The Day Care Dilemma: How Does 'Opting-Out' Impact Kids?

           One of the most common dilemmas that a successful, career oriented mother must decide is; whether to place their child into a daycare center or leave their career to become a stay at home mom. Melinda Wenner Moyer, the author of: "The Day Care Dilemma: How does 'Opting-Out' Impact Kids?" did extensive research to find out which choice would be the most beneficial for a child. Moyer’s investigation revealed that there are many factors to take into consideration, such as; income, environment, and the creditability of the daycare center.  There were positive and negative aspects for each choice. The decision isn't an easy one to make. Jay Belsky: an expert on child development was quoted saying, “If you were a fetus and the good Lord came to you and said, ‘I can give you great quality day care and a lousy family, or a great family but lots of lousy day care,’ you choose the latter, not the former.” Yet in the same breath, Belsky added, that even though the negative effects of day care are modest, “one needs to be careful about dismissing them.” Moyer found that as long as the mother was confident with her decision; whether to stay home or place their child in daycare, the child will develop adequately.

            Moyer’s research discovered that the quality of the daycare was a very important factor to take into consideration. A daycare can be in the best part of town; charging top dollar, and be very appealing at first glance but that doesn't mean your child’s guarantee to receive the quality care that he/she deserves. As a parent, I feel it’s your obligation to research the daycare that you’re considering placing your child in. You should be making visits to see if the staff workers are engaged with the children or just simply sitting back, watching them.

            I have worked with children for many years now; working in both high-income and low-income childcare centers. This may come as a shock to some; but the childcare offered to the lower income families such as Head Start, have higher standards to meet, due to the financial funding and grants that are needed to run their programs.  Head Start teachers must be college graduates, who obtain a bachelors degree in the field of teaching. The children who attend these facilities are provided with a variety of resources to meet the needs of every child. Teacher’s set monthly goals for their children as a whole and also as individuals. They meet with their parents to discuss the progress or the needs of their children. Children leave the program with the help and tools necessary to enter into kindergarten.

 Children, who are enrolled in the more expensive daycare centers usually, have nicer buildings, bigger playgrounds, and newer toys for the children to utilize comparison to the low-income centers. Most of their daycares require that their teachers be certified in order to work there. A quality center should be providing your child with a creative and stimulating curriculum as well as loving, caring environment. Many of the centers do not have the resources needed to help each child with their individual needs, nevertheless a sophisticated teacher should offer the parents guidance, to help get the child the adequate support he/she may need. Children who are cared for by quality childcare centers will also leave with new founded skills to be successful in elementary school.

            Then there is the stay at home mothers, who leaves their jobs, for the well-being of their child. Since the child’s first teacher is their parent, it makes sense that a mother would choose to stay at home to care for her child. Thanks to all the research on child development, parents now have a better understanding on the importance of education.  Research shows, that as long as the mothers continued offering their children guidance, love, and support, setting aside time to teach their children, their kids fared well in school. 

Years ago, when my children were little, the childcare centers were more like babysitting agencies. Sure they taught them their ABC’s and 123’s but that’s nothing in comparison to what they’re learning nowadays. Deciding to leave a career that you've worked so hard for to become a stay at home mom is a very difficult decision to make.  Choosing a daycare that is suitable for your child can be another tough choice; especially if the mother is unsure of her decision. You must take a lot of things into consideration such as; the longer you stay at home, the harder it is to find a job in your career field. The questioned everyone mother wants to know is, “what is best for my child”. I believe Moyer answered the question correctly, when she said; “it’s whatever choice you feel the most confident in”. So as long as you stand behind your decision and have a positive out-look, then your child’s perspective will be the same.  

The Seven Faces of the Early Childhood Educator

As society does away with the old, controlling, stereotypes of teaching, educators embrace the new methods which place the child as the central figure instead of what use to be the teacher.  The author, Jill Miels, of the article, “The Seven Faces of the Early Childhood Educator”, identifies seven important roles that teachers should consider while teaching.  The seven roles are: Communicator, Facilitator, Coach, Model, Researcher, Storyteller, and Keeper of the Watch. In Milels’s article, she states, “If I've learned nothing else over the past quarter century, I've learned that each individual must decide which roles to embrace and which roles to reject.”  She gives a little definition for each of the roles mentioned so that teachers may pick and choose the ones that best suits their teaching styles.

