This post will continue the discussion of language development finishing up the component - Receptive Language and beginning the component - Expressive Language. Remember I am taking my information from the Tennessee Early Learning Development Standards (TN-ELDS).
First, let us finish the component - Receptive Language and the learning expectation - Understands questions, simple directions, beginning concepts, and the ideas and sequence of stories. The last performance indicator for this one is: Begins to answer questions such as "What's this?" when looking at a book. To be honest, I have seen a lot of three year olds that do not do this. I have stated on multiple occasions that the questioning from children has all but disappeared. This distresses me greatly. What have we done to our children that we have all but killed a child's natural inquisitiveness? To make matters worse, today's parents do not understand that something is missing. However, grandparents that have been paying attention realize that something is amiss. Is it the electronics and smart phones? Is it processed food or some other environmental factor? I do not know. I do know that many, many children do not have adults that read to them on a regular basis, but the level of decline cannot be fully explained by lack of reading alone. Many children of previous centuries did not have availability to books but they still retained the inert inquisitiveness. This is a truly recent development. People, let these children play outside. Take the smart phones away and feed them whole natural food. It cannot hurt to make these changes and it may reset the downward spiral I have observed.
Now we will move on to the component - Expressive Language. The first learning expectation for this one is: Participates in conversation. The first performance indicator for this learning expectation is: Uses vocabulary of 50+ words; some children can reach up to 200 words. At the age of two years old, a great schism occurs in language development. Some two year olds soar off into the stratosphere while others barely communicate at all. This is the age where personalizing instruction becomes greatly important. Not all two year olds are created equal. This is also the age where a child will begin to display how he/she learns. I have an extensive library of posts on learning styles on this blog. You can use the search engine to find them if you like. They were posted in 2014. A child that does not display a working vocabulary of 50 words by two and a half may need to start receiving language intervention. It could be a sign of development delay or it could also be caused by environmental factors. Both situations call for intervention at different levels.
The next performance indicator is: Asks lots of "what" questions (e.g., "What's this - - - -?"). As I said in the first section, the questioning from children has all but disappeared at this age. I have even seen a large decline in three year olds that ask a lot of these questions. This lack of questioning presents a very large problem because this remains one of the biggest ways that children build vocabulary. If that same child does not have an adult that reads to him/her then the language delay grows even larger. If your two to two and a half year old is not asking questions, you may need to model this behavior for them. Ask them "what's this?" You may also have to tell them the name of the object but you may also jumpstart their own curiosity.
The next performance indicator is: Likes to sing songs. I am happy to finally say that this one is usually universally conquered. Even children with developmental delays learn to sing songs. Something about music connects with all children. However, one note of caution is in order. Be careful, what kind of music in which you expose the children. Many, many childcare providers have situations when children start spouting off pop lyrics that are wholly inappropriate for their age. When children listen to music, they will pick up much more than you bargain for sometimes. Be careful.
The last performance indicator for this learning expectation is: Knows and can say first name. Again, this is one that most children conquer. If a child does not know and can say their first name by two and a half years old, you will most definitely need to have that child tested for developmental problems. This one serves as one of the best indicators of whether or not your child might be on the autistic spectrum.
I hope you have enjoyed this post. Goodbye and God bless!!
https://linktr.ee/natawade
Friday, March 22, 2019
Friday, February 15, 2019
The Dangers of Knowledge without Wisdom
This post will be specific to Christian educators. It will look at how dangerous it can be to have knowledge without the Godly wisdom necessary to apply that knowledge. We will also look at knowledge that wisdom proves to be wrong and how to know the difference.
What is Knowledge?
Webster defines knowledge as something learned and kept in the mind. Other definitions include understanding gained by actual experience, range of information, and clear perception of truth. In today's world, knowledge is gained through education for the most part. Knowledge of skill can be acquired through experience but much of what we know has been taught to us. Therefore, knowledge depends greatly on the voracity of the information conveyed. One of my favorite quotes from President Ronald Reagan goes as follows: "It is not that my liberal friends are ignorant, it is just that they know so much that is not so." That completely sums up today's world. The older I become, the more I see the truth in that quote. So much of what we "know" simply does not match the reality of the matter. The Bible tells us that knowledge puffs up. Again, a truer statement could not be made. People that believe themselves to be knowledgable often look down on those that they believe to not be as knowledgable. Knowledge can only be as valuable as the source that produces it. Therein lies the danger of knowledge. Sometimes it is hard to know how reliable the source of the information proves to be.
What is Wisdom?
Webster defines wisdom as good sense. It also has the definition of a wise attitude or course of action. The world struggles with the concept of wisdom because the Bible defines it best. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. What does that mean? When we understand that God is all and in all and through all and we have a healthful fear or respect for that, we understand wisdom. Wisdom involves following God's way of doing things when all the world screams that you should not be doing that. It is the deep understanding that the One that created the universe might have the inside tract on how things function and work. When God is the foundation, everything else falls into its place. Does the world have its own version of wisdom? Yes but it is closer to knowledge than actual wisdom. The first definition Webster gives for wisdom covers this concept which involves accumulated philosophic or scientific learning. However, the voracity of the information accumulated absolutely affects the quality of the wisdom just like with knowledge. Until you go to the Source of all things, you run the risk of building on the wrong foundation.
What happens when you have knowledge without wisdom?
As I stated in the section on knowledge, the Bible states that knowledge puffs up. People that think themselves to be knowledgable also tend to be extremely arrogant. Wise people tend to be humble. How does this play out in the real world? Knowledge without true wisdom breeds division and contempt for the "unknowledgable." Knowledge paired with true wisdom breeds peace, joy, love, patience, goodness, kindness, gentleness, and self-control. Recognize that list? That is the fruit of the Spirit. The reason for the difference has everything to do with the foundation. I have talked extensively about bias and worldviews. Those two concepts affect everything. They determine the foundation and that absolutely determines outcomes. When your knowledge has no basis in God's truth, you are building on sand. Whether you realize it or not, you come off as arrogant and pushy. You will look down on those that do not share your "knowledge" despite your best efforts not to do so. Even religious people can be terribly guilty of this practice. Ever heard of the Pharisees and Sadducees? Knowledge for the sake of knowledge in any area produces these results. Knowledge applied through wisdom produces good results for the person and for all the other people in their orbit. Wisdom edifies others.
