RESEARCH MAKING LIVES BETTER

Early Head Start is a program that uses families and children to evaluate their programs in research settings. “A rigorous evaluation of Early Head Start in 17 programs selected from the first program cohorts shows that the program had significant and positive impacts on a wide range of parent and child dimensions, some with implications for children’s later school success.”

Early Head Start Benefits Children and Families Retrieved from
http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/opre/ehs/ehs_resrch/reports/dissemination/research_briefs/research_brief_overall.pdf

Parents who participate in HS(Head Start) are found to have greater quality of life satisfaction; increased confidence in coping skills; and decreased feelings
of anxiety, depression, and sickness. HS children are at least eight percentage points more likely to have had their immunizations than those children who did not attend preschool. Similarly, EHS(Early Head Start) children had a higher immunization rate than children in a control group.

Benefits of Head Start (HS) and Early Head Start (EHS) Programs Retrieved from http://www.nhsa.org/files/static_page_files/081FD64E-1D09-3519-ADC7E878DDB5CEC9/REDFactSheets1.pdf

I have witnessed families that are enrolled in Head Start and Early Head Start programs and have been impressed with their desire to learn and work to better their lives and their child’s life. The Head Start that I observed in Newton was a community of helpful teachers and counselors and responsive parents with healthy children.

My interest in the childhood field

My interest in the childhood field lies with the education of teachers going into the field. It appears that many young people who are going into the teacher field of early childhood have lots of book knowledge, which is good, but they are short on practical knowledge.
My focus for this class is the standards set by the states, particularly Kansas. I will be working to investigate the qualifications that are required for an Early Childhood teacher.
I want to research resources that teachers can use for children and their families if they are not knowledgeable or qualified to do so.
Thirdly, developing a mentoring system and how it could or would work for helping those inexperienced and uncommitted teachers to realize their potential. I know that mentoring systems are used in public school systems, at least some and they work. My daughter-in-law was mentored her first year, now she visits her mentor regularly. Her daughter goes with her to visit, Hannah asks often when they are going to visit Kay again. It not only helped my daughter-in-law but her daughter.

I am still a little boggled with the idea of research but the simulations and guidance from the textbook and the other directional articles. I have been working in the field of teaching children since I was eleven. I started as the teacher for the preschoolers in my church. Teaching has become a challenge for me health wise. At least, this last situation was such a struggle I had to quit. I had three children that were extremely disruptive, one physically and sometimes abusive, kicking, hitting, spitting on me, knocking me on the floor and threatening to kill me. I am sore, tired and discouraged. I want to stay in the early childhood field but have no idea where to go from here. I do not know how to go about researching areas that would be a good fit for me. Does anyone have any suggestions?

where oh where did my assignment go, i submitted it on Sunday morning

My granddaughter is so smart

I overheard this discussion between my granddaughter and her friend:
Hannah: Santa is going to come down our chimney and put presents under our tree.
Emma: Well, maybe Santa will not come to our house, we do not have a fireplace or chimney. How will he get into the house?
Hannah: Just leave the door unlocked.
How smart is that?