Education For Children

MAKE AN IPAD SAFE FOR KIDS

2012-01-13T08:10:00.000-08:00

At two-years old, my son is already obsessed with the gadgets I bring home from work. He knows my iPod Touch can play Elmo songs and has a Sesame Street app. He knows theChumby I use as an alarm clock also has games on it. But nothing prepared me for the day I brought an iPad home. He went nuts.

Years from now there will probably be a study detailing how much damage I'm doing to my kid by letting him play games and watch Sesame Street on my iPad, but for now, it's great to watch his face light up when I bring it in the room. I imagine there must be other iPad-toting parents out there in the same situation.

That said, I do worry that if I ever left my kid alone with the iPad (or any computer) for even a minute, he might find some disturbing content online. Hell, you can barely search for Sesame Street videos on YouTube without coming across someone lighting a Tickle-Me-Elmo on fire or remixing him into a gangster rapper.

Fortunately, the iPad (as well as the iPhone and iPod Touch) includes a set of restriction settings that parents can use to limit its access to the Internet and censor the playback of mature music and videos. To see how it's done, check out my How To video on CNET TV

form : http://howto.cnet.com/8301-11310_39-20004453-285/how-to-make-an-ipad-safe-for-kids/

5 Tips On How Do I Manage My Child To Learn Something?

2011-07-11T06:49:00.000-07:00

Well, it seems you are in trouble to manage your child to learn something. It seems, you want to get your child to do his/her homework, but he/she is making mischief and don’t want to go the reading table. It seems, you are really tired to make pressure on your Childs to make them attentive on study to obtain a better educational result or certificates. That means, your overall child education system is messed?

To me, you often ask yourself like – But how? Is there any secret magic that’s why I see some other Child are doing well in educational result, in sports, in puzzles or quizzes or even in a Marathon race organized by the school but my child can’t? Actually why I am not being able to make my child as perfect as my expectation?
There are lots of reasons behind of the failure of all the attempts you took upon your child. If you want to see your child is succeeding, if you want to see that your child is reading, eating and even playing with joy and fun; then you have to attempt to follow some crucial steps that you usually don’t follow. The steps are given as below-

1. Ask Your Child Why He/She Is Reluctant To Read: It’s a great things that most of the mom and dad don’t do. You have to find out that why your childs are not wanting to read or why he/she is avoiding the today’s homework to do. He/she might have any problem. Or, he/she might like to do other things in this time. It may be. But you have to understand it. Or, you have to know by asking your child. If you just create pressure on your Childs to do the today’s task by ignoring his/her troubles or willing then you are definitely doing wrong. You can create pressure but the ultimate result will be zero.

2. Try To Understand Child’s Abilities: Research said, every student doesn’t have same ability to capture the same knowledge at a time. Sometimes a lesson takes too many times to learn for some students; whereas some other students may need less time to learn the same educational lessons. So, don’t compel your child to read more & more ignoring his/her pains. It’s indigestible. Don’t tell your child that – “I saw some guys who have completed this lesson within 10 minutes, why you can’t? It’s rude. And it’s harmful for your child and weakens your child’s mental health.

3. Childs Like To Moves; Don’t Stop These: Very few of the Childs in this world who are so much quiet in his childhood. They like to moves. They enjoy it. So, it’s not better to use this moving time technically? How? Suppose you want to teach your child how to learn the roman numbers. Well, just scatter several tiny balls on your whole room. And tell your child to pick these one by one. And tell her/him also that, when a ball will be picked, it will be number 1. And later, when the second ball will be picked, it will be number 11. So use their moving habits as a learning procedure. But never stops these to moving. It might stop the growing capabilities (Especially mind) of your child.
4. Give Them Time To Have Rest: Yeah! After completing every home task, they should have to given some time to take rest. And give them the freedom to do anything they want within the rest time. Childs will love it. Hence, next-time when your child will be given more educational task to do, he/she will be spirited by thinking that, If I can do this task properly, a free time will be there for me. So, indirectly the educational task will be completed, even in most efficient and effective way.

5. Let Your Child Know That He/She Can: Research discovered that this kind of inspiration works as a tonic. It helps your child to stand strongly whenever he/she will be in hard troubles. If you can build an invisible spirit on your child that, he/she has enough power to conquer any kind of educational task, then in practically he/she will definitely have the persist to get a task done anyhow. So, don’t blame your child if any mistakes they done or if they fail somewhere, rather tell them that they have the power to conquer everything and next time they will do better. Ultimately the learning skill will be boosted up.
This is all about how to develop a child’s mind to make him/her a educational lesson or task to done properly. Use it practically. I am damn sure, you will get the results you expected.

from : http://online-education-consultant.com

The Parenting Guide: What Your Children Need Most & How to Give It to Them

2011-07-11T06:33:00.000-07:00

THE PARENTING GUIDE: What Your Children Need Most & How to Give It to Them
….on giving your child what they need from you:

Love:
“Showing love to your child in a way that he or she understands and believes they are special, valued, appreciated, and deeply loved by you is the goal. As with other relationships, loving someone means that you will put their needs ahead of your own to generate those feelings or beliefs within them. This is certainly true for children. You may not have had those things given to you as a child, but you can break that cycle of deprivation and give your child what he or she needs to thrive.”

“This doesn’t mean you give them everything they want. In fact, it would be most loving to deny them most of what they want—so they can develop maturity and the ability to be successful, resourceful adults. For example, putting their needs ahead of your own does not mean cooking them a different dinner if they don’t like what you prepared, or letting them sleep in your bed because they like it better, or allowing them to get out of doing their chores because they’ve mismanaged their time. Their “needs” should be seen as clearly different to you than their “wants”. Miniature human beings (children) very seldom want to do what they “need” to do to grow up successfully. They are all about doing what they “want” to do, which would cause them to grow up and be quite unhappy.
Your children will know if you love them enough to make the hard decisions—the decisions that create more work or hassle for you but ultimately are what the situation requires for them to learn a lesson, endure a consequence, etc.”

Leadership:
“Let’s be clear on one thing: being a great leader is not a personality contest. You should be a lot less concerned whether your children like or agree with your decisions and requirements, and put much more emphasis on executing your priorities, good judgments and actions in their best interest. Many parents make the mistake of chasing their child’s approval. Perhaps those parents are not feeling appreciated and validation from their work or their spouse, so they substitute the child’s favorable regard or affirmation. Since we already know children will act in the interest of what they “want” instead of what they “need”, this is a huge mistake for a parent to make.”
What’s your strategy for parenting? If you are too authoritarian and keep too much control over your child’s behaviors and decisions, they won’t know how to take over those jobs when it becomes their time to do so, and they lack confidence and can become incompetent. If you’ve spoiled them by allowing them to do mostly as they please, they develop a sense of entitlement and can’t handle the difficulty life will surely dish out.
Leadership requires setting the standards for behavior. Set the standards high. Let you children know you ‘expect’ a lot from them. Create an environment where they are accountable for their actions. Encourage initiative, helpfulness and keep your focus on the child’s behavior choices, judgments and attitude.”

