Blogs by Dasaray Ransberry

Question 1: Discuss the benefits of infant massage for infants, mom, and dad.

Infant massages helps stimulate neurodevelopment and increase health for the baby. It can also encourage the development of the nervous system and be used as a form of bonding an attachment with caregivers. Infant massages can also encourage and accentuate the mother to child bond. It decreases stress hormones and increases bonding hormones, which leads to an overall improvement in the baby’s development.

Question 2: What time of day and how often could you give infant massages?

It is important to understand that when doesn’t really matter. It is best to do a baby massage whenever it works for the rhythm of your family.

Question 3: How does it help in developing body image for a child?

It can help when it comes to teaching your child about positive health body images. This can emphasize, to them, that their bodies are beautiful, lovable, and a wonderful gift. Teaching infants healthy body image can help prepare them for going out into the real world.

Question 4: What new information did you learn from the video and readings?

Baby massages can create the same chemical reaction as if they are being breastfed. This is beneficial for mothers who struggle with breastfeeding their child as it allows them another avenue to bond with their little one.

Section 1

I observed my mentor teacher helping younger students use their body to achieve a goal. The student was trying to kick a ball in the play area but would use the things around them such as nearby furniture to maintain their balance. The teacher saw this as an opportunity to move the ball in a place where the child could not rely on any objects to steady themselves. Eventually the child was able to kick the ball without any assistance. 

An infant student in the classroom who is new to walking was trying to explore the stairs. The mentor teacher in the classroom helped encourage the student to go up the stairs by placing one foot on the first step and allowing the student to go up with little to no assistance. Eventually she was able to go up the stairs on her own, but the mentor teacher was always there to provide guidance if needed. 

When the students are upset about sharing toys the lead teacher makes sure to ask the students who are capable of problem solving on their own to do so. The teacher tends to follow up with questions that can help the students get to the bottom of things pretty quickly like “is there a second ball in the classroom that we can let our friend use?”

Section 2

The infants in the classroom tend to use their whole bodies when exploring different toys and objects in a classroom. Most of the time you will see them put new times into their mouths and roll them around with their hands. 

One example of this type of group activity would be when one student asks for building blocks the teacher brings enough for all the students to use. Once the other students see one student playing with the blocks they tend to come over and join. 

The mentor teacher and teachers assistant often work on different activities at the same time in different parts of the classroom. Even those these activities are related to each other you’ll see students gravitate more towards the teacher who has the most students there. In other words, the kids tend to go towards the activity that they perceive as most “popular” or that has the most “action.”

Section 3

I have observed my lead teacher talking students through turn taking by simply having them ask their peers for a turn when they are done. For instance if Stacy has something that James wants, instead of allowing James to snatch the object from Stacy the teacher instructed James to politely ask if he can use it when she is done. 

I have observed my lead teacher in the classroom ask students to give items back to students who had them first. This promotes the child’s problem solving skills as well as their ability grasp concepts such as possession and ownership. 

One activity that can help with promoting problem solving skills while using descriptive language can be a ball passing activity. During this activity the student will roll the ball to the person next/across from them and then the teacher can provide them with descriptive words that introduce turn taking. 

Section 4 

My mentor teacher/infant toddler lead teacher dealt with this phenomenon directly by explaining to the kids alternative options that they have which do not include hitting, grabbing, or biting one another. 

When a child got upset due to another fellow students actions, the lead teacher used this as an opportunity to demonstrate how to properly regulate your emotions without resorting to hitting. 

When put in a situation where a student was hurt by another student the lead teacher took this as an opportunity to teach the child who was hit how to stand up for themselves. The lead teacher did so by explaining how to ask for an apology and how to communicate why their feelings were hurt in that situation. 

Section 5

When preparing for breakfast my mentor teacher allows the students to practice their autonomy letting them wash their own hands, putting their bibs on, and choosing their own seat at the family style table. 

This was demonstrated during diaper changing. For example, the lead teacher walked the students through diaper changing protocol while also asking them questions about personal daily experiences during playtime, circle time, and the morning greeting. 

During circle time the students are given the opportunity to take part in a routine where they each get their own time to express themselves individually through dance, if they desire to do so. 

