My work days tend to be very long ones. In addition to the commute, as a director I need to stay late if there is a staff shortage, an upset parent, a problem with the plumbing, etc., or if there is more work to do. I often pull into home several hours later than I had planned, with little - if any - plans for dinner. My goal is to have a healthy, delicious, inexpensive meal ready within 20 minutes. Of course, the best laid plans, etc., etc., etc... During the summer I often end up throwing dinner (including vegetables) on the grill. This week, however, the weather was cool, damp, and fall-like. It was a perfect time to pull out a favorite recipe that I have not made since the weather became hot and muggy. A big bowl of Pasta Fagioli is quick, easy, delicious, and loaded with nutrition.
Pasta Fagioli
1 Large can tomatoes (crushed, sauce, or diced)
1 15 ounce can cannelini or kidney beans
1 onion
2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup small pasta
basil
olive oil
Dice the onion and garlic. Saute in olive oil for a few minutes. Add the tomatoes and beans to the pan, bring to a boil, and simmer. While the tomato mixture is simmering, cook the pasta in boiling water until al dente. When the pasta is done, add the pasta to the tomato mixture. If the tomatoes are too thick, add a little pasta water. Add basil to taste, ladle into bowls, and serve with Parmesan cheese.
The recipe is very simple. I like to add a little red wine and/or some shredded spinach. Some people add a little bacon. Hot pepper is good in it. Last time I used Glenn Muir fire roasted tomatoes, which were so good that I need to start roasting roma tomatoes next summer. No matter exactly how you make it, pasta fagoili is full of vitaming, antioxidants, and fiber. It is warm and comforting on a cool night, and is delicious.
One last note - I realize that this is spelled Pasta Fagioli, but it is pronounced "Pasta Fazoole". Enjoy!
Friday, September 23, 2011
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Are They Nuts?!?
I have a 45 minute commute to work each day. While I am not wild about the drive, and miss working only 10 minutes from my house, I do enjoy having a quiet time to think, plan, pray, and talk to myself. Along the way I sometimes listen to the radio, which can involve singing along with the oldies, trying to remember what Josh Nicols had said about the weather ten minutes earlier, answering the contests, and listening to the interesting bits of news that the DJ reads. Usually I am a calm, happy driver, but some recent news had me yelling most of the way to work.
The news that day was that the SAT scores in reading and math have been dropping almost every year, and in 2010 they hit their lowest point ever. Was I upset? Yes! Was I surprised? No! As an educator, I have been watching and decrying the general dumbing down of America for a number of years. When I was in school, admittedly many years ago, grammar was a separate subject that had dedicated class time and a special grammar book that we used. Any paper that we wrote was graded for grammar and spelling, even if were for a class other than the English class. Now spelling and grammar are optional in many classrooms, since computer programs are supposed to find and correct any errors. I find myself correcting the newscasters when they are reading the news and talking to the newspaper about the poor grammar contained in its articles. (Don't worry - it doesn't talk back!) With the popularity of texting, many people now write as if they were texting. Do they really think that I will respond favorably to an email about an employment opportunity the reads, "i read in the ads that u r looking 4 child care help. can u tell me more about it. thanx."
In addition to just plain laziness and lack of standards, the decline in SAT scores can be directly linked, in my opinion, to the changes in early education. Even though the latest developmental science tells us that children should be allowed time to grow, to play, and to explore before they start formal learning, children are being pushed to do more at younger ages. The problem with this is that children are not ready to learn these things at these ages. Advertisements abound with "Teach Your Baby to Read" ads, and preschools brag that their children are beginning to read, but children at that age are not really reading. They can learn sight words and repeat them back, but they do not have the necessary skills to decode words and understand their meaning. The effect is similar to the trained ponies that used to be on the Ed Sullivan show many years ago - the trainer would call out a number and the horse would paw the ground the appropriate number of times. While the horse was entertaining, and had learned how many times to paw the ground in response to a word from the trainer, the horse obviously had no idea how many "six" or "four" really was. The horse could never count out six apples or four blocks. The same, unfortunately, is true of children who are forced to learn to read before they are ready. To be a successful reader the child must be able to recognize the letters of the alphabet, to know the sounds of words and language, to recognize rhymes, to be able to track from left to right and top to bottom, and to have an adequate vocabulary. These skills are learned by listening to books, both a large variety of books and favorite books that are repeated over and over again, by being exposed to the written word in the environment, and by talking to adults and other children. Much as a surgeon cannot cut into a patient until he understands the location and working of all the body parts, a child cannot make sense of reading unless he has experienced the steps that lead up to reading. Making a child skip the preliminaries will result in children who may be able to memorize words but who will not be able to excel at reading. If reading is difficult or makes no sense, a child will not develop the love of reading that will last for a lifetime.