     The “communicator’s” role isn't just about talking to people; it’s about listening to what others have to say.  This is especially important when the “others” are the children.  They need to know that they are being heard and what they have to say is valued.  The role of facilitator can be a very time consuming job.  The “facilitator” oversees the classroom; offering encouragement and guidance to the children.  They are constantly trying to improve the children’s learning environment; by keeping up with the most current research.  As “coaches”, educators become the children’s mentors. Giving them assistance and knowledge that they need in order to establish a sense of community.  A “model” is someone who teaches by example. The behaviors you wish to teach your students, should be modeled by their teacher and adults.  The “keeper of the watch” role, isn't just to make sure the room is running smoothly, it’s also to make sure that the classroom activities are conducted in a timely manner. The "Storytelling Role" is an important role that many children can benefit from. Teachers can help children acquire this skill by teaching them how important it is to pass down stories from generations to generations.  A  "Researcher’s Role", is to gathers information about how students interact in the classrooms. “This helps teachers gain more knowledge  on how particular populations react in specific environments." Miels.

     Many preschools and childcare centers have already begun making improvements to their establishments. They have begun to incorporate the new teaching techniques to go along with the ever-changing early childhood education. Miels has constructed a list of many important roles that teachers should review and include in their everyday teachings. I believe that all seven roles are equally important and should all be utilized by all teachers.

     In the Head Start Program, you will find that the teachers are required to use these seven roles in their classrooms. When I first starting working for Head Start, I found it to be a bit challenging.  The memories I had of teachers, were the old stereotypes that Miels mention in her article. The new standards of early childhood learning has changed the way I view education as a whole. This is an article that everyone with children should read. These roles that the article offers could be applied in the home as well as in school.

      When you work with preschoolers it is important to remember that these first few years of their lives are when they learn the most. Therefore, it is very important for teachers to take the time to research the new techniques and methods that can improve their quality of teaching. As an educator myself, taking the time to cultivate the learning experience for young children proves necessary. Their well-being and understanding depends on the educator, hence the reason why these roles are important to the children’s development. Neglect breeds ignorance and in a learning environment, only the child suffers in the long run. This is why the educator must provide the best  learning experience possible for the children.

Different Approaches to Teaching: Comparing Three Preschool Programs

            Do you know what the Montessori, High Scoop and Reggio Emilla methods of teaching are?  Amy Sussna Klein, the author of, “Different Approaches to Teaching: Comparing Three Preschool Programs” will explain each of  their approaches to learning, in her “easy read “article.  Klein breaks the individual methods down into sections that will answer these following questions: “What is the program’s history?  What are its main components?  What is unique about the program?  How can one tell if a school is truly following the model?”

 The Montessori Method was invented by; Italy’s first female to become a doctor, Maria Montessori in 1907.  Observation is a key element in her research and  in her teachings.  Her approach  to learning is more from a scientific view.  She incorporates the five senses into her lesson planning and uses “didactic” materials in her classroom that are self correcting.  The classroom furniture is made at the children’s height; not the adults. Montessori has children of different ages blended into each classroom and stresses the importance of family evolvement in their child’s education.  The way they can make sure their method is truly being followed in the classrooms is to make sure that they are AMI or AMS certified.

The High/Scope Approach was developed by the Perry Preschool Project that was conducted by: Dave Weikart and Connie Kamii, back in 1962.  According to, Weikart and Kamii: The Perry Preschool Program: had compelling evidence which suggested that the children who were in their program; grew up with fewer arrests and had more high school graduates.  “This project was noted for being among the fewest longitudinal studies in early childhood that had significant findings.” (Different Approaches to Teaching)  Weikart, Kamii, and the help of some teachers, would work a few hours a day with underprivileged children, (ages three to four years old).  They attended staff meetings and made visits to the student’s homes.  Children using the High/Scope method are taught using the constructivist theory.  This theory believes that children learn more from interactions with their peers and the environment.   The High/Scope Foundation’s main goals are to encourage children to obtain educational goals as early as infancy.   Children are encouraged to interact with their peers and teachers in daily activities.  When a child talks, the teacher is to stop and listen.  The teacher’s scaffolds the child with open ended questions.  One of their major components of the High/Scope framework is called “Plan-do-review”, it’s explained as followed,” Children are encouraged to: 1) plan the area, materials, and methods they are going to work with; 2) do, actually carry out their plan; and 3) review, articulate with the class-room community what they actually did during work time. The review time helps children bring closure to their work and link their actual work to their plan.”  Schools that use this method have teachers who record their observations using the, “High/Scope Child Observation Record.”

