Transcripts For LINKTV Democracy Now 20130128

Hello. Im joanne hendrick, author of the whole child and your guide to this video series. In this program, wergoing to look at some of the daily routines which make up most of a young childs day. Well see why these middle moments can be so meaningful in the lives of our preschool children, and well learn what we can do to help foster both emotional and physical growth during these middle moment opportunities. Well visit with children and teachers from a number of different Early Childhood programs family daycare homes, head start, universitybased lab schools, and private Childcare Centers and well see how they make the most out of the days middle moments. This is simba and nala when they were growing. And this is when. When they growed up apart, ok . Lets pretend, o hendrick a childs life isnt always full of new and Exciting Events and activities. There are times in a childs day when nothing very thrilling happens. The children come and they go. They eat. They rest. They go to the bathroom. And the next day, they come and they do it all over again. Boy hey. But sometimes children, like adults, can lose control. Right in the middle of what should have been a normal, typical moment, things go to pieces. Girl hey, i need it i need it. I need to talk teacher erica, how about i talk to michael, and you talk to daniel. Hi, Daniel Hendrick what can we do to keep this from happening . How can we ensure that our childrens daily routines their middle moments are meeting their needs in a way that is nurturing, flexible, and positive . Girl ok. Ok, bye. The rest of your friends are in the lunchroom. Woman can i go and put up the stuff . Sure, go right ahead. How are you doing today . Fine. Camille and brians medicine, the same one, and thanks for finding it for me. Daily routines make up the backbone of a childs early experiences. How we handle these tasks not only sets the tone for the rest of the childs day, but it also lets the child know shes being nourished and well cared for. Shes a little shy right now. Here you go, precious. Good morning to you good morning, good morning good morning to you our day is beginning theres so much to do good morning, good morning good morning to you there are several principles we can put into practice when we set our schedules, provide meal and snack times, help children separate from their parents, begin naptime, and take care of our Young Childrens toileting needs. Boy i dont like this. Woman right. If you dont like something, say, no, thank you. Boy no, thank you. Learning takes place during daily routines. Daily routines provide wonderful opportunities for a child to learn more about herself, the world, and other people. Thanks, jill. Theres another one. Daily routines offer children a sense of stability, a feeling of warmth and caring from the teachers. Could you bring the green and the yellow paint to the table here . Our challenge is to develop appropriate daily routines for children which offer them a sense of consistency and a healthy sense of security. Man up on a mountain, two by two up on a mountain, two by two hendrick at the same time, these routines should be flexible and responsive to the individual needs of each child. Man we make a motion, two by two sometimes marcels going to come out and join you even though you didnt pick him to go on the mountain, and thats ok, becauseremember . Why . What are we helping marcel to learn . Child to sit down. Yeah, and join us for circle time, ok . Hes never had to do that before. So you guys are going to be what for him . Child teachers. Good job. Ready, guys . Here we go. Up on a mountain, two by two up on a mountain, two by two up on a mountain i bet some of my friends ride their bikes in the springtime. Child i do do you . Yeah. Hendrick and lets keep in mind how important consistent but flexible daily routines are to our children with special needs. Children with learning delays, children in wheelchairs, and children unable to speak especially need to know that their needs will be tended to in a responsive, consistent way and that if they need a little extra time or assistance, their teacher will help. No, not look at it. Take it to your mouth. Good girl. Lay it down. Good girl. [girl crying] hendrick we begin our examination of daily routines with one of the first events of te day. Does this look familiar . There comes a point in almost every babys life when she feels very strongly about being left by her parent. Often referred to as separation anxiety, the child might sob frantically and seem absolutely inconsolable when separating from her Family Member. Our handling of separation anxiety is really important for our childrens emotional wellbeing. So what helps . What could you do to help a child separate easily . First of all, we can reassure the child with calm words and affection that the Family Member will return. It may be tempting, but during separation anxiety, avoid bribing the child. Ive seen so many caregivers try to use food as a way of pacifying the child. What do you think is wrong with that . What kind of message does it communicate to the child . Im concerned that these children are being taught to use food as a way to calm emotional upsets rather than learning to understand and work through their feelings. Separation anxiety provides an excellent opportunity to support Family Members as well as