This is not the ravings of a few eccentric early childhood teachers. Scientific studies have demonstrated time and time again how children learn and have shown that children will not learn well unless they have experienced the basics that are needed to learn. In addition, there is anecdotal evidence - many of the countries whose children score well above ours in reading tests do not begin formal instruction in reading until the children are over six years old. In addition, these children are allowed extra free time during the day to run and stretch, both of which are necessary for intellectual growth and development.
Another difficulty that children are encountering as they are growing and learning is the general political climate. Education has become a hot topic, and everyone has an idea of how children should be taught. While everyone (myself included) has a few horror stories about bad teachers, most of the teachers today are hard working individuals who care about the children in their classes. The government, however, in a bid to look as though they are doing something about the low test scores in this country, has decided to evaluate teachers and children through a series of artificial tests that are not designed to measure the way that children think and learn. These tests, in fact, are often even more biased against the way that boys learn, resulting in lower scores for boys that for girls. Teachers are now forced to teach for a test, rather than to teach for knowledge, for low test scores (even if they are not true measures of a child's learning) put a teacher's career at risk. The government regulates doctors, but would never think of telling a surgeon how to operate on a human heart. The same legislators, however, have no difficulty with telling a teacher how to teach.
So, what is a parent to do? Read - stay current with child development issues. Advocate - speak up for children and their education. Learn - stay in touch with your child's child care center or school and become familiar with their programs. Visit - volunteer, attend meetings, go to school or child care functions. Move - play with your children and encourage them to walk, hike, swim, and dance. It helps to build their brains and keep them healthy (and you, too!). Read - read to your child every day. Have them read to you when they begin to read. Visit the library regularly. Give books for presents. Let the children know that you value reading by reading yourself every day. Although children spend most of their days with caregivers and teachers, it is the parents who have the most influence over children. Let them see that you enjoy and value reading and they will be more likely to become lifelong readers and learners.
The news that day was that the SAT scores in reading and math have been dropping almost every year, and in 2010 they hit their lowest point ever. Was I upset? Yes! Was I surprised? No! As an educator, I have been watching and decrying the general dumbing down of America for a number of years. When I was in school, admittedly many years ago, grammar was a separate subject that had dedicated class time and a special grammar book that we used. Any paper that we wrote was graded for grammar and spelling, even if were for a class other than the English class. Now spelling and grammar are optional in many classrooms, since computer programs are supposed to find and correct any errors. I find myself correcting the newscasters when they are reading the news and talking to the newspaper about the poor grammar contained in its articles. (Don't worry - it doesn't talk back!) With the popularity of texting, many people now write as if they were texting. Do they really think that I will respond favorably to an email about an employment opportunity the reads, "i read in the ads that u r looking 4 child care help. can u tell me more about it. thanx."
In addition to just plain laziness and lack of standards, the decline in SAT scores can be directly linked, in my opinion, to the changes in early education. Even though the latest developmental science tells us that children should be allowed time to grow, to play, and to explore before they start formal learning, children are being pushed to do more at younger ages. The problem with this is that children are not ready to learn these things at these ages. Advertisements abound with "Teach Your Baby to Read" ads, and preschools brag that their children are beginning to read, but children at that age are not really reading. They can learn sight words and repeat them back, but they do not have the necessary skills to decode words and understand their meaning. The effect is similar to the trained ponies that used to be on the Ed Sullivan show many years ago - the trainer would call out a number and the horse would paw the ground the appropriate number of times. While the horse was entertaining, and had learned how many times to paw the ground in response to a word from the trainer, the horse obviously had no idea how many "six" or "four" really was. The horse could never count out six apples or four blocks. The same, unfortunately, is true of children who are forced to learn to read before they are ready. To be a successful reader the child must be able to recognize the letters of the alphabet, to know the sounds of words and language, to recognize rhymes, to be able to track from left to right and top to bottom, and to have an adequate vocabulary. These skills are learned by listening to books, both a large variety of books and favorite books that are repeated over and over again, by being exposed to the written word in the environment, and by talking to adults and other children. Much as a surgeon cannot cut into a patient until he understands the location and working of all the body parts, a child cannot make sense of reading unless he has experienced the steps that lead up to reading. Making a child skip the preliminaries will result in children who may be able to memorize words but who will not be able to excel at reading. If reading is difficult or makes no sense, a child will not develop the love of reading that will last for a lifetime.
