1. Chapter 5 Sharing Views of Initiative with Families CD 11 Dr. Gallegos

2. Learning Outcomes  In this chapter you will be exposed to…..  Describe what initiative looks like  Describe Erikson’s developmental conflicts  Explain the value of play for young children  Explain how the environmental and adults contribute to children’s initiative  Describe special considerations for children with disabilities.  Identify various causes of aggression in young children and explain how to work with each.  Explain how to teach young children problem-solving skills  Explain ways of empowering the preschool-aged child

3. Brianna’s and Julie’s Story  Read Brianna’s story on pages 108-111.  These stories will give you greater insight to how each child develops differently.

4. Developmental Conflicts  Autonomy Vs. Shame and Doubt  Toddlers are in constant search for autonomy and they are constantly getting into trouble.  Toddlers will look for their parent and will react by showing shame and if the parent doesn’t see, however, the toddler will not show signs of remorse.  Erikson defines the major task for toddlerhood as working out the conflict between autonomy and shame or doubt.  Initiative Vs. Guilt  Initiative vs. guilt is where a toddler (ages 1-3) begin to sense a responsibility and a budding conscience. They can judge their own behavior.  This guilt can help a toddler keep their control sometimes. This guilt guides them toward positive and acceptable behavior.

5. Developmental Conflicts  (cont.) Initiative Vs. Guilt  Toddlers will gain an internal government that dictates the ideals and standards of behavior that are requirements of society.  Guilt isn’t always expected to control a toddlers actions so they still need adults close by to help them control themselves when they can’t manage.  Guilt is only a small sign-a signaling device.  Sadly, some toddlers are governed by an inner tyranny.  Daniel Siguel, Mindsight author, describes what can happen to adults who judge themselves so harshly to enforce the standards of those around them that tjey lose their initiative.  They’re afraid to act. Their energy is sapped by the overkill methods of their inner government.  Children who grow up in theis atmosphere may develop an exaggerated sense of guilt and they torture themselves even for trivial offenses.  Parents who want to learn about these stages can learn best by reading- and the program should have a parent lending library.

6. Imagination and Fantasy  The toddler shows the beginnings of the complexity by using objects to stand for other objects.  By age four, the imagination SOARS!  Fantasy play give children practice in interacting with others while in these roles of fantasy.  Children can use fantasy play to express fears and anger and to discover ways to adjust to painful situations.

7. The Value of Play of all Sorts  Play is an arena where children learn new skills and practice old ones, both physical and social.  Through play children challenge themselves to new levels of mastery.  They gain competence in all areas of development-increasing language, social skills, and physical skills.  David Elkind, author of The Power of Play & The Hurried Child, makes the case that its of ore benefit to children to use their imagination in an environment that lends itself to exploration, initiative, and active engagement with objects, materials, and other children.  Play provides for cognitive development in ways that educational toys don’t necessarily address. Cognitive development is tied in with physical and social interactions in the preschool years as children are constructing a view of the world and discovering concepts.  Children at play are active explorers of the environment as they create their own experience and grow to understand it.

8. The Value of Play of all Sorts  Through play, children work at problem solving, which involves mental, physical, and social skills.  Play enables children to sort through conflicts and deal with anxieties, fears, and disturbing feelings in an active, powerful way.  Play makes children fell powerful and gives them a sense of control as they create worlds and manipulate them.  Children also get a sense of power by facing something difficult and conquering it.  Helping families understand the value of play is a big challenge for preschool teachers and for kindergarten teachers who have a play- based curriculum as well as for other professionals who use play therapy.  https://youtu.be/W2wWDEBktC0 Play-based video https://youtu.be/W2wWDEBktC0

9. How the Environment contributes to a sense of Initiative  The environment reflects whether the adults in charge of it regard developing a sense of initiative to be of value.  Individual initiative, like independence, is not a universal priority.  In some cultures, individual initiative is less important than going along with the group spirit.  Initiative may only count when it obviously serves the group rather than the individual alone.  When families have a different set of priorities, instead of arguing your side, try creating a dialogue so you can understand more about where they are coming from  Attention should be given to environments for children in the stage of initiative so that they have choices about what to do.  Not all adults see giving children choices as valuable.  Some adults do not believe in creating learning situations to teach their children; they put their children in adult-oriented environments and expect them to learn by observation, not from playing in an environment specially set up for them.

10. Dimensions of Play Environments  To create an optimum environment for the kind of play that enhances initiative, there needs to be a balance of these dimensions.  Soft/hard, open/closed, intrusion/exclusion, high mobility/low mobility, and simple/complex  Balancing soft/hard dimension means that the environment is both responsive and resistant. Softness in play environments comes from things like rugs, cozy furniture, grass, sand, etc.  Hardness comes in the form of vinyl floors, plastic, and wooden toys and furniture and concrete.  The open/closed dimension has to do with choices. Low, open shelves displaying toys to choose from are an example of openness.  Closed storage also gives a sense of order and avoids a cluttered feeling.  The environment should provide for both optimum intrusion and optimum exclusion or seclusion.  Desirable intrusion comes as the children have access to the greater world beyond their play space.  A balance play environment provides for both high- and low-mobility activities. Children need quiet and still activities as well as opportunities to move around freely and engage in vigorous movement.

11. How adults contribute to children’s Initiative  Adults contribute to the development of children’s sense of initiative in several ways.  Adults are responsible for setting up the environments for children’s paly and making sure it is safe for everybody.  The kind of environment that adults set up determines to some extent whether initiative is a value.  Adults are the ones who must guide and control children’s behavior in these environments.  Guidance methods that encourage children to continue to explore, try things out, and solve problems contribute to their growing initiative.  Methods that squelch children’s interest, inhibit their behavior, and make them afraid to try things because they might make mistakes take away their confidence in themselves and work against bringing out each child’s own initiative.  Adults encourage initiative in children by modeling it themselves.