the child. Our goal is to Work Together with the family to establish appropriate routines and responses to separation anxiety that help the child to overcome his fears, and of course, to develop a warm, nurturing relationship with each child so that all the children in our care feel safe and secure while away from home. Some practical things to do that make separating easier include arranging for the child to visit before spending the whole day, encouraging the parent to remain until the child feels comfortable, making sure the Family Member tells the child when leaving and then sticks to the decision to leave, letting the child keep security objects such as blankets or stuffed animals, and if the parent is very concerned, suggest they phone later for a report on how the child is doing. Most preschool classrooms follow a basic daily schedule. Why do you think these schedules and plans are so important . Of what value are they to your children and to you . Can you imagine what life would be like in your classroom without a schedule . Woman thank you. They go in here, patrick. Its cleanup time. This car was turning around. It was making a uturn . Help us pick up all the cars, please. Boy oh, i was brushing my teeth hendrick among other things, a schedule can help ensure the consistency that Young Children need, and it can also help us make sure that all areas of development are encouraged through planning a wide range of activities. Woman yay ok, one more song, and then well go outside. Hendrick it can be very helpful if we think of our daily schedule as a guide. But what do you think might happen if we set our schedules in stone and left no room for changes . Woman yeah, were going to make lemonade. Boy ourour hands are going to be cold. Hendrick flexible schedules let us capitalize on those wonderful teachable moments that arise when children discover something unplanned that interests them. They allow us to extend or shorten a play period so the children gain maximum satisfaction from what theyre doing. Another variation to a routine might be if its 9 30, and they havent finished an art project or something, then it would be important to let them finish it up. And play it by ear. If its 9 30, oh, thats ok. We can start snack in 10 more minutes. Just because its 9 30, snack doesnt have to begin right then and there. The children need time to get finished with what theyve been doing, and a little bit of warning needs to be given to them, and then move on. So a routine is real important, but the time schedule should be flexible so that they have that time in the middle for flexibility. If youre happy and you know it, stamp your feet hendrick in creating our schedules, its so important to provide a healthy balance for our children. For example, is there a balance between times when children must conform to Group Procedures and a time when individual needs are emphasized . Woman do you want to do it again . No . Youre finished. Boy i want to make pancakes look at your hands. Is there any paint on your hands . Look on this side. What do you need to do now . Go wash. Hendrick is there a balance between quiet and noisy activities . A balance between indoor and Outdoor Activities . Thats his job. Hes the pinsetter, and hes the ball return. You could ask him if you could help him. Can i help you . Woman, voiceover i think it gives them a sense of security to know whats going to happen next. It gives them a sense that theyre in control, and once they have that sense of security, theyre able to deal with flexibility better. And i alsoagain, when theres change in routine, i really try hard to prepare them for that change because they do become creatures of habit. So if weve run overtime and were not going to have time for small group and were going to transition right into snack at the end of large group time, i usually say to them, somethings different. Something different is going to happen today, and then prepare them for the change, and thats always helpful. [baby talk] different woman, voiceover i think its so different to work with infants and toddlers than working with preschoolers. Its like a whole different ball game. You really have to slow down the rhythm. You have to be so much more flexible. You cant plan out everything thats going to happen during the day. And you have to be very sensitive to whats going on. You have to Pay Attention to each baby, what theyre doing. Do they need a diaper change . You cant plan out some elaborate activity because theyre exploring the world, so you need to really follow them in their explorations, which means you have to be paying a lot more attention, i think. And also, theres this whole intimate physical relationship that you have. If you work with babies, you have to feel pretty comfortable sitting down on the floor, letting babies crawl up onto your lap and cuddle with you and be physically affectionate. So its a whole different kind of experience working with infants. Is that a different taste . Is that a different taste . Hendrick the way we handle daily routines is especially important for babies. Through such tasks as feeding and diapering, we communicate to the child that she can trust us and that we can be relied on to nourish and provide for her. This special bond of trust is called attachment. Child psychologists assert that the trust and attachments that develop within the first two years of life