Language and literacy relate to every aspect of early childhood education. The tradition of story telling is universal. In different cultures, educators use stories to teach about tradition, history, morality, and customs, as well as for teaching specific skills.
English is becoming a global language. Many countries around the world are teaching English as children’s first or second language in an early childhood settings. In a session about Preserving Indigenous Culture, Carol Beaulieu, from Canada, described local programs in Aboriginal communities which aim to preserve indigenous languages and aboriginal culture. Martha Llanos from Peru postulated that, “More than any other debate in education, the language domain brings up questions about power and identity. In the learning scenario how adults, teachers, children and students view their home, their mother tongue, and traditions, contributes directly to their roles, expectations and perceptions.” Canada’s Aboriginal people provided leadership in sharing strategies for language preservation, and also in creating and distributing resources, such as videos and books about their programs.
Equally important are stories that are created through authentic conversations with children. Through conversations children narrate their life experiences. They are able to relate to and organize reality in an imaginative and positive ways. Authentic conversations with children occur when teachers practice S.O.U.L., or (be) Silent, Observe, Understand, and Listen before you join in the conversation.
Here are some Trends in Early Childhood:
- Childhood Experiences Impact Parenthood. It is very difficult to become a parent without experiencing a childhood with caring parents or loving caregivers. In places around the world where conflict, war, or devastation have been prevalent for many years, and where children lacked having a safe and happy childhood, there is a greater need today for early childhood programs with a strong parent involvement component.
- Brain Based Learning. Finding from neuroscience research are recognized as having many practical applications for early childhood education. Pam Schiller, from the USA, reiterated the importance of trusting relationships as the foundation for learning in the early years.
She explained that the brain functions best when children feel calm and safe. The brain s thousands of bits of information every second, most of which the brain blocks out because it cannot process so many. If a child does not feel safe, or if a child feels over stimulated, the brain will attend primarily to the feelings of threat and chaos, and consequently would filter out any other information. Therefore, a sense of well-being and reduced stimuli is crucial for children to be able to concentrate and acquire new information. One implication for early childhood programs is to decrease turnover of child care staff and to declutter classrooms.
Emotions play a critical part in learning. Memory – a key cognitive tool – is enhanced through the use of teaching strategies that create positive emotions, such as singing, dancing, puppetry, and humor.
It is important to give children time for reflection. Reflective process – thinking about experiences again and again – allows the brain to organize experiences, find patterns and meanings in daily occurrences, and make connections with past events.
- Connect Children with Nature. Children of all cultures are losing contact with nature. Bi ophilia is a new science that shows that humans are programmed to have contact with nature and can become uncomfortable in nature if there is no contact. Early childhood educators around the world are struggling to find ways to include nature as part of the daily play element.
Concern for the environment is based on relationships that children develop with the natural world through long term, hands-on contact with plants, earth, rocks, and animals. Connection with nature will ensure that children develop empathy with the natural world. “It is only by intimately knowing the wonder of nature’s complexity in a particular place that leads to a full appreciation of the immense beauty of the planet as a whole.”
Reference:
- 1.Randy White and Vicki Stoecklin. Children’s Outdoor Play and Learning Environments: Returning to Nature.
By: Alicia F. Tabugan | Teacher III | Bagumbayan Elementary School | Pilar, Bataan
