Expelled from Childcare: Suspension and Expulsion Practices in One State’s Community Childcare Centers

Early Childhood Education Journal - Suspension and expulsion, typically thought of as discipline practices for high school students, occur at the early childhood level. In fact, 3- and 4-year old...     

Quality Management Procedures Influence the Food Safety Practices at Childcare Centers

Childcare in the United States (US) has become a necessary part of life for most working parents with the increased use of center-based childcare over the past three decades. Approximately 13 million preschoolers attend some form of childcare. Literature indicates the main predictors of quality childcare programs are adequate experience and specialized training of childcare staff. A growing concern among researchers, however, is the limited training among childcare professionals in the area of food safety. Children have minimal control of food safety risks because other people prepare their meals. A questionnaire was developed and mailed to childcare center directors in Texas and Iowa to identify the demographic, food safety and other practices that influence the training and decisions made by childcare center directors. Results indicate the need of continual management and food safety training for both directors and staff in order to provide a safe environment for young children.     

Interdisciplinary Best Practices for Adapted Physical Activity

ABSTRACT

This article provides an introduction to the literature on interdisciplinary research. It then draws lessons from that literature for the field of adapted physical activity. It is argued that adapted physical activity should be a self-consciously interdisciplinary field. It should insist that research be performed according to recognized interdisciplinary and disciplinary methodologies. Each section of the article addresses an important aspect of the literature on interdisciplinary research and closes with a recommendation for adapted physical activity.     

Promoting Positive Social Development in Family Childcare Settings

The quality of experiences in childcare has significant, lasting impact on children&s social development. With the growing number of young children being served in family childcare settings, it is imperative that the care provides a quality environment that nurtures children&s social development. Empirically supported interventions that specifically target family childcare, however, are lacking. The development and evaluation of a video-based program aimed at training family childcare providers in setting up their childcare environment to promote social development in young children is described. Forty-two family childcare providers were randomly assigned to an intervention group and a wait-list control group. A majority of the participants felt they learned some to very much new, practical information and said they found the interactive discussions particularly helpful. This study illustrates the feasibility of doing training and evaluation research in family childcare settings.     

The Role of Family Childcare Providers in Early Intervention

In family childcare, the program of services is situated within in the providers' own homes. The purpose of this inquiry is to review the literature from special education in light of current practices in family childcare. In addition, key characteristics unique to the provider's care giving program will be examined in relation to the needs of children with disabilities and their families. Finally, recommendations for establishing coordinated efforts among professional support systems and providers on behalf of such children will be defended.     

Family Selection of Child-Care Centers: The Influence of Household Support, Ethnicity, and Parental Practices

Accumulating evidence shows that young children benefit developmentally by participating in quality child-care centers and preschools. But we know little about which family characteristics and home practices influence parents' selection of a center-based program. This article reports on the influence of the family's social-structural attributes, ethnicity, and parental practices on the likelihood of selecting a center-based program, after taking into account economic characteristics. The odds that parents enroll their child in a center-based program are greatest when mothers are more highly educated, when the child is older, and when less plentiful (nonpaternal) social support is available to the mother, such as from a resident grandparent. Ethnic differences in the propensity to select centers were found, even after family-economic and structural variables were taken into account: African-American families were more likely than white or Latino families to use center-based care. Parental practices linked to the child's early literacy development and close supervision were related to the likelihood of center selection. Selection processes must be more carefully taken into account as researchers attempt to isolate the discrete effects of children's participation in centers and preschools.     

