Course Project - Early Childhood Trends Talking Points

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EEC4910 Early Childhood Education Leadership Capstone Module Course Project-Early Childhood Trends Talking Points 11/18/2018 Author Note This paper is being submitted on 11/18/2018, for Doreen Anzalone’s EEC4910 Section 02 Early Childhood Education Leadership Capstone

Health

MENTAL HEALTH

In Early Childhood classrooms there is a lot of things that help keep it running smoothly. However, a lot of people that have never worked in a classroom do not realize how important the overall health of children is to assuring that the classroom is being as effective as it should be.

Tips to Promote Children’s Mental Health

Show children self-care methods

Foster a positive self-view

Model healthy habits

Looking on the Brightside- teaching hope and determination.

Teach and model self-reflection

Teach acceptance of change

Make connections- model friendship skills and abilities

Teach and promote empathy by modeling empathy behaviors

Have a consistent yet flexible schedule. Routines are great but strict schedules can be overwhelming and stressful.

Take a break together, spend some down time just playing and enjoying each other company.

A toddler’s relationships with parents and caregivers help shape who they are, their personalities, and their understanding of the world around them. These trusted adults lay the foundation for further social and emotional development and skills. The secure relationships toddlers form with trusted adults, provides them with a sense of safety. This sense of safety and trust allows them to confidently explore and discover new objects and places. When toddlers feel safe they are more alert, and more likely play, observe, interact and experiment with people and objects. With nurturing and trusting relationships toddler’s brains mature through interactions. They learn that they are safe when conflict arises because adults are responsive to their needs. These relationships teach toddlers how to form other relationships, respond to challenges, and communicate with others. They also teach toddlers how to recognize and respond to emotional cues, and how to regulate and react to their own emotions

Overall Growth of Children

Developmental Milestones outline the skills are abilities that most children should acquire during these Windows of Opportunities and throughout their development. It is important to keep in mind that all children develop at varying rates throughout their development, but it is also important to watch for red flags and significant delays. Developmental Milestones are helpful in tracking toddlers progress and determining whether they need early intervention. Early intervention services are vital in toddlers. Many times, early intervention services can help reduces delays and the effect disabilities may have on a child’s success in school and later in life.

Typical Milestones of a Toddler

Physical Development

Enjoy physical activities (running, kicking, climbing)

Beginnings of bladder and bowel control towards latter part of this stage

Able to manipulate small objects with hands

Cognitive Development

Finds objects moved out of sight

Engages in imaginative play

Greater memory recall: people, names, places

Can follow simple instructions

Think symbolically

Can point to parts of the body

Can only concentrate on one thing at a time

Enjoys listening to stories

Knows the names of some colors

The human brain is an amazing interconnected human organ that controls all skills, functions, abilities, and processes. The development of the brain is a remarkable process that begins shortly after conception and is influenced by both nature and nurture. The brain’s development is most rapid between birth and four years of age. Throughout this period, toddlers have an excess of synapses (brain connections) which allows specific areas in their brain to develop at increasing rapid rates. As children become older their brain begins a pruning process, which is where weak or unused synapses are discarded. Once the pruning process begins in a specific area of the brain it becomes much hard for children to learn new skills and abilities related to the specific area. During these sensitive periods of development, a child’s brain and development are heavily influenced by a child’s environment, interactions, and experiences. Many of these “Windows of Opportunities” begin, or continue in toddlers between the age of one and two

Typical Milestones of a Toddler

Language Development

50-500-word vocabulary

Forms 2 to 4-word sentences

Imitates the speech of others

Social/Emotional Development

They will play by themselves for brief times.

They give their caregivers affection.

They play alongside—but not with—other toddlers.

Begin to understand Empathy

Can help with simple chores

Each developmental domain has its own set of milestones. It is crucial for parents, early childhood educators, and anyone else related to a child’s health and well-being to have knowledge of these milestones, because you can be the difference in whether that child in successful in school and life.

Safety

Toddlers are at a fun and important stage of development yet are very vulnerable to injury and accidents. It is crucial that parents, family members, friends and any one caring for toddlers take precautions to them safe and secure without depriving them of developmentally necessary behaviors. Close and engaging supervision along with provide safe developmentally appropriate activities are the two primary keys to keeping toddlers safe and supported.

The Dangers of Being a Toddler

Falling- Toddler’s muscles and gross motor skills are still developing leaving them vulnerable to tripping and falling.

Use baby gates, or keep doors to unsafe, or unsupervised areas closed. *Stairs

Use window guards on all windows.

Secure all rugs

Provide safe climbing areas

Poison- Toddlers are oral explorers increasing the risk of poisoning

All medicines and vitamins should be keep out of reach of children.

All chemicals, cleaning products or other harmful products in a locked area or container.

Keep the number for poison control 1(800) 222-1222 accessible.

The mind of a toddler is curious, adventurous, and innocent. They can finally move well enough to quickly explore all the places and spaces they can get to. Hands on exploring, experiences, and interactions are how toddlers learn and, but they do not understand danger. Toddlers do not possess foresight and are unable to think about the possible outcomes. The toddler stage has one of the highest possibilities for accidental injury because of their innate desire to explore and learn paired with the lack of foresight and understanding of danger. Falls, burns, poison, drowning, and choking/suffocation are major safety concerns for this age group. Falls, drowning and poison are the leading causes for non-fatal injury in toddlers. Drowning is the leading cause of fatalities in children between the ages of one and two. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2017]

The Dangers of Being a Toddler

Burns- Toddlers are curious and will often try to see and touch what is on the stove

Turn the handles on pots and pans inward on the stove.

Never allow children in the kitchen unsupervised.

Keep curling irons, candles, lighters and hot food/liquids out of a child's reach.