What happens when wisdom discredits your knowledge?
This has actually happened to me a lot lately. I have always trusted what I have been taught except when it obviously contradicts the Word of God. Here lately, I have come to understand that almost everything I have been taught has to be filtered through its biases. I now question almost everything. I do not take anything at face value anymore. I have also done a lot more research to find the beginnings of certain movements throughout history and their objectives. It really does matter. The more that you know the more you understand that people have agendas. Those agendas drive what passes as knowledge. People used to not be so gullible. They took new knowledge with a grain of salt and shelved it to compare it to other knowledge. That is wisdom personified. Do not take every bit of information to heart until you have filtered it through the Word of God and prayer. God will show you if you are patient what is real and what is not. He is the source of all knowledge. Do not trust "smart" people just because they have all the degrees in the world. You must know if what they have been taught comes from the Maker of the universe or the god of this world. If the god of this world proves to be the source, run from it like your life depends on it.
How does this apply to early childhood?
I have written extensively on the basis of much of what passes for early childhood theory. Most if not all of the "knowledge" taught in early childhood classes has a secular humanistic foundation. This is a problem. A great deal of it outright contradicts what the Word of God teaches. As Christian educators you have a decision to make. Do you trust these humanistic experts? Or do you trust the Maker of the universe that might just maybe know how children grow and develop? What is the basis for your knowledge? How much value do you place on Godly wisdom?
Conclusion
My fellow Christian educators, the time has come to lay our fears aside and STAND for what our God tells us. We have cowered in fear and our society has paid an extremely heavy price for our cowardice. Whether they know it or not, our presence provides blessings and our absence brings chaos. If we do not stand, God does not bless us. How many times in the Bible does our Father tell us to stand firm and having done all to stand. Lay aside the knowledge that comes from the world and take up the wisdom of God without apology. Only when our knowledge has been firmly grounded in the Word of God will we see the good results we all want for all children.
I hope you have enjoyed this post. Goodbye and God bless!!
https://linktr.ee/natawade
What is Knowledge?
Webster defines knowledge as something learned and kept in the mind. Other definitions include understanding gained by actual experience, range of information, and clear perception of truth. In today's world, knowledge is gained through education for the most part. Knowledge of skill can be acquired through experience but much of what we know has been taught to us. Therefore, knowledge depends greatly on the voracity of the information conveyed. One of my favorite quotes from President Ronald Reagan goes as follows: "It is not that my liberal friends are ignorant, it is just that they know so much that is not so." That completely sums up today's world. The older I become, the more I see the truth in that quote. So much of what we "know" simply does not match the reality of the matter. The Bible tells us that knowledge puffs up. Again, a truer statement could not be made. People that believe themselves to be knowledgable often look down on those that they believe to not be as knowledgable. Knowledge can only be as valuable as the source that produces it. Therein lies the danger of knowledge. Sometimes it is hard to know how reliable the source of the information proves to be.
What is Wisdom?
Webster defines wisdom as good sense. It also has the definition of a wise attitude or course of action. The world struggles with the concept of wisdom because the Bible defines it best. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. What does that mean? When we understand that God is all and in all and through all and we have a healthful fear or respect for that, we understand wisdom. Wisdom involves following God's way of doing things when all the world screams that you should not be doing that. It is the deep understanding that the One that created the universe might have the inside tract on how things function and work. When God is the foundation, everything else falls into its place. Does the world have its own version of wisdom? Yes but it is closer to knowledge than actual wisdom. The first definition Webster gives for wisdom covers this concept which involves accumulated philosophic or scientific learning. However, the voracity of the information accumulated absolutely affects the quality of the wisdom just like with knowledge. Until you go to the Source of all things, you run the risk of building on the wrong foundation.
What happens when you have knowledge without wisdom?
As I stated in the section on knowledge, the Bible states that knowledge puffs up. People that think themselves to be knowledgable also tend to be extremely arrogant. Wise people tend to be humble. How does this play out in the real world? Knowledge without true wisdom breeds division and contempt for the "unknowledgable." Knowledge paired with true wisdom breeds peace, joy, love, patience, goodness, kindness, gentleness, and self-control. Recognize that list? That is the fruit of the Spirit. The reason for the difference has everything to do with the foundation. I have talked extensively about bias and worldviews. Those two concepts affect everything. They determine the foundation and that absolutely determines outcomes. When your knowledge has no basis in God's truth, you are building on sand. Whether you realize it or not, you come off as arrogant and pushy. You will look down on those that do not share your "knowledge" despite your best efforts not to do so. Even religious people can be terribly guilty of this practice. Ever heard of the Pharisees and Sadducees? Knowledge for the sake of knowledge in any area produces these results. Knowledge applied through wisdom produces good results for the person and for all the other people in their orbit. Wisdom edifies others.
What happens when wisdom discredits your knowledge?
This has actually happened to me a lot lately. I have always trusted what I have been taught except when it obviously contradicts the Word of God. Here lately, I have come to understand that almost everything I have been taught has to be filtered through its biases. I now question almost everything. I do not take anything at face value anymore. I have also done a lot more research to find the beginnings of certain movements throughout history and their objectives. It really does matter. The more that you know the more you understand that people have agendas. Those agendas drive what passes as knowledge. People used to not be so gullible. They took new knowledge with a grain of salt and shelved it to compare it to other knowledge. That is wisdom personified. Do not take every bit of information to heart until you have filtered it through the Word of God and prayer. God will show you if you are patient what is real and what is not. He is the source of all knowledge. Do not trust "smart" people just because they have all the degrees in the world. You must know if what they have been taught comes from the Maker of the universe or the god of this world. If the god of this world proves to be the source, run from it like your life depends on it.