Promising Physical Activity Inclusion Practices for Chinese Immigrant Women in Vancouver,Canada

Even though the number of immigrants coming to Canada continues to rise (Statistics Canada, 2010) and there is some evidence to suggest that participation in community sport and recreation can ease the stress associated with settlement (Stodolska & Alexandris 2004), our previous research has shown there is little or no information sharing about promising inclusion practices between local, provincial, and federal sport and recreation policy makers in Canada (Thibault, Frisby, & Taylor, 2009). To begin to fill this void, interviews were conducted with 50 Chinese immigrant women, who represent the largest immigrant group in British Columbia, 11 staff from the City of Vancouver, and 5 staff from an immigration service agency called S.U.C.C.E.S.S. A Multiculturalism, Sport, and Physical Activity Workshop was subsequently held so study participants could come together to discuss promising physical activity inclusion practices for newcomers. The practices discussed here include: citizen engagement to promote mutual learning and policy/program development; working from a broader social ecological framework; improving the city's leisure access policy; and enhancing community partnerships to facilitate cross-cultural connections.     

Children's Use of Retreats in Family Child Care Homes

The use of retreat spaces by 65 children in 9 family child care homes was assessed in this study. Family child care providers used daily diaries to collect information about children's retreat frequency and associated behavior. The findings revealed that nearly half of the children used informal, readily available retreats during the research period. Playing with toys was the most frequent and stable retreat activity across age groups. Yet the number of passive and engaged behaviors varied based on child characteristics such as age, gender, and child's mood for the day. Retreat use can be viewed as a potentially adaptive environmental strategy that children apply as their needs change in a given day and from one developmental period to the next. Thus, it is recommended that child care professionals provide access to retreats and support children's varied use of retreat space.     

Children's Use of Retreats in Family Child Care Homes

The use of retreat spaces by 65 children in 9 family child care homes was assessed in this study. Family child care providers used daily diaries to collect information about children's retreat frequency and associated behavior. The findings revealed that nearly half of the children used informal, readily available retreats during the research period. Playing with toys was the most frequent and stable retreat activity across age groups. Yet the number of passive and engaged behaviors varied based on child characteristics such as age, gender, and child's mood for the day. Retreat use can be viewed as a potentially adaptive environmental strategy that children apply as their needs change in a given day and from one developmental period to the next. Thus, it is recommended that child care professionals provide access to retreats and support children's varied use of retreat space.     

家庭教育的实践与感悟

孩子是家庭的希望、学校的人才、祖国的栋梁.家长是孩子的第一位启蒙老师,孩子未成年期的监护人、教育孩子的第一责任人,更是孩子的终身教育老师.提高家长科学育儿水平,也就教育好了孩子,也就推动了家庭教育、学校教育、社会教育三位一体的共同发展.     

Examining Differences in Achievement of Physical Activity Best Practices Between Urban and Rural Child Care Facilities by Age

Early Childhood Education Journal - Go Nutrition and Physical activity Self Assessment in Child Care (NAP SACC) is an evidence based intervention developed to positively impact childhood obesity in...     

Examining the Structural Relationship of Physical Activity,Cognition, Fear of Falling,and Mobility Limitation of Filipino in Nursing Homes

Mobility limitation is a major issue of care in the elderly and a typical characteristic of frailty in geriatric patients. The maintenance of mobility is thought to be fundamental to active aging, allowing older adults to continue living dynamic and independent lives. While previous studies have identified the different factors affecting mobility, the relationship between other factors, such as fear of falling, physical activity, cognition, and mobility limitation, has not been investigated, hence this structural equation model investigation.

This study was conducted in various nursing homes located in the National Capital Region and Region IV of the Philippines. A five-part survey-questionnaire was given to 125 Filipino elderly aged 60 years and above in nursing homes. The survey was conducted from May to August 2013. Results showed that high levels of fear about falling will lead to less physical activity and have a negative effect on cognition. Cognition levels also showed to have a direct impact on the physical activity. Physical activity was found to have a direct effect on the mobility of elderly patients. The emerging model can guide health care professionals in developing programs that can maximize the physical and mental functioning of the elderly in institutionalized settings.     