This is not the ravings of a few eccentric early childhood teachers. Scientific studies have demonstrated time and time again how children learn and have shown that children will not learn well unless they have experienced the basics that are needed to learn. In addition, there is anecdotal evidence - many of the countries whose children score well above ours in reading tests do not begin formal instruction in reading until the children are over six years old. In addition, these children are allowed extra free time during the day to run and stretch, both of which are necessary for intellectual growth and development.
Another difficulty that children are encountering as they are growing and learning is the general political climate. Education has become a hot topic, and everyone has an idea of how children should be taught. While everyone (myself included) has a few horror stories about bad teachers, most of the teachers today are hard working individuals who care about the children in their classes. The government, however, in a bid to look as though they are doing something about the low test scores in this country, has decided to evaluate teachers and children through a series of artificial tests that are not designed to measure the way that children think and learn. These tests, in fact, are often even more biased against the way that boys learn, resulting in lower scores for boys that for girls. Teachers are now forced to teach for a test, rather than to teach for knowledge, for low test scores (even if they are not true measures of a child's learning) put a teacher's career at risk. The government regulates doctors, but would never think of telling a surgeon how to operate on a human heart. The same legislators, however, have no difficulty with telling a teacher how to teach.
So, what is a parent to do? Read - stay current with child development issues. Advocate - speak up for children and their education. Learn - stay in touch with your child's child care center or school and become familiar with their programs. Visit - volunteer, attend meetings, go to school or child care functions. Move - play with your children and encourage them to walk, hike, swim, and dance. It helps to build their brains and keep them healthy (and you, too!). Read - read to your child every day. Have them read to you when they begin to read. Visit the library regularly. Give books for presents. Let the children know that you value reading by reading yourself every day. Although children spend most of their days with caregivers and teachers, it is the parents who have the most influence over children. Let them see that you enjoy and value reading and they will be more likely to become lifelong readers and learners.
Friday, September 9, 2011
Eye See You!
I went to kindergarten many years ago when we only went for a half day and were expected to act like kindergartners, as opposed to today when the children are expected to act like first graders. I don't have many memories of kindergarten - I remember dancing the Mexican Hat Dance (we must have danced it often since I can still hear the music in my head and I can do the steps), we had milk and graham crackers every day, and I didn't like to stand in line next to David Niamond because he wore big, thick socks (David, if for some odd reason you should happen to stumble across this, I am not quite as shallow now, I swear!). I do remember sitting with a red crayon in my hand poised over a paper while I waited for Mrs. Carroll to teach us how to draw a rainbow, but I couldn't wait and colored on my paper before the instructions so that Mrs. Carroll yelled at me (if any of my classmates stumbles across this, I probably haven't changed that much since then). One of the things that I vividly remember is learning right from left.
I don't recall that I had know that there was such a thing as left and right before that class. I do believe that left-handed children learn the difference more easily because people often remark that the child is left-handed. No one ever says, "Look at that girl - she is right handed". I do remember Mrs. Carroll standing in front of the class and explaining left and right as she was facing us and as she was facing away from us. I was very excited about my new knowledge and came home from school to tell my mother all about what I had learned. I very proudly showed her which hand was my right hand. I then showed her how when I turned around my other hand became my right hand. My mother then proceeded to teach me my right from my left. (I still have difficulty, but it seems to be a legacy from my father's family. People used to ask us if we meant a left or a Lund left!).