The Reggio Emilia Approach to learning has slowly evolved over the years.   Reggio Emilia is a small town in Italy.  “The Reggio Emilia School’s, have been named the ten best school systems in the world”, by Newsweek Magazine.  They use the environment as a way to demonstrate and discuss school projects.  The approach is called “Documentation”, it is the foundation in which the children will build their knowledge on.  Children work together (co-constructing), discussing, and exploring projects with their peers.  They use “Flowcharts”, which will document the “beginning, middle and end, or past, present, and future” to research and discuss the process with the students.  Using co-construction while discussing the flowcharts, will serve two purposes: First, it will be a way to look back at problems and second, collaborate with one another to come up with solutions to them.  Teacher’s, who use this approach to learning, will use reflections as a tool for improving their teaching skills. They encourage their student’s by; acknowledging their students accomplishments and documenting the child’s education.   

Many of the preschool’s and head start programs have incorporated all three of these methods into their classrooms.  They have furnished the classrooms with child size tables and chairs so that the students can now sit more comfortably.  Children ranging in ages of 3-5 are now integrated into classrooms.  Students learn through play, they are encouraged to explore their environment and socialize with their peers.  Many parents are stepping forward and becoming more involved in their child’s education.  Teachers use documentation and flow charts in their classrooms; to record the student’s observations.  I find that all three methods of teaching; have their own unique qualities that can benefit the students.  In our head start program we utilize each one of these methods; and find them to be very successful in teaching our students.  

Ages & Stages: Empathy

By Carla Poole, Susan A. Miller, EdD, and Ellen Booth Church

Do you think empathy can be taught as early as birth?   According to the authors; Carla Poole, Susan A. Miler,EdD, and Ellen Booth Church, in their article called, “Empathy”, the answer is yes.  The writers share their research on the importance of teaching empathy at a very young age.  Poole, Miller, and Booth break up their findings into stages; ranging from infants 0-2 months old to children 5- 6 years of age.  According to their research even newborns can start to learn empathy just by how a parent responds to their baby’s cries.  As a toddler reaches ages three to four years old, they learn compassion by modeling and mimicking their caregivers.  Then, by ages five and six their vocabulary skills are more advanced.  They are now able to process and convey their feelings and emotions to others.  Also, they start to pick up on other people’s feelings by observing their facial expressions, body language, and mannerisms.   Poole, Miler EdD, and Church believe that,”by modeling and encouraging empathy, Kindergartners will become compassionate members of a caring community”.

In this article the writers really place a huge emphasis on how important “Empathy” is in young children.  They believe that it can be taught as early as infancy.  Infants learn how to self sooth themselves when their caregiver’s first response to a fussy baby; is their voice.   However, if the baby persists to fuss, a gentle caress from the parent’s hand, along with the soothing sound of their voice, should help to console the little one.  Finally, in the event that your child continues to fret, you would then pick the baby up and hold him/her in the crook of your arms, to calm them down.  I have seen this work time and time again while working in the infant rooms at my first place of employment.  Later, as they became toddlers these babies were more able to adapt to self sooth themselves and others who needed it.

Toddlers are very impressionable, especially in the first three years.  They are very observant and they definitely love to mimic adults.  Therefore, teaching children through modeling is a great way for children to learn how to grow into compassionate children themselves.  You will need to scaffold them from time to time, offering cues to various situations, but you will soon note that they will become more considerate of other children's feelings. 

As they enter into their preschooler years, children become more aware of other people’s feelings.  When they see a peer upset, they can look back and reflect on their own similar experiences and try to offer them the same support that helped them feel better.  The children at this age become more vocal, as they develop a wider range of vocabulary.  They often offer words of encouragement when they see a friend feeling sad or discouraged.   Adult’s still need to set a good example on how to be loving, caring and compassionate human beings, even after this age.

In my opinion,the authors: Poole, Miller, and Booth, really are very knowledgeable in the field of early childhood development. Their research on "empathy" holds true for me.  Everything they have said, I have seen firsthand, thanks to working with children of all ages.  Empathy is a very important emotion, something all of us should possess.  If we teach it to our children when they are young, then we are giving them the tools necessary to be successful in life.