Observing Communication

Age range 3-5
Setting- Mississippi County Head Start Preschool
Ms. Wright/ Mrs. Jones

 I arrival in the classroom about 8:30 and Ms. Wright the lead was meeting and greeting the families. I enter into the classroom. Ms. Wright asked me to put on shoe covers. The teacher asked me to wash my hands, before going into the center where the children played. MS. Wright explained to me with a warm and smooth tone of voice that this helps stop the spread of germs.  She expounded  to me not to think that she was picking on me, but it’s all about the safety and health of the children. I went through all of the procedures and made myself comfortable. I explained to Ms. Wright the purpose I was there to observe her classroom; with a slightly grim she stated” ok”!  Ms. Wright introduced me to her co-worker and to the students. I was impressed by the way the students greeted me! They all said,” Good Morning Ms. Tyler.” “How are you? Right then and there I saw social-emotion development being carried out in this classroom. 

 When I came and greet the class I saw that the teachers had their centers open unto the children. A young child  ran up to me and gave me the tightest hug and introduced herself to me. She said,” Hi my name is Harmony, but you can call me Honey.” I said,” Hi Harmony! My name is Ms. Tyler”,” How are you doing?” I’ll just call you Harmony.” Harmony said,” Can you play with me? (Language development). Harmony played in blocks with two others classmates. She introduced me to Billy Joe, and Charles. She was building a house for her mother and daddy. She built a house, airplane, pools, hot tubs, a million toys, 10 bedrooms and a restaurant. (Social –emotional development). There was communication, physical, cognitive, and social-emotional skills performing in Harmony interaction I observed Harmony while playing in blocks. She built a ten bedroom house and each bed room had a bathroom. Her house had an airstrip for her private plane, she had hotels in all of her bedrooms, and two rooms were designed just to hold all of her toys. (Which she said she had one million toys).

I observed that Harmony went over into the dolls area and got a doll and placed on the sofa, and went into the kitchen and got some food for the doll. She said,” said wake up baby it’s time for lunch, and she pretended to feed the doll. It was amazing to see a young child caring for a child, and she shown so much of concern and much in learning and development. When play time was over it was time for a bathroom break. Ms. Wright started to sing,” It’s time to clean up, it’s time to clean up.” I was so surprise at the knowledge I have learned from these little love ones. The children started to pick up toys and place them in the order they got them from. I saw Harmony and the two children she was interacting   picking up puzzles and tried to put it together.  Next it was time for the children to wash their hands.  They started to complain because they couldn’t put the pieces of puzzle together. Ms. Wright said,” What do we do when we can’t put something together? They said all together “We ask for help”! Ms. Wright asked,” Ms. Jones to help guide the children put the puzzle together. I watched as the children was putting the puzzle together Ms. Jones begins to sing” where do Mr. Green go? The children said,” He go here, (I saw cognitive and language skills   demonstrated).  The children placed the toys in their rightfully space. During this moment I saw relationships developing and children sharing and helping each other’s. When it was time to put the toys away all Harmony knew where all the toys go on the shelves. I saw the shelves were label with two languages English and Spanish.

 In this class I saw (social-emotional skills) go forward the children was playing together and had a peaceful relationship between them. When Charles couldn’t put the puzzles together and begin to cry and said,” I can’t do it”. Harmony and friends went over and helped Charles to put the puzzle together. (Cognitive skills, problems solving). They started to clap their hands saying “good job teacher.” They also use languages skills by holding conversations while they played with each other.  There was plenty of communication going backward and forward between the children. When they were building Harmony’s house they were using their physical development skills.  I even saw self- help skills going forward in this classroom. I admire these two teachers for putting forward tremendous efforts for helping these children to learn and development healthy skills. There were plenty of pretend play doing this observation and the children were playing the lead players and the teachers were playing the guiders. Which mean the teachers was there for guidance when the children need them.  I declare that these children can run a classroom they knew what steps and what came next. In other words they knew their schedule. I like the part when it was time for another activity the teacher would sing and the children would join in. The children knew to clean up the center before leaving it to go to another center. Good Job!