I don't recall that I had know that there was such a thing as left and right before that class. I do believe that left-handed children learn the difference more easily because people often remark that the child is left-handed. No one ever says, "Look at that girl - she is right handed". I do remember Mrs. Carroll standing in front of the class and explaining left and right as she was facing us and as she was facing away from us. I was very excited about my new knowledge and came home from school to tell my mother all about what I had learned. I very proudly showed her which hand was my right hand. I then showed her how when I turned around my other hand became my right hand. My mother then proceeded to teach me my right from my left. (I still have difficulty, but it seems to be a legacy from my father's family. People used to ask us if we meant a left or a Lund left!).
Part of my trouble - aside from the Lund heritage - was that I had to absorb a complicated subject the first time that I was introduced to the subject. Even the vocabulary - left and right - was new to me. It is often beneficial if a child is introduced to a new concept in small steps. Several days ago I had to relieve the four year old teacher for a few minutes while her children were finishing their snack. She asked me to keep an eye on them, so I sat at the table, leaned down to stare at them, and asked if they wanted me to use my left or my right. Someone said "left" so I shut my right eye and stared at them with my left. After a few minutes, someone yelled, "Right", so I opened my right eye and closed my left. The continued having me switch eyes, going faster and faster until the room was flashing in front of me. (This might have been fun in the sixties!) Fortunately, the teacher came back and relieved me before my brain exploded. I did not teach the children right from left, but I did introduce them to the concept. Hopefully, this will help them to build an understanding so that they do not think that their hands change when they turn around (unless one of their greatgrandparents was related to my daddy!).
Monday, September 5, 2011
Are They Ready?
This is the time of the year that most child care directors dread - the week before school. The children are excited because most of them will be moving to new rooms, prospective parents are calling all day to arrange for tours of the center (doesn't anyone plan ahead?), and the school age children are getting antsy about the return to school (they really are happier when they are in school). On top of that there are new attendance lists to make, bus schedules to type out (if the schools let us know the bus numbers and times since there are only two days to go!), and staff vacations to cover. Of all of the end of summer rituals, the most daunting is the onslaught of child care parents who want to find a preschool for their children so that they can be "ready for kindergarten".
I am sure that what I do is familiar to many directors. I point out the our preschool program is included at no extra cost. I explain that the children are not doing ditto sheets or gluing together precut pieces of construction paper because our program is based on the latest research about how children learn and how brains grow. I list the teacher's educational and practical qualifications. I talk about the children who have graduated from our program and their success in school. I explain why the things that the parents see in the room are being done. At the end of this, the parent invariably asks, "Yes, but he needs to be ready for school", and I mentally bang my head on the nearest wall.
I realize that most of this is driven by fear. Parents who are inundated with advertising and bad news about the future are afraid that their child will be the one to fail because he was not properly prepared. I realize that directors are driven by fears of declining enrollment if they do not have a program that meets parent expectations, even though these expectations are not necessarily based on fact. Teachers are worried about parents who question them about the hows and whys of the things that are included in their program. It is so tempting to fall back into the old ditto sheet and teacher prepared "cookie cutter" projects to avoid all of this. To this I would say, take a deep breath, hold fast to your beliefs, and keep learning. You cannot defend your program if you cannot back it up with anecdotal and scientific evidence. Have examples of things that the children have done ready for parents to see. Have copies of articles by respected authorities in the field for parents to read. Ensure that your staff knows the reasons why their program runs the way that it does. Ask some of your current parents who now have children in public school if prospective parents can contact them for a reference. Most of all remember that this is a big, scary world and parents are genuinely concerned about obtaining the best for their children. Even if you are giving them a mental eye-roll, their questions are rising out of concern, not out of a desire to make your day long.
A few weeks ago the four year old class (most of whom will be starting "big school" in the fall) held their annual lemonade stand. The children sell cookies and lemonade that they have made and give the proceeds to a charity. This year the proceeds will go towards a memorial to Mrs. Macomber, a beloved teacher who passed away this summer. The children made the cookies and lemonade (reading, science, math, social skills, and muscle development), made the signs (literacy, art, fine muscle development), greeted customers and took their orders (social skills), and -with a little help form their teacher - took the money and made change. These children made a large sign with the items that were being sold and the prices and decorated it with drawings of lemons and glasses of lemonade. The only help that they received from the teacher was some prompting in spelling. In addition, they gave the adults who had helped them (the cook baked the cookies and I shopped for the ingredients) a ticket for a free treat or lemonade as a thank you. Are these children ready for kindergarten?