How does this apply to early childhood?
I have written extensively on the basis of much of what passes for early childhood theory. Most if not all of the "knowledge" taught in early childhood classes has a secular humanistic foundation. This is a problem. A great deal of it outright contradicts what the Word of God teaches. As Christian educators you have a decision to make. Do you trust these humanistic experts? Or do you trust the Maker of the universe that might just maybe know how children grow and develop? What is the basis for your knowledge? How much value do you place on Godly wisdom?
Conclusion
My fellow Christian educators, the time has come to lay our fears aside and STAND for what our God tells us. We have cowered in fear and our society has paid an extremely heavy price for our cowardice. Whether they know it or not, our presence provides blessings and our absence brings chaos. If we do not stand, God does not bless us. How many times in the Bible does our Father tell us to stand firm and having done all to stand. Lay aside the knowledge that comes from the world and take up the wisdom of God without apology. Only when our knowledge has been firmly grounded in the Word of God will we see the good results we all want for all children.
I hope you have enjoyed this post. Goodbye and God bless!!
https://linktr.ee/natawade
Friday, January 18, 2019
Cognitive and Language Development for 2 to 2 and 1/2 year olds - Early Literacy and Communication (Part 1)
This post will finish the discussion for Cognitive Development and begin discussion of Language Development. We will zero in on the components - Phonological Awareness and Receptive Language. Remember I am taking my information from the Tennessee Early Learning Developmental Standards (TN-ELDS).
First, we look at the component - Phonological Awareness. The learning expectation is: Engages in and enjoys word play with silly sounds and real and nonsense words. The performance indicator is: Plays with words himself if he hears adult modeling rhymes and silly-sounding words. To be truthful, I have not seen many children this age conquering this particular performance indicator even with adult modeling. With adult modeling I do see this 6 months to a year later. We have so many compounding effects of our culture on our children from chemical exposures to bombardment of technology that language development gets lost in translation. This is sad beyond words. However, do not lose hope. Read to children. Play silly word games with them even if they do not play along at first. Stay after it. Until an adult models this, they will never conquer this performance indicator.
Now, we will move on to the component - Receptive Language. The learning expectation for this one is: Understands questions, simple directions, beginning concepts, and the ideas and sequence of stories. The first performance indicator is: Responds to two-part, related directions that are more complex (e.g. "Pick up your shoe and give it to me."). Unless there is a serious language or developmental delay, most children conquer this one by the age of 2 and 1/2 years. Receptive language tends to develop much sooner and broader than spoken language. However, language delay will rear its ugly head with this one as well. I have had children that do not show true comprehension of receptive language until they are almost three. Some children can do the one-step instructions or instructions in sequence. For example, you can tell them to pick up the shoe. Then you tell them separately to hand it to you. The children that can do the instructions in sequence tend to be children with attention problems and the two-step instruction creates an issue for them. However, even these children can build up to the two-step instruction with practice. It will take a conscious effort on the part of the adult to make sure to work through this process. Many parents and teachers do not realize they are not giving a two-step instruction if they have grown accustomed to the instruction in sequence process.
The next performance indicator is: Listens to simple stories and points to associated pictures. This one very much depends on how much a child has had an adult read to them. Listening is a skill that must be developed and that takes practice. I have seen children this age sit through some fairly long books because they had been read to since they were born. I have seen other four year olds not make it through a shorter book because they were not accustomed to having someone read to them. I once told a room full of parents that I as an educator can tell within five minutes how much they read to their children. The children show their level of expertise with listening as soon as you read to them. A parent can lie all they want about how much they read to a child, but the child's ability to listen will tell on them.
The next performance indicator is: Understands possessive nouns ("my," "mine," "yours"). Unlike a lot of other language performance indicators this one is nearly universal. Even children that drag in development understand "my, mine, and yours" fairly quickly. If a child does not understand this one by the age of 2 and 1/2, you will need to have them tested. A severe language delay or disability may be at hand.
The last performance indicator that we will look at this time is: Understands routines. For children that have a daily routine this one comes naturally. Routines have a way of becoming a part of a child's emotional makeup quickly. Children that are not used to routines will resist routines with every fiber of their being until you get them used to it in spite of themselves. Then they calm and settle in. Most parents swear that I have completely changed their child. The difference blows them away. Little children need routines. They thrive when their days progress in an orderly process. It does not have to be an elaborate routine, but when breakfast, lunch, nap, supper, bedtime all occur at the same time everyday, they tend to be happy little campers.
I hope you have enjoyed this post. Goodbye and God bless!!
https://linktr.ee/natawade
First, we look at the component - Phonological Awareness. The learning expectation is: Engages in and enjoys word play with silly sounds and real and nonsense words. The performance indicator is: Plays with words himself if he hears adult modeling rhymes and silly-sounding words. To be truthful, I have not seen many children this age conquering this particular performance indicator even with adult modeling. With adult modeling I do see this 6 months to a year later. We have so many compounding effects of our culture on our children from chemical exposures to bombardment of technology that language development gets lost in translation. This is sad beyond words. However, do not lose hope. Read to children. Play silly word games with them even if they do not play along at first. Stay after it. Until an adult models this, they will never conquer this performance indicator.
