These are some article summaries from my 2nd year Studies. It should be longer (although course requirements state a short summary is only required) but normally if the student wants to score higher, lecturers would prefer a longer summary. At least that is what my lecturers at university did.
Article:
Morrow, L (1997) “Family Literacy Partnerships home and school working together”, Literacy development in the early years, Allyn & Bacon, Boston, MA, pp.52-85
Summary:
The article first describes a grandmother demonstrating and taking advantage of the print in the grandchildren’s life that is familiar and extending and using it as a pleasurable experience to enrich the grand children’s literacy knowledge.
* Family literacy encompasses all members of the family, as well as extended family members to make use of the different literacy activities that could be the outcome of spontaneous activities, parent or child initiated, out or routines, using drawings or writings to communicate ideas.
* It is important because:
1) Findings reveal home practices that play a major role to literacy success in school settings and the crucial role a family plays in the development of children’s literacy & on how they as members of the family can help.
2) Leichter (1984) states that families influence literacy development in 3 ways: interpersonal interaction, physical environments, emotional and motivational climate.
* It is important that parents provide a lot of materials for writing in the home as the author believes that learning to read is enhanced by concurrent experiences with writing is facilitated by experiences with reading.
* I agree with the author as I believe literacy should also be a family affair and not just left to the school. When family members engage in a family literacy process, it creates a win-win situation, whereby parents learn more about their children and develop a closer relationship as a result. I believe that the author’s perspective is in line with the current practice in education trends, where educators are advocating for families to once again learn to take responsibility and share for their children’s success in developing literacy skills.
Saturday, May 17, 2008
2008: Happy Teachers' Day!
I have been so busy at work and all that I didn't realise it was already 16th May, Teachers' Day till James, an uncle of one of my students in KL (at least 5 years ago!) sent me a comment on my Friendster profile greeting me as such.
Thanks James, for reminding & encouraging me on how important our work as both caretakers, & teachers of children are in their lives. ^^
So to all kindergarten, primary & high school teachers, caregivers, professors, lecturers, cikgu dan guru-guru di tadika, sekolah rendah, sekolah menengah, as well as to everyone else in the world,
HAPPY TEACHERS' DAY! SELAMAT HARI GURU!
Thanks James, for reminding & encouraging me on how important our work as both caretakers, & teachers of children are in their lives. ^^
So to all kindergarten, primary & high school teachers, caregivers, professors, lecturers, cikgu dan guru-guru di tadika, sekolah rendah, sekolah menengah, as well as to everyone else in the world,
HAPPY TEACHERS' DAY! SELAMAT HARI GURU!
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Winter: A nursery/preschool room's parent-teacher dynamics.
Actually, the dynamics is almost similar across the board for even older preschoolers, but these are some of the things that staff should take more notice of in the nursery room, as babies are unable to communicate & talk much yet.
It's my 4th day working at this childcare centre at the shopping mall this week. So far, the work has been good. Actually, there's quite a number of casuals working there. There was also another ECT in the pre-school room, and I was talking to her.
Jessica is the name of the other ECT, and she told me that she had worked in two other Montessori centres before (surprise, surprise!). She is also contracted to Agent E, so I could probably ask her more about her experience with them so far with Montessori (now, isn't that a good idea?). She said she had worked as an ECT in another Montessori centre for about 7 months, so I guess that means the Montessori school follows the same accreditation process as other private childcare centres. It's really difficult for me to say for as yet, I have not actually stepped in to another Montessori school in Australia.
For the past 3 days, I have been based in the nursery room. As said before, although university ECT graduates do have a degree in the early years, the university course units do not & have not necessarily focused on studies for children in the nursery age group. Sad, but true. Most graduates are not aware of this till they have finished, but yes, most directors of childcare centres as well as childcare recruitment agents are aware of it (although they may not tell the candidate that).
Whatever I have written here is not something that candidates can pick up from reading, but mostly from work experience or maybe at practicum. Whatever one reads cannot actually "make sense" or translate to understanding till the person experiences it personally.