can determine not only the emotional future of the child, but of the adult, as well. But maintaining this bond of attachment and trust doesnt happen automatically or easily. Group care for infants can be especially difficult and hard to manage. What steps would you take to ensure that your handling of daily routines helps to nurture and enhance the babys development . What would you say . What kinds of things would you do to make a difference . Here are some tips that help our Children Trust and emotionally attach to us. 1practice listening and paying attention to what the baby is telling you be sensitive to his cues. 2Pay Attention to your own verbal cues and body language. Talk to the baby, even though he may not be speaking yet. 4dont rush through daily tasks. Take your time. 5establish routines that are based on each individual babys needs. And 6hold the babies during bottle feeding. Feeding is such a wonderful opportunity to form warm, nurturing relationships. Its that consistency in their life. They know that when i come to school, this is what i have to do. And the parents tell me, the child told me this is what they had to do, and this is what they have to do. And i show the parents, this is our daily routine. We do this at this time, this at this time. And theyre like, oh, ok. So thats why when he finishes his dinner, he wants to scrape out his plate and go to his room and color. Well, if it works for you for whatever reason. Yes, we have consistency, and children need that. Hendrick take a look at this classroom. Whats the teacher doing . What is she saying . And how do you think this might help in her childrens performance of routine tasks . Mrs. Dodson says we have to look at the clock. We have 5 more minutes. Thats not a long time. So you need to put some cookies in this pan because well be cleaning up in 5 minutes. The time we spend moving from one activity to the next makes up a large part of the preschool day. These Transition Times are important because they can make the day seem smooth and wellorganized or rushed and unpleasant. In addition to allowing a realistic amount of time for transitions to take place, it always helps to warn once in advance before making a change in activities. This gives the children a chance to finish what theyre doing, and their cooperation is more likely. Why do you think it might also help to move the process along if we comment favorably about the next activity . [boys singing] singing also helps children move along during transition and cleanup times, in addition to avoiding situations where all the children are expected to do the same thing at the same time. You didnt like the egg . Thats a hardboiled egg, and they just cut it up. I didnt like that, that, or that. Did you try the noodle . Yeah. You tried the noodle . You didnt find it good . Different child i dont like it. Im done. Hendrick a few words about food and nourishment all of us understand how important adequate nutrition is. Everyone doesnt have the same diet, so lets be especially sensitive to our children who are vegetarian, lactose intolerant, or who have other special religious and dietary needs. Lets talk to the families and find out firsthand which foods are appropriate and which are not. Woman youre so happy. You have a full tummy now . Hendrick lets discuss feeding time and infants. Why do you think its important that we feed a child when hes hungry, rather than according to a schedule . The challenge is, of course, recognizing how each baby lets you know hes hungry. What signs should you look for to determine whether a baby is hungry and wants to be fed . Its very important that we establish open communication with parents about their infants feeding and nutrition. Would you like some more . Look at nancy. Children prefer plain, familiar food they can eat with their fingers. Its important that snacks vary from day to day and that snacks, drinks, and desserts are nutritious rather than junk. Ok, let me tell you what were having. We are having rice. We are having beans. And we are having greens and rolls. Ok . So i want you to try a little bit of everything. Ive found that food is an excellent area for supporting multicultural experiences. When there are children at school from a variety of ethnic and cultural backgrounds, its particularly crucial to include foods they like and that are familiar to them. Eating should be a positive experience. Lets look at some basic principles about mealtimes that will help keep it that way. 1children eat at their own pace. Some children eat faster or slower than others. Some youngsters eat more than others do. 2eating should be a pleasure, but tying foods together with behavior, either as a reward or a punishment, can sometimes cause eating disorders later on. 3eating should be a shared and cooperative experience, with foods served familystyle. Mealtimes should be a time to chat, enjoy, and help each other. 