1. Think about the children and families in your program. Do you know how each family feels about children dressing themselves? Is it something they feel strongly about?

When it comes to the children in the preschool that I used to work at, I would say that the didn’t really encourage they children dressing themselves but the establishment made sure to incorporate some type of independent practice with either grading their own jacket, shoes, hats, and etc. but they would tell use to try to help them dress as little as possible. I remember that their was one family that felt that they needed to be there and help their child get dress when it was time to leave or even when it was arrival time and this became a very hard thing to teach the child because when instructors would try to help as little as possible the child wouldn’t want to do it themselves and would alway tell them that they wouldn’t do it.

2. The next time you are engaged with a child in the routine of dressing, pay attention to what you say. How much do you talk with the child? What do you talk about? Are you giving directions, correcting behavior, describing the routine, talking about article of clothing, and/ or simply engaging in casual conversation? Try to use this time for less directive language( giving instructions and correcting behaviors) and more language building. Challenging yourself to use rich vocabulary as you engage in this routine (e.g., “let’s put your soft, corduroy overalls back on. They will keep you warm and cozy on the playground today. It is chilly outside.”

During my last interaction with a student during the routine of dressing I noticed that I tend to try to help them more than letting them figure it out on their own. The student try multiple times to play his own coat on and was trying to do different methods like laying the jacket out flat on the floor and then placing it on his back but because he couldn’t figure out which part was the top the jacket ended up being placed backwards. I noticed this and went over to him to help him and he told he he knew what he was doing. from the reading I now know that it is better to give the students suggestion on how to properly get dressed instead of direct instruction but because it was time to go after a few times trying I proceed to hold the coat for him and let him decide which way he wanted to wear it. he put the coat on incorrectly again and because of this I proceeded to help him take it off and try again this time I explained the process of wearing a coat and the different side like how to know when its the top and when it is the bottom of the coat and which arm goes first depending on how your holding the coat. Once the child had his coat on correctly he was happy and then proceeded to hand him his hat and told him that I knew that he could do this one all on his own. he proceeded to the hat on his head ( the wrong way) of course but I gave him a positive compliment and turn the hat to the front and asked him to get in line.

1. Can you think of a bedtime ritual that you have used effectively with your own children or the children in your care? What was it? How did it make the child feel about going to sleep?

I can remember when my little sister was a baby and it was time for bed, My older sister and I would always eat and then play for a bit and then it was bath time. After own bath we would brush our teeth and prepare for bed. Once we was old enough we would take our lilli sister through the same ritual and since it was done around the same time if made her feel like she was apart of something. When my little was older she knew the ritual and was able to start calming down at the same time everyday. I would say that this made her feel like she was responsible and had a choice on when she was able to sleep but in reality we would see at the same time everyday.

2. Take time to consider each child in you room. What are his sleep patterns like? How does he prefer to fall asleep? What is his mood generally like when he wakes up?

When it comes to the children in my classroom I would say that they each have different sleep patterns and routine when they get close to nap time. I know in particular there is one student that tends to get tired right before lunch which is right before nap time. So, when the food comes to lunch he is already clinging to someone that he feels safe around and just wants to be held. It is very hard to get him to sit for lunch and try to eat something before he falls asleep but most of the time he’ll try to eat the fruits and wash his hands and brush his teeth then head to get his things for nap. When he awakes he is generally the one that has the most energy after nap and he was running and ready to eat his snack.

Would you describe yourself as a healthy eater? How does your approach to nutrition influence how and what you teach children about healthy eating?

I wouldn’t describe myself as a healthy eater. The meals that I have are alway balanced but they aren’t was healthy. I would say that my approach to nutrition will positively influence how and what I teach my children because I know a lot about who to eat healthy and I also know that when talking to children its easier but the most important people to talk to are the parents and families so that they will learn and understand the importance and help push the children in the right direction and prepare healthier meals at home.

Think about mealtime in your classroom. Do you encourage conversation among children and / or talk to preverbal children? How would you describe this routine time of day ( e.g., peaceful, lively, chaotic)?

I would say that you would have to make sure to be very careful when talking to children / preverbal children when they are partaking in mealtime in the classroom. I tend to make sure that I give strict directions like sitting and eating and not walking around. This is important especially for choking purposes and to promote safety and healthy practices. Manners will also play apart of this routine especially since the children are expected to not take with their mouths full and they should make sure they are focusing on chewing and swallowing and feeding themselves if they are capable of doing so.

