Zero to Three/Information for Early Childhood Development

The Zero to Three website offers a series of podcasts called Little Kids, Big Questions. These are a “series of 12 podcasts that translates the research of early childhood development into parenting practices that mothers, fathers and other caregivers can tailor to the needs of their own child and family” (Zero to Three). The series are easily downloaded to your computer and they are great teaching tools for anyone to use. I did not find any ideas/statements/resources, on the website that I found controversial but I did find the information in the new Zero to Three Journal, Media and Technology in the lives of infants and toddlers. As educators, parents, and caregivers we all know how technology and media has overtaken our lives in some aspects. I know that in my classroom, the children have access to computers to help build their cognitive skills and enhance their overall development. The new journal is focused on helping us understand how to use technology and media in a progressive way to enhance our children’s development with effective managing by parents and teachers. The Zero to The Zero to Three website has numerous articles that support the understandings of economists, neuroscientists, and politicians with their research and findings that show how they all impact the early childhood field. Zero to Three is such an important and respected organization that law makers often look towards them when seeking research information on early childhood development. “The Zero to Three Policy Center is a highly respected nonpartisan resource for federal and state leaders seeking research-based child development information as they craft policies affecting the lives of young children, particularly those who are disadvantaged” (Zero to Three). The website uses its research information from various researches and studies to help change the way we see early childhood development and to enhance our knowledge as teachers, parents, and caregivers. “The Policy Center promotes positive policy change by using evidence from science, research and practice” (Zero to Three). The whole website is full of valuable information and resources that help us better understand early childhood development. I really feel the new journal that is out about media and technology is a big asset to me as a parent and teacher. I want to be familiar with how to implement and use those resources to help my own children and the ones in my classroom

CHIP and Poverty in Mongolia

I have been unsuccessful with trying to make contact with Early Childhood Professionals overseas and I am on the road to the alternative assignment. I did not get to watch a podcast this week, but will start up with that next week. I was able to explore the website, http://www.childhoodpoverty.org/ and found it astounding how poverty affects everyone in some manner. Children do feel the brunt of poverty and we are not securing their future. If we do not fully understand or acknowledge the existence of poverty then we are just letting our communities, families and children down. Poverty affects children in many different ways: lack of immunizations which can cause disease and maybe death, malnutrition can hinder development and “in early childhood, for example, can lead to life-long learning difficulties and poor health” (www.childhoodpoverty.org). Poverty takes away opportunities for children and it can have a lasting effect on how they live and see their life. As a society we develop resources, referralls, and fund programs to help educate, find jobs, homes, and social services for families and children. We need to realize that advocating now for families and children helps us as a society and helps us become a strong and better nation. The website addresses issues that need to be addressed in order for us to fully understand and help families and children in poverty. “Over 600 million children world-wide live in absolute poverty - an estimated 1 in 4. In many countries, rates are much higher with over 60 percent of children living in households with incomes below international poverty lines” (www.childhoodpoverty.org). We need to understand the causes of childhood poverty and how we can stop the cycles and educate our communities and governments on how to develop strategies to tackle poverty. As a society we need to realize the economic and social factors what affect us all at the many levels of government and community. As a society we also need to use our voice and educate ourselves on the issues and policies that are in place so we can advocate and stand up for the rights of children. The website really makes us aware and shows us the effects and challenges of poverty. By 2015, we can and should cut poverty in half, which is the mission of the CHIPS website. Becoming aware about poverty and how it affects our families and children helps us to use our voices and encourage policy makers to develop effective policies to help our children and families in poverty. Children need according to CHIP: basic services, economic security, and supportive policy for child wellbeing. Mongolia is the country I choose to research from the CHIP website. Mongolia subsided from the rules and controlling ties during the 1990 with former USSR. Mongolia became independent and soon struggled with economic means and funding for their country which diminished family’s incomes and stability. Families were soon in poverty and still struggle to this day to emerge economically. A lot of families in Mongolia live in rural parts of the country and struggle for clean water, health services, education, and a stable means of income. A lot of families moved to urban areas which increased the number of people for those cities and created more hardships for the communities. Families in Mongolia are herders and move around with their herds, this makes it hard for children to receive an education and the children are soon finding jobs or taking care of their siblings. Mongolia is struggling to take care of their citizens. “A particular concern is that the state is failing to support many of those children and their families who are suffering most. As life for families becomes increasingly difficult, many children have more responsibilities” (CHIPS). Mongolia is struggling to reduce their level of poverty for families and for children. The economic gap between families benefitting from the market economy and those who are not is large. This is a true reflection of how the country needs to work to close that gap and help all families and children. Reference Website: Childhood Poverty Research and Policy Centre’s page (http://www.childhoodpoverty.org/)

