What Are the Four Phases of Early Childhood Development?

Having children in one's life can be the most rewarding and the scariest prospect all at the same time. Not only are you to make sure that this little being has all the necessities of life, like food, shelter and clothing, but you must also safeguard that this little person grows into a well-rounded, well-adjusted contributing member of society.

Ok, so what does that mean? How do we make sure that our children turn into well-rounded and well-adjusted contributing members of society?

Well-Being

By nurturing their well-being, you will be developing their self-confidence, which will lead to Happy, Healthy kids. Play is one way of achieving this.

A Must To-Do Checklist for Parents of Newly Diagnosed Blind or Visually Impaired Children

1. Locate a Pediatric Ophthalmologist specializing in your child's specific eye condition.

2. Research low vision specialists in your area. This provider evaluates visual acuity, visual fields, functional vision skills and the potential need for prescriptive glasses or sunglasses. The low vision specialist will also evaluate the need for low vision devices (magnifiers or closed circuit television) once your child reaches school age.

3. Contact your county/local Early Intervention provider to initiate developmental evaluations to determine the need for, or establish the type of Early Intervention services available or recommended for your child. These professionals are primarily there to provide you with information, techniques and sometimes materials that will assist you with your baby's overall developmental skills.

Tips On Becoming An Early Childhood Teacher

If education is a passion and you love working with kids, early childhood education might be the perfect path for you. There's nothing more fulfilling than teaching children, and the impact you make on them now will last a lifetime. Teachers are highly sought after at an early education level and there are plenty of opportunities for you to make a career out of your passion for working with kids, helping them to develop skills and preparing them to be enthusiastic about learning.

Not sure if you're right for the job? Don't know where to start? Read on for all the information that you need about becoming an early childhood educator.

What Skills Do I Need?

Is Preschool Teaching Your Child Too Much?

There are many advocates of keeping preschool a place for play instead of using it as a bridge to learning. This theory reprimands preschools that embrace a more structured learning environment for becoming "the new kindergarten." Other groups, generally in geographical areas with very competitive private schools, advocate for a very rigid learning environment in order to get their preschooler into the best kindergarten. Both of these viewpoints are, in most cases, extreme viewpoints that are very far from the preschools of today. In reality, quality preschools are a mixture of the two philosophies.

Quality preschools generally have an ample portion of the day where the children are engaged in free choice activities with times of teacher led activities interspersed throughout the day. During child directed play, teachers allow the children to rotate through centers and create their own scenarios and outcomes. The teachers engage the children in order to facilitate learning and discovery.