Now, we will move on to the component - Receptive Language. The learning expectation for this one is: Understands questions, simple directions, beginning concepts, and the ideas and sequence of stories. The first performance indicator is: Responds to two-part, related directions that are more complex (e.g. "Pick up your shoe and give it to me."). Unless there is a serious language or developmental delay, most children conquer this one by the age of 2 and 1/2 years. Receptive language tends to develop much sooner and broader than spoken language. However, language delay will rear its ugly head with this one as well. I have had children that do not show true comprehension of receptive language until they are almost three. Some children can do the one-step instructions or instructions in sequence. For example, you can tell them to pick up the shoe. Then you tell them separately to hand it to you. The children that can do the instructions in sequence tend to be children with attention problems and the two-step instruction creates an issue for them. However, even these children can build up to the two-step instruction with practice. It will take a conscious effort on the part of the adult to make sure to work through this process. Many parents and teachers do not realize they are not giving a two-step instruction if they have grown accustomed to the instruction in sequence process.
The next performance indicator is: Listens to simple stories and points to associated pictures. This one very much depends on how much a child has had an adult read to them. Listening is a skill that must be developed and that takes practice. I have seen children this age sit through some fairly long books because they had been read to since they were born. I have seen other four year olds not make it through a shorter book because they were not accustomed to having someone read to them. I once told a room full of parents that I as an educator can tell within five minutes how much they read to their children. The children show their level of expertise with listening as soon as you read to them. A parent can lie all they want about how much they read to a child, but the child's ability to listen will tell on them.
The next performance indicator is: Understands possessive nouns ("my," "mine," "yours"). Unlike a lot of other language performance indicators this one is nearly universal. Even children that drag in development understand "my, mine, and yours" fairly quickly. If a child does not understand this one by the age of 2 and 1/2, you will need to have them tested. A severe language delay or disability may be at hand.
The last performance indicator that we will look at this time is: Understands routines. For children that have a daily routine this one comes naturally. Routines have a way of becoming a part of a child's emotional makeup quickly. Children that are not used to routines will resist routines with every fiber of their being until you get them used to it in spite of themselves. Then they calm and settle in. Most parents swear that I have completely changed their child. The difference blows them away. Little children need routines. They thrive when their days progress in an orderly process. It does not have to be an elaborate routine, but when breakfast, lunch, nap, supper, bedtime all occur at the same time everyday, they tend to be happy little campers.
I hope you have enjoyed this post. Goodbye and God bless!!
https://linktr.ee/natawade
Saturday, December 15, 2018
The Dangers of Social Justice
This post will take a look at the dark side of the social justice movement from a Christian worldview standpoint. We will discuss how Christianity and the social justice movement compare and contrast.
What is Social Justice?
The United Nations definition of social justice describes it as the fair and compassionate distribution of the fruits of economic growth. The development of the concept mirrored the rise of the socialist/Marxist theories in western Europe in the 1800s. Therefore, it shares a philosophical foundation with standard socialist theory such as the ideas of wealth redistribution and equality of outcomes. On the surface these types of idealistic notions seem harmless and may even seem based on Christian principles. For example, Christ commands us to take care of the poor and oppressed, but does he necessarily advocate for equality of outcomes. That concept, the equality of outcomes, represents the very heart of socialism and social justice. Does that concept have basis in Christian theology? One only has to look at the parable of the talents to understand that God does not share that particular philosophy. In fact, He states that to him who has shall more be given and to him who does not have, even what he thinks he has shall be taken away. God never intended people to be equal in output and outcomes. He loves us all but we all have different functions and therefore different needs.
Not a Tame Lion
The title of this section will not make sense unless you know that it is a quote about the great lion, Aslan, in C. S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia. This allegorical story states that the great lion, Aslan, is good but he is not a tame lion. Of course, Aslan represents Jesus in these stories, but what does that mean? C. S. Lewis was trying to convey that God's goodness transcends our thoughts of goodness. God does not fit our ideas of good. He is not tame. This concept most accurately describes how social justice and Christianity part ways. Our God is an all consuming fire. We often forget about his holiness and only concentrate on his kindness. However, many verses talk about the kindness and severity of God. One cannot truly understand His kindness without also understanding His severity. Our God does not take any sin lightly. He does not wink at it. He also does not change His mind. The concept that God evolves with the flow of the history of man constitutes one of the great heresies of our time. "I am the Lord God, I change not." Only focusing on His kindness leads many Christians to look at situations through a skewed lens. A Christian must filter everything through the Word of God. We cannot excuse sin just because it causes suffering. Sin always causes suffering. God built that into the universe. We have not been put on this earth to bring about utopia. We have been put on this earth to draw all men unto Him. He told us that this world is fallen and only He can fix it. Until we start our presuppositions from that point, we will always deviate into heresy.
Moral Norms vs Social Norms
One of the main pillars of the modern progressive movement and social justice advocates involves the concept of social norms. What are social norms and how do they contrast with moral norms? To answer that question one must first understand the philosophical foundation of the progressive movement. Remember everyone has a worldview and that worldview dictates the philosophical foundation of the concepts that derive from that worldview. The philosophical foundation for progressives is relativism. Truth, justice, and all the underlying concepts derive their meaning from the culture in which they arise. Relativists do not believe in set right and wrong standards. A culture can set those standards based on the wants and needs of the individuals of that culture. On the other hand, moral norms or standards are set by an outside force such as a religion. These standards do not change over time with the evolving of the culture. Social norms do change almost constantly. Christianity has as its basis the Bible which functions as the standard for all norms. The surrounding culture does not dictate the norms of the Bible. They do not change. People living by social norms must constantly keep track of what is and is not acceptable at any given time. What has been acceptable can suddenly change leaving its followers scrambling to learn the new standards. (Pronouns anyone?) Therefore the concept of social justice must also constantly change with the underlying social norms. To live your life based on social norms is to live your life on a ever changing foundation. For me, I say, "On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand. All other ground is sinking sand."