Zero To Three/How they help military families

The name of the organization that I selected is Zero to Three, http://www.zerotothree.org/. I have used this website on many occasions for research projects and for personal knowledge on early childhood behavior & development, maltreatment, and care & education. I have used the military project section of the zero to three website to gain new ideas and concepts on how to assist children and families before, during, and after deployment. I am a military spouse and I have three children who are very familiar with deployments and all the anxiety and frustration that come with them. I also have used the Little Kids, Big Questions modules for papers and for training sessions at work. The website is full of valuable information, tools, materials and resources that help parents, educators, early childhood professionals, and grandparents assist their children with their developmental growth and struggles along the way. The website is user friendly and you are able to buy books, cds, download digital resources, and read a wide variety of resources to help you in understanding and learning about your child’s growth and development. The area of the current issue that caught my eye was the military project section. This is an ideal resource for military personnel, parents, caregivers, grandparents, and anyone wanting knowledge on the issues that military children face on a daily basis. Sparrow is a book that helps young children understand and learn to cope with the harsh realities of deployments and injuries. This is one of the wonderful resources you can find on the Zero to Three website. “Sparrow is a book designed to support a young child whose parent/caregiver has been injured, physically or emotionally, while on deployment. The book explores core, universal themes relating to loss, healing, hope, resilience, and, ultimately, the power of parent-child love and connectedness in helping young children and their families cope with challenging events and circumstances” (Zero to Three, 2012).

Establishing Professional Contacts and Expanding Resources

Hello all, I have tried to contact a lot of other professionals in the field of Early Childhood from the web address we were given: Yvonne Dionne, Juan Sanchez, Ruzanna Tsarukyan, Dr. Betty Chan Po-King, Jane Lin, and Gerda Sul Qendra Hap pcs Hapi. I have not chosen wisely. I emailed 6 different professionals overseas and I received returned emails letting me know that their emails were no longer valid. I work for the department of defense and I know that I can contact Child Development Centers on the military bases overseas. I have received permission from Dr. Darragh to use the DOD centers overseas and I will be able to find emails and information once I go back to work on Monday. Thanks for everyone’s patience with this matter. I am hoping that the directors of the Child Development Centers on military installations overseas will be able to provide a lot of good information on issues and challenges they see while working with Military children living overseas. I did pick a wonderful website to subscribe to. I chose the Zero to Three: National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families. I have used this website a lot, especially with the Military Family Project section of it. This organization supports military families and has used several bases for programs and learning opportunities in support of the children and families who serve. I love this website and have accessed numerous articles that give detailed information about how to help families and children before deployment, during and after deployment. There are numerous articles, books, pamphlets, training modules, and outreach tools to help children and families that serve this great country. I have used this website and its articles for research papers, trainings I have given, and for updating my own knowledge on helping the military children I take care of. Zero To Three: National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families http://www.zerotothree.org/ (May have to use http://www.zerotothree.org/about-us/ ) (Newsletters: http://zttcfn.pub30.convio.net/child-development/from-baby-to-big-kid/ and http://capwiz.com/zerotothree/mlm/signup/ )