4mealtimes can encourage independence. Mealtimes are opportunities for children to be independent by making choices about food. 5we should encourage children to taste everything, but lets be careful not to force them to eat. Its got bears on it. It has bears on it . Let me see those bears. What are those bears doing . Why do you think toileting is an especially important learning experience for youngsters . What kinds of things do you think we can teach our children when they go to the bathroom . Oh, thank you. What a great help. What a great help. Down. Down. Up, down. Through our handling of diaper changes, toilet training, and selftoileting, the children in our care learn about their bodies, social customs or attitudes, gender differences, and personal hygiene. Put some soap on. Plane. I hear a plane. Is that a plane up there . Yeah. I got some. Scrub them together. You need to shut off the water. Shut off the water . Shut it off. Ok. Show me how to do it. Show me how to shut it off. Hendrick most preschool children can be expected to go to the toilet when they feel the need, but once in a while, a child may have to be reminded to go. In encouraging selftoileting, its important that we convey a positive attitude to the child, being careful not to shame or humiliate them. Not all children are ready to be toilet trained at the same age. Boys seem to take longer. Also, youngsters who are developmentally delayed may require extra time, patience, and reminding. To make accidents less traumatic, it always helps to have an extra set of clothing on hand, as well as a private place to change. Lets be sure we emphasize hand washing as a consistent part of the toilet routine and before handling food. Consistent hand washing is the most effective way to control illness. We can serve as role models for children by washing our own hands often, before and after routine tasks. Not so fast. Slow down. Youre being a good little helper, but you are just too fast. Thats ok. Hendrick theres nothing like taking a break to recharge our mental and physical batteries. Its worth noting that naptime can present some of our more challenging moments. Naptime is one routine that can either convey warmth and security or stress and turmoil to our children. Its up to the child as to whether or not they sleep, but its also our job to smooth the way for a more relaxed and quiet rest time. First of all, lets look at some of the reasons why a child may find it difficult to settle down. What kinds of issues do you think could interfere . Children often have trouble settling down at naptime because restful sleep is an act of trust. And sometimes its hard for children to relax. All preschool children need to lie down and relax for a while, but older children need not sleep. Under these circumstances, its ok for some children to get up and play outside or in another room following a reasonable rest period. No matter what your techniques, we can help our children have a positive nap experience by setting a daily pattern for naptime that is quiet, calm, and consistent. We can create a restful mood for children by reading quietly, playing soothing music, and rubbing backs. Children should be spread out as much as possible, cots placed head to toe, and fidgety children should be placed in outoftheway corners. Naptime is such an important part of the preschool day. Thoughtfully develop your own methods for making napti a pleasant and positive experience for the children in your care. Some children wont sleep, and thats ok. If the children i know already that the children arent going to sleep, but i know that they will rest if they have something to occupy their time with, then ill give them something quiet like a couple of books, might turn the music on soft something so that they can enjoy that time, that time for rest and for quietness. In this program, we have looked at several ways to handle daily routines in a way that helps nurture Young Children. These include realizing the importance of daily routines in enhancing the physical and Emotional Health of infants and Young Children; maintaining daily routines which are consistent but also flexible; establishing routines which respond to individual needs, especially when a baby or child is experiencing separation anxiety; using a daily schedule as a guide and starting point, but making sure the schedule is realistic and flexible enough to allow for lastminute changes and innovations; paying attention to the importance of Transition Times; assuming an active role in promoting Good Nutrition and enjoyable mealtimes; handling childrens toileting needs in a way which promotes a positive and healthy sense of selfawareness; establishing pleasant, essential rest periods for our children. Girl i made brushing my teeth so much fun, i never let the water run. Hendrick life isnt always exciting. Its not always thrilling. By having positive experiences during these middle moments, children can learn a lot. They can learn so much about social attitudes and customs and about gender differences. They can learn how to separate from their family, become more independent, and how to form Close Relationships with others. They can learn how to just let go and relax. Just because we must do them doesnt mean that routine tasks should be treated as chores. In reality, they present worthwhile learning opportunities. When our children look forward to eating, toileting, and resting, then we know weve done our job, which can be the most satisfying middle moment of them all. Im joanne hendrick. See you next time on the whole child. Announcer life begins with baby steps. Venturing out, exploring new skills, and testing new abilities theyre all part of a childs physical development. How to help children grow by leaps and bounds, next time on the whole child. Tried the noodle . You didnt find it good . Captioning performed by the national