1. How do you feel when you are changing diapers? How do your feelings about diaper changing influence your interactions with children during this routine?

When it comes to me, I would say that I am pretty confident and comfortable with changing diapers since, I have been changing my younger siblings diapers. I would say that it is important for a person to be Calm and confident when it comes to diaper changing because children are able to feel and see when we are uncomfortable and this will effect the way that the feel around you. If a child knows that you are very scared/ nervous when it comes to completing the diaper changing routine then they would most likely not feel safe of comfortable with you changing their diaper. the best way to become comfortable with diaper changing is by communicating with the families of the children and sharing/ ask them to share what they do to make diaper changing easier.

1. How do you feel when a child has a toileting accident? What do you say or do? How does this make the child feel?

When a child has a toileting accident, I would say it makes me feel concerned but there’s also some sympathy because it’s normal for accidents to occur. I would say for the child that the could make them feel scared because something they understand that there’s a consequence when they have an accident. It could also make a child feel as if they did something wrong and they will become embarrassed. This can cause multiple different behavior issues if not handled correctly.

1. What do you want to teach children about their bodies while they are learning to use the toilet?

I would say that one thing that is important to teach children when they are going through toilet training is the name of the different body parts and how to proper clean themselves. In the book, it talked about making sure that the children were comfortable with the environment meaning if there’s no child size stool provide a potty training seat. you can also make sure to talk to them as much as possible and remain very calm when communicating.making sure that the child is ready is also an important thing that can make or break the potty training process.

Fall 2023 blog

• Do you say hello and good-bye to each child and family member every day?
• Saying hello and goodbye to the the child and their families in the morning is a goo thing to do when trying to establish positive relationships and bonds with both the parents and their child. It is best to get that relationship early and learn your students families so that you will know how to approach them in the future.
  What messages do you think your hellos and good-byes (or lack of them) send?
• By saying hello and goodbye to the everyday your are sending the message of support, recognition and establishing that positive relationship that says to families not only is their child welcomed but they are too.
• What do you think about a child who cries a lot when his parents say good-bye? How does his crying make you feel? Do you feel differently about a child who never cries at drop-off time?
• I think that the child may be still working on that social- emotional separation task. When a chid cry it doesn’t mean that they don’t want to go with you they may just be anxieios or have yet to figure out that when someone leaves they will come back. By speaking to the children and the families you are making the transition easier but just like anything else it will take time.
• What might explain some parents’ attempts to leave without saying good-bye?
  • The parent may be in a rush to get somewhere or they may be having a bad day. It is the teachers and parents responsibility to get to know each other and build those relationships that makes this like leaving without saying goodbye not feel so bad.
    What are they feeling? How do you feel when parents leave that way? How do the children feel?
  • the child may not feel so secure with transitions form home to the school/ program and the parents may not understand of think anything about how important goodbyes are. This would make me feel like I have to go the extra mile to build that bond/ relationship with the parent so hellos and goodbyes become routines.
    How do you help parents reunite with their children at the end of the day?
  • One way that you could help a parent reunite with their children at the end of the day is by following the rituals or routines that the parents usually have in place so the child understands that when a particular action happens then it is time to go. Make sure to maybe talk with the parents and child before they leave to model that bond and security.
    How does a parent feel when her child cries or keeps playing? How do you feel?
  • Sometimes this can make a parent feel as if they aren’t doing the right things at home or if they are involved enough in the Childs life. I would just feel like the child is enjoying their self and that they may need a little more help with the idea of transitioning between home and the establishment.

4 components Infants Need for Healthy Brain Development with Angela Fraley

Link to video:  https://consciousdiscipline.com/e-learning/webinars/the-4-components-infants-need-for-healthy-brain-development/

Answer the following Reflection questions.

1-What did you know about this topic before viewing the webinar?

Before viewing the video, I knew that the brain development the most and fastest in the earlier years of our lives so Its important to make sure we are taking the time to slow down and really focus in on giving infants the information they need. Also, every infant brain developments at its own pace meting that one infants brain may be developing at faster than the next and this is normal. As caregivers we have to be a lot more careful with what we do/ say around infants because they will pick up on everything.