Of course they are!
I am sure that what I do is familiar to many directors. I point out the our preschool program is included at no extra cost. I explain that the children are not doing ditto sheets or gluing together precut pieces of construction paper because our program is based on the latest research about how children learn and how brains grow. I list the teacher's educational and practical qualifications. I talk about the children who have graduated from our program and their success in school. I explain why the things that the parents see in the room are being done. At the end of this, the parent invariably asks, "Yes, but he needs to be ready for school", and I mentally bang my head on the nearest wall.
I realize that most of this is driven by fear. Parents who are inundated with advertising and bad news about the future are afraid that their child will be the one to fail because he was not properly prepared. I realize that directors are driven by fears of declining enrollment if they do not have a program that meets parent expectations, even though these expectations are not necessarily based on fact. Teachers are worried about parents who question them about the hows and whys of the things that are included in their program. It is so tempting to fall back into the old ditto sheet and teacher prepared "cookie cutter" projects to avoid all of this. To this I would say, take a deep breath, hold fast to your beliefs, and keep learning. You cannot defend your program if you cannot back it up with anecdotal and scientific evidence. Have examples of things that the children have done ready for parents to see. Have copies of articles by respected authorities in the field for parents to read. Ensure that your staff knows the reasons why their program runs the way that it does. Ask some of your current parents who now have children in public school if prospective parents can contact them for a reference. Most of all remember that this is a big, scary world and parents are genuinely concerned about obtaining the best for their children. Even if you are giving them a mental eye-roll, their questions are rising out of concern, not out of a desire to make your day long.
A few weeks ago the four year old class (most of whom will be starting "big school" in the fall) held their annual lemonade stand. The children sell cookies and lemonade that they have made and give the proceeds to a charity. This year the proceeds will go towards a memorial to Mrs. Macomber, a beloved teacher who passed away this summer. The children made the cookies and lemonade (reading, science, math, social skills, and muscle development), made the signs (literacy, art, fine muscle development), greeted customers and took their orders (social skills), and -with a little help form their teacher - took the money and made change. These children made a large sign with the items that were being sold and the prices and decorated it with drawings of lemons and glasses of lemonade. The only help that they received from the teacher was some prompting in spelling. In addition, they gave the adults who had helped them (the cook baked the cookies and I shopped for the ingredients) a ticket for a free treat or lemonade as a thank you. Are these children ready for kindergarten?
Of course they are!
Friday, August 26, 2011
Carnival Time
Summer at the child care center is a little different from the rest of the year. Our child population is lower, and we have the school age children for full days rather than before and after school. The children spend as much time as possible outdoors, and water play is a favorite activity. Some special visitors come to the center (a magician, a yoga teacher, and a "mad" science teacher) and present their programs. The schoolers hold a car wash and every Friday all of the children bring their bikes and helmets and spend most of the day riding in the parking lot.
One of our most popular special events is the center Carnival. Each room is responsible for two games, and the center purchases little prizes, cotton candy, and popcorn. The children take turns going from game to game, where everyone earns a prize, and eating lots of sugar. This year was no exception, except that the day of the carnival the skies became cloudy and very dark and the channel 10 radar showed big thunderstorms heading in our direction.
Obviously the children could not go to the playground for their carnival. Although all of the teachers know to drop everything and come inside at the first rumble of thunder, moving all of the children out of the playground, across the parking lot, and into the building at once would be difficult. It was decided that in the interest of safety the carnival would have to be held inside the school age room, which is the largest room in the building. All of the games would work well inside the building - except for my game.
Each year I am a game at the carnival. I put on a poncho, take off my glasses, and let the children throw wet sponges at me, and throwing water would not work in the building. My dear friend, the assistant director, had a solution, however. She decided that I could take a chair and sit on the walk outside the building and the children could throw the wet sponges at me from the building. If lightening should start striking, the children would be safe and I could run as fast as possible with a long poncho and a wet face to safety. This actually worked very well, except that I could not catch the sponges and throw them back at the children this year because the rug got wet.