A Structure of Reward and Discipline:
“If you find yourself yelling at the kids or becoming angry, you are not in control of the situation, and you’ve probably made five or six requests without success, and waited far too long to institute a punishment. Your frustration just got the better of you. Tighten it up. It’s easier on everyone if you do. Don’t ask repeatedly, getting angrier with each verbal volley. Ask twice then give a consequence.”
“The biggest mistake I see parents make is that when they get in a disagreement with a child—especially teenagers—they spend most of their time trying to persuade or convince the child to do what they’re asking. Generally you need to ask initially, unless you’re giving an instruction or making a statement. But either way, if you’re the leader, the authority figure, the one they should respect and obey, what you ask or tell should zoom to the top of your child’s ‘to do’ list.”
“The best way to create a stable, fair and loving home life for your children is to provide an environment where, as Dr. Phil says, “they can predict with 100% accuracy what the consequences of their behavior will be.” This means if they do the right things, make good choices and demonstrate mature, responsible behaviors, there should be rewards for those choices and actions. Remember, you’re more likely to see a behavior repeated which is rewarded.”
…on giving children what they need to take with them:
Maturity:

“Maturity is the ability to manage and resolve frustrated desires ALONE.
There are many immature adults running around the world, and since they are so handicapped by their inability to manage their emotions and frustrations, they tend to give up, bail out, avoid and run away from adult responsibilities and situations. This is the biggest reason there are as many divorces as there are. How you raise your children will affect them for the rest of their lives. Do a good job!
Set the rules, determine the consequences for failing to follow them, and consistently require your children to adhere to them. When they pout, become moody, self absorbed or disrespectful, demonstrate poor judgment or bad attitudes, provide lots of reasons why continuing that behavior would be a bad idea.
Allow them to manage their frustrations and come out on the other side with a resolution. When their grades, attitudes and judgments are mature and appropriate, praise them and reward those behaviors with benefits and positive consequences. When they excel at doing well, bonus them with more rewards. Mimic how life works so they won’t be surprised when they get out there on their own. Teach them how to be resourceful and independent.”

Confidence:
“Confidence and competence are two different things. To raise a child with a high level of competence they must experience success or mastery in the things they attempt to learn or accomplish. It’s not difficult. Confidence, as the dictionary will tell you, is the same as ‘self assurance, self-belief, self-reliance’. Knowing he or she is okay no matter what, or will be able to ‘figure it out’ on their own—and especially when things are tough, or NOT going their way—is the heart of confidence. As we have all experienced, it’s pretty easy to feel buoyant and full of yourself when things are going according to plan and not much is required of you. It’s quite another in the middle of a problem or stressful situation, or a challenge to have the calmness that comes with an inner knowing you’ll be okay in the end.”
“Parents can help their children develop this certainty and confidence by ‘testing’ their inner resources and challenging them to go past the limits of what they know or think they can do. This should happen in the context of school, socially, in their hobbies and recreational activities. Push the envelope—think outside the box, be creative, dig deep, have a ‘can do’ attitude and press on to the solution. This includes visualizing success and imagining the solutions. Teach your kids to do what successful people do: believe in yourself, assume the best, plan for the worst, and always set your goals high.”

Compassion:
“The ability to have feelings for, or understand the plight of another in need and respond to that situation with kindness, sympathy or assistance is one of the very best traits a human can have. Call it what you will; sensitivity, decency, thoughtfulness, consideration, empathy, insight, they all are hallmarks of a caring, decent person.”
“Notice how the perspective of considering the feelings, needs and thoughts of others is critical to being compassionate? The same skills needed to be a successful spouse and parent later in life are necessary to learn at a younger age. To do so is the building block of a rich and satisfying life.
In fostering compassion in your child, you will help them develop empathy, sensitivity, tenderness, tolerance and even mercy.”
… on Parenting Teenagers:
“If you have a teenager, your time to influence and shape their future is rapidly drawing to a close. Your teenager will be pulling further away from you, making more decisions on their own and putting into practice the lessons—good and bad—you’ve taught. They aren’t ‘all grown up’ yet… but they’ll be making more and more choices that have grown-up consequences. As we adults know only too well, a seemingly small or innocent decision can have very undesirable impacts or life-altering results. Teenagers haven’t perfected the art of thinking through the outcome of the decisions they make, and they need the independence to learn that which is learned best through experience.
“Having a bad attitude just seems to go hand-in-hand with being a teenager sometimes. But just so you’ll clearly understand, the temper tantrum they throw when they’re 3 is the same kind of defiance and bad attitude they display with the dreaded eye-roll and heavy, exasperated sigh. And if that ‘I’ve got one last nerve and you’re standing on it’ behavior is something you consider unwanted, consequence it. Acting like your parent is a moron, debating or challenging what an authority figure tells you is disrespectful and should be treated as such.”
“Having a good attitude about things is a sign of maturity. Learning to handle and then overcome their feelings or annoyances so they can do what is required of them is the skill you’re looking for them to develop. They’ll certainly need that skill in a job or in any serious relationship they ever have. Overcome feelings and act in the right way. What a great day when they master that! Then they’re ready for the benefits which come with maturity.”

Resources:
“Contracts” – agreement of what is expected from both parties, rules for how to accomplish the expectations, and promises of performance. To be effective, contracts need to be a “win-win”— both sides need to benefit from participating.
“House Rules” – the ultimate family document with details to create stability and consistency
“Token Economy” – A fun system of multi-level rewards – motivate young children to produce good grades
and good behavior without nagging or reminding them!

source : http://relationshipanswer.com

How Do Children Use Television?, How Are Children Affected by Television?

2011-04-09T11:16:00.000-07:00

By 1999, 78 percent of homes with children and adolescents received at least basic cable, enabling children to grow up with a wide variety of general audience and child-oriented programming.

Television's introduction was accompanied by excitement and optimism, followed almost immediately by criticisms and concerns about its impact on children's development. Critics linked television to every ill effect from hyperactive toddlers to violent youth, prompting consideration of regulations for children's television. Changes in regulations have been fueled not only by political shifts but also by ongoing research on children's use of television and television's influences on children's development.

To understand television's potential impact on development, one must consider how much children watch television, how they direct their attention, and what they comprehend.

Children are consumers of a variety of media, including computers, video games, print media, videotapes, music, and television. Although television is the most commonly used medium, viewing time varies with age. The family environments of those who view more television tend to share certain characteristics: parents who watch a lot of television, television left on as background noise, and a television in the child's room.

Children often have been characterized as "zombie" viewers who stare mindlessly at television for hours. Instead, naturalistic and laboratory studies of how children watch television indicate that children typically divide television viewing among a variety of activities. At all ages, children primarily monitor television content with short looks and only occasionally engage in extended looks at the television. Just as total viewing time changes across age, the percentage of time children spend actually looking at the television increases through middle school then drops slightly during adolescence.

Another common misconception is that the changing sights and sounds of television passively "capture" young children's attention. For example, the presence of children's voices, peculiar voices, sound effects, animation, and puppets cue children to the child-relevance of the content. Children's ongoing comprehension also influences their attention. Many have claimed that until late in elementary school, children make little sense of most programs because they are poor at selecting important events, connecting events, and inferring causes of events. Nonetheless, if plots depend on concrete action sequences, if dialogue and action support one another, and if story events relate to children's experiences, even preschool children can understand relatively complex stories.

Young children are capable of making such inferences, if they comprehend simple;

Displacement theory suggests that time spent with television leads to a decrease in more valuable activities, such as reading and imaginative play. While evidence supporting this proposal is mixed, children who view television most heavily seem to spend less time engaged in activities that encourage cognitive development.
(Robert J. Huffman/Field Mark Publications)

There are, of course, limits on young children's comprehension of television programs and considerable development in comprehension skills during middle childhood and adolescence. Older children and teens also become more skilled at connecting groups of events to an overall theme. Television may influence children's development in a variety of ways. Two broad areas for consideration are effects on children's cognitive development and academic achievement and effects on children's social development and relationships with others

Does Television Affect Thinking and Achievement?

