ECE313 Week 4 assignment PDF

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Summary

Knowing how to address a variety of situations in the early childhood setting and effectively partnering with parents to do so are important skills for all teachers and caregivers....

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Children’s Story: Shane Alexis Vorhis April 23, 2020 Professor ECE:313 Collaboration with Families and Communities

Story: Shane has a difficult time separating from his mother each morning. At drop off, he clings to her and screams uncontrollably. After she leaves, Shane continues to scream and cry until you are able to soothe him.

Separation Anxiety: “Infants develop of fear if separating from their primary caregivers (usually their mother). This fear exhibits itself in the child’s crying and protesting when the caregiver leaves, and usually develops about 6 to 8 months of age (Vondra & Barnett, 1999),” (Wardle, 2013). Working closely with childcare staff and the caregiver can help alleviate some of the distress both the child and the caregiver feel.

Plan: As an educational provider, it is extremely important to work with families to help their child transition from a home setting to an educational setting. The staff at an educational facility can help families come up with a plan to help Shane make a smooth transition without emotional conflicts. The Reggio Emilia approach allows the teacher to act as a 3rd teacher for the reflection of parents, children, and teachers. A teacher will focus on the noise, color, lighting, temperature, and physical space of the learning environment. The teacher will adjust the environment best to destress Shane during the separation between his parents and himself.

During drop off, Shane’s parents will be encouraged to stay for a little bit and partake in the beginning of the morning activity. During this time, the Shane and his parents will say goodbye in a happy calm tone and Shane will be reassured he will see his parents later. This will soften the transition between school and home because Shane will feel nurtured before his parents leave. The separation between school and home will diminish quickly as the child is learning a new process. Shane and his parents should spend some time at a new facility to help them transition. This could be touring the school, school events, and hanging out during class when parents can. The teacher and parents should come up with a plan that will stay similar and familiar every day. This plan will be used when it is time for the parent to drop Shane off. The parent can play a game with Shane, color a picture, or a different activity that might distract Shane from his separation anxiety. Another way to help is for Shane’s parents to gradually move farther from the child but not leave until the child is content playing with toys or other children. It is always best to use a calm tone when speaking with Shane to help soothe his anxiety.

Approach: The Reggio Emilia approach focuses collaboration between teachers, parents, and students. When the three work together, solutions are found quickly and can impact the situation better. When families and schools communicate, the child will have a better chance at being successful because home life and school life are shared. The Reggio Emilia approach focuses on families and schools working together to best provide for each child.

Communication: Using the Reggio Emilia approach, communication between parents and teachers is crucial. I would ask Shane’s parents to contact me for any concerns they may have. I would also like to set up monthly meetings with Shane’s parents to go over Shane’s progression with separation anxiety. To keep families more involved, I think weekly updates are important. I would communicate with Shane’s parents through phone calls, emails, and even offer text messages. Starting out, I would like to meet with Shane and his parents as much as possible to help with the transition.

Obstacles: The obstacles I may face is the parents lacking cooperation and children being accustomed to parents routines.

References: Bonavita, F. (2005). The Reggio Emilia Approach in Early Childhood Education. Newropeans Magazine. Retrieved from http://www.newropeans-magazine.org/en/2005/09/09/the-reggioemilia-approach-in-early-childhood-education/...