Free Speech vs Hate Speech
Another contrast between Christianity and the social justice movement involves the concept of free speech. The heritage of our country has long protected speech even offensive speech as encapsulated in our First Amendment. Traditional liberals used to defend this freedom to a fault as long as the standard of offense came from the right. Left-leaning offensive speech falls under the protection of the First Amendment. However, now we have a situation in our country where the standard of offense comes from the left. Does speech that offends the left get the same treatment as speech that offends the right? No, NO, NOOOO!!! Social norms and free speech do not coexist with one another very well. Social norms dictate that culture define our ideas of what is and is not acceptable. Therefore, when the left controls the culture, speech that offends the left falls into the category of unacceptable. Unacceptable speech threatens the social norms and is thus labeled as hate speech. Moral norms are not affected by what is and is not acceptable in the culture. Offensive speech to the right brings with it consequences in how people relate to one another but it does not threaten the norm itself. The norm is set in stone and cannot be swayed by public opinion. In order to rule by social norms, the left must squash all dissent to maintain its control. This explains why conservative speech and Christian speech threatens the left so much. True free speech threatens the lefts power base. It cannot be allowed.
God's Justice vs Social Justice
Now I will look at the last contrast between God's definition of justice and social justice. I left this one for last because a culture's definition of justice flows from the standards and norms of that culture. God's justice flows from moral norms (Bible). Social justice flows from social norms (political correctness). These two standards of justice cannot coexist because they are built on different foundations. Christians that follow after social justice either do not have a working knowledge of the Bible or have fallen for the fallacy that the Bible does not have to be the standard for our lives. A person with a working knowledge of the Word of God and that fully understands God built His justice into the fabric of the universe cannot reconcile social norms for the standard of his/her life. Ever wonder why so many people are beginning to despise political correctness? Living by shifting standards presents the most exhausting way to live possible. People may have hated moral norms because they did not want to admit that certain acts are sin, but at least under moral norms the rules always stayed the same. If you fail to get the memo on the latest change in social norms, you will find yourself on the wrong side of the mob. Eventually most everyone finds themselves on the wrong side of the mob. Ever wonder why we have so much despair in our country today? God's justice functions like those pesky boundaries that little children outwardly despise but inwardly they give a sense of order to their universe. It brings peace. Social justice functions like a permissive parent that wants to be the child's peer instead of a parent. Outwardly the child seems to like the situation but inwardly they have no sense of bearing. They do not understand the rules. It brings despair.
Conclusion
Now let's bring this into the early childhood arena. Should a Christian early childhood educator teach social justice? I hope by this point in this article you understand that the answer to that question is no. Do not teach these precious little ones that they have to live on shifting sand. Teach them the standards that will bring them peace and not despair. Stand firm on what you know is right. Will it cost you? Probably. Do it anyway!!
I hope you have enjoyed this post. Goodbye and God bless!!
https://linktr.ee/natawade
What is Social Justice?
The United Nations definition of social justice describes it as the fair and compassionate distribution of the fruits of economic growth. The development of the concept mirrored the rise of the socialist/Marxist theories in western Europe in the 1800s. Therefore, it shares a philosophical foundation with standard socialist theory such as the ideas of wealth redistribution and equality of outcomes. On the surface these types of idealistic notions seem harmless and may even seem based on Christian principles. For example, Christ commands us to take care of the poor and oppressed, but does he necessarily advocate for equality of outcomes. That concept, the equality of outcomes, represents the very heart of socialism and social justice. Does that concept have basis in Christian theology? One only has to look at the parable of the talents to understand that God does not share that particular philosophy. In fact, He states that to him who has shall more be given and to him who does not have, even what he thinks he has shall be taken away. God never intended people to be equal in output and outcomes. He loves us all but we all have different functions and therefore different needs.
Not a Tame Lion
The title of this section will not make sense unless you know that it is a quote about the great lion, Aslan, in C. S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia. This allegorical story states that the great lion, Aslan, is good but he is not a tame lion. Of course, Aslan represents Jesus in these stories, but what does that mean? C. S. Lewis was trying to convey that God's goodness transcends our thoughts of goodness. God does not fit our ideas of good. He is not tame. This concept most accurately describes how social justice and Christianity part ways. Our God is an all consuming fire. We often forget about his holiness and only concentrate on his kindness. However, many verses talk about the kindness and severity of God. One cannot truly understand His kindness without also understanding His severity. Our God does not take any sin lightly. He does not wink at it. He also does not change His mind. The concept that God evolves with the flow of the history of man constitutes one of the great heresies of our time. "I am the Lord God, I change not." Only focusing on His kindness leads many Christians to look at situations through a skewed lens. A Christian must filter everything through the Word of God. We cannot excuse sin just because it causes suffering. Sin always causes suffering. God built that into the universe. We have not been put on this earth to bring about utopia. We have been put on this earth to draw all men unto Him. He told us that this world is fallen and only He can fix it. Until we start our presuppositions from that point, we will always deviate into heresy.
Moral Norms vs Social Norms
One of the main pillars of the modern progressive movement and social justice advocates involves the concept of social norms. What are social norms and how do they contrast with moral norms? To answer that question one must first understand the philosophical foundation of the progressive movement. Remember everyone has a worldview and that worldview dictates the philosophical foundation of the concepts that derive from that worldview. The philosophical foundation for progressives is relativism. Truth, justice, and all the underlying concepts derive their meaning from the culture in which they arise. Relativists do not believe in set right and wrong standards. A culture can set those standards based on the wants and needs of the individuals of that culture. On the other hand, moral norms or standards are set by an outside force such as a religion. These standards do not change over time with the evolving of the culture. Social norms do change almost constantly. Christianity has as its basis the Bible which functions as the standard for all norms. The surrounding culture does not dictate the norms of the Bible. They do not change. People living by social norms must constantly keep track of what is and is not acceptable at any given time. What has been acceptable can suddenly change leaving its followers scrambling to learn the new standards. (Pronouns anyone?) Therefore the concept of social justice must also constantly change with the underlying social norms. To live your life based on social norms is to live your life on a ever changing foundation. For me, I say, "On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand. All other ground is sinking sand."