Parents and teachers have long voiced concerns regarding television's potential effects on children's thinking and school achievement. For light to moderate television viewers, program content, family interaction, and opportunities for other activities moderate television's effects on children's achievement and creativity

Does Television Affect Behavior with Others?

Several overlapping theories offer reasons why television may exert effects.

Arousal theory emphasizes physiological responses that can be produced by television programs. The excitement of shows that produce physical arousal will attract many children. Perhaps the most compelling evidence for this perspective is that children show reduced responses to real-life aggression after viewing televised violence.

Social cognitive theory, developed by psychologist Albert Bandura, stresses that children learn many social behaviors by observing those modeled by others. Heavy exposure to television characters who succeed by behaving in aggressive, violent, or stereotypical ways may encourage children to use similar strategies in their own lives. Numerous studies provide evidence that heavy exposure to televised violence is linked to increased aggressive behavior in children and adolescents.

Script theories address ways in which television influences the development of children's knowledge and beliefs about the world. In turn, children's expectations may guide their behaviors. Parent activism has spurred the development of broadcasting regulations, which in turn may exert some influence on children's viewing. Direct parental involvement, however, may have the greatest potential to affect the nature of television's impact on children's development. When children are young, it is relatively simple for parents to provide guidance concerning the amount and kind of viewing children do. As children get older, parents can assist them in viewing critically and can avoid creating an environment that assigns television undue importance (e.g., a television in the child's room). Together, federal regulations and parental vigilance may help television contribute positively to children's development (social.jrank.org)

Education of Children with Hearing Impairment

2011-04-09T10:50:00.000-07:00

Many children with hearing impairments are able to succeed within the public school system. Some children with severe hearing impairments attend schools for children who are hearing impaired and deaf. Many children with hearing impairments are able to learn to communicate well with their peers. Children can learn to speak well and to read lips to help them interact with fellow students who are not hearing impaired.

As with any disability, early intervention can help with the education of children with hearing impairments. Students who work with an audiologist can excel when they enter into school and as they progress through the grades. Children can learn to master sign language before they even enter into grade school.

There are some devices that can help with the education of children with hearing impairments. Of course, this depends upon the type and severity of a child’s impairment. Some amplifiers can be used by students in a classroom to help them hear their teacher if their hearing is impaired but not non-existent.

Early intervention is necessary to ensure that children with hearing impairments develop good language skills. Children who do not have help from the beginning often do struggle with communication, reading and even other subjects in school. Children with hearing impairments are in most cases able to be a part of the mainstream classrooms. There is no need to place a hearing impaired child who otherwise has no learning disabilities in a special education classroom. Hearing impaired students often need to have an interpreter. The individual will sign for the student so that they know what the teacher and other students are saying. The interpreter will also “talk” for the hearing impaired student if they are not able to speak well or if the children and teachers have difficulty understanding.

Some students learn to effectively read lips. Many students with hearing impairments are able to develop good speech and do not have any trouble talking to teachers and other students.

A school district must create an individualized learning plan for any students with hearing impairments. A parent must meet with the school to ensure that they have written a learning plan.
Parents must be actively involved in their child’s education so they can be assured the learning plan is being carried out and that all steps are being taken to provide their hearing impaired student with the best possible education.
form :edubook.com
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Educating Children Method

2011-04-09T10:23:00.000-07:00

How to educate children?

Children enjoy much more when they work with us, especially if the tasks are fun.

The collaboration in the tasks of family life can be achieved if carried out with optimism for the family and especially for children.
Progressively involving the children in tasks and family responsibilities, they will feel recognized, and to develop self-confidence, responsibility, effort and perseverance to face the tasks and will respect and will work within their family.
And do not forget, tomorrow their children will be prepared, whether they like them, to share with their future colleagues tasks and family responsibilities. In future they will form families, they will thank you.
AH! And another important thing. This learning can help them face a different kind of tasks or situations, eg, at school or in social life.
In fact, teachers often ask the cooperation of parents to achieve these educational objectives, although in this case is for the completion of school tasks.
If the collaboration of his son is scarce or inadequate, not discouraged. Think about that while he does not make the same manner and with the regularity that you would like, it's important to have begun to share.

Steps for sharing in the education of children:
1º educate sharing the tasks of family life
2º participation in the tasks under the age of their children
* 2-3 years: approach to the tasks
* 4-6 years: education of the tasks of care
* 7-11 years: teaching tasks of family life
* 12-17 years: negotiation of task

quoted from : hubpages.com

[Video] Barack Obama: Early childhood education

2011-04-03T16:48:00.000-07:00

The Education of Children

2011-04-03T13:04:00.000-07:00

An Address

Ad Fratres in Eremo
Sirs!
A Little Book to assist, The Education of Children, is now in your Hands. But can they be well Educated, if their Parents never send them to SCHOOL? This is a point that seems now to call for some Inculcation.
A Good School deserves to be call'd, the very Salt of the Town, that hath it: And the Pastors of every Town are under peculiar obligations to make this a part of their Pastoral Care, That they may have a Good School, in their Neighbourhood.
A woeful putrefaction threatens the Rising Generation; Barbarous Ignorance, and the unavoidable consequence of it, Outrageous Wickedness will make the Rising Generation Loathsome, if it have not Schools to preserve it.
But Schools, wherein the Youth may by able Masters be Taught the Things that are necessary to qualify them for future Serviceableness, and have their Manners therewithal well-formed under a Laudable Discipline, and be over and above Well-Catechised in the principles of Religion, Those would be a Glory of our Land, and the preservatives of all other Glory.

The Minster that shall give his Neighbours No Rest, unto they have agreeable Schools among them, and that shall himself also at some Times inspect and Visit the Schools, will therein do much towards Fulfilling that part of his Ministry, Feed my Lambs; and his Neighbours under his Charge will (whatever they think of it!) have cause to Bless God, for this Expression of his Faithfulness.
But these are not the only persons to whom this matter belongs; The Civil Authority, and the whole Vicinity cannot be True to their own Interest, if they do not say, We also will be with thee.

When the REFORMATION began in Europe an hundred and fourscore years ago, to Erect Schools everywhere was one principal concern of the Glorious and Heroic Reformers; and it was a common thing even for Little Villages of Twenty or Thirty Families, in the midst of all their Charges, and their Dangers, to maintain one of them.
The Colonies of New England were planted on the Design of pursuing that Holy Reformation; and now the Devil cannot give a greater Blow to the Reformation among us, than by causing Schools to Languish under Discouragements.
If our General Courts decline to contrive and provide Laws for the Support of Schools; or if particular Towns Employ their Wits, for Cheats to Elude the wholesome Laws; little do they consider how much they expose themselves to that Rebuke of God, Thou hast destroyed thyself, O New England.
Would we Read, in the ancient Histories, how zealous the more discreet Pagans were to maintain Schools among them; it might put us Christians to the Blush, among whom 'tis common for Schools to starve and sink; and a mind sordidly covetous, Withholds more than is meet, but it tends unto what is Infinitely worse than poverty.