12. How adults contribute to children’s Initiative  Children with disabilities arrive in a play environment with less initiative and motivation to play than others.  Sometimes providing access is as simple as restructuring the environment so that a child a wheelchair can move around.  Close attention to what interests each child can guide the teacher when selecting toys and materials to make available.  Aware of what playthings will build on a child’s strengths is important when setting up the environment.  One way to figure out how to modify the environment is for teachers to put themselves at the level of the child in question and look around.  Children who have attention deficit disorders (ADD) may be distracted in a play space where there is too much going on.  The early childhood educator can simplify the environment, but it isn’t enough just to create an appropriate play environment and then expect children with certain challenges to automatically start playing with their typically developing peers.

13. How adults contribute to children’s Initiative  A child with language delays can benefit when the other children see the teacher responding to communication attempts and building on the skills the child has.  Modeling has a strong effect.  Children with autism benefit form playing with their peers who are more accomplished players. Their ability to play increases with the support of the teacher in an integrates setting where the environment and the learning plan focus on play.  Collaborate with the parents to make your programs a good experience for each and every child.  Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory has implications for including children with special needs in programs with their typically developing peers.  Vygotsky used the term zone of proximal development (ZPD) to describe how social interactions increase understanding.

14. The Shy Child  Please read Dakota’s story p. 122 and Brandi’s story p. 123/  Some children are born extra cautious.  THs trait may even be in their genes.  They don’t enjoy putting themselves out in the world, taking risks, a matter of timing than a deficiency.  Some children are observers.  They learn a good deal by watching for long periods before they try something themselves.  They may be thought of as being slow to warm up  Other children jump in with both feet without giving a thought to the consequences.

15. A look at Aggression  Children can learn aggression from watching others get what they want through aggressive means.  They may see this on television or in their own homes or neighborhoods.  They can even learn it at preschool from watching classmates. They can, of course, also learn it from firsthand experience.  Sometimes it is a matter of providing physical control while giving the least attention possible.  Other times just ignoring the behavior will eventually make it go away  The problem is the most adults who have to deal with this kind of aggression in a child are sorely tempted to turn to punishment; they want to hurt the child either physically or emotionally.  Power may be behind the child’s need of aggression.  Power issues are never solved by being overpowered, which is the message behind punishment.

16. A look at Aggression Aggression as the result of bottled-up feelings  Some children react to tension with aggression  Their feelings are bottled up inside the, and even a little incident can “uncork” them  What pours out is more than the provoking incident calls for.  That’s a clue to tension as a cause of aggression.  A teacher can also give a child outlets for their angry feelings. Some examples  1. Vigorous physical activity can serve as an outlet  2. Aggressive activities are also beneficial  3. Soothing sensory activities can help calm the aggressive child  4. Art and music activities also serve as outlets for emotional expression.

17. A look at Aggression Physical influences on Aggression  Teachers can work on the problem of physical influences on aggression.  It’s easy to see how environment can influence behavior.  Other environmental influence can be heat, lighting, and environmental pollution. Even weather can make a difference. Extreme Defensiveness  Some children imagine damage everywhere and interpret every little active of playmates as threatening to themselves.  They are defensive to an extreme  Out of their fear, they attack first, rather than waiting to be attacked and then striking back.  They need help to change their perspective and come to see the world as a nonthreatening place.  Their worldview may be due to attachment or abuse issues, in which case those are the areas in which they need help.  No matter what the cause behind aggression, it’s important to be working together with the family to discover what to do about it.

18. Teaching young children problem-solving Skills  The roots of violence start in the first years of life as children who don’t know how to solve problems turn to aggression  After all this is normal behavior of aggression but some will grow out of it and others won’t  The ones who can’t will develop deeply engrained ways o approaching problems, which can lead directly from preschool aggression to teenage violence.  Four weaknesses in problem-solving skills are exhibited by teenage offenders:  1. They make assumptions about a situation and neglect to get further info.  2. They seldom give anyone the benefit of the doubt but see everyone as a potential adversary. They think people are “out to get them”  3.They have a narrow vision of alternative solutions and rely mainly on violence  4.They fail to consider consequences when they lash out.  Adults can help young children develop problem-solving skills before weakness becomes ingrained.  They can help children clarify situations, consider consequences, and explore alternatives to aggression.  To help, the adult must be on the spot when difficulties arise between children. It’s important to intervene before the action gets physical.

19. Teaching young children problem-solving Skills  The goal is for the children to begin to see the other’s perspective and consider alternative solutions.  Four qualities are important when helping children talk to each other in a conflict situation:  The objective is not to solve problem in a particular way for the child but to help him/her discover his/her alternatives to violence.  Adults often shot-circuit this kind of learning by putting children in time- out or they solve the problem themselves.  Skillful intervention makes a difference.  Other factors that come to play with children who are violent is are they seeing violence at home, on the streets, on t.v., in video games, etc. OR if the child is a victim of abuse.  Early experiences set up patterns of response that can last a lifetime  There is not single simple solution to violence.

20. Empowering the preschool-age Child  Adults often believe that to manage children’s behavior and set them on the right path, they must dominate them on overpowering them.  Trying to overpower children often leads straight to power struggles, which are the antithesis of empowering children.  Even something as simple as physically changing perspective makes children feel powerful. (ex: having a dramatic play area).  The following are some ways that adults can empower children:  1. Teach children effective language and hot to use it.  2. Give children the support they need while they are coming to feel their personal power.  3. Teach them problem-solving skills.  4. Help children tune in on their uniqueness and appreciate their differences.