January February March 2017
Early Learning News A Quarterly Newsletter & Training Calendar of Gulf Regional Early Childhood Services In This Issue: • Teaching Character in Early Childhood Education • Details on GRECS’ Lending Box Program • Featured Online Training Classes • Parent Pass-Along: Raising a Caring & Compassionate Child • New Training for 2017!
Teaching Character in Early Childhood Education Considering what we know about how early experiences shape a child’s life, why isn’t there more of an emphasis on character development in the current discussions and debates on early childhood education? How do we develop a caring environment for our youngest children? How do we encourage the development of good character and empathy before they can even talk in full sentences? Gina Siebe, Director of the Clayton Early Childhood Center and former principal of NSOC Bayless Elementary, offers some words of wisdom for early childhood educators looking to incorporate character education and empathy development into their classrooms. Here are some ways you can develop character education in your youngest students: • Introduce young children to core ethical values through role playing and discuss solutions to problems during class meetings. • Visuals are particularly important to young children as reminders of behavior expectations or step by step instructions to complete a task. Use photographs or model facial expressions and discuss the emotion each expression indicates. • Catch children doing the right thing. Teachers bring attention to specific positive behaviors observed which encourages others to emulate those behaviors. • Have young children reflect on core ethical values through drawing • Teach children to model positive behaviors for others and participate in reciprocal teaching when coaching peers on behavior expectations. • Encourage children to notice inequities as they learn about the world around them. They have great interests in improving the quality of life for others which lends itself well to service learning. • Focus on restorative justice strategies. Children are taught to talk out their issues with one another often using the teacher as a coach. When toddlers bite as a form of communication, they are given an ice pack to hold on the injured child. This opportunity to soothe and comfort instills empathy for others and gives the toddler or “biter” the chance to restore his/ her relationship with the injured child.
"All children have within them the potential to be great kids. It is our job to create a great world where this potential can flourish."
Gulf Regional Early Childhood Services
~ Stanley Greenspan
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www.grecs.org