Sirs, What will be the Issue of these Things The Issue will be, That, Si Ecclesia desideret pastorem, facilius Impostorem, inveniet quam pastorem; Et Res publica pro Doctore Juris, Juris Tortorem; Et pro medicis, mendici, pro praceptoribus, Deceptores sese offerent.
But least through the Want of Schools, there should in a little while be scarce one man in a place able to construe this Description of the Fate following upon that want, I will transcribe in plain English, the first Article of the Prognostications upon the Future State of New England, lately published:
"Where [Godly] Schools are not vigorously and Honourable Encouraged, whole Colonies will sink apace; into a Degenerate and Contemptible Condition, and at last become horribly Barbarous:

And the first Instance of their Barbarity will be, that they will be undone for want of men, but not see and own what it was that undid them." You will therefore pardon my Freedom with you, if I Address you, in the words of Luther:

"If ever there be any Considerable Blow given to the Devil's Kingdom, it must be, by Youth Excellently Educated. It is a serious Thing, a weighty Thing, and a thing that hath much of the Interest of Christ, and of Christianity in it, that Youth be well-trained up, and that Schools, and School-Masters be maintained. Learning is an unwelcome guest to the Devil, and therefore he would fain starve it out."
But we shall never long retain the Gospel, without the help of Learning. And if we should have no Regard unto religion, even the outward prosperity of a people, in this World would necessarily require Schools and Learned. Alas, that none are carried with Alacrity and Seriousness to take care for the Education of Youth and to Help the World with Eminent and Able men."
But the Freedom with which this Address is made unto you, is not so great as the Fervour that has animated it. My Fathers and Brethren, If you have any Love to God and Christ and Posterity; let [Godly] Schools be more Encouraged.
If you would not betray your Posterity into the very Circumstances of Savages, let Schools have more Encouragement. But in the Anguish, the Despair of Success to be otherwise found by this Address, I will Turn it from you unto the Almighty Hearer of Prayer.

And, O thou Saviour, and Shepherd of Thy New-English Israel: Be Entreated Mercifully to look down upon they Flocks in the Wilderness. Oh, give us not up to the Blindness and Madness of neglecting the Lambs in the Flocks. Inspire thy People, and all Orders of men among thy People with a just care for the Education of Posterity. Let Well-Ordered and well-instructed and well-maintained Schools, be the Honour and the Defence of our Land. Let Learning, and all the Helps and Means of it, be precious in our Esteem and by Learning, let the Interests of thy Gospel so prevail, that we may be made wise unto Salvation. Save us, O our Lord JESUS CHRIST. Save us from the Mischiefs and Scandals of an Uncultivated Offspring; Let this be a Land of Light, unto Thou, O Sun of Righteousness, do Thyself arise unto the World with Healing in thy Wings. Amen.

THE END

Educate island parents, children

2011-04-03T11:44:00.000-07:00

By : Lydia D. Tenorio
Lydia D. Tenorio is administrator of the Department of Public Health and Social Services Bureau of Social Services

Unfortunately, our island community is not exclusive or an exception to the exposure and impact of child abuse and neglect against our own children. In fiscal 2010, Child Protective Services received 1,403 referrals involving 2,032 children. The top three reported cases of maltreatment involved physical abuse, sexual abuse and emotional abuse.
Support services to the family are a major contributor to the prevention of child abuse and can be designed to strengthen and stabilize families, increase parental abilities and provide a safe and stable family environment and enhance child development.

Child abuse and neglect prevention covers a spectrum of services. For risk factors, programs can be developed toward substance abuse, support groups for families affected by domestic violence, respite care for families with children who have disabilities, among other areas. For protective factors, we can educate children with the knowledge and skills to protect themselves from becoming victims, promote positive relationships between children and parents, and teach parents the skills needed to raise healthy children and provide a safe home, among other areas.

Public awareness activities through various outreach activities must be continuous so that the public is aware of available resources. Our local sectors in the community such as medical providers, mayors, social services agencies, schools, public officials, faith-based communities, parent groups, law enforcement, work sites, community-based organizations, etc., can all play a role in the prevention of child abuse and neglect.

New Directions for Early Childhood Education and Care in the 21st Century: International Perspectives

2011-04-03T10:48:00.000-07:00

As the importance of early childhood education continues to rise, New Directions for Early Childhood Education and Care in the 21st Century: International Perspectives provides a comprehensive look at the structure and management of early childhood education in culturally diverse settings. This text consists of eleven chapters which explore early childhood education and child care in countries such as the United States, Japan and Britain. The format of each chapter varies, as some contributors summarize present and past research and others focus more on the curricular and historical changes that impact how young children are educated.

Chapter 1 focuses on Korea and the current trends that affect early childhood education and child-care. The reader is offered a brief review on background information, such as the changing nature of family structure and women's participation in the economy, which has drastically affected the ability of early childhood kindergartens to care for this changing demographic. At the close of the chapter, current education policy and support is discussed as well as the future perspective of this country's early childhood education system. The author provides an outline of this system, which is based in a theoretical perspective that the Chinese government has undertaken to reform and restore its early childhood education.

The authors of chapter 3 offer that this chapter will provide the background of early childhood education in Taiwan and will present the new directions for the 21st century. As promised, the reader is provided with a review of the issues that have affected the education of Taiwan's youngest citizens, such as the rights of children, mothers and women and the curriculum concerns that have driven changes in this country's services to young children. The author ends the chapter with a short presentation on how the culture of the 21st century will impact the direction of early childhood education.

Chapter 4 provides a look at how globalization has forever changed how young children are educated in Japan. Information technology is presented as a major force of change in the education of young children. The reader is given the basic premises of the education reform and how they are situated with specific theories of play.

Continuing in chapter 5, Japan's early childhood education views are provided as a way to understand the issues and the development of their theories. Combining those views with the historical views of the child as well as the cognitive profiles of early childhood education, the author shows readers the concepts that define Japan's educational methods. Not concentrating exclusively on early childhood education, this chapter also introduces early education, which refers to the gifted and talented population and specific curriculum aims.

The United Kingdom's care of young children is the focus of chapter 6. In a review of the literature, the author presents how each of these methods of care sometimes have exceeded and occasionally have fallen short of the ideals that constitute Britain's early childhood educational system.

Concentrating on the shortcomings of France's creche and ecole maternelle, the seventh chapter discusses issues and problems in servicing its early childhood population. Creches by contrast, provide care for children under the age of 3. Noting the differences in opportunities available for the early childhood population, the author examines the overlapping sectors of care for children under and over the age of 3.

Updating a previous project entitled Preschool in Three Cultures, chapter eight reports on the changes in preschool education in the cultures of Japan, China and the United States. Comparative ethnographies that include a longitudinal dimension are rare, and the authors offer readers a chance to see how these cultures have absorbed and reacted to change in their countries and how these changes relate to differences in early childhood education.

Chapter 9 presents another view on play therapy and how it is integrated in early childhood education in the United States. Readers learn in this chapter how play can support the social development of young children and align with more traditional methods of academic and cognitive development that is critical during these years of development.

The last chapter of this book returns to the roots of early childhood education in America. The current perspective of early childhood education has been shaped by schools such as the infant school, the primary school and the philosophy of Freidrich Froebel and his kindergarten curriculum. In an effort to evaluate the newest approaches to early childhood education, the authors provide readers with a thorough understanding of the contributions to what Americans offer as early childhood education.