2-How do you feel about this approach to infant care and development?

I would say that this approach to infant care and development Is a great way to look at the development of a health infant brain. One of the first things that stood out to me from the video is the idea of making sure we are present in the infants development daily. The speaker share a video about her granddaughter and you could really see we her granddaughter became present and had that connection in her eyes that said to me, ‘There she is. This is were the voice is coming from.’ I also think that the the idea of Infants needing to be seen and soothed is very important because not only is it important to be able to see and react to the signals that the infants give it is important to be able to help them regulate the emotions when you miss those Ques.

3-How could you apply this philosophy in your teaching practice?

In the future, I would apply this philosophy in my teaching practice by Making sure to create those bonds and establish the relationships I need to when it comes to being around my students. I think that when you have the relationships with your students and you can understand when they are giving off those signals/ que’s you are able to get closer to them and help them develop more efficiently. In the video she talked a lot about the making sure that the children are able to feel safe around you and you are displaying a calm and comforting feel to them. This is important especially when dealing with individuals who may be nonverbal or unable to communicate properly. If you students are able to trust they will be able to move around and explore freely.

4-Look around the Conscious Discipline website, what else do you fine surprising or interesting to you, and why?

One thing that I found interesting when it comes to the Conscious Discipline website was, the research section that talked about the seven skills for discipline. I think this is important to know especially when dealing with younger students because they are not able to talk and sometimes we tend to discipline students without thinking about how they need to explore in order to learn. There was some articles on there that talked about how it important to use positive reinforcement when it comes to talking to the little ones. meaning we shouldn’t tell them ‘No’ and that they can’t do something but instead explain why what they are doing can be dangerous and give them another option.

How teachers can affect the development of language in their students.

Video referenced in this post:

Language for Learning: Infants and Toddlers by ncrlap https://youtu.be/97B__Cwk7vY

Objective- Describe 2 examples for each of these 6 areas of language encouragement:

1-Concept development-using descriptive language

In the video, the first example of this was when the teacher described the different individuals in the pictures on the wall and asked the students to point to their mommy and daddy. As the little one pointed to the pictures the teacher explained what/ who was in the picture and redirected them to seeing their own picture.

The second example of this was during was appeared to be play time, the instructor was sitting on the floor to be at the same eye level of the children and was helping the figure out how to match the shapes of the objects with the shapes of the holes in the toy.
” Caitlen has her blue circle, let’s see if she can put it in” ” you have your blue circle.. that’s the right space but you have to let it go.”

2-Describing events and actions

The first example that was used in the video was the hand washing event were the instructor made sure to talk the child through each step of hand washing.

The second example was when the teacher was cleaning the diaper of the baby and she took her time to make sure that she was describing and ask questions about what was going on. ” one foot, where’s the other foot ? There it is.. Boop!”

3-Social and emotional development

Two examples of this was described in the video as the teacher/ instructor allowing time to respond to questions whether that be in a verbal or unverbal way of Communication. The second example required the teacher to redirect/ display proper expectations for positive responses to actions.

4-Responding to communication attempts

Once the instructor noticed that the baby was trying to request a bottle bye screaming; he asked she was she hungry an then proceeded to give her a bottle.

the second example of this was when the infants in the video would use different coos and cry’s to get achieve something. the instructor in the video would use the different coo to ask the baby what they would like and if they would like, “would you like to do this sitting up instead?”

5-Positive language for guidance

One example was when the teacher was talking the little one through the process of sharing the toys. ” lets find our friend a toy that he can hold.”

The second example would be when the teacher gave the child that was pulling at the book the option have have a different book. ” Noah I am going to get you a different book, You can have this book”

6-Using language during daily activities

The first example was when the teacher used her language to help guide the students/ children through their sick eating routine.” Are you going to pick up your pop tart and put it in your mouth?”

The second example is when the The teacher exampled that making a mistake is okay by saying” are you looking at the uh oh? It’s okay we all make mistakes.” and narrated as the other teacher “helped” clean it up.

When it comes to using different images and resources providing just the link and name is not enough. It is important for individuals to use resources like Pixabay to make sure they are not using sources without the permission of the creator.