Free Speech vs Hate Speech
Another contrast between Christianity and the social justice movement involves the concept of free speech. The heritage of our country has long protected speech even offensive speech as encapsulated in our First Amendment. Traditional liberals used to defend this freedom to a fault as long as the standard of offense came from the right. Left-leaning offensive speech falls under the protection of the First Amendment. However, now we have a situation in our country where the standard of offense comes from the left. Does speech that offends the left get the same treatment as speech that offends the right? No, NO, NOOOO!!! Social norms and free speech do not coexist with one another very well. Social norms dictate that culture define our ideas of what is and is not acceptable. Therefore, when the left controls the culture, speech that offends the left falls into the category of unacceptable. Unacceptable speech threatens the social norms and is thus labeled as hate speech. Moral norms are not affected by what is and is not acceptable in the culture. Offensive speech to the right brings with it consequences in how people relate to one another but it does not threaten the norm itself. The norm is set in stone and cannot be swayed by public opinion. In order to rule by social norms, the left must squash all dissent to maintain its control. This explains why conservative speech and Christian speech threatens the left so much. True free speech threatens the lefts power base. It cannot be allowed.
God's Justice vs Social Justice
Now I will look at the last contrast between God's definition of justice and social justice. I left this one for last because a culture's definition of justice flows from the standards and norms of that culture. God's justice flows from moral norms (Bible). Social justice flows from social norms (political correctness). These two standards of justice cannot coexist because they are built on different foundations. Christians that follow after social justice either do not have a working knowledge of the Bible or have fallen for the fallacy that the Bible does not have to be the standard for our lives. A person with a working knowledge of the Word of God and that fully understands God built His justice into the fabric of the universe cannot reconcile social norms for the standard of his/her life. Ever wonder why so many people are beginning to despise political correctness? Living by shifting standards presents the most exhausting way to live possible. People may have hated moral norms because they did not want to admit that certain acts are sin, but at least under moral norms the rules always stayed the same. If you fail to get the memo on the latest change in social norms, you will find yourself on the wrong side of the mob. Eventually most everyone finds themselves on the wrong side of the mob. Ever wonder why we have so much despair in our country today? God's justice functions like those pesky boundaries that little children outwardly despise but inwardly they give a sense of order to their universe. It brings peace. Social justice functions like a permissive parent that wants to be the child's peer instead of a parent. Outwardly the child seems to like the situation but inwardly they have no sense of bearing. They do not understand the rules. It brings despair.
Conclusion
Now let's bring this into the early childhood arena. Should a Christian early childhood educator teach social justice? I hope by this point in this article you understand that the answer to that question is no. Do not teach these precious little ones that they have to live on shifting sand. Teach them the standards that will bring them peace and not despair. Stand firm on what you know is right. Will it cost you? Probably. Do it anyway!!
I hope you have enjoyed this post. Goodbye and God bless!!
https://linktr.ee/natawade
Wednesday, November 21, 2018
Cognitive Development for 2 to 2 and 1/2 year olds - Early Writing and Auditory Discrimination
This post will continue the discussion of cognitive development of 2 to 2 and 1/2 year olds focusing in on the components - Early Writing Behaviors and Skills and Auditory Discrimination. Remember I am taking my information from the Tennessee Early Learning Developmental Standards (TN-ELDS).
Before I get to the normal discussion, I want to discuss something very near and dear to my heart at the moment. Since I started this blog I have discussed in great length how I have seen a deterioration in cognitive development and language development. This deterioration baffled me and at first, I attributed to the lack of reading aloud to children. But now, I have seen something in my own granddaughters that I feel adequately answers the question of what has happened. My third granddaughter is showing all the signs I have discussed of language delay and cognitive delay. My fourth granddaughter is developing according to what I am accustomed to seeing from even when my own children were small. What is the difference? My fourth grandchild has not been vaccinated since her first round of shots. My third grandchild received her vaccinations through two years old. She will get no others. She has been vaccine-injured. We are convinced of this. The longer she goes without the vaccines the more she pulls up but she will lag behind for several more years. I used to be all about getting all of your vaccines, but I will not do that anymore. It changes you when it happens to one of your own. Now that I have started doing my own research, I am convinced that the chemicals and additives and the sheer volume of vaccines that they administer to children now fully answers the question of why our children have all of a sudden began to exhibit all of these cognitive and developmental problems. It does not matter to me if you believe me. Do your own research. Do it thoroughly. You may come to the same conclusion that I have.
Now to the usual business at hand. We will begin with the component - Early Writing Behaviors and Skills. The learning expectation is: Uses variety of writing tools to make scribbles. The performance indicator is: Holds tool in palm of hand using all fingers (palmar grasp) and scribbles. Most children this age actually conquer this performance indicator when allowed to scribble. The problem I have found is that many, many parents do not allow their children to scribble. They hand them an electronic toy of some sort instead because it is less messy. I have news for the parents of today. Children are messy. If you believe that you can alleviate all mess from childhood, then you are on the path to truly mess up your children in ways we probably cannot comprehend. All of the inconvenient messes have their purpose. Let the messes be and learn to live with a little mess and chaos. It is called childhood.
Now we will move on to the component - Auditory Discrimination. The first learning expectation is: Is aware of and can identify many sounds in the environment. The performance indicator for this one is: By 30 months, child stops activity to focus on interesting sounds around her (e.g., dogs barking, birds singing, and sounds of trains, planes, sirens, vacuums, etc.). Most children meet this performance indicator unless a hearing problem occurs. If a child does not meet this performance indicator, a hearing test should be administered by a professional.
Lastly, we will cover the learning expectation: Begins to distinguish between words with similar phonemes, such as pat and path. The performance indicator for this one is: Makes accurate distinctions between words that contain very similar-sounding phonemes, such as path-pass, hat-pat, bug-bud, map-nap, shot-shop. hit-hat. This performance indicator assumes a great deal of auditory language development that I have not seen in years from this age range. It has a been at least a decade since I have seen two year olds with enough language skill to discern between words this complex. I will refer you to my opening as to why I think these delays are happening, but what do we do? Reading to the children regularly still helps but I have seen even this to be limited to how much it can accomplice. Removing processed foods from their diet also helps. Our poor children have been inundated with chemicals. What have we done?
