Blog Journal #3

I had the opportunity to discuss my advocacy plan with a professional who works with three year olds. Her main focus is teaching children how to control their feelings, build their vocabularies, and learn to build positive relationships with others. I discussed my view on the importance of play for children in childcare, which is the same view she holds that play is important to the development of children. Ms. April explained to me that in many centers parents have the same focus on academics and not teaching children to interact with others.
Ms. April feels that when children are going to an elementary school the main focus is always on academics. If a child has a hard time controlling their emotions, using their language, and following simple directions then it would be difficult to get them to focus and take in the information that is being presented to them.
While observing the class it was apparent that Ms. April had the children in learning centers: dramatic play, building blocks, media table etc., she encouraged the children to problem solve, use their words to get their message across, and understand when they have to wait their turns. She also gets the children into small groups and helps them with counting, colors, letters, and shapes. I agree that these are the building blocks for getting children ready for the academic part of their learning careers.