        Circle Time, during circle time the teacher got a book and started to read, some of the children came and listens to the story.  While some of the children played in other centers and after a period of time the whole class was sitting listening to the story. While one teacher was reading the story to the children the other teacher was sitting with the children. I notice that the teacher had her work cut out for her. There was letters, numbers, colors, shapes, and days of the week, birthdays, names, and alphabets. As the lead teacher would go over the items the other teacher would give it to her. Example: If she talked about numbers the co-teacher would reach in the basket and give it to her.
          These teachers were with one accord and on the same pace. After circle time, the teacher asked the students to go to their seats and choose their assignment. Some children chose coloring pictures of their mom, some chose cutting up paper, some chose pasting pictures on paper. In this activity the children small motors was at work. The teachers ask questions about each of the children work and the children would explain to her what they was making. (Communication). Than Harmony said,” look I made a picture for my mom.”(Social-emotion). There was small motor going forward by letting the children color what they want. (physical) I enjoyed watching the children do and handle their work up. One little boy came over to me and said,” That’s my puppy dog,” Pointing to the pictures on the wall. The children interacted well playing with each other, there was no fighting, fussing, and no confusing between them.

References

Kovach, B., & Da ROS-Voseles, D. (2011). Communicating with babies. Y C: Young Children  Young Children , 66(2). 48-50. Retrieved from the Walden Library using the Education Research database.

Http://ezp.waldenulibrary.org/login?url=http//search.ebscohost.comcom/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&AN=60001532&site=ehost-live&scope=site

Creating Affirming Environments

                                     

                                    Head Start Infant and Toddler Classroom

Cedar Family Child Care is set up for toddlers’ age range from 18 month to 2 ½ this child care is build upon love and safety. Safety is the most important concerns in child care program settings. Children need to feel safe with the appropriate materials at their reach. When entering into the room, there is a sign – in sheet on the welcome table for the parents can sign the child in. This area is called greet and meet the parents by using communication to develop relationships. There are cubbies where the children put their coats and backpacks next to the sign-in stand. Each child has their picture on a cubby to know where to put their belongings such as, coats and changing clothing’s. Healthy is a fundamental concern also when caring for young children. . There is space for the children when in interactions and block area for different colors and textures (such as, soft and hard blocks) there is an area for dramatic play for children to use their own imaginations in their own little world. With kitchen equipped with stove, sink, table chairs, there is an area for music to let the children experience and explore moving their bodies to the beat and using their gross motor skills. There the area for manipulative for children can share and choose.

There are child-size furniture’s for children can be comfortable and safe. Each center is equipped with the right amount of materials at the children reach. I also place a book in each center for the children to read if want to. There is the library where the children can go and read a book and next to the library. I have the cozy area where when the child is feeling sad of missing mom he can go and sit to be along. The teacher‘s desk is by the library to be there for the children. There is the writing area with papers, books, pencils for children can write and draw. The art area with water proof paint of different colors and paint brushes, play dough of colors. There is the area called the sand and water. There is a child-size station with children aprons to keep from getting paint on their clothes and there is the bathroom with child- size toilet, and sink. There is space for mealtimes for children and teachers to eat together with the number of child-size child chairs and tables for the children. There are the babies changing area where you chance the baby when they have accidents. Where all of the supplies also when need to clean the babies is stored in the changing table department.

There is the carpet on the floor where the children sit sometimes and there is the wood floor where children and teachers eat lunch. There is a place on the carpet for the children to sit for activities. There are large trucks that similar for the children to push and pull for exercise their large muscles. There are photos on the wall at the children eye level of diversity. There is a picture board where the children’s and their families share for when the child get to miss the parents. The teacher can take the child over to the picture and ask questions about who is on the picture to help common the child down. There are plenty of photos on the wall and shelves. Each center is a label with two languages in English and Spanish to help the children put the toys back on the shelves. There are books in the library with diverse of people of different color of children and families that are handicap or different disabilities. There are photos on the wall at the children eye level of community helpers. It is essential to have all appropriate materials for young children. I have discovered any items that can pass through tissue roller are not appropriate for young children to play with. (Card board that the tissue is rap around).There should be the right amount of light not too much or little for children can be safe. There should be a safe area for nap time to be able to set the cots three feet apart for germs and disturbing. The most important concern for all young children is to not only teach safety but practice safety. (Teaching Strategies, Inc. 2005).