I hope you have enjoyed this post. Goodbye and God bless!!
https://linktr.ee/natawade
Before I get to the normal discussion, I want to discuss something very near and dear to my heart at the moment. Since I started this blog I have discussed in great length how I have seen a deterioration in cognitive development and language development. This deterioration baffled me and at first, I attributed to the lack of reading aloud to children. But now, I have seen something in my own granddaughters that I feel adequately answers the question of what has happened. My third granddaughter is showing all the signs I have discussed of language delay and cognitive delay. My fourth granddaughter is developing according to what I am accustomed to seeing from even when my own children were small. What is the difference? My fourth grandchild has not been vaccinated since her first round of shots. My third grandchild received her vaccinations through two years old. She will get no others. She has been vaccine-injured. We are convinced of this. The longer she goes without the vaccines the more she pulls up but she will lag behind for several more years. I used to be all about getting all of your vaccines, but I will not do that anymore. It changes you when it happens to one of your own. Now that I have started doing my own research, I am convinced that the chemicals and additives and the sheer volume of vaccines that they administer to children now fully answers the question of why our children have all of a sudden began to exhibit all of these cognitive and developmental problems. It does not matter to me if you believe me. Do your own research. Do it thoroughly. You may come to the same conclusion that I have.
Now to the usual business at hand. We will begin with the component - Early Writing Behaviors and Skills. The learning expectation is: Uses variety of writing tools to make scribbles. The performance indicator is: Holds tool in palm of hand using all fingers (palmar grasp) and scribbles. Most children this age actually conquer this performance indicator when allowed to scribble. The problem I have found is that many, many parents do not allow their children to scribble. They hand them an electronic toy of some sort instead because it is less messy. I have news for the parents of today. Children are messy. If you believe that you can alleviate all mess from childhood, then you are on the path to truly mess up your children in ways we probably cannot comprehend. All of the inconvenient messes have their purpose. Let the messes be and learn to live with a little mess and chaos. It is called childhood.
Now we will move on to the component - Auditory Discrimination. The first learning expectation is: Is aware of and can identify many sounds in the environment. The performance indicator for this one is: By 30 months, child stops activity to focus on interesting sounds around her (e.g., dogs barking, birds singing, and sounds of trains, planes, sirens, vacuums, etc.). Most children meet this performance indicator unless a hearing problem occurs. If a child does not meet this performance indicator, a hearing test should be administered by a professional.
Lastly, we will cover the learning expectation: Begins to distinguish between words with similar phonemes, such as pat and path. The performance indicator for this one is: Makes accurate distinctions between words that contain very similar-sounding phonemes, such as path-pass, hat-pat, bug-bud, map-nap, shot-shop. hit-hat. This performance indicator assumes a great deal of auditory language development that I have not seen in years from this age range. It has a been at least a decade since I have seen two year olds with enough language skill to discern between words this complex. I will refer you to my opening as to why I think these delays are happening, but what do we do? Reading to the children regularly still helps but I have seen even this to be limited to how much it can accomplice. Removing processed foods from their diet also helps. Our poor children have been inundated with chemicals. What have we done?
I hope you have enjoyed this post. Goodbye and God bless!!
https://linktr.ee/natawade
Thursday, October 11, 2018
The Dangers of Political Correctness
This post will look at how political correctness has permeated every aspect of our culture and the consequences and outcomes that has in the early childhood field.
What is Political Correctness?
Political correctness could be defined as socially acceptable responses developed on social norms for challenging and divisive topics. I would say that is how the left defines it. The right defines political correctness as a propaganda technique to shut down debate on topics decided by the left with rules defined by the left. I tend to go with the right's definition. I say that because what was politically correct a decade ago sends the left into hysterics now. Political correctness is constantly evolving to take our society further and further to the left. The right has no say in what is politically correct at all. It is defined in the universities, which are completely dominated by progressive thought. In fact, I am convinced that they have classes to constantly redefine what constitutes political correct thought. For example, I went to my daughter's graduation at the University of Chicago a few years ago and made the mistake of calling people from east Asia Oriental. I got a long lecture on how that term derides people of that area and conjures up ideas of colonialism. You see, all things that have anything to do with Western Civilization are evil to the core. They must be eradicated from our existence at all costs. White people of European descent have ruined the world and must be punished for their crimes. This, people, is political correctness in a nutshell. I fear that Asian people may also fall into the crosshairs of the progressives as well because they tend to dominate in intellectual circles. It is all about the crab bucket. When one race or people tries to crawl out and make a better life, the rest of the crabs pull them back down. That is the best picture of progressivism I can give you.
Why was Political Correctness Developed?
Political Correctness had its beginning in the 1990s on college campuses as a way to push social norms over moral norms. What is the difference? Social norms can evolve with the changing views of a society. Moral norms are based on right and wrong which has stood the test of time. Most of the time moral norms are based on absolutes such as the Bible. Progressives of the 1990s wanted to do away with some moral norms in which they did not agree such as traditional marriage, traditional male and female roles, and most anything having to do with sexuality. This was the sexual revolution of the 1960s and 1970s on steroids. Then they decided that all things having to do with Western Civilization were evil and had to not only be eradicated but had to be punitively treated. We were given diversity as the greatest god of all time as if just having a diverse group of people made everything perfect and good with unicorns flying around with rainbows in their hair. Multiculturalism was pushed on us, but now what was multiculturalism in the 1990s is not good enough for the progressive of today. They want everyone to revert back to tribalism and demand exact equal treatment for all regardless of any effort on the part of the people involved. It is socialism pure and simple. It never stops. We will never reach perfection of political correctness because as soon as we reach one goal, the next group begins to demand their equal treatment. A decade ago we would never have thought that transgender rights would be pushed on us like it is. Guess what is next? Pedophiles. If you do not believe me, make a note of this and revisit it in 10 years. Pedophilia is accepted in certain cultures around the world including some Muslim countries. We are already completely afraid of saying anything bad about Muslims because of political correctness. It does not take a rocket scientist to see where this is going.
