go about their imaginative and creative activities.

Maria Montessori Children’s School Foundation Inc.

I visited Maria Montessori Children’s School Foundation Inc. It is actually one of the original Montessori schools here meaning the founder of the school and the first batch of teachers trained in Italy. While other Montessori schools use the Montessori method they still mix it with other learning methods. This school is one of the few schools in the country that are true to the Montessori teaching.

The point that struck me most is that when a child is at “work,” they are not to be disturbed so as not to lose the momentum of learning. It is also notable how they leave the child to learn for himself and that learning takes place in a manner that is child-centered, sensorial, active and child-directed. It teaches kids practical stuff to learn how to survive on his own in the world. They have a relatively advanced curriculum like as early as four, they were already learning about basic botany, zoology, history and geography.

They also started to learn how to multiply and divide and how to write in cursive. Aside from the academics, they also learned practical things like how to button up shirts, wash dishes, do the laundry pour water into a glass from the pitcher and transferring food from one bowl to another. It provides an excellent foundation for children. It is individualized and the children get to choose what they want to learn and how to learn it.

They assure that even though they are highly progressive, the children will not have a hard time adjusting if you transfer him to a traditional school in the future that is because Montessori children are highly adaptable. There are no written periodical tests because what the teachers do is interview and ask you to explain in your own words how you understand concepts. The teachers have a checklist, and if the teacher thinks that you have mastered it, then you will move on to your next lessons. One is deemed to internalize learning in the hope that one will not forget what she learned.

The three main qualities that make Montessori teaching unique are: first, the use of specially designed materials and the prepared environment they set up for the children. Montessori schools are proud of their materials inside the classroom that are especially made for the purpose of learning and are to be manipulated freely by the children. Maria Montessori intended that the children made use of their hands in exploring these materials. She believes that the hands are the instruments of man’s intelligence. It is through them and their other senses that they achieve the growth and reap the fruits of normalization. The prepared environment is set up to assist the children as they occupy themselves with work, equipping themselves with experiences they need in the present. However, it is truly the initiative of the students that keep them learning and their innate thirst for knowledge that drives them to master their work.

Second is teacher training. Mainly, the Association of Montessori International and Association of Montessori Schools certify true Montessori teachers. They undergo training in different parts of the world, while some are trained in house. This training is rigorous and all the fruits of which are highly personal meaning during the course of such training, the teachers acquire experiences and make albums that document they journey, all of which only belong to the teacher and the teacher alone.

Third is the curriculum. They mainly adhere to the principle of learning by doing, which is the most crucial part of their teaching. Some schools deviate from this by incorporating traditional methods into their curriculum. Maria Montessori designed her teaching method originally for children with learning disabilities but she figured that if special children are able to learn from the method, using it for regular children will make them extraordinary. Montessori also made it’s mission to educate not only the parents but other people surrounding our children as well, for they believe that these people are those who have great influence on them too; and that in some sense, they too are parents to our children.

It was an Open House, and so I came with the group of parents that were to observe their children. I was lead into the classroom by teacher Aida Borres, who was telling me that classes are already ongoing. Curiously, I peered inside only to be shocked by an astounding silence. It was like watching a silent movie. There were children going about tasks while being observed by their parents. The parents were equally silent, probably keeping their end of the bargain – to be supportive audience of their kids.

This silence was not just in one class, but is ever present in the entire school. My curiosity was answered by teacher Aida, “we do not disturb the children as they go about their “work,” so as not to lose the momentum of learning which is essential as they make meaning in their experiences.”

Teacher Aida never used the word “study” to describe what the children were doing. She calls them “work” or “occupation,” that each child is engaged in, which is an activity introduced by their teacher from one of the 4 corners of Montessori education: Practical Arts, Sensorial Arts, Language and Mathematics.

What caught me was the discipline that was already fortified in the children even at a very young age. They would not touch any material unless offered by the teacher. This offering is some sort of introduction, which is not only about how the materials are to be cared for and properly stacked when their occupation is done, but also includes the workings of how the activity is of value to creating various experiences to the child. This is why, despite the number of students in each class, their materials remain in tact and properly maintained.

With the thought that I cannot disturb the child at work, I moved to the side to observe a young boy busy completing a puzzle. The puzzle is made of wood, and the pieces are of various colors. The picture on the puzzle seemed to be a turtle, and the tiles on the shell have the letters of the alphabet.