The first child to hit me in the face was a little girl who had just turned five. She has curly hair, hair ribbons, cute dresses, a sweet smile, and a heck of a right arm. As I told her in my most adult professional voice, "You cay-n't hit me!", she let fly and hit me in the middle of my face with a soaking sponge. The second child to score a direct hit was a child who had just turned three. She was looking at the prize bin which was next to me when she straightened up, smiled sweetly, and pasted me one with a sponge that I hadn't noticed that she was still holding. All of the children came back a number of times, but the most frequent visitor was the older brother of the first child. He is an aspiring major leaguer, and did not want to let his sister beat him. The boy kept coming back and trying again and again until - success!- he hit me in the upper right quadrant of my face. He gave me a big smile and went off to other games. (I do believe that the game is more difficult for the older children, since they are more aware that they are not supposed to be hitting a teacher.)
The thunderstorms went to the north of us, all of the prizes were used, the cotton candy was eaten, and everyone had a great time (even the human target). The children fished for floating ducks, knocked over stacked milk bottles with a ball, threw velcro balls at a target, and had their faces painted. Next year will bring another carnival with games, prizes, and treats. Hopefully the weather will be sunny and I will be able to throw the sponges back at the children!
One of our most popular special events is the center Carnival. Each room is responsible for two games, and the center purchases little prizes, cotton candy, and popcorn. The children take turns going from game to game, where everyone earns a prize, and eating lots of sugar. This year was no exception, except that the day of the carnival the skies became cloudy and very dark and the channel 10 radar showed big thunderstorms heading in our direction.
Obviously the children could not go to the playground for their carnival. Although all of the teachers know to drop everything and come inside at the first rumble of thunder, moving all of the children out of the playground, across the parking lot, and into the building at once would be difficult. It was decided that in the interest of safety the carnival would have to be held inside the school age room, which is the largest room in the building. All of the games would work well inside the building - except for my game.
Each year I am a game at the carnival. I put on a poncho, take off my glasses, and let the children throw wet sponges at me, and throwing water would not work in the building. My dear friend, the assistant director, had a solution, however. She decided that I could take a chair and sit on the walk outside the building and the children could throw the wet sponges at me from the building. If lightening should start striking, the children would be safe and I could run as fast as possible with a long poncho and a wet face to safety. This actually worked very well, except that I could not catch the sponges and throw them back at the children this year because the rug got wet.
The first child to hit me in the face was a little girl who had just turned five. She has curly hair, hair ribbons, cute dresses, a sweet smile, and a heck of a right arm. As I told her in my most adult professional voice, "You cay-n't hit me!", she let fly and hit me in the middle of my face with a soaking sponge. The second child to score a direct hit was a child who had just turned three. She was looking at the prize bin which was next to me when she straightened up, smiled sweetly, and pasted me one with a sponge that I hadn't noticed that she was still holding. All of the children came back a number of times, but the most frequent visitor was the older brother of the first child. He is an aspiring major leaguer, and did not want to let his sister beat him. The boy kept coming back and trying again and again until - success!- he hit me in the upper right quadrant of my face. He gave me a big smile and went off to other games. (I do believe that the game is more difficult for the older children, since they are more aware that they are not supposed to be hitting a teacher.)
The thunderstorms went to the north of us, all of the prizes were used, the cotton candy was eaten, and everyone had a great time (even the human target). The children fished for floating ducks, knocked over stacked milk bottles with a ball, threw velcro balls at a target, and had their faces painted. Next year will bring another carnival with games, prizes, and treats. Hopefully the weather will be sunny and I will be able to throw the sponges back at the children!
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Rock That Baby!
This week I have been reading A Running Start: How Play, Physical Activity and Free Time Create a Successful Child by Rae Pica. The book details the way in which time to play and exercise helps children to grow, develop, and learn. It is a very commonsense book,which is supported by brain research about how children learn, that advocates for letting children be children. This is especially refreshing in light of an article that I read a few weeks ago that discussed the growth of tutors for preschool children. These tutors drilled children on the "important academic" things that they would need to know - colors, alphabet,etc. Parents who fear that their children will not do well in school think that this is wonderful, but I consider it to be a form of child abuse. This book should be mandatory reading for these parents.