Drowning- Toddlers love to explore new textures and experiences including water, without understanding or knowing the dangers

Never leave a toddler unsupervised in a bath, not even for a second!!

All swimming pools should be gated

Use coast guard approved life jackets when in swimming areas, or around bodies of water, even wading pools

It is important to keep a toddler’s development in mind when creating safe areas, rules, and measures. A toddler’s craving for exploration and desire to touch and get into everything is appropriate for their age. Not only is it appropriate, exploring is how toddlers learn about the world around them. Oral exploration and climbing are two other developmentally appropriate behaviors that could potentially cause injury to toddlers. A toddler’s new-found mobility is liberating, now they want to discover other physical abilities and soon find climbing to be a lot of fun. Providing a safe climbing area will help reduce their desire to climb in other unsafe areas. The human mouth is one of the most sensitive areas, which is why toddlers often explore objects with their months. Offering sensory items that are editable or safe for toddlers to mouth, such as teething rings, and editable playdough will help keep toddlers safe, while supporting their development.

Nutrition affects Development

From head to toe, inside and outside, nutrition is one of the most vital aspects of your toddler’s overall health. Malnutrition goes far beyond the amount of food provided to a child, providing the right types of food provides a healthy nutritional diet for toddlers.

The Importance of Healthy Nutrition

Nutrition and Toddler’s Growth

Although a toddler’s physical growth begins to slow, their muscle development and overall physical development is at an all-time high. Toddlers are learning how to move more efficiently and are developing more traveling skills, balancing skills, hand-eye coordination, and strengthening muscles. The food a toddler eats provides their body with the necessary nutrients for their physical development. Carbohydrates, proteins, and iron some of the key nutrients for physical development. Poor nutrition can have lasting effects on a toddler’s development. Undernourishment can stunt a toddler’s growth and weaken their immune system making it hard for their little bodies to fight off illnesses. On the other side, poor nutrition is one of the leading causes of childhood obesity.

Poor eating habits such as eating fast foods and junk foods are common in the United States and can lead to lifelong poor nutritional patterns, and to many health problems.

Three primary factors influence a child’s development, genetics, environment, and nutrition & health. Nutrition effects growth, development, and behavior/moods. Toddlers have typically transitioned to table foods, and no longer can rely solely on formula or breastmilk for nurturance and fuel

The Importance of Healthy Nutrition (Continued)

Nutrition and Brain Development

A child’s brain grows and develops rapidly in the first three years of life. Brain growth and development relies heavily on a child’s nutrition. A toddler’s physical brain size and development depends on their nutritional intake. Different nutrients support the development of specific brain functions and infrastructures.

Proteins and the amino acids- create/support neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitters are the chemicals in the brain that transmit signals to brain cells allowing brain cells to communicate with each other.

DHA and AA(found in cow’s milk), Support retina development.

DHA is also needed to produce synapses.

Iron and iodine are necessary for neuronal metabolism

. It is vital that toddlers receive an ample amount of both macronutrients (carbohydrate, protein, and fat) and micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) to support their physical growth and brain development. Healthy nutrition is a primary factor in preventing illnesses and building immune systems. Nutrition is also a prime factor in a toddler’s physical growth and a toddler’s brain development

Tips on supporting your Toddler’s Healthy Nutrition

Model Healthy eating habits

Offer healthy 3 snacks and 3 meals

Provide choices and include toddler in meal planning

Eat as a family

Involve toddler in making meals and snacks

Visit places such as, farmer markets or apple orchards together

Find fun was to present and make meals and snacks

Make fruits and vegetables into a sensory activity.

References

American Psychological Association. (2017). Resilience Guide for Parents & Teachers. Apa.org. Retrieved 31

October 2017, from http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/resilience.aspx

Children’s Bureau. (2017). Protective Factors to Promote Well-Being - Child Welfare Information

Gateway. Childwelfare.gov. Retrieved 31 October 2017, from https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/preventing/promoting/protectfactors/

nfants & Toddlers | VLS. (2017). Virtuallabschool.org. Retrieved 7 October 2017, from

https://www.virtuallabschool.org/infants-toddlers

Center on the Developing Child. (2017). I N BRIEF THE SCIENCE OF EARLY CHILDHOOD

DEVELOPMENT (p. A series of brief summaries). Harvard University. Retrieved from http://46y5eh11fhgw3ve3ytpwxt9r.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/03/InBrief-The-Science-of-Early-Childhood-Development2.pdf

Department of Pediatrics. (2017). Toddler/Preschooler Safety Tips - Child Safety - Golisano Children's

Hospital - University of Rochester Medical Center. Urmc.rochester.edu. Retrieved 17 October 2017, from https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/childrens-hospital/safety/age-tips/toddler-safety.aspx

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2017). CDC - Child Development,Toddlers (1-2

years old) - NCBDDD. Cdc.gov. Retrieved 17 October 2017, from https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/childdevelopment/positiveparenting/toddlers.html

Mortensen, K. (2017). Nutrition & Brain Development in Infants, Toddlers & Preschoolers. Healthyeating.sfgate.com.

Retrieved 24 October 2017, from http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/nutrition-brain-development-infants-toddlers-preschoolers-4625.html

THOMPSON, D. (2017). Many U.S. children go days without eating any vegetables, survey finds. Cbsnews.com. Retrieved

24 October 2017, from https://www.cbsnews.com/news/children-not-eating-vegetables-survey/

All of these sources are credible because they are recently written within the last five years. These sources are also from a credible book, scholarly article, or website that was written by a known or credible author. The sources that were from a website were from a .gov or a .edu site which means that they more reliable since these are sites reserved for colleges, universities or the government.