In conclusion, this text offers a valuable resource for those directly affiliated with early childhood education or others who are interested in an international perspective of care for young children. Education of young children occurs in a variety of contexts and through diverse settings and circumstances. Missing from this analysis of international concepts regarding early childhood education, the Reggio Emilia approach was not presented or referenced in this text. As a forerunner in preschool education, it seems to be an oversight that readers are not presented with information as to how it is has impacted international early childhood education and care and how the approach has changed Italy's care of this population.

Obama on Early Childhood Education

2011-04-03T07:35:00.000-07:00

By : Anna Weinstein

President-elect Barack Obama promises change, and childcare centers and preschool programs across the country are in dire need of it.

Obama made it clear throughout his campaign that he is committed to education—to reforming No Child Left Behind; to rewarding and retaining teachers; to preparing high school students for college; to helping parents and students afford college; and, arguably most importantly, to investing in the education of our young children.

Research has consistently shown that investing in childcare and pre-k programs pays off. “For every $1 we invest in these programs, we get $10 back in reduced welfare rolls, fewer health care costs, and less crime,” Obama said in a 2007 speech in Manchester, New Hampshire.

Obama’s Zero to Five plan is to invest $10 billion a year to support young children and their parents. Here’s what the plan looks like:

Early Learning Challenge Grants These grants will provide states funding to support child care, early education, and other “zero to five” efforts. States will be required to match federal funds and will be given flexibility in how they choose to expand their programs.
Support for Head Start The plan is to quadruple the number of eligible children for Early Head Start, increase Head Start funding, and improve quality for both.
Universal Pre-School Obama’s plan will provide funding and will encourage all states to adopt voluntary, universal pre-school for all.
Child Care Development Block Grant Program (CCDBG) This program provides critical support to low-income families to pay for child care. Obama’s plan will ensure that CCDBG remains adequately funded to account for cost-per-child increases.
Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit Obama’s plan will reform the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit by making it refundable and allowing low-income families to receive up to a 50 percent credit for child care expenses.
Presidential Early Learning Council This initiative will increase collaboration and program coordination across federal, state, and local levels.

Many educators are hopeful about Obama’s education plan. “It’s really exciting,” says Libby Doggett, Ph.D., Executive Director of Pre-K Now, a DC-based public education and advocacy organization that advances high-quality, voluntary pre-kindergarten for all three and four-year-olds. “To have a president who is not only talking about early childhood education in quite some depth but who does it with facility and passion is totally unprecedented.”

Parents, many of whom struggle to find high-quality childcare and pre-k that they can afford, are also looking forward to seeing Obama’s promises turn into realities for their children.

“The quality of childcare and pre-k programs is critical to a child’s emotional, social, and intellectual growth,” Doggett says. “Parents are looking for more than babysitters,” Doggett says. “They’re looking for teachers.”

Steven Barnett, Ph.D., Co-Director of the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER), confirms that teacher pay and retention in childcare facilities is a problem in most states. “Childcare centers have a labor shortage, and they can’t hire people because Starbucks pays more. We know how to educate kids to increase their school readiness, but we don’t do it. And the primary reason is that we aren’t willing to pay teachers enough to do the job we know they need to do.”

Obama’s plan increases funding support from the federal government as a way of filling holes in the programs, such as teacher shortages. Doggett says it’s about time that the federal government started matching state funding for early childhood education. “Education services for children have been severally underfunded in this country,” Doggett says. “Head Start has been starved for the last few years.”

Barnett believes the plan makes good financial sense. “I think some of Obama’s proposals are appropriate parts of an economic recovery plan,” says Barnett. “If you’re looking for things to spend money on now that will stimulate the economy but won’t cost us in the long run, you look for things that will pay off.”

Barnett is skeptical, however. “It’s ambitious. If we’re serious about enrolling all three and four-year-olds within the decade, we need to increase enrollment by 500,000 children a year,” Barnett says. “I hope he can do it, but we should be starting now, putting up the capital to build early learning facilities.”

Perhaps one of the greatest challenges will be the Presidential Early Learning Council’s efforts to coordinate across departments at the federal, state, and local level. “This is really a complex system,” says Doggett. “Childcare, Head Start, pre-k—they all have different funding streams. They were set up for different purposes, and now we’re trying to bring them together into a cohesive system.”

Many parents with young children are wondering what Obama’s education plan will mean for their children. This will depend on state and local policy decisions that are still forthcoming. With the economic downturn, many states are talking about double-digit cuts in early childhood programs, so these changes in federal support might be coming just in time. How the states will choose to use the funding is yet to be seen, but at the very least, Doggett says, “there will be lots more talk and attention to young children—what’s working, what’s not. When the president makes a policy statement, a lot of people jump on board.”

Educators, researchers, and policymakers agree: In order to succeed, this has to be a federal, state, and local partnership. “And parents have to be a key part of this,” says Doggett. “Parents need to know what’s going on and take action.”

If the voter turnout rate this election is any indication, it would seem that parents are beginning to take action. Parents, now more than ever, are concerned about their children’s future, and parents of young children recognize the necessity of affordable, quality childcare and pre-k programs. “It is possible,” Barnett says. “Our experience in New Jersey has shown that you can transform childcare and pre-k programs into a system that provides high-quality early learning experiences that meet the needs of families.”

Anna Weinstein is a freelance education and academic writer. She has written and edited textbooks and materials for many educational publishers, including McGraw-Hill, Harcourt, Houghton Mifflin, and Rosen Publishing.

This article is taken from : education.com

EARLY AGE CHILDREN (Advanced)

2011-03-31T18:01:00.000-07:00

2. Map Of Early Childhood Development
A teacher of Early Childhood Education , required to have sufficient insight on the principles of child development, which covers all aspects of early childhood development. He also should know the individual differences the child asuhnya because no two children are the same though are on the same stage of development. Individual differences include gender aspects, temperament, interests, learning styles, life experiences, cultures, and also possibility of abnormalities or specificity. These insights will be guide the teacher in performing the task to develop the potential of each early childhood parenting optimal in the form and of coaching. Insight into the overall development of the map helps teachers to find the reason why such a child's behavior and predict what will happen with these children

3. The meaning of the Play for early childhood Development
Play is the vehicle of learning to explore the environment who can develop the ability of physical, cognitive, and social-emotional of the child. In addition, the play also develop individual in order to have good habits, such as mutual help, sharing, discipline, bold take decisions and responsible. Play can develop the ability of their imagination and explore. Therefore, ECE educators need to understand the meaning of the play in order to be able to develop the game and create an atmosphere that invites and fun to play the encourage children to learn. Teachers need to prepare the environment activities play meaningful, safe, comfortable and can attract the interest of the child to learn naturally. At the time the children perform a variety of games and play with a variety of media, teachers participate and interact to improve child's thinking ability, in addition to giving the reinforcement with various the form. Therefore, it is appliance educative game is one of the the components of the staple in early childhood education programs.

Stage plays include playing a solitary, parallel, cooperative, and play a role. Type of game variety, such as motor, game associative/social, constructive, cooperative, playing the role, and played with rules. The atmosphere of the play to the formation of personality can be distinguished be: 1), (2) directed, and (3) according to the interests of the child with the help of the teacher. In an atmosphere of play, the choice of activities prepared teachers, While the child is free to choose the game you like. For some children, the atmosphere of the encyclopedia is very appropriate and trigger the growth of his personality, While some children more, the atmosphere such as this can cause a sense of uncomfortable. The atmosphere of the play directed, activity is determined by the teacher, making children wait and not independent. It seems the discipline controlled, but freedom of expression less got the lightness of being. The atmosphere of the play by the interest of the child with the help of the teacher gives the opportunity to the child to choose the game according to his interest. Teacher preparing the Centre's interest and the area as well as serve as a facilitator

Early Childhood Education for All: A Wise Investment

2011-03-29T22:12:00.000-07:00

In a time of scarce public resources, the care and education of young children will continue to fall to the bottom of the priority list until there is a shift in public understanding about the economics of raising the next generation. High-quality early childhood education is too vital to be brushed aside as a social services expenditure for only a few families or as too expensive to consider in tight budgetary times.