When I came into the room, he was already working on his task and was still working on it when I left. He was sitting there quietly, trying to figure out where each piece falls. His concentration was so intense, that he didn’t even mind others going around the room, including strangers like me. When he completed his task, he repeated it again on his own initiative. I was so impressed that he did not tire nor got bored with what he was doing.

This task was probably part of the Language Area. And the young boy was probably mastering the order of the letters of the alphabet and at the same time trying to figure out the pattern being made by the colors and how the whole picture will turn out. He was also learning about discipline and concentration to accomplish his task. He was also probably learning about himself, that he can do what he is doing and that what he is doing is part of learning.

I noticed that it was not really how well the children manipulate the materials in front of them, but how they strive hard to get to know these materials, how they put their effort into mastering and re-mastering what they were learning.

Manila Waldorf School, Inc.

I visited Manila Waldorf School, Inc. at Timberland Heights, San Mateo, Rizal. The first few instructions I got were not to wear makeup, to remove anything fancy on me and not to wear black. I was also instructed not to bother the kids but instead busy myself with hand knitting. Good thing, they allowed me to take pictures, document everything and even ask all the questions I want.

They hardly use plastic materials inside the school premises. They want everything to be all-natural. Toys and furniture are made of wood. Some children even make use of bags that are bayongs and baskets. Dishes are glass and ceramic. Everywhere there’s thread and cloth. And they use citronella oil as insect repellent.

Their early childhood curriculum is focused on the physical well-being of the child. They want them to be “malusog, matatag at matibay.” This is their path to learning – to nourish first the body, then the heart and then the mind. Children engage in indoor and outdoor play, with creativity and imagination as their core concepts. To engage the children in activities that would train their concentration and nurture their love for learning are what they offer to prepare them for life.

They advocate that the child be taught in a calm manner. Children are taught life lessons and values through rhythmic activities and instructions. Teachers sing songs and make birdcalls to mark the transitions from an activity to another. By the end of the day, teachers write notes on each child and come up with a narrative detailing the development of the child and particular instances that the teacher thinks are noteworthy. These narratives become basis for assessing how and what children are learning and how they are applying what they learned. In their classroom, children make bread, weave baskets and are taught to pray as they play. They go home with a book in hand and a plethora of talk about so many things.

Teachers, as well as parents, caregivers and other adults surrounding the child, play the active role of creating an environment for them to make meaningful interaction. Teachers consciously and continuously strive to be “worthy of imitation” – for it is during these formative years that we make imprints on our children that would last them a lifetime.

I arrived at Waldorf E. Rodriguez, which was an old house, to catch the shuttle that would take us to San Mateo. I met some people who work at the school, both faculty and non-teaching staff, and noticed how simple and humble they are and their presence will truly make one step back and look at herself. One of the teachers in kindergarten, Tita (), went inside the old house first to change into her working clothes, comprised of a white undershirt, a white skirt and a yellow apron.

I sat at the back, not wanting to cause any distractions on the incomers. I immediately noticed most of the kids were carrying library books. A sight I really don’t normally see in regular school. And they were discussing a mystery they have in class. Teachers and students, alike, were conversing about regular school things until they started talking about weird food they like to mix and match. They went on until we were near the school. They even had a game determining what time they would exactly arrive at the front steps of the school.

The view from there was amazing. One can almost touch the sky. The fresh air was so good to breathe. And the greens were simply breathtaking. The school was big and situated magnificently down the slopes of the mountain. We then drove up to where the preschool classrooms were located. The grounds were clean and the grasses were trimmed. I also noticed native chickens running around the parking area and across the fields. I was asked to wait outside the administrators’ office but I took it as my chance to take pictures of the scenery.

I was then met by one of the secretaries, Miss Dina, and was brought to the class that was about to start. It was 8:00am.

The door to the classroom swung open taking in the students who already was in queue, and the teachers wearing yellow aprons immediately greeted them while rubbing “citronella oil” on their arms.

I was welcomed by the teacher, but was not formally introduced in class, rather I was given the task to busy myself with finger-knitting. They requested me to keep to myself and not to disturb the ongoing flow of their class. I can only take short glimpses and was requested not to talk to any of the children.