captioning institute, inc. Funding for this program was provided by. Our kids have the mos to deal with today. Isnt violence. It isnt drugs. Its unhealthy food. Too many of our kids are overweight. Theyre headed for diabetes, heart problems, or worse. They need to eat healthy things. Like vegetables, fruits, highfiber vegetarian foods. As our kids grow, the right foods can help protect them from obesity, heart problems, diabetes, and even cancer. To find out more, call for a free booklet. Or visit our web site kidsgethealthy. Org. Funding for this program was provided by. Safety is always paramount when it comes to children and physical play. However, helping our children develop physically also means letting them venture out to test their abilities and learn new skills. But where should you draw the line between personal achievement and personal safety . Hello. Im joanne hendrick, author of the whole child and your guide to this video series. In this program, were going to look at the physical development of Young Children and how we can help our children develop to the very best. Well talk with teachers and see what sorts of things they do. Well look at infants and preschoolers in a range of different programs head start, family daycare homes, universitybased schools, and private child care centers. How do we plan activities, design child care spaces, and provide equipment that is safe, stimulating, and appropate for each childs individual developmental level . Thats our goal, and thats our challenge on this episode of the whole child. A childs physical challenges begin at birth. [baby cooing] and they keep growing and changing as the child does. But where do we begin . Whats our first step in helping nurture our childrens mastery of their world . We can start by not trying too hard. We can learn so much about a childs abilities and needs simply by watching, observing. Absorbing. Only then can we arrange our space and activities so they provide experiences that both satisfy and intrigue the child. Activities that entice him to achieve further physical skills. Lets take a look at this baby. What physical skills do you think she has mastered already . What type of environment do you think would allow this child to practice old skills while challenging her to develop new os . Lets remember how important play is as the means children use to try out and practice new skills. What m look like simple reaching or pulling to us can really be this childs earliest efforts to master some vital large muscle skills. We want to make it into a Swimming Pool. Woman bring them over here now. Hendrick and large muscle skills include different kinds of activities. Woman no. Right over here. Child wheres the Swimming Pool . Second child we cant see hendrick teachers need to plan so that children can practice them all. While having fun. [children talking] child this is hard work hendrick they need opportunities to develop Upper Body Strength and expertise by pulling themselves up and hanging from apparatus; by swinging, and by rolling balls at targets and throwing bean bags. Geronimo teacher hop. Let me see some hopping. Hendrick they need opportunities to strengthen their lower bodies by jumping up and down. Very good. Look straight ahead. Hendrick . Balancing on one foot and teetering along the edge of a low wall. Big straddle jump. Come on, joel, you can do it super hendrick they need to coordinate some of these activities in time to music, both for the skills this develops. And for the sheer pleasure of it. [shout plays] come on, cant you say hey, hey woman, voiceover people dont realize that are in this business that theres a need for children to be physically active for a large part of their day. And we tell parents, you know. One of the first things that theyre upset by when they come is that were taking these poor children out, and its raining, or were taking these poor children out, and its 0 degrees. So we stress again the need for physical activity and the need for them to be allowed to run and exercise. We provide them opportunities for large muscle play. Provide them opportunities for fine muscle play. All of it is based on where theyre at, you know, in their growth. Hendrick creating a physical environment that encourages exploration and physical development is important for children of all ages. Lets do what we can to allow our infants plenty of free space for rolling, scooting. And eventually crawling. Because babies love to look at moving objects and try to reach for them, think about hanging lots of mobiles, streamers, and scarves in their space. But out of harms way, of course. [rattling] infants especially like to experiment with objects, so be sure there are plenty of rattles and easytopickup small toys for them to reach for and grab. But lets also not forget a babys natural tendency to check things out by putting them in their mouths. Do you have any toys you want washed . Yeah, the ones that are on the floor. Hendrick rather than trying to stop babies from mouthing objects, its more realistic to make it a policy to disinfect our infant equipment at least on a daily basis. Lets face it. Whenever there are children around, there are also going to be lots of germs floating around looking for opportunities to infect us and make us sick. Thats why we owe it to our children, their families, and ourselves to make sure weve done Everything Possible to