Quote about children

“It is paradoxical that many educators and parents still differentiate between a time for learning and a time for play without seeing the vital connection between them.” ~ Leo Buscaglia (author, educator)

The Whole Child

Chidren have to be assessed on more than just academic skills or intelligence.  To assess the whole child, the teacher has to look at cultural values, economic status, academic achievement and development.  Children are exposed to different environments and cultures.  As a result, children are shaped by their microsystem and macrosystem.  This means that all the people that interact with the child have an affect on the child's development.  In China, children have a rigorous academic workload that is extended into their personal lives.  As a result, these children perform well in school. Therefore, the United States needs to focus on more academic programs that encourage academic development in the home and in the school.

Stressors

Poverty is a stressor in my community.  I work for Head Start and many of the families are poor and have to fight through poverty.  To combat this, Head Start provides early childhood education services that are designed to educate children so that they will grow up to be productive citizens.  Head Start also helps through family service workers who help to find opportunities and services for families.  Our goal is to fight poverty with education, which is the original goal that Lyndon B. Johnson designed for the program.