Predictors of Global Quality in Family Child Care Homes: Structural and Belief Characteristics

Research Findings: With a substantial number of young children receiving care in family child care settings, an examination of the characteristics, both structural and attitudinal, that predict program quality is warranted. The current study examines gaps in the research by examining both structural characteristics and provider beliefs that influence observed global quality in family child care homes. Results of this study suggest that belief characteristics can predict the quality of family child care homes above and beyond structural characteristics alone. Practice or Policy: Providing support to help all providers understand appropriate developmental expectations for children and how to effectively guide children is critical for quality improvement efforts. In addition, providing support to decrease job stress and improve professional motivation is highlighted.     

保山市城区青少年日常体力活动模式及体能状况

通过对保山市城区青少年日常体力活动模式及其身体素质进行调查测试,结果发现青少年每天用于体育锻炼的时间在青春期前期和中期大部分达到国际建议标准,青春期后期仅有23.92％达标,锻炼时间随着年龄的增加呈现下降的趋势,进而分析讨论青少年的身体素质及日常体力活动之间的相互关系及影响.旨在了解保山市城区青少年身体发育状况,为青少年健康成长提供参考.     

Physical Disability,Stigma, and Physical Activity in Children

Using the stereotype content model as a guiding framework, this study explored whether the stigma that able‐bodied adults have towards children with a physical disability is reduced when the child is portrayed as being active. In a 2 (physical activity status) x 2 (ability status) study design, 178 university students rated a child described in one of four vignettes on 12 dimensions of perceived warmth and competence. Results revealed a main effect of ability status on warmth (p < 0.001) such that children with a physical disability were rated significantly higher in perceived warmth than able‐bodied children, regardless of activity status (d = 0.86). Also, there was a significant interaction (p = 0.02) of ability and activity status on perceived competence, indicating that ratings of perceived competence were significantly higher for active children with a physical disability than for all other children (d = 0.54–0.64). Results suggest that physical activity should be explored as a way to mitigate the stigmatisation of children with a physical disability.     

论家庭因素对高校德育的影响及其措施

家庭是社会的细胞。家庭环境的优劣，对大学生的健康成长和良好心理品质的形成以及整个社会的和谐稳定至关重要。因此，家庭教育环境的好坏，对于整个德育工作的实效性起着举足轻重的作用。马克思主义认为，人的个性及其发展是社会环境的产物，社会环境因索构成一个人教育影响的全部源泉。古往今来，家庭环境不仅是其子女赖以生存的场所。也是他们接触最早、受影响最深的教育环境。因此，充分发挥家庭德育功能，让家庭德育和学校德育紧密结合、形成合力，对促进学生的全面发展和优良心理品质的形成具有重要意义。     

Interdisciplinarity in Adapted Physical Activity

ABSTRACT

It is commonly accepted that inquiry in adapted physical activity involves the use of different disciplines to address questions. It is often advanced today that complex problems of the kind frequently encountered in adapted physical activity require a combination of disciplines for their solution. At the present time, individual research questions in adapted physical activity are most often developed and pursued by researchers from a single discipline despite incentives to the contrary. However, the inclusion of multiple disciplines to address research questions raises a number of challenges. A major one is effective communication. The language related to the use of multiple disciplines is often used loosely. Key terms, such as multi-disciplinary, interdisciplinary, transdisciplinary, and cross-disciplinary, are often used interchangeably. We introduce the technical meaning of these terms and outline some key epistemic challenges to communication across disciplines and highlight the importance of willingness, on the part of researchers, to carefully listen to each other.     

The Pedagogical Experiences and Practices of Family Child Care Providers

The work in family child care is becoming increasingly more professional, moving from an image of ‘mothering’ toward one of educare. The growing demand for expertise and competence in family child care providers can be examined in light of their pedagogical experiences and the ways in which children engage in learning in providers’ homes. This article is based on a phenomenological study conducted with four certified family child care providers, each with 10 or more years of experience with a wide age range of children. Data revealed that providers foster a pedagogical relationship with children along five dimensions of learning: children’s skills for learning, essential opportunities for learning, two forums for learning, socio-emotional learning, and meaningful learning. The authors conclude with implications for further research.