I was particularly interested in the section about infant growth, which discussed the growth and development of the infant's brain. While parents are being pushed (or guilted) into buying electronic toys or computer software to encourage their baby to grow, it is actually the time that parents spend holding, rocking, and talking to a baby that has the most effect on the child's physical, mental, and emotional development. The baby's vestibular system - the body's sense of movement and balance - calms the child as the parents rocks, cuddles, and walks with the baby. As amazing as it is that a tiny infant should be born with a fully developed vestibular sense that responds to movement, there is even more. The motion also helps to promote brain development. Infant games, such as patty cake, provide a bonding experience as the child laughs with the parent or caregiver (children can't bond with computer games). Again, as if this weren't enough reason to leave the "educational" computer and play with your child, games like patty cake involve crossing the midline of the body, which helps the two hemispheres of the brain to communicate and work together, as well as developing eye-hand coordination which is necessary for the reading and learning that the child will do as she grows older.
Much has been written about the power of touch and young and children. A great deal of anecdotal evidence is available which shows that children in orphanages would wither and die from lack of human contact. All of their physical needs were met, but their emotional and sensory needs were not. Long before I studied child development and learned of the connection between lack of physical contact and the failure to thrive of children in institutions, I learned of this from my mother. Mama was a nurse who joined the army and worked in hospital overseas during World War II. When she returned home she worked at a TB hospital, Vassar Brothers hospital in Poughkeepsie, and the local doctor's office. She seldom talked of her war experiences, but often spoke of her time as a student nurse at Boston Children's Hospital. She told me of an infant who was born with a deformed chin that could not be out of an incubator for more than fifteen minutes at a time. When Mama worked nights, she would take the baby out of the incubator and rub her back and talk to her while she was talking and singing to her. During these times she could keep the baby out of the incubator of as long as an hour and a half.
Parents, grandparents, and child care providers - turn off the electronics, take the baby out of the carrier or swing, and spend time together. Your touch, your voice, and your movements will do more to help your child grow and develop more that any "educational" electronic thing that you can buy. There is an old poem that says something along the lines of, "Cooking and cleaning and dusting will keep but I am rocking my baby and babies don't keep".
I was particularly interested in the section about infant growth, which discussed the growth and development of the infant's brain. While parents are being pushed (or guilted) into buying electronic toys or computer software to encourage their baby to grow, it is actually the time that parents spend holding, rocking, and talking to a baby that has the most effect on the child's physical, mental, and emotional development. The baby's vestibular system - the body's sense of movement and balance - calms the child as the parents rocks, cuddles, and walks with the baby. As amazing as it is that a tiny infant should be born with a fully developed vestibular sense that responds to movement, there is even more. The motion also helps to promote brain development. Infant games, such as patty cake, provide a bonding experience as the child laughs with the parent or caregiver (children can't bond with computer games). Again, as if this weren't enough reason to leave the "educational" computer and play with your child, games like patty cake involve crossing the midline of the body, which helps the two hemispheres of the brain to communicate and work together, as well as developing eye-hand coordination which is necessary for the reading and learning that the child will do as she grows older.
Much has been written about the power of touch and young and children. A great deal of anecdotal evidence is available which shows that children in orphanages would wither and die from lack of human contact. All of their physical needs were met, but their emotional and sensory needs were not. Long before I studied child development and learned of the connection between lack of physical contact and the failure to thrive of children in institutions, I learned of this from my mother. Mama was a nurse who joined the army and worked in hospital overseas during World War II. When she returned home she worked at a TB hospital, Vassar Brothers hospital in Poughkeepsie, and the local doctor's office. She seldom talked of her war experiences, but often spoke of her time as a student nurse at Boston Children's Hospital. She told me of an infant who was born with a deformed chin that could not be out of an incubator for more than fifteen minutes at a time. When Mama worked nights, she would take the baby out of the incubator and rub her back and talk to her while she was talking and singing to her. During these times she could keep the baby out of the incubator of as long as an hour and a half.
