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THE POWER OF ADULT ATTENTION When I was getting my teaching credential I observed children in a first-grade class- room. I learned a lot from that experience, but one thing really sticks in my mind— a boy named Ralph. His was the first name I learned in that class of 30 children. I heard the […]

ADVOCACY IN ACTION A PARENT ADVOCATES FOR HER CHILD WHO HAS SPECIAL NEEDS Ida Wong, parent My son, who is now in eighth grade, has a form of au- tism called Asperger’s. I have spent much of my life advo- cating for his rights in the school system. I learned to be a difficult parent

SCHOOL IS DIFFERENT FROM PRESCHOOL Starting school is a major transition in the lives of children and their families, an event full of challenges even when the teachers do a great deal to ease everyone into the new setting and situation. For Mia, the transition was a little easier because she didn’t have to change

Working with Families of School-Age Children 99 I t’s the first day of kindergarten for Daniel. He’s been to preschool and now he is in “real school.” He’s five years old and he’s a little scared. His mother senses his fear—an unsettled feeling that wasn’t eased by the orientation the week before. She too is

ADVOCACY IN ACTION ADVOCATING FOR OURSELVES Missy Danneberg, child care director to please. A response to this view is: Just because children can do something doesn’t mean that they ought to. When children are pushed to engage in rote learning or to perform for adults, their initiative can be squashed. Their need to please the

Sharing Approaches When Working with Children in the Initiative Stage ◆◆ Don’t just teach parents; learn from them. They know more about their child than you do. They see the child in different contexts; you mainly see the child in the context of the early care and education program setting. ◆◆ Find out parents’ views

Here is the pattern: Some children are born extra cautious . This trait may even be in their genes. They don’t enjoy putting themselves out in the world, taking risks, trying new things. Sometimes this trait doesn’t really hinder them because it’s more a matter of timing than a deficiency. Some children are observers; they

ADVOCACY IN ACTION A SON COMPLIMENTS HIS MOTHER(S) ADVOCACY WORK Gregory Toy, recent college graduate Sharing Views of Initiative with Families 85 feel okay about the fact that what goes on in the program is different from what they do at home. Other times you may need to have a deeper discussion about differing perspectives

HOW ADULTS CONTRIBUTE TO CHILDREN(s) INITIATIVE Adults contribute to the development of children’s sense of initiative in several ways. Adults are responsible for setting up the environments for children’s play and making sure it is safe for everybody in it. The Advocacy in Action feature “A Son Sometimes children need to get away by themselves;

THE VALUE OF PLAY FOR YOUNG CHILDREN Play is an arena where children learn new skills and practice old ones, both physical and social. This was discussed in the last chapter on toddlers, but there’s always more to say about play—especially when the subject is preschool-age children. It’s espe- cially important to keep emphasizing play