As seen from previous courses in the MECS program, ground-breaking research in the field is happening not only in the United States but all over the world. I have chosen to explore the website that is in comparison similar to the NAEYC website found here in the US.
Some of the current research topics that are being studied include:
· Respecting diversity
· Learning and teaching through play
· Dealing with bullying together
· Engaging families: Building strong communication
· Aggression and young children
Not surprising at all, the topics that were listed were all very similar to much of the leading research that is being studied here in the United States today. We all seem to be on the same page in regards to understanding and enhancing the learning that is capable at such a young age and providing quality programming that addresses the individual needs of each child.
I thought it would be interesting to look further into the topic of Learning and teaching through play since this is my chosen topic of study. The website provides several links to this topic including current research that has been done.
The link under Research in Practice Series provides literature in regards to play. It discusses how the interactions between student and teacher are so important during times of play. Teachers need to stay engaged with the children and prompt opportunities for continued learning by asking open-ended questions in regards to the play. The literature also provided benefits to play of different developmental areas:
Ø Cognitive skills (thinking, memory) and Creativity skills
Ø Social and Emotional – helps children with developing social skills and building positive relationships
Ø Well- being – fit mental health
Ø Promotes good Physical health
As professionals I think that it is important to our learning and continued development that we reach out and look for similarities or extensions to current studies on early childhood development. We are all looking to better the field and provide quality experiences for all children and we can provide support for each other as we move forward.
Emily,
ReplyDeleteI love your blog, nice job! I also like your review of the Australian website. It's nice to see other countries on the same page as us!
Emily,
ReplyDeleteI found your blog interesting this week because we discovered the same website. I agree with you that the website had a lot of information that shows how many topics seem to be universal. I found different research topics than you did but found the same results: Most of the topics discussed on the website are also explored by early childhood professionals in the US. Your topics and findings show how important it is for early childhood professionals around the world to work as a close knit community to find ways to better early childhood education around the world.