The Advocates' Child Studies Blog

 Questions From an Interview Q : What do you make of Bush's push to have literacy testing in Head Start programs? : Z igler: I'm not thrilled by all that testing. I don't think if you take somebody's temperature a lot that will make them well. What they really need are good teachers and smaller class sizes, which are good for younger ages. But all Bush seems to care about is literacy and testing. There's so much more to human development than being able to decode these words. That doesn't mean you comprehend what you're reading. So I'm not thrilled by it. Further, we know that the test scores of preschoolers are notoriously labile. Thus, the validity of any such test score is open to serious question. Q: Why do you get annoyed at efforts to link better I.Q. scores with better child care?  Zi gler: This nation has always had this love affair with I.Q. and we don't understand its limitations. And that's why I'm having this fight ...

"In both cooperative learning and project work. The teacher  encourages children to talk to one another. This helps them pay attention to each others efforts and ideas. Children take to these kinds  of exchanges very readily, but the teacher really needs to encourage this interaction"  Dr. Lilian Katz "Experts generally agree that taking all opportunities to read books and other material aloud to children is the best preparation for their learning to read. The pleasures of being read to are far more likely to strengthen a child's desire to learn to read than are repetitions of sounds, alphabet drills, and deciphering uninteresting words." Dr. Lilian Katz

Personal Childhood Web Heraldo  Escabon-Dash - Father Josephine Rodriquez - Dash - Mother  Jane Rodriquez  - Aunt H erberato Juan Rodriquez - Uncle MENTORS Angela Rankin's - Girl Scout Leader Pastors - Robert E. Lee, and Sheila Lee    Childhood Friends Michael knight, Ella Pitts, Fernando Ortiz, Carlos and Juan Nguyen   E ach one of these individuals I have known since about the age of four.   Michael Knight was very special because he was, and still is one of my closest friends. Whether, I was falling down at the age of four  skinning  my knee, and now  as an adult when I have the  need to vent, cry, or scream. He is just the go to person with a caring heart and a listening ear.  He always told me that I would have a bright future if I stayed focused. Nevertheless, in my teen years I was not very focused on anything.  I was kind and caring but...

A four year old boy in my daycare was painting index cards during free play, and I asked him, what he was making.” The little boy replied, “I am making purple box” I said “oh how nice” The child continued to paint. He said, “I am making a birthday present for my mother” I replied again how nice. Later, that afternoon when we had free play again the child finished the box. I asked “is it ready he said “no, I have to wrap it, but I don’t have any wrapping paper.” I helped glue the purple index cards together to make the box, and helped him cover the bottom with construction paper. “I asked him was he going to put in the box, and he replied, “I already put it in the box”. I put two hugs, and three kisses from my daddy, my sister and me”. It just melted my heart.    

I chose this picture because when I asked the child who it was. The child, said "this is you Mrs. Brantley" with a great big smile on his face. Nonetheless, if a child artist draws a circle and says it's a Power Ranger" , then so be it  because that's what it looks like in his eyes.  I just wish I could have  darkened this picture up some, but could not.

The Hungry Caterpillar is one of my favorite books for children because it has a variety of characteristics.  It teaches counting, it's colorful, teaches children what happens if you eat to much, and lastly it teaches children about the transformation of how a Caterpillar turns into Butterfly.

“Free the child’s potential, and you will transform him into the world.” – Maria Montessori