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EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION

• What Does a Young Child Need?

• What is the Caregiver’s Role?

• Lessons That Last• Caregiver Hints• Developmental RED

FLAG ALERTS• Early Childhood

Programs• Early Childhood

Resources• Car Seat Information

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What Does a Young Child Need?

• EVERYTHING…• Assistance to meet

– Physical Needs:• Food• Clothing• Cleanliness• Shelter • Safety / protection• Play

– Emotional Needs:• Security• Care• Nurturance• Love• Hope

– Social Needs:• Interact with caregiver

and others, including children the same age

• Opportunity to play with others

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What Does a Young Child Need? continued

– Psychological Needs:• Know he/she is important

to the caregiver• Learn who he/she is• Develop a positive self

esteem

– Cognitive Needs:• Read to the child• Build language skills. Talk

with the child, even when they are too young to know all you are saying.

• Play with the child

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What is the Role of the Caregiver?• The caregiver is the significant person who

meets the child’s needs on an ongoing basis.

• Provides love, care, and nurturance for the child.• Makes sure the child is safe and healthy.• Engages the child in play, conversation, singing, and activities that expand learning.

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Lessons that Last a Lifetime

• Young children learn from infancy about the world.

• Many of the lessons are taught by the caregiver.

• Some of these lessons relate to...

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TRUST The Infant Knows His/Her Needs

will be Met

• It is vital to babies under one year to develop a sense of trust; knowing the caregiver will meet their needs.

• Trust is born from having the baby’s needs met by a consistent caregiver.

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INDEPENDENCEThe Young Child Explores and Learns What He/She Can Do

• The caregiver provides a safe environment with supervision and encouragement for the child to explore.

• Exercise their will and learn self-control.

• Desires to test independence.

• Walking is step toward independence...

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INITIATIVEYoung Child Takes Action When

He/She Feels Capable and Confident

to Do New Things• Preschoolers begin

to imagine• Learn skills through

play• Increase in ability to

follow directions• Gain new skills• Feel capable to learn

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Caregiver Hints

• Things to do together:– Talk (even to a baby)– Read books daily– Play with blocks, balls,

trikes, puppets, and more

– Draw (big crayons)– Teach a song– HAVE FUN...

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Developmental RED FLAG ALERTS

• Refers to behavioral indicators that show that a child is not developing at a normal range. These behaviors are areas of concern when they are seen consistently over a period of time.Some children are “early bloomers”

and others may be delayed in some areas but still within

the normal range of development.

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Developmental RED FLAG ALERTS

• Infants under 6 months:– Failure to gain weight– Unable to make eye

contact or follow objects– Failure to hold head up– Failure to hold on with

hands– No response to loud

sounds

– Failure to show anticipatory behavior at feeding

– Lack of interest in social stimuli

– Does not grasp or reach for objects

– Tight muscles or muscles appear stiff

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Developmental RED FLAG ALERTS

• Infants 9 to 12 months -– Does not gain weight– Lack of affect– Not able to say single

words, such as “mama”– Does not look at caregiver

for social cues or comfort– Does not crawl– Cannot stand when

supported

– Does not use gestures, such as waving or shaking head

– Drags one side of body while crawling (for over one month)

– Does not search for object that are hidden while s/he watches

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Developmental RED FLAG ALERTS

• Toddler 18 to 24 months-– No speech– Excessive body rocking– Sleep disturbance– Out of the ordinary play– Withholding and other

bowel problems– Retarded development or

persistent regression

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Developmental RED FLAG ALERTS• Three-Year-Olds -

– Frequent falling and difficulty with stairs

– Persistent drooling or very unclear speech

– Inability to build a tower of more than four blocks

– Difficulty manipulating small objects

– Inability to communicate in three word sentences

– No involvement in “pretend” play

– Little interest in other children

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Developmental RED FLAG ALERTS

• Four-Year-Olds -– Cannot throw a ball

overhand– Cannot jump in place– Cannot grasp a crayon

between thumb and finger

– Has difficulty scribbling– Shows no interest in

interactive games

– Ignores other children– Resists dressing,

sleeping, using the toilet– Does not use sentences

of more than three words– Cannot copy a circle– Lashes out with no self

control whenever angry or upset

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Developmental RED FLAG ALERTS

• Five-Year-Olds -– Extremely fearful or timid– Extremely aggressive– Easily distracted and

unable to concentrate on a single activity for more than five minutes

– Shows little interest in playing with other children

– Severely unhappy or sad much of the time

– Seems unusually passive

– Cannot talk about daily activities

– Has trouble taking off clothing

– Cannot wash and dry his/her hands

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What to Do When Red Flag Alerts are Noted?

• Have the young child evaluated by the child’s pediatrician.

• Obtain input from the childcare center professional.

• Request a developmental assessment.

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Early Childhood Education ProgramsComponents of Quality Childcare Programs

• Care center is licensed• Care provider is caring

and focused on the needs of every child

• Number and ages of children allow for good childcare practice

• Area is clean and SAFE• Foods are nutritious

• Equipment is appropriate to care for the child’s age

• Toys and activities are appropriate for the child’s development

• A routine is established for rest and play

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Early Childhood Programs

• HEAD START– Federally funded to serve children 3.9 years– Some communities have programs beginning

for young children as early as 18-24 months.– Services available at NO COST– 3.5 hour daily programs - Monday through

Friday– Lunch and snacks provided

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Features of HEAD START Programs: • Assessment screening

for special needs – Speech therapy– Developmental

milestones, etc.• Emphasis on school

readiness• Literacy Development• Field trips

• Provide family support services– In home visits– Parenting classes

• Individual Education Plan developed for each child

• Assistance transition to a new school

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Early Childhood Resources• Developmental Milestones Guide

http://eww.lakids.gov/dcfs/DrugTesting/milestones/MLSTONES%20BLUE.htm

• Early Head Start -National Resource Center http://www.ehsnrc.org/AboutUs/Index.htm

• Head Start Programs http://www.lacoe.edu/lacoeweb/orgs/201/index.cfm Los Angeles County Site Locator: http://nas.lacoe.edu/head_start2/

• Department of Children and Family Services Public Website

http://dcfs.co.la.ca.us/Internet_Site/OpenPage.asp

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ALL YOUNG CHILDREN MUST BE BUCKLED IN A CAR SEAT

for EVERY RIDE• Birth - 1 year, under 22

pounds must be in rear-facing child safety seat, 5-point belt harness is best

• 1 to 6 years of age, under 60 pounds, forward-facing child safety seat, 5-point belt harness is best