reduce oppounities for illness and infection. We can start by insisting on updated immunizations for all children. We can require that contagious children stay home. And of course, hand washing is the single most effective way to avoid spreading disease and keeping us all healthy. Children and teachers both should get used to washing hands every single time after noseblowing, before handlinfood, and after toileting or diapering. Youre wet. Youre wet. Hendrick what is your infant centers policy regarding diaper changing . Does it include sanitizing the diaper area and washing hands after each baby is changed, as well as daily plans for disinfecting toys and equipment which are mouthed by the infants . Using proper prevention techniques can do so much to help eliminate illness and infection in our classrooms before they strike our children. Or ourselves. Go get her. Go. Yeah hendrick one of the most exciting physical developments in Early Childhood is when toddlers take their first steps. Woman we do a lot of. Um. A lot of working on their gross motor, their fine motor by placing them on their stomach instead of just placing them on their back to look at the ceiling all day. Thats so unfair to them because they want to do this stuff. Helping a baby scoot by maybe pushing their feet while theyre laying on their stomachs so maybe they can move their arms, and helping them that way. Maybe a baby thats learning how to walk. To change the environment in the classroom, and instead of having all this fine motor stuff, bring in a lot of gross motor. We also have a little balance beam that i might just put flat on the floor, just for spatial awareness. Just so that they get that feel. It might only be 1 2 inch up above the floor. Simple Little Things like that for them. We have these poppers that they can push, or wagons, so that they can get that they have that control of pushing something, and theyre behind it, and it balances them. We have little push cars and also cars that they can sit on and use their legs, so theyre using their legs and strengthening those muscles, and that helps them. Woman oh oops try again. Come on, zak. Come on, big guy. Yeah hendrick why do you think its important that we dont pressure or demand that our children excel at every physical task . Many of us can recall some parent who discouraged their child from sports by demanding too much too soon. The goal is to encourage youngsters to want to become more skillful because they want to. Most children are so delighted when they learn something new, they do it over and over without adult urging. Man youre going to run into the desk. Youre going to run into the desk. Turn it this way. There you go. There you go. There you go. Hendrick lets also keep in mind that some children are more physically able than others are. Remember, our goal is to support each child in their Development According to their own abilities. I think that children physically delayed children need to, again, focus in on what. The progress that they are making and the things that they can do. And also, getting other children to help them with the things that are difficult with them makes the normally developing child feel good, and the special needs child is feeling important to that child, too. And so theres a Good Relationship that can occur between the child who needs the help and the child whos doing the helping. Its very. Its mutually beneficial. Cara, would you like to ride on the boat . Marks looking for a friend. Mark, cara would like to ride with you. Hendrick whenever possible, we should plan to include our children with special needs in fun and appropriate physical activities. Children with disabilities are developing their whole selves, too. Can you lift your foot in . Good job. There you go. Ok, now lets see if you can make it rock up and down. Hendrick and we need to make sure there are plenty of opportunities for them to challenge and develop their physical abilities. Using physical activities is an Excellent Way to help our children who have disabilities play with others and enhance their development. One of the things that i have is a very large, sturdy table with rounded corners thats perfect for the little ones. They can pull up on it. They can put their play objects on it and play with it. Its small enough and short enough so they can sit down without falling. They need to have something, and then they can walk. They can actually walk around the table for a certain distance. You have to improvise when you have a family Group Daycare home, and small tables and sturdy tables are perfect for small children. We also take them to a place in our center which is a gross motor area and give them more of a chance to have the whole area to practice walking back and forth with. Using your hands with, you know, helping them to learn how to walk is another great way. But i think its just really your environment and how you can change it so they can learn how to walk. Woman be careful, nekay. Hendrick throughout the early years, a childs physical skills are developing at an astonishing rate. Preschoolers need lots of opportunities to practice their new skills, and this means providing a variety of interesting equipment and activities to challenge them. But how do we know which equipment is appropriate and which activities are most effective with our children . Equipment for physical activity should be