Early education is important for all children. And study after study shows that it is not too expensive. Quite the contrary.

Investments in quality child care and early childhood education do more than pay significant returns to children—our future citizens. They also benefit taxpayers and enhance economic vitality. Economic research—by Nobel Prize-winners and Federal Reserve economists, in economic studies in dozens of states and counties, and in longitudinal studies spanning 40 years—demonstrate that the return on public investment in high quality childhood education is substantial.

On December 9 and 10, 2004, Legal Momentum and the MIT Workplace Center at the Sloan School of Management sponsored a conference, “The Economic Impacts of Child Care and Early Education: Financing Solutions for the Future,” that led to this report. It brought together some 80 scholars, experts and activists from around the country to examine the economics of early childhood education and to determine how to effectively present this new investment understanding to policymakers and voters. The partners in this effort were Legal Momentum’s Family Initiative and the MIT Workplace Center; co-sponsors were The National Economic Development and Law Center, The Early Care and Education Collaborative and The Center for Policy Alternatives.

Until now, a considerable “blind spot” has blocked the public from seeing the field of early childhood education in economic terms or thinking about creative ways to finance, strengthen and enhance its growth. While virtually every state has maintained economic development funding at high levels in order to aid job growth, state after state has made cutbacks in child care, preschool and afterschool programs.

This approach is short-sighted. The research presented in this report—a compilation of impressive work done by experts across the country—shows that high quality early childhood education is a wise investment.
The evidence is in: quality early education benefits children of all social and economic groups.

There are both short- and long-term economic benefits to taxpayers and the community if early education that meets high standards is available to all children, starting with those who are most disadvantaged. Indeed, universally available quality early education would benefit everyone and be the most cost-effective economic investment.

High-quality early childhood education helps prepare young children to succeed in school and become better citizens; they earn more, pay more taxes, and commit fewer crimes.
Every dollar invested in quality early care and education saves taxpayers up to $13.00 in future costs.
The early care and education industry is economically important—often much larger in terms of employees and revenues than other industries that receive considerable government attention and investment.
Failing to invest sufficiently in quality early care and education shortchanges taxpayers because the return on investment is greater than many other economic development options.
Access to available and affordable choices of early childhood learning programs helps working parents fulfill their responsibilities.
Quality early education is as essential for a productive 21st century workforce as roads or the internet; investing in it grows the economy.

The conference that forms the backbone of this report focused on solutions. Chapter II takes a look
at both short-term economic benefits that fuel the economy and the positive long-term impact on
tomorrow’s citizens and tomorrow’s economy. Chapter III looks at financing for a public investment
that yields high public returns. Today, public investments in early childhood education have
grown slowly or are stalled, and current revenue streams are limited. Parents are fulfilling their
responsibilities—and paying close to 60 percent of the cost. But the price of quality early education

EARLY AGE CHILDREN

2011-03-28T10:19:00.000-07:00

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1. The development and Early Childhood Environments

Early age is a very important age for children's development so-called golden age. Early childhood development really begins since prenatal. At that time, brain development as the central intelligence occur very rapidly. After birth, brain cells have myelination and form a complex braid (embassy) so that later the child can think logically and rationally. In addition to the brain, sensory organs such as the listener, sight, smell, taste, palpability, and the organ of balance as well growing rapidly (Black, J. et all., 1995; Gesell, AL & Ames, F., 1940). Little by little children can absorb information from their environment through the organ sensory and processing it using their brains. This development thus importance so that ample attention from the experts psychology / education, which states that education for early childhood must be adapted to the growth and development. Principle is called the practices appropriate to the child's development (Developmentally Appropriate practice or DAP) (Bredekamp, S., 1987). By therefore, to be able to nurture and guide children effectively, an early childhood teacher should master the essence of childhood development

early.

William Stern in Semiawan, C. (2002) speaks of the theory convergence that put forward a combination of genetic factors and environmental influences as well as launching the concept that a child born as a unity 8 multiplex, which was born as individuals who have more than one talent. This concept is reinforced by the theory of Howard Gardner's Multiple Intelligences (2003). According to Gardner, children usually have more than one form intelligence, but very rare child who has the eighth form intelligence. The emergence of new thinking about development children, the conventional thinking about early childhood education at generally still left from tabularasa theory continues to experience renewal.

New thinking is famous among other schools of constructivism based on the theory of cognitive development Piaget, Vygotsky contextual, psychosocial Erik Erikson, Smilansky play activities, and Bronfenbrenner about the socialization of children in the context of ecology. The theory of this ecological study interrelation between humans and the environment. There are 4 (four) basic structure concept, namely the micro, meso, exo and macro (Bronfenbrenner in Berns, 1997). Micro Systems is a family and the relationship between family members. When children get bigger and go to school so he are in the meso system. Exo system is the setting in which children are not participate actively but exposed to the influence of various systems such as job parents, friends and parents as well as workplace environments other communities. Macro System for talking about culture, lifestyle and community where the child is located. All systems are mutually pengaruhmempengaruhi and the impact of various changes in child development. Therefore, all components of the system influence of parenting (nurturing) and education of children in a holistic manner (Berns, R.M, 1997, 4 ed.) New paradigm in early childhood education emphasizes on the handling of nurturing by all parties with respect to pertumbuhkembangan children who are unique plural unity and direction.

In the process, children have different needs, which need to be met, namely primary needs that include food, clothing, and 'Board', as well as affection, attention, safety, and respect for himself as the theory of needs of Maslow (1978). Fulfillment these needs will enable children get the opportunity actualize himself, and this can bring the trigger for develop the full potential intact. Meeting the needs of this development a lot depending on how the environment interacts with children. Child development is determined by various environmental functions which interact with individuals, through approaches that are give attention, affection and the opportunity to self actualize in accordance with their level and their development needs (Developmentally

Appropriate Practice, Horowitz, et al. 2005)

Advanced

the quotation from : Satryo Soemantri

Technical Note [ Early Childhood Education ]

2011-03-28T09:18:00.000-07:00

Early Childhood Education In Indonesia

Age

Age of children expressed as follows: Children - the children born who will stepped on to the first birthday are expressed aged 0 + or 0 + age: children who passed their first birthday and stepped on second anniversary is considered aged 1 + or age 1 +. So age 3 + means the children who passed their 3rd birthday and will go to 4, and so on.

Care and Early Childhood Education

In this report the term used to indicate the limits of discipline related to the care, development and learning of children ages 0 + - 8 years

Early Childhood Services

In this report the term used to refer to all types of formal, non-formal and informal care and / or childhood education early for children aged 0 + - 6 + years and / or to their parents. Children entered primary school at age 7 + - 8 + years.Government's statistical definition of early childhood education services including 6 service - Kindergarten, Islamic Kindergarten,Playgroup,Childcare Centre,Mother’s Programme,and Grade one class in primary school. But in this report, only 4 of the first service intended as an early childhood education services, for reasons such as the described on page 14 (point 3.2.6). While such care services defined by the government, pointing to two services for parents in particular - Integrated Service Post and Mother’s Programme.