They proceeded with their “rhythm.” One of the “titas” was already working with the other kids on their bread. They were kneading the bread and were shaping them, getting them all ready for the oven. The other children on the other hand were conversing with each other trying to decide what they want to play. They settled on singing and acting out a scene from a play. I noticed how their play was deeply rooted on singing. The children took turns being the “Anghel.” The teachers on the other hand were busy with preparing things in the kitchen and baking the bread. Once in a while, the titas would call the attention of the students asking them questions about their play. Other times, they would discipline some students causing any disturbance in class by saying that it is better to take such behavior outside.

When time came, one of the “titas” sang a song to mark the transition of the class, and then lead all the children into more songs and group movements. The children then washed their hands and readied the tables for eating and the mats for sleeping.

Once done, the children again were rubbed with citronella oil and were lead outside to play. They decided to stay at the sandbox under the tree house. Each child was given a spade and a pail to use for water. One was tasked to help in getting the big pail for water and each child was asked if they want to use some of it. Others were building sand castles, others were looking for shells while others were absorbed in their building things they can imagine.

When time came again, the teachers sang a song to get the attention of the children and to signal for them to start packing up. Each child was responsible for his own things and shoes, and after removing the sand from their clothes, they immediately went inside the classroom to wash their hands and change their clothes. Again, they were rubbed with citronella oil.

After cleaning up, the tita sings a song to invite everyone to take their places on the mats, signaling the time for silence and rest. Even the titas and I stayed on the mats to get some rest. After a while, one of the titas sings the names of the kids to rouse them up. Immediately the children arise and take their pillows and help put away the mats.

Once the floors were cleared, the titas sings their instruction to take their places at the table. A prayer was sung, and then they marked that all the grownups will be the ones to serve. Each child was given a bread each but they can get more if they like as long as they will finish everything that’s on their plates.

Once finished, the children took a drink from their glasses. Then, a few children were chosen to help out clear the tables, put away the mats and move the tables and chairs to the side. While some of the children were clearing up, the others were given the signal that they can again engage in play, this time with the toys. The toys were made of wood, cloths, rattans, threads and other woven materials. The children engaged in play, transforming areas of the room into places one can only guess. While the children were busy with play, the titas busied themselves weaving.

When time came, the titas again sang songs to mark the transition of the class, signaling the children to put away all the toys and the wooden planks used. While they were clearing up, some of the children were setting up the chairs into a semi-circle, and one of the children set up a place for on of the titas. A chair and a table with candle, a match box, and a candle extinguisher.

Once they were done clearing up and setting up for the next phase of class, all the children took their places and one of the titas signaled for silence, while the other one readied herself with an instrument.

The titas then lead the children into a recitation of a poem and some songs, and then signaled the children to keep quiet. The tita in the center, with a wooden harp, started to play the harp. She then told the children a story she knew by heart.

After the story was told, the tita put out the candle then sang her instructions that the class was over.

The children were then lead to the door, again rubbing each with citronella oil.

During the course of the day, I think the children were learning about everyday living, about themselves, about each other, how to play and be in harmony with each other, how to conduct one’s self, the rhythm and natural unfolding of life, the things that take place inside and outside their classroom, how to be at peace with the world, how to fully appreciate life and nature, and all its intricate details, and the roles they play and everybody else’s.

The Montessori Teacher

Teacher Aida Borres explained that the Montessori teacher is a guide for the children. “The greatest sign of success for a teacher… is to be able to say, “The children are now working as if I did not exist.””

“Never help a child with a task at which he feels he can succeed.”

“The task of the educator lies in seeing that the child does not confound good with immobility and evil with activity.”

“To aid life, leaving it free, however, that is the basic task of the educator.”

The teacher must derive not only the capacity, but the desire, to observe natural phenomena. The teacher must understand and feel her position of observer: the activity must lie in the phenomenon.”

“And so we discovered that education is not something which the teacher does, but that it is a natural process which develops spontaneously in the human being.”

“The greatness of the human personality begins at the hour of birth. From this almost mystic affirmation there comes what may seem a strange conclusion: that education must start from birth.”

“We teachers can only help the work going on, as servants wait upon a master.”

The Waldorf Teacher

Tita () explained that a Waldorf teacher should be worthy of imitation.

“All of nature begins to whisper its secrets to us through its sounds. Sounds that were previously incomprehensible to our soul now become the meaningful language of nature.”

You have no idea how unimportant is all that the teacher says or does not say on the surface, and how important what he himself is as teacher.
I leave this paper with Rudold Steiner’s words, “receive children with reverence, educate them with love, and let them go forth with freedom.”

“If help and salvation are to come, they can only come from the children, for the children are the makers of men.” MM