My research has led me to know that most centres prefer catering to the pre-school ages as the adult child ratio is higher, and it is more cost effective in sourcing for staff. As a nursery room relief staff, it is of utmost that the casual relief staff university graduate (even if they have not learnt before!) is able to quickly pick up the skills of nappy changing as well as learning how to handle babies.
As my learned readers can guess, Australia is coming up to the season of winter in the month of May now. I have not actually had to really speak to parents in my stint as an ECT up till this week.. (which is good, since I have only since been absorbing everything in). I have realised that when irate parents have grievances, it is irrelevant whether the personnel they speak to is a permanent or casual
(they are in the state where "emotions" over ride the "rational". Same goes for any IRATE customer!)
To make the story short, it was difficult & really unfair for me in my place as a casual when parents have grievances or make complaints especially to a casual, when their instructions were given to permanent staff of the place. However even as a casual, one knows that it is not wise to say anything on our defence to an "irate parent" who feels that they deserve the best just because they are the paying customer.
For those unaware, there will always be parents who are pretty easy going, and then there will be parents who are fussy. As a precaution, whenever you have babies (crawling ones that is), losing their socks, staff should always pick them up and put it back on especially around 4.45pm (ish) when the nursery children have their nappy change. This applies to any other "belongings" of the children that may dropped off, so that parents won't make a fuss when they come to pick their children up.
The reality of the situation is that it is difficult for staff to keep track of everything that a baby/toddler drops, but the "irrationality" of the situation is that parents do not look at it this way. Unfortunatley, some parents are known to have removed their children from a centre for such things.
Among some of the other complaints that parents make of their (crawling) babies include their babies losing socks (especially with winter coming, babies get colds & sick more easily than usual. Not so much the case in summer), and losing their dummies/comforters (the "sucking" thing that they put in their mouths), and their winter coats. Older children are able to search for their own "lost" belongings & will demand for it back, so this is not so much of a concern for the staff.
Parents on arrival to pick their children up from school would also like to see their children occupied in an activity with the class teacher or adult (whether it be reading a book, playing with a toy or just busy, having their meals, and NEVER NEVER by themselves). I realized that the same scenario goes whether it is in Malaysia, or Australia, and the same even goes for older preschoolers.
To take note, as staff (whether casual or permanent), the queries that parents will always ask the staff (even though there already is a parent-communication book on the shelf !) are:
* "what did the child have to eat today?" (so you as the staff need to know what they had for lunch, & afternoon tea, and how much they ate, & how they enjoyed their meals. Tell this to parents to make conversation).
* "how many hours did the child sleep today?" (so they will know if the child can sleep well that night...)
* "how much milk did the child drink today?" (in comparison to the bottles the child has in their bags).
* "where did that bruise come from?" (that will be referred back to the permanent staff).
* "how was the child in class today?"
It's my 4th day working at this childcare centre at the shopping mall this week. So far, the work has been good. Actually, there's quite a number of casuals working there. There was also another ECT in the pre-school room, and I was talking to her.
Jessica is the name of the other ECT, and she told me that she had worked in two other Montessori centres before (surprise, surprise!). She is also contracted to Agent E, so I could probably ask her more about her experience with them so far with Montessori (now, isn't that a good idea?). She said she had worked as an ECT in another Montessori centre for about 7 months, so I guess that means the Montessori school follows the same accreditation process as other private childcare centres. It's really difficult for me to say for as yet, I have not actually stepped in to another Montessori school in Australia.
For the past 3 days, I have been based in the nursery room. As said before, although university ECT graduates do have a degree in the early years, the university course units do not & have not necessarily focused on studies for children in the nursery age group. Sad, but true. Most graduates are not aware of this till they have finished, but yes, most directors of childcare centres as well as childcare recruitment agents are aware of it (although they may not tell the candidate that).
Whatever I have written here is not something that candidates can pick up from reading, but mostly from work experience or maybe at practicum. Whatever one reads cannot actually "make sense" or translate to understanding till the person experiences it personally.
