Final Blog Assignment

   As I reflect upon the learning from my international contacts in the early childhood field I am at awe at how much we all have in common, despite the circumstances beyond our control.  We are all in support of providing what is needed for all children to be successful.  All believed that there is a strong connection between the development a child undergoes early in life and the level of success that the child will experience later in life.  Below are consequences of learning to improve upon my professional and personal development.

·         Community support is a very strong part of healthy, successful children.  One can not succeed by just "snatching" the child away from the community for education unless we also involve the community where the children came from. Most community development components include the library, computer labs and clinic or doctors offices. One of the organizations I have been involved with has been trying to build a model school that includes early childhood and a basic elementary education program along with neighborhood community involvement. As of this printing, they have succeeded in all except the clinic.

·         I am devoted to recognizing that low-income children need more intensive services that start early in their educational plan.  Within our district we start identifying children that are struggling with letter recognition, letter sound, sight words and number recognition.   We use this as a benchmark that follows them through 3^rd grade.  At this point, we are emphasizing that all children be able to read on grade level.  As I spoke with my contacts, they too stressed the importance on the overall development of learning when it starts early.  We must invest more in high-quality comprehensive programs.

·         Large numbers of infants and young children around the world are at-risk for developmental delays due to stressors such as poverty, malnutrition, trauma, and low birth weight.  It appears that daily these unfortunate experiences just keep growing.  We, globally, nationally, and locally, must find a way to create jobs or programs to help with these horrific issues.  These are not just undeveloped countries problems, but are affecting the world.  One of my contacts has added a feeding program in their school since most of their students do not get a decent meal, even once a day at home.  They are finding it difficult to teach a child anything in an empty belly, something that we know oh so well. It has been over three years since this program started and they have seen significant progress in each student's health, ability to listen and comprehend what is being taught.

     It is my goal to make certain that early intervention services correspond and coordinate with the early childhood programs within my school.  I will see to it that community-based services are provided to all children and families in need to ensure that all are healthy mentally, socially and academically.  We must embark upon achieving equity and quality in children successes within and across nations.