sturdy and wellmaintained. In addition to wellanchored climbing equipment, there should be an array of what we call loose parts. These are things that children can move around and arrange to suit their play. Ladders, barrels, boards with cleats on the end, and sawhorses are ideal. Even big empty boxes. Child ready or not whoa woman whoa hendrick the important thing to remember is that theres more to play than providing equipment and toys. Children also need enough time and space for vigorous, energetic, noisy physical play. [children shouting] our goal is to provide experiences for children that enhance the development of a wide range of large and small muscle skills. Were also there to keep our children healthy and safe. Its a fine line, but we can see how this teacher has mastered the art of being there for his children without resorting to nagging or being overprotective. Is that something we climb . Yes or no . No. cause why not . Is it safe for us to climb on there . No. So if you want to climb, theres a climber right over there that you can climb on, or down there, ok . When our children are playing outside or in the gym, that doesnt mean its time for us to take a coffee break. Did you notice how these teachers were involved in the outside play . By learning how to become creative within the environment using equipment and activities, we can do so much to challenge and enhance our childrens physical abilities. We also need to think about keeping our centers as safe as possible for our developing children. Here are some basic guidelines to follow. Lets continually check the school surroundings and equipment to make sure its kept in secure condition. What else can you do up here, jamie . Hendrick lets avoid lifting a child onto play equipment he cannot climb onto by himself. If he cant get up by himself, then its probably too high for him to maneuver on safely. Of course, swings are an exception to this rule. Falling from high places is the most frequent cause of serious injuries in preschools. Grass is not soft enough to adequately cushion a fall. Preserve deep, soft surfaces such as sand, rubber products, or bark mulches beneath high equipment. Woman what are you guys going to do now, huh . You want to go outside . Hendrick lets give our children breathing space and permission to have fun and explore new challenges. Atta girl come on. Hendrick children must be protected, but they also need the chance to venture and try out new things. Ok, move your arms. There you go. Yay you were so high you were so high great job children need to run, and they need to work off that energy. But along with that, we provide challenges for them. For instance, i would hope in an appropriate preschool you would always see a climber. And a climber having stairs, a climber having maybe a chain that they will have to problem solve and figure out how to move on that. So even though they are running off energy, theyre also outside problemsolving, figuring out ways to move their bodies on different objects to promote that development. Hendrick vigorous play is the breath of life to children. Our young people need to climb. Crawl. Run. Balance. And hang from equipment. What would you do . How would you use your environment . What sorts of activities and equipment would you suggest that would help your children maximize their playtime . We have. Sometimes we involve dancing in our lesson plans. We have things like the balance beam out, and that stimulates their coordination and their sense of balance. Um. Even going outside and running. So far, we have looked at how to provide an appropriate and safe environment and the proper equipment and activities. But theres more to physical development than just the large muscle tasks of walking, running, jumping, and climbing. We must always Pay Attention to the whole range of development, which includes coordination of eyes and hands often referred to as fine motor development. I have a little scissors at home. You have a little scissors at home . Theyre lost now. Hendrick using crayons, scissors, stringing beads, and doing puzzles are all examples of fine muscle work. Just remember that these kinds of activities are very taxing for Young Children. Teachers should not expect children to work at such skills for too long without relief. Notice how these children are mastering a small muscle skill . What else can we do with materials and activities that could help children practice these skills . We have the peg boards with the little. The pegs and the peg boards. Um. Dressup dolls to button, to tie things. Those would be fine motor development, and those are all precursors to learning to write, meaning you need to strengthen your hand and finger muscles in order to hold the pencil correctly. Even with art, we use sometimes the big brushes where they have a bigger grasp on things, or we use the smaller brushes or pencils. Woman brian, do you want to come on the feely wk . You need to take your shoes and socks off and tell me what you feel. That was soft. Soft. It was soft. Oh, cold thats the cold one. Whats in there, jonathan . Ice. Ice. Lets see. How will that feel on your feet . No. No, dont like that one, huh . Hendrick its so important that we encourage our children to develop all their senses, like touch. Sight. Hearing. I think shes thinking about trickortreating. Smell and taste. Because the more they use them, the more