My research has led me to know that most centres prefer catering to the pre-school ages as the adult child ratio is higher, and it is more cost effective in sourcing for staff. As a nursery room relief staff, it is of utmost that the casual relief staff university graduate (even if they have not learnt before!) is able to quickly pick up the skills of nappy changing as well as learning how to handle babies.
As my learned readers can guess, Australia is coming up to the season of winter in the month of May now. I have not actually had to really speak to parents in my stint as an ECT up till this week.. (which is good, since I have only since been absorbing everything in). I have realised that when irate parents have grievances, it is irrelevant whether the personnel they speak to is a permanent or casual
(they are in the state where "emotions" over ride the "rational". Same goes for any IRATE customer!)
To make the story short, it was difficult & really unfair for me in my place as a casual when parents have grievances or make complaints especially to a casual, when their instructions were given to permanent staff of the place. However even as a casual, one knows that it is not wise to say anything on our defence to an "irate parent" who feels that they deserve the best just because they are the paying customer.
For those unaware, there will always be parents who are pretty easy going, and then there will be parents who are fussy. As a precaution, whenever you have babies (crawling ones that is), losing their socks, staff should always pick them up and put it back on especially around 4.45pm (ish) when the nursery children have their nappy change. This applies to any other "belongings" of the children that may dropped off, so that parents won't make a fuss when they come to pick their children up.
The reality of the situation is that it is difficult for staff to keep track of everything that a baby/toddler drops, but the "irrationality" of the situation is that parents do not look at it this way. Unfortunatley, some parents are known to have removed their children from a centre for such things.
Among some of the other complaints that parents make of their (crawling) babies include their babies losing socks (especially with winter coming, babies get colds & sick more easily than usual. Not so much the case in summer), and losing their dummies/comforters (the "sucking" thing that they put in their mouths), and their winter coats. Older children are able to search for their own "lost" belongings & will demand for it back, so this is not so much of a concern for the staff.
Parents on arrival to pick their children up from school would also like to see their children occupied in an activity with the class teacher or adult (whether it be reading a book, playing with a toy or just busy, having their meals, and NEVER NEVER by themselves). I realized that the same scenario goes whether it is in Malaysia, or Australia, and the same even goes for older preschoolers.
To take note, as staff (whether casual or permanent), the queries that parents will always ask the staff (even though there already is a parent-communication book on the shelf !) are:
* "what did the child have to eat today?" (so you as the staff need to know what they had for lunch, & afternoon tea, and how much they ate, & how they enjoyed their meals. Tell this to parents to make conversation).
* "how many hours did the child sleep today?" (so they will know if the child can sleep well that night...)
* "how much milk did the child drink today?" (in comparison to the bottles the child has in their bags).
* "where did that bruise come from?" (that will be referred back to the permanent staff).
* "how was the child in class today?"
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Bilingualism: An asset in life.
It's been a long day at work today. I am physically, emotionally & mentally tired. Agent E has so far booked me in for a week block at a childcare centre in a shopping mall near my flat. Work has been fantastic this week. The Director of the centre is great. The staff work well together. It's also great that I don't actually have to take the bus, but I have to walk a distance every morning for about almost 45 minutes. Its a bit strenuous, but so far the exercise has been great. My colleague recommends that I take the bus, (which may only take 2 minutes for the entire ride), so I was thinking perhaps that is a better time-saving option.
At the centre I am based, there is a lot of children from all ethnic groups. Anyways this thought came to me as at this centre, its amazing that I am able to understand the children who hail from so many different nations when they speak either Bahasa Indon (obviously from Indonesia), China (in Mandarin), Hong Kong (cantonese), as well as the local children (in English, of course). However what you may not know too is that I am also a Chinese who is brought up in Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia... Now, how is that relevant?
