I am still a bit uncertain on the topic of interest for my research paper. I chose childhood obesity because it is a concern yet in all honesty my first choice was the fact that early childhood settings actually have no genuine legal regulations for which they must be accountable to meet or exceed aside from state licensing regulations. I know our country has no mandated regulations in place to ensure our youngest children receive only the highest quality education possible from educators who must be highly educated. The issue of high quality early childhood education has always been close to my heart and is a topic I advocate for all the time. I am just not sure how to put this in a research paper. Any suggestions would be great as this is really what I wish to write about as I am truly passionate about this topic. So for my paper I interviewed a Head Start Education Manger and a Head Start nutritionist. And after conducting these interviews I can honestly say I want to follow my heart and write about the lack of high quality early childhood education in our early childcare settings in America.
What I gained from the education manager was how she and many people here in Saginaw county are advocating for many issues in the field of early childhood education. For example, lack of funding, social/emotional problems, lack of parent involvement, etc. She too has been and still is greatly concerned that there is no real regulations for requiring high quality education in our early childhood settings aside from state licensing regulations and Head Start mandates. For most early childhood settings licensing is pretty much as high as the regulations reach as far as any type of quality the childcare setting must meet and is monitored for. And licensing only comes once a year to the Head Start classrooms in Saginaw county unless the classroom is being relicensed due to a move or unforeseen circumstances. The lack of quality and monitoring are sorely lacking in our early childhood settings and it is the child and family who will pay the ultimate price of a mediocre early education. I have learned that I am defiantly not alone in my concerns and my desire to advocate strongly for higher quality education in our early childcare settings.
What I gained from the nutritionist is that child obesity is increasing as even our youngest children are becoming more and more inactive and regularly eat quick, processed or fast foods for ease and convenience. Many of today's young children drink pop regularly, eat out weekly, consume foods high in fats, sugars and unhealhty carbs which when combined with inactivity leads to young children putting on more and more weight earlier and younger. So many of our children are playing video games and watching TV that our state of Michigan even has a public program called No Child Left Inside due to our ever growing rates of child obesity. When a state, a county,a town, a school, or a family has to go these lengths to convince families to get their children outside and moving really says something about this sad state our children are in today. This is not to mention that research clearly show that moving bodies moves minds as well and supports a child's ability to learn and develop as well.
The third area that I believe needs serious advocacy in the field of early childhood is the lack of required education for our childcare providers, daycares, after school programs, preschools,etc. Many of our early childhood settings set no specific requirements for their staff. I remember not too long ago looking for childcare for my own child and I was so surprised that most of them only required their staff tor heir teachers to have a high school diploma! I was shocked beyond words and unfortunately this is still true in today's world and this directly effects the child's development and learning in our early childhood settings. I believe we should have specific requirements for early childhood staff and teachers in all early childhood settings across the country. Educate the teachers, demend high quality and you will have well educated children.
So, with all that said I need some serious feedback from you my peers. What do you think? How can I turn my concerns about the lack of regulated high quality childhood settings into a research paper? Do you think there is enough information out there to do this? If so where do I start looking? Thank you for taking the time to read my blog it is my first so let me know how to improve please.
After conducting both of these interviews I have to say I am more interested in learning more about child obesity than I was before especially in regards to its effects on a young child's development and learning yet I still am so passionate and interested in writing my research paper on how the lack of mandated regulations for early childhood settings effects a child's learning and development.
I believe you should follow your interest. In your research you might find other programs that use a program to deliver quality care. You might even learn what it takes to deliver quality care such as different adult child ratio. Also developing programs that offer continuity of care (a subject I am researching). Making programs are able to handle different children with special needs. I know by law children should be in their least restrictive environment however if the program does not recognize their abilities that can be damaging to children in their program. I agree there should be more steps taken to assure all programs are delivering high quality care.
ReplyDeleteI believe childhood obesity is a good topic, and if is what interest you, you should follow it. You have the nutritionist that can help you get resources and the site director that always are getting information from different agencies. Where I work the cook is always telling us to encourage the children to taste their vegetables, the children drink lowfat milk, and she always takes away the grease from the meat.At my center we care for the children and we talk to the parents about childhood obesity. Good luck.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI think that childhood obesity is a good choice of topic. I believe that we should address this issue more often to find ways to help children and their families. Childhood obesity is something that need to be dealt with and maybe something that you research about this topic will hslp someone along the way. Go For It.
ReplyDeleteHello Tina,
ReplyDeletedealing with obesity is a real problem for our children. Some cultures use food for comfort however we must show them a better way to comfort our children. Nutritionist can tell stories as well as introduce cases of child obesity however it is difficult when the parents have the learned behavior that they have.
As we advocate for our children we must also help the child to understand our plan and it's success for their child. The children are basically fed the wrong types of foods which helps with their bad choices when left to their own ideas of eating. Parents can be a part of a training or a workshop that teaches them how to help their children to eat healthy.
Good luck with your plan, and we have another member of our class working in the same area, perhaps you two could collaborate together.
Tina
ReplyDeleteYou have some very interesting comments however think of what you can do in the way of advocating for children? Can you advocate at the state or federal level? You can however advocate and implement a plan on childhood obesity within the classroom. You can teach about proper nutrition, discuss overall long term effects of childhood obesity, you can empower parents to learn about the importance of proper nutrition as well as implement activities within the classroom setting in and out of school that promotes exercise, playing outside, getting involved in sports etc.