EARLY AGE A GOOD EDUCATION FOUNDATION EDUCATION FUTURE SUCCESS

2011-03-28T06:44:00.000-07:00

The success of early childhood education is the foundation for success at the next level. Early age is a "golden age" for someone, does it mean when someone at that time get the proper education, he obtained a good learning readiness, which is one key to the success of their learning at the next level.

Awareness of the importance of early childhood is quite high in developed countries, while in Indonesia only take place at  10 years ago, and up to the current lack of recognition of society as well as education practitioners

. Martin Luther (1483 - 1546)

According to Martin Luther's main goal is to teach religious school, and family is an important institution in the education of children.

Martin Luther's thinking is in line with the aim of madrasa (Islamic schools) that Islamic religious education, where science and technology is an integral part of Islam. Thus education in madrassas will produce Ulul-albaab (Surah 3: 190-191), namely the mastery of science and technology that can be used in life with noble ahlak, lil alaminn rahmatan impact, which God promised would be increased in rank (Surah 58: 11) .

. Jean - Jacques Rousseau (1712 - 1718)

His book Du de 'education, describe how the education of children from birth through adolescence.

According to Rousseau: "God created everything well; of human intervention makes it evil (God make every Things good, man meddles with Them and They changed from evil).

Rousseau suggested that "back to nature" or "back to nature", and the approach is natural in children's education, namely: "naturalism". Naturalism means, education would be obtained from nature, humans or objects, are naturally so that spur the development of quality, such as happiness, sportsmanship and curiosity. In practice naturalism reject uniform (dress code), the minimum basic skills standards, and strongly encourages freedom of children in learning.

Children given the innate potential (Surah 16: 78) is the potential for sensory (psychomotor), IQ, EQ and SQ. All human beings need to be grateful for debriefing from Allah SWT, with a competency is actualization.

. Heindrich Johann Pestalozzi (1746 - 1827)

In his book "Emile" he was very impressed with the "back to nature". He integrates home life, education, vocational and literacy education. Pestalozzi believes all forms of education is through the five senses and through experience the potential to be developed. Learning is best to know some concepts with the five senses. My mother was a hero in the world of education, which he did early in life children.

. Friedrich Wilhelm Froebel (1782 - 1852)

Froebel created the "Kindergarten" or kindergarten, so he made as "the father of early childhood." Froebel's view of education is associated with individual relationships, God and nature. It uses the park or garden belonging in Blankenburg Germany, as belonging to the child. Playing is a method of child education in "imitating" the life of adults with fair. Early childhood curriculum from Froebel include:

- Arts and expertise in construction, through games wax and clay, wooden blocks, paper cutting, weaving, paper folding, meronce with yarn, drawing and embroidery.

- Singing and game activities.

- Language and Arithmetic.

According to Froebel teacher is responsible for guiding, directing the child to be creative, with a planned and systematic curriculum.

Teacher is a class manager in charge of planning, organizing, motivating, guiding, supervising and evaluating the process or outcome of learning. Without systematic organization of early childhood programs that could endanger children.

. John Dewey (1859 - 1952)

John Dewey is a professor at the University of Chicago and Columbia (United States). Dewey's theory about the school is "Progressivism" is more emphasis on students and their interests than their own subjects. Then came the "Child Centered Curiculum", and "Child Centered School." Progressivism prepare today's children than the future unclear, as expressed by Dewey in his book "My Pedagogical Creed", that education is the process of life rather than preparation for the future. Application ideas Dewey, many children participate in physical activity, a new specialization.

Compare your opinion with the word Dewey tsb Prophet Muhammad "educate your children for its time which is not jamanmu"

. Maria Montessori (1870 - 1952)

As a physician and anthropologist Italy's first lady, she was interested in the retarded child's education, which proved the method can be used in normal children.

In 1907 he founded the school "Dei Bambini" or the homes of children in the slums of Rome. The Montessori method is the development of sensory skills to master science and technology to be organized in his mind, using specially designed equipment. Learning to read and write are taught simultaneously. Montessori believes children aged 2-6 years the fastest to learn to read and write. Criticism of Montessori is that less emphasis on language and social development, creativity, music and art.

Ijtihad with the correct result is worth two, when the results of its value one, while the imitation or following zero, so creative thinking was required by Allah SWT.

. McMiller Brothers

Rachel and Margaret set up the first Nursery School in London in 1911. the school is concerned with creativity and play, including art.

. Jean Piaget (1896 - 1980)

Swiss scientists are interested in learning science and thinking, although he himself was an expert in biology. According to Piaget there are three ways children learn something:

First, through social interaction, second, through interaction with the environment and physical knowledge, the Third, Logica Mathematical, through mental construction.

. Benjamin Bloom

Bloom (1964) studied the intelligence of children within a certain time period, which resulted taksanomi Bloom. Children's intelligence at the age of 15 years is the result of early childhood. This opinion is supported by Hunt who stated that early childhood impact on the further development of children's intelligence.

. David Werkart

Teaching methods using the principles:

- Provide a comfortable environment,

- Provide support to the child's behavior and language,

- Assist the child in determining the choices and decisions,

- Assist children in solving their own problems by doing it yourself.

Werkart founder of the High Scope Education (1989).

Services for Early Childhood

Early childhood: age 0-6 years. At the age of 0-2 years of physical growth of physical and brain growth through yandu (integrated services) between the Department of Health, Depsosial, BKKBN and the Ministry of Education. In early childhood program, Ministry of Education is expected to become "Leading Sector".

At the age of 2-4 years through child care services (TPA) or the Play Group. At the age of 4-6 years of service through kindergarten (TK - and TK A - B).

Personality and Cognitive Development of Early Childhood

. Erikson's Psychosocial development Theory

There are four levels of child development according to Erikson, namely:

First, the age of children 0-1 years of trust vs. mistrust. Parenting with a genuine affection in the fulfillment of basic needs of the baby lead to "trust" in infants to their environment. If on the contrary would cause "mistrust" of anxiety and suspicion on the environment.

Second, the age of 2-3 years, that is autonomy vs shame and doubt. Parenting through the encouragement to do what they want children, and in accordance with the time and his own way with the guidance of parents / teachers who are wise, then the child will develop awareness of autonomy. Conversely, if teachers can not wait, many prohibit child, causing hesitant attitude in children. Do not make the child feel ashamed.

Third, the age of 4-5 years, namely Initiative Vs Guilt, namely parenting by giving encouragement to experiment freely in the environment. Teachers and parents did not answer directly the question of children (remember her chaining method Gagne), then encourage children to take the initiative on the contrary, if the child is always blocked, question neglected child, the child will always feel guilty.

The four, aged 6-11 years, the Industry vs. inferiority, when a child is considered as a "child" either by parents, teachers and the environment, it will develop low self-esteem, the impact of children less likely to perform tasks that are intellectually, and less confident.

. Piaget's developmental theory Konitif

There are three stages of cognitive development of children according to Piaget, namely:

First, the sensory motor stage (ages 0-2 years) children get the experience of the body and senses.

Second, the preoperational stage. Children tried to control the symbols, (the words) and be able to express his experience, although it is not logical (pre-logical). At this time children are ego-centric, saw something of himself (perception centration), which is to see something from one trait, while other characteristics are ignored.

Third, the concrete operational stage. At this stage the child understands and thinks that is concrete yet abstract.