Malaysia is pretty much a "multi-cultural" country, with the official language being Bahasa Malaysia (which is different from Bahasa Indonesia, but there are similarities). All official primary & high school exams are undertaken in Bahasa Malaysia, except for language papers (Mandarin & English, that is). Apart from that, most people who live in the capital city read & write in the English language. As a chinese, most of us speak either one of our main dialects (Cantonese, Hokkien, Hakka) and for those who go to a Chinese medium school, that would be written & spoken Mandarin.
I was just thinking to myself that if I were ever to settle down in Australia, I would do as my cousin Kim (a Malaysian born Chinese) has done in The States. She speaks to her children in Mandarin, and her husband (who is Vietnamese born Chinese) speaks to them in Cantonese. The children speak English at school. It is the only way that they as parents could ensure that their home language maintains its continuity, and it has worked so far as both the children now are able to converse between three languages interchangeably (and they're still only in elementary school!).
How many of you readers out there are able to speak (nevermind if you can't read or write it) three languages interchangeably by the age of 10 without attending formal language classes?
Now you might think that the English language is the most important language in the world (well, it is important in the workplace, socially & for moving up the career ladder). It is to an extent important, but no school teacher is going to tell me that I have to speak to my children in English if I didn't want to.
I once met an acquaintance who told me that his children's school teacher was telling him that he had to speak to his children in English (the father is an Australian born Chinese who married a French lady, so they both speak French at home). I am just going to tell my readers that no school teacher is also going to tell me, nor intimidate me by telling me that my children won't succeed in life, or have a developmental delay if they can't still master the English language when at elementary school.
In my opinion, it is important to anyone (and more so for a Chinese) to be able to speak their own ethnic language. It is of even more importance when they are in a foreign land to be able to do so. My mother made the mistake of not speaking to us in Mandarin (she was educated in a Chinese medium school), so my brother & I grew up being "bananas". "Bananas" is the term that is given to a chinese who is "yellow on the outside, but white on the inside". It is also a term used in Malaysia for the chinese people who don't speak Mandarin. However, my parents & relatives spoke Cantonese, so I grew up in that environment. But I barely spoke Cantonese much as a child until my later adult years.
For the record (and uninformed), I can read & write both in English & Bahasa Malaysia. I also speak Cantonese, & understand some Mandarin. As you can probably tell from all my past entries, I have a pretty good command of the English language & its grammar. Since I scored a band 8 in Academic IELTS (for all testing areas), you can pretty much be rest assured that it can't be all that bad. LOL.
Fluency in two language is the minimum norm for most Malaysians, and three to four is about the max. My friend, Ai Ling who went to a chinese medium primary school, is now currently in Japan teaching English to adults. Surprisingly, her command of the English language (actually not just her, but all her siblings who were educated in a chinese medium school), have an extounding command of the English language that puts many white Australians & Americans to shame, in terms of both grammar, vocabulary & spelling skills (I bet they're going to check this entry, since I've linked them... LOL). The four siblings can read & write in Bahasa Malaysia, English & Chinese.
With China being a major trade player, many now realize how important the ability to speak another language is, and many too are (if not already) enrolling to learn the Mandarin language. I had to do that for work purposes a couple of years back on my own initiative. Maintaining the home language is also important for a family to maintain its family roots, across the nations if they have migrated, as well as the pride of its ethnicity. Yes, and I can say that I am proud of my heritage of being a Chinese, and being able to speak Cantonese and Mandarin (no matter how half-broken it is.) LOL.
With that in mind, if your children are going to an English-medium school and as a parent if you can read & write Chinese (or any other language for that matter), make sure you transmit and pass it off as an inheritance to your children when they are still able to absorb it effortlessly. They may not like it much, or hate you for making them study it, but they will thank you for it in their later adult years when they did not have to pay heaps of money & waste a lot of time in the quest to pick up another language.
It is also definitely a way to pick up the opposite gender as well . . .
At the centre I am based, there is a lot of children from all ethnic groups. Anyways this thought came to me as at this centre, its amazing that I am able to understand the children who hail from so many different nations when they speak either Bahasa Indon (obviously from Indonesia), China (in Mandarin), Hong Kong (cantonese), as well as the local children (in English, of course). However what you may not know too is that I am also a Chinese who is brought up in Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia... Now, how is that relevant?