they can learn. Do you want to smell the next one . Ok. Lets see if we can guess what it is. Hendrick take a close look at these activities. What other activities can you think of that might help your children use all 5 senses . Woman lets see what that was, rhondel. What is that . Oh, you know what that is . Girl its a rock woman its a rock. Hendrick children love to explore and investigate new sensations. We can help by encouraging children to make comparisons by feeling and smelling things. Do you know what that is . Hendrick . As well as by looking at them. Can you see it up there in the tree . Man and. Give it a little bit of a tug there you go all right all right. Great job. Hey, lets give these two scientists another round of applause. Hendrick science projects should be explored by handling and manipulation, rather than by simply looking at Bulletin Board pictures or observing demonstrations carried out by the teacher. One. Now put it in your apple cup. Follow your recipe. One. And put it in your apple cup. Find your pear cup. Hendrick notice how this teacher uses snack as a way for children to explore their sense of touch, smell, and taste. In this, in this, in this. Strawberries. And grapes. I ate all of them what did you eat all of . Apples. Would you like some more . Yeah. I need some more pears. One. Two. 3. Child i need some more pears. You need some more pears . A, b, c, d, e, f, g h, i, j, k, l, m, n, o, p hendrick this teacher is encouraging her children to tell sounds apart by listening closely to this rhyme. Teacher . Y, and z now i know my abcs next time, wont you sing with me . Thanks for singing along with me. Hendrick another important part of the preschool day is relaxation and naptime. Why do you think these relaxing times are so important for children . Young children are often under greater stress than we realize. The hurried pace of families lives, the necessity of conforming to School Routines and standards all increase the stress level for children. We can relieve that tension by helping children learn techniques for relaxation. During naptime, for example, we can reduce outside stimulation. In this classroom, the lights are off, the shades are drawn. How peaceful this room is with quiet music, rocking children, and back rubbing. We can also help our children release their tension through dance and movement activities, which alternate intense physical activity with stretching. Yawning. And letting go. Ok, have a good time today. Ok . Hendrick why do you think physical attention and affection is important to the young child . [laughing] thkse knows, huh . Oh. Bye. Want to wave at the window . Lets wave out the window. Bye. Love you. Hi, sweetie. How are you . Want to play with us . Our dinosaurs are in the snow. Good morning, benny. How are you, big guy . Good to see you. Hendrick why is a warm hug valuable to them . Do you want to make a dinosaur story with us . Like adults, children need to be held, cuddled, and encouraged to express their affection for others. But at the same time, we must protect ourselves and our children from any hint or accusation of sexual abuse or inappropriate touching. Ive found that working with families and having open dropin policies can do a great deal to establish confidence. This type of climate builds trust so that physical affection and tenderness can be expressed without fear. To summarize, lets recap what weve learned about helping our children advance from one stage of physical development to the next. Its never too soon to begin. Motor skills begin in infancy. We must meet the child at his own level. Remember, our goal is to support our children in their Development According to their own abilities. Children can only achieve mastery when they feel safe, so its up to us to provide a secure environment, a range of stimulating activities, and equipment that is safe and flexible. Full sensory experiences contribute to learning, so when we teach, lets include all the senses smell, touch, sight, sound, and taste. We cant learn without proper rest and relaxation. Children need a naptime every day. Physical contact is critical. Young children need to be cherished and cuddled in affectionate, appropriate ways, and they need to express affection in return. Helping children develop large and small muscle skills by providing them with rich opportunities for practice is an important way teachers can contribute to developing the whole child. To develop fully, children require many opportunities to grow, to gain physical prowess, and to move freely and joyfully throughout their environment. Lets share the joy and satisfaction of these accomplishments with them as they grow, and do everything we can to enhance their delight. Im joanne hendrick. See you next time on the whole child. It may not look like theyre doing much, but babies are rapidly developing blueprints that will shape the rest of their lives. A caring adult can me a tremendous difference. How to make the most of those precious early months. Because babies are children, too. Next time on the whole child. Hands down. Reach for the mat. Captioning performed by the national captioning institute, inc. Ready . Tuck your head. Very nice. Come on up here. Good job hands down. Tuck it watch out, sweetheart. Very good. Go sit on the black line after you do sit on the black line. Come on, jillian. Funding for this program was provided by