Parents, grandparents, and child care providers - turn off the electronics, take the baby out of the carrier or swing, and spend time together. Your touch, your voice, and your movements will do more to help your child grow and develop more that any "educational" electronic thing that you can buy. There is an old poem that says something along the lines of, "Cooking and cleaning and dusting will keep but I am rocking my baby and babies don't keep".
Monday, August 15, 2011
Oh, Deer II
The deer have stopped snacking on our garden, thanks to Jerry Baker and his book about garden pests. The garden is now festooned with bars of deodorant soap that are tied inside old pantyhose and hung inside plastic cups (to prevent the soap from melting in the rain). The garden is a little smelly, but the plants are showing new growth, and I have high hopes for a good vegetable crop.
The cucumber vines are producing lots of cukes; we have been eating them, sharing them, and preserving them. I am in the process of making a batch of Charlie's Mother's Nine Day Sweet Pickles, to be followed by Bread and Butter pickles. We have begun picking a few green peppers. The deer did not like the hot peppers, and I will soon be canning more of them (for some reason the vegetables are only ready to go into the pressure canner on the hot, muggy days!). Best of all, the tomatoes are ripening! Today for lunch I had peppers and tomatoes sauteed in olive oil and served over pasta. Delicious!
The farm markets are now open, and I love walking along the stalls, looking at the produce and planning meals. This is a wonderful time to introduce your children, either at home or in the classroom, to vegetables. Children learn through their senses, and the sight, feel, and smell of vegetables calls out to them. The veggies are red and green, yellow and purple; they are smooth and rough and bumpy; they smell tart or sharp or sweet. A child is much more likely to try a vegetable that he has been able to touch and choose by himself, and allowing the child to help prepare the vegetables makes them even more appealing. Remember - cook them carefully. There is nothing worse than being served a limp, mushy, gray vegetable.
Here is a recipe to help your children enjoy their veggies. (I would like you to think that I am brilliant, but the recipe comes from Giada DeLaurentis and her "Giada at Home" show.)
The cucumber vines are producing lots of cukes; we have been eating them, sharing them, and preserving them. I am in the process of making a batch of Charlie's Mother's Nine Day Sweet Pickles, to be followed by Bread and Butter pickles. We have begun picking a few green peppers. The deer did not like the hot peppers, and I will soon be canning more of them (for some reason the vegetables are only ready to go into the pressure canner on the hot, muggy days!). Best of all, the tomatoes are ripening! Today for lunch I had peppers and tomatoes sauteed in olive oil and served over pasta. Delicious!
The farm markets are now open, and I love walking along the stalls, looking at the produce and planning meals. This is a wonderful time to introduce your children, either at home or in the classroom, to vegetables. Children learn through their senses, and the sight, feel, and smell of vegetables calls out to them. The veggies are red and green, yellow and purple; they are smooth and rough and bumpy; they smell tart or sharp or sweet. A child is much more likely to try a vegetable that he has been able to touch and choose by himself, and allowing the child to help prepare the vegetables makes them even more appealing. Remember - cook them carefully. There is nothing worse than being served a limp, mushy, gray vegetable.
Here is a recipe to help your children enjoy their veggies. (I would like you to think that I am brilliant, but the recipe comes from Giada DeLaurentis and her "Giada at Home" show.)
Baked Macaroni and Cheese Cupcakes
Vegetable cooking spray
2 Cups dried breadcrumbs
Olive oil
8 oz small pasta
2 Cups Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 Cup white cheddar
Cherry tomatoes, quartered
Vegetables, blanched in boiling water and cut into small pieces - broccoli, peppers, beans, asparagus, etc.
Preheat oven to 375. Spray 2 muffin pans. Using 1 Cup breadcrumbs, coat the inside of each tin with breadcrumbs, shaking off excess. Cook pasta in boiling water until al dente. Drain. Allow the children to choose vegetables and cheese to customize their mac and cheese cupcake. Have them mix the ingredients together in a bowl. Spoon mixture into cupcake molds. Top with a thin layer of breadcrumbs and a drizzle of olive oil.
Bake until golden brown - 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes and carefully unmold.
Enjoy!
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