Fourth, the formal operational stage. At this stage children are able to think abstractly.

Early Childhood Curriculum

Kindergarten Curriculum was developed based on the integrated curriculum (integrated curriculum) with a thematic approach. The curriculum is organized by a topic or theme. Katz and Chard (1989) cited by Soemiarti Patmonodewo (2003) establish criteria for selecting a theme that is: be a link, the opportunity to apply the skills, the possibility of a source, the interests of teachers.

The materials to develop themes include:

a) the environment of children such as: home, family, school, game, myself.

b) Environment: garden, transportation, markets, shops, museums.

c) Events: August 17, Mother's Day, a marriage ceremony.

d) Place: highways, rivers, historic sites

e) Time: clock, calendar, and so forth.

Early Childhood Program

. Day Care or TPA (TPA), which serves as a complement to parental care. TPA is designed specifically with programs and facilities, to help child care for working mothers. Pastoral care takes the form of improved nutrition, development of intellectual, emotional and social development. Landfill in Indonesia have been developed in the form: TPA offices, residential landfill, industrial landfill, landfill plantation, TPA market. Now many emerging landfill family, held in homes.

. Integrated child development center that provides nutrition and health improvement services with the aim of improving the quality of life of children. In Indonesia, known as the Posyandu (integrated service post), which provides nutritious food services, immunization, child's body weight, health services by doctors, health checks family planning. Coaches and administrators are all volunteers who have previously received training.

. Mother and Child Education

The goal is education mothers who have young children, in terms of education and child care.

Patterns of education such as this developed into a Hippy (Home Instruction Program for Preschool Youngster) Adult education in Israel with a group approach is also implemented by Indonesia, China, Jamaica, and Colombia.

In Indonesia, known as the BKB program, which is coordinated by the State Minister for Women Affairs and BKKBN with the help of UNICEF, conducted since 1980.

. Program Through Media

Media which can be used in print, TV, Radio, and Internet. In 1980 Venezuela with the media program known as "Project to Familia", with the aim to improve the intelligence of children from birth to age 6 years, which is given to the mother. Program through the current TV can raise far into remote villages.

. Program "From Children To Children"

Parenting sister by her brother occurred spontaneously. His brother taught about the importance of vaccination, nutrition, how to encourage younger dab to speak, invited to play, and feeding the younger brother, who then practiced at home. This pattern has several advantages including:

- The Big Brother, have gained the skills to be a parent with good parenting patterns.

- The brother was able to pass on his skills to their peers.

- Skills toddler had to be applied in their environment.

The program is conducted in formal schools by working with health centers, the BKKBN, the Ministry of Social and scout. This program is for the first time carried out in London.

. "Head Start" in America

The purpose of "Head Start" is to fight poverty, by helping children to prepare them to enter school. Head Start provides educational facilities, social, health, dental, nutrition and mental health of children who come from poor families.

. Kindergarten or Kindergarten

Froebel kindergarten is the fruit of the German mind, through the concept of learning through play is based on the interests of children, where children as a center for (child centered). The pattern of previous learning is teacher centered like that held in America by focusing on the subjects.

The Nebraska Department of Education in the United States to provide advice on both forms of TK are:

- There is a partnership schools and parents in providing learning experiences for children.

- Experience of children should be designed to occur exploration and discovery, not just sit down with paper on the desk.

- Children learn through play equipment.

- Children learn to love books and language through story with its own language.

- Children perform activities of daily exercise gross motor and fine, with running, jumping, bouncing balls, sewing, cards, playing with candles,

- Children practice develop mathematical logic, with play sand, unit blocks, calculating tool,.

- Children practice develop curiosity about nature, through experimental observations and draw conclusions.

- Children know a variety of musical rhythms and tools.

- Children practice like art.

All kindergarten activities designed to develop a positive self image, and attitude both on friends and school; to play as a medium of learning.

Some of the Implementation Model TK

Care for kids can be either home based or center based. There are three models based centers.

a) Model Montessori

For the first time, a model Montessori school was established in 1907 in Breka in Italy, and several years later developed in Europe.

Some of the Montessori philosophy of learning, namely:

- Absorbent minds (recall that permeated)

- The Prepared environment (limgkungan prepared).

- Sensitive period (sensitive period)

The tools used in the Montessori model of education is divided into four groups, namely:

- Tool development skills, to foster self-discipline, independence, concentration and confidence.

- Tool development to refine the sensory function of sensory function.

- Academic development tools, such as letters that can be embedded on the board.

- Tools artistic development-oriented culture, so that children learn to love and appreciate music, studying art and music harmony.

In the Montessori model, children are free to choose activities, which relate to "auto - education" where children have to educate yourself without the dictation of teachers.

Overall, according to the American Montessori Society (1984), the goal of Montessori education are:

- Development of concentration,

- Skills observes,

- Alignment to understand the levels and sequences,

- Coordination of perception and awareness in the conduct of practical skills.

- The concept of a mathematical nature,

- Skills to read and write,

- Language skills,

- Become familiar with the creative arts,

- Understanding the natural world environment,

- Understanding the social sciences,

- Experienced in solving problems

b) Model Behavior

The model is based on the theory of John B. Watson, E Thorn and BF Skinner, who believed that behavior can be formed with "stimulus" and "response", and "operant conditioning". Behavior is controlled by a "reward" and "punishment". This model is less attention to physical and emotional development, because they suggest that the child will get "Self Esteem" if the child succeed in his intellectual achievement.

c) Model interactionist

This model is based on the theory of Piaget, for example, is the program "The High Scope" developed by David Weikart, "Educating the Young Thinker" developed by Irvan Siegel in "Piaget of Early Education" developed by Contance Kamii and Rheta DeVries.

According to Piaget, learning is a process that is based on "Intrinsic Motivation". Ability to think grown to stage abstract and logical thinking.

The purpose of this model is to stimulate all areas of child development, physical, social, emotional and cognitive development, all of which are considered equally important.

Kamii and DeVries (1979) states that education should aim at long term, a development of the whole personality, intellectual and moral.

Piaget stated that the purpose of education is to prepare human beings capable of making something new, creative, inventive, with good reasoning, critical, and not just repeat and imitate something that has happened previously.

Playing For Learning

Playing is learning in kindergarten, in the form of free play, play with the guidance and directed play. The forms of play include social play, play with objects and socio-dramatic play.

Social play consisted of playing alone (solitary play), play where the child only as a spectator (onlooker play), parallel play (parallel play), play associative (associative play) and play cooperative (cooperative play).

Development and Play Behavior

Baby playing in the sensory motor level, by exploring the human body and encountered, and investigate. At the end of one year of age he began playing with Ciluk - Ba. Then he played with using the tool, and at the age of school before he played a constructive, with objects and some rules. Children aged 3 years to play with a role as a family. Children can play by the rules, at the age of 7-12 years and showed that he was at the stage of concrete operations.

Parents and early childhood relationships

Parents are the first teachers for their children. If there is cooperation between parents and children will result in:

- Improved self-concept in the elderly and children,

- Increased motivation to learn, and

- Improved learning outcomes.

Parental involvement, there are three possibilities, namely:

- Orientation to the task.

- Orientation to the process.

- The orientation of the development.

Communication between school and parents can be formal or informal communication, home visits, parent meetings, and newsletters.

from :Drs. H. Agus Ruslan, M.MPd

Teacher of Darul Ma'arif BandungBoarding School