The Effects of Poverty on School-Age Children

I greet Dr. Shepherd and professional colleagues!

November 28^th, 2014

     As an early childhood educator there are very important guidelines that must be met, in order to respect the nature and ethnicity of all children.  “All educators must have the flexibility to understand how various events will impact students.  This requires identifying problems early and addressing them.  At the same time, educators must provide direction, become a mentor and follow a clear set of ethical standards.  This is achieved through integrity, having strong set of principles and consistently practicing them” (NAEYC, 2005).   

     For this course project, I decided to focus on solutions to the unexpected events that young children and families experience.  Often times, many families are hit with unexpected events that can be very challenging to young children and family members too.  Such events may have a trickled down effect on the entire household.  When these types of life occurrences appear young children and family members become traumatized and very stressful.  As children and family are exposed to such risky factors it will eventually cause mental strain in various areas. 

     Hanson & Lynch (2013) write in, “Poverty is frequently associated with developmental risk because it promotes an accumulation of risk factors that compound its hardships (Hanson & Carta, 1996).  Insufficient food, inadequate housing, lack of health care, nonexistent transportation, homelessness, and neighborhood plagued by violence interact to reduce resilience” (p. 14). 

     It has been estimated that approximately one in four children will experience a traumatic event before the age of 16 (The National Child Traumatic Network [NCTSN] 2009.  After exposure to a traumatic event or stressor, the availability of support for recovery is crucial to recognizing the onset and course of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).  (Bernardon & Pernice-Duca, 2010)

     As an educator, working closely with young children, the principle way is to treat children equally, “regardless of ethnicity, religion, language, gender and socio-economic status” (Hardin and Hung, 2011).

     Questions to ponder!

1.     Do you think it would make a difference if a, Black American educator assist and support the needs of a Japanese family who recently migrated from Japan to the United States?  Why or why not?

2.     How likely would it be to focus only on one school?  Why or why not?

3.     How can I target this idea?

References:

Hanson, M. J. & Lynch, E. W. (2013). Understanding families: supportive approaches to

            Diversity, disability, and Risk. (2^nd ed.).

Bernardon, S. & Pernice-Duca (2010). A family systems perspective to recovery from

            Posttraumatic stress in Children. 18(4), 349.  Retrieved from:

            http://tfg.sagepub.com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/content/18/4/349.full.pdf+html

Hardin, B. J., & Hung, H. F. (2011). A cross-cultural comparison of services for young

            Children with disabilities using the ACEI Global Guidelines Assessment (GGA).

            Early Childhood Education Journal. 39(2), 103-114.

NAEYC Ethical Code of Conduct and Statement of Commitment, (2005). NAEYC.

            Retrieved from: http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/PSETH05.pdf

Profoundly,

Cecelia Johnson

Young children's Identity

Greetings to Dr. Tammy Shepherd and professional colleagues!
I welcome you all with blessings of kindness, peace, love and prosperity!

Our discussion questions from the first module was very intriguing. I believe it is very important to reflect on our past experiences as a child.  It reminds me of where I came from and how I became the person I am today.  In fact, this exercise tapped into some very memorable moments that are still distinctly vivid today.   As educators, it is very important to identify both positive and negative contextual factors.  When you can identify with contextual factors in young children it helps to understand the children in whom we come in contact with.  Promoting a balance within the classroom environment is very important for both child/teacher; building positive relationships sets a positive atmosphere; and the fact that we are well into the age of technology makes a tremendous difference.

Hermon (2012) explains, "Montessori pedagogy is the perfect antidote to the frenetic lifestyle of so many technophiles.  Montessori specifically addresses the importance of sustaining concentration, focusing on one task to completion, and cultivating skills in grace, courtesy, and empathy.  Additionally, these skills are suited to the home and classroom."

Reference:
Herman, J. M. (2012) Creating balance in the new age of Technology. Montessori Life.
                Retrieved from: www.waldenu.library

Profoundly,
Cece Johnson