Malaysia is pretty much a "multi-cultural" country, with the official language being Bahasa Malaysia (which is different from Bahasa Indonesia, but there are similarities). All official primary & high school exams are undertaken in Bahasa Malaysia, except for language papers (Mandarin & English, that is). Apart from that, most people who live in the capital city read & write in the English language. As a chinese, most of us speak either one of our main dialects (Cantonese, Hokkien, Hakka) and for those who go to a Chinese medium school, that would be written & spoken Mandarin.
I was just thinking to myself that if I were ever to settle down in Australia, I would do as my cousin Kim (a Malaysian born Chinese) has done in The States. She speaks to her children in Mandarin, and her husband (who is Vietnamese born Chinese) speaks to them in Cantonese. The children speak English at school. It is the only way that they as parents could ensure that their home language maintains its continuity, and it has worked so far as both the children now are able to converse between three languages interchangeably (and they're still only in elementary school!).
How many of you readers out there are able to speak (nevermind if you can't read or write it) three languages interchangeably by the age of 10 without attending formal language classes?
Now you might think that the English language is the most important language in the world (well, it is important in the workplace, socially & for moving up the career ladder). It is to an extent important, but no school teacher is going to tell me that I have to speak to my children in English if I didn't want to.
I once met an acquaintance who told me that his children's school teacher was telling him that he had to speak to his children in English (the father is an Australian born Chinese who married a French lady, so they both speak French at home). I am just going to tell my readers that no school teacher is also going to tell me, nor intimidate me by telling me that my children won't succeed in life, or have a developmental delay if they can't still master the English language when at elementary school.
In my opinion, it is important to anyone (and more so for a Chinese) to be able to speak their own ethnic language. It is of even more importance when they are in a foreign land to be able to do so. My mother made the mistake of not speaking to us in Mandarin (she was educated in a Chinese medium school), so my brother & I grew up being "bananas". "Bananas" is the term that is given to a chinese who is "yellow on the outside, but white on the inside". It is also a term used in Malaysia for the chinese people who don't speak Mandarin. However, my parents & relatives spoke Cantonese, so I grew up in that environment. But I barely spoke Cantonese much as a child until my later adult years.
For the record (and uninformed), I can read & write both in English & Bahasa Malaysia. I also speak Cantonese, & understand some Mandarin. As you can probably tell from all my past entries, I have a pretty good command of the English language & its grammar. Since I scored a band 8 in Academic IELTS (for all testing areas), you can pretty much be rest assured that it can't be all that bad. LOL.
Fluency in two language is the minimum norm for most Malaysians, and three to four is about the max. My friend, Ai Ling who went to a chinese medium primary school, is now currently in Japan teaching English to adults. Surprisingly, her command of the English language (actually not just her, but all her siblings who were educated in a chinese medium school), have an extounding command of the English language that puts many white Australians & Americans to shame, in terms of both grammar, vocabulary & spelling skills (I bet they're going to check this entry, since I've linked them... LOL). The four siblings can read & write in Bahasa Malaysia, English & Chinese.
With China being a major trade player, many now realize how important the ability to speak another language is, and many too are (if not already) enrolling to learn the Mandarin language. I had to do that for work purposes a couple of years back on my own initiative. Maintaining the home language is also important for a family to maintain its family roots, across the nations if they have migrated, as well as the pride of its ethnicity. Yes, and I can say that I am proud of my heritage of being a Chinese, and being able to speak Cantonese and Mandarin (no matter how half-broken it is.) LOL.
With that in mind, if your children are going to an English-medium school and as a parent if you can read & write Chinese (or any other language for that matter), make sure you transmit and pass it off as an inheritance to your children when they are still able to absorb it effortlessly. They may not like it much, or hate you for making them study it, but they will thank you for it in their later adult years when they did not have to pay heaps of money & waste a lot of time in the quest to pick up another language.
It is also definitely a way to pick up the opposite gender as well . . .
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