What is the Big Deal?
If you have ever crossed the PC police either purposely or innocently, you know the answer to that question. Never in all of your life will you be called every name in the book so quickly as when you dare not to tow the party line on every single facet of this one. If you do not believe me, ask Susan Collins, the senator from Maine. She has worked all of her career to advance women's issues but as soon as she decided to have a mind of her own and go against the mob, she had to hire a security detail. Another case would be Kanye West. He has been derided and racially slurred for daring to be black and not progressive. (The same sin as Clarence Thomas.) One side of an argument cannot dictate the whole of the conversation. How many classical liberals now find themselves on the wrong side of the politically correct mob? They keep changing the rules. As I said, what was once accepted is no longer accepted and if you do not keep up with it daily, you can make an innocent mistake that puts you on the wrong side of the mob. And they are a mob. Make no mistake about it. Dissension is not allowed. You must agree with them or you have to shut up and sit down. Hillary Clinton just told us that they do not have to be civil to people that disagree with them until they get their way. I do not know about you but that is not the type of society I want to live in any longer.
Conclusion
How does this all relate to the early childhood world? No other field in academia except maybe psychology has a more progressive/liberal bias than early childhood. Political correctness holds sway without much push back at all. Have you ever tried to cross the liberal bias in this field? I have and it is very ugly. Only two allegations in this society get the "guilty until proven innocent" treatment. One is sexual assault and the other is child abuse. I was falsely accused of child abuse. Another provider I know had her son falsely accused of sexual assault. They do not even beat around the bush either. They go straight to completely destroy without any ifs, ands, or buts. Proving your innocence takes years to accomplish and you never really get your reputation back. That is why they do it. They do not allow dissent. Political correctness is a cancer that is eating our society alive from the inside out. For the first time in a long time I actually have hope that the sleeping giant will wake up and throw off the shackles that the progressives have placed on us for years. As I said, I do not want to live in a society that has constantly shifting norms. I refuse to tow the party line. Who is with me?
I hope you have enjoyed this post. Goodbye and God bless!!
https://linktr.ee/natawade
What is Political Correctness?
Political correctness could be defined as socially acceptable responses developed on social norms for challenging and divisive topics. I would say that is how the left defines it. The right defines political correctness as a propaganda technique to shut down debate on topics decided by the left with rules defined by the left. I tend to go with the right's definition. I say that because what was politically correct a decade ago sends the left into hysterics now. Political correctness is constantly evolving to take our society further and further to the left. The right has no say in what is politically correct at all. It is defined in the universities, which are completely dominated by progressive thought. In fact, I am convinced that they have classes to constantly redefine what constitutes political correct thought. For example, I went to my daughter's graduation at the University of Chicago a few years ago and made the mistake of calling people from east Asia Oriental. I got a long lecture on how that term derides people of that area and conjures up ideas of colonialism. You see, all things that have anything to do with Western Civilization are evil to the core. They must be eradicated from our existence at all costs. White people of European descent have ruined the world and must be punished for their crimes. This, people, is political correctness in a nutshell. I fear that Asian people may also fall into the crosshairs of the progressives as well because they tend to dominate in intellectual circles. It is all about the crab bucket. When one race or people tries to crawl out and make a better life, the rest of the crabs pull them back down. That is the best picture of progressivism I can give you.
Why was Political Correctness Developed?
Political Correctness had its beginning in the 1990s on college campuses as a way to push social norms over moral norms. What is the difference? Social norms can evolve with the changing views of a society. Moral norms are based on right and wrong which has stood the test of time. Most of the time moral norms are based on absolutes such as the Bible. Progressives of the 1990s wanted to do away with some moral norms in which they did not agree such as traditional marriage, traditional male and female roles, and most anything having to do with sexuality. This was the sexual revolution of the 1960s and 1970s on steroids. Then they decided that all things having to do with Western Civilization were evil and had to not only be eradicated but had to be punitively treated. We were given diversity as the greatest god of all time as if just having a diverse group of people made everything perfect and good with unicorns flying around with rainbows in their hair. Multiculturalism was pushed on us, but now what was multiculturalism in the 1990s is not good enough for the progressive of today. They want everyone to revert back to tribalism and demand exact equal treatment for all regardless of any effort on the part of the people involved. It is socialism pure and simple. It never stops. We will never reach perfection of political correctness because as soon as we reach one goal, the next group begins to demand their equal treatment. A decade ago we would never have thought that transgender rights would be pushed on us like it is. Guess what is next? Pedophiles. If you do not believe me, make a note of this and revisit it in 10 years. Pedophilia is accepted in certain cultures around the world including some Muslim countries. We are already completely afraid of saying anything bad about Muslims because of political correctness. It does not take a rocket scientist to see where this is going.
What is the Big Deal?
If you have ever crossed the PC police either purposely or innocently, you know the answer to that question. Never in all of your life will you be called every name in the book so quickly as when you dare not to tow the party line on every single facet of this one. If you do not believe me, ask Susan Collins, the senator from Maine. She has worked all of her career to advance women's issues but as soon as she decided to have a mind of her own and go against the mob, she had to hire a security detail. Another case would be Kanye West. He has been derided and racially slurred for daring to be black and not progressive. (The same sin as Clarence Thomas.) One side of an argument cannot dictate the whole of the conversation. How many classical liberals now find themselves on the wrong side of the politically correct mob? They keep changing the rules. As I said, what was once accepted is no longer accepted and if you do not keep up with it daily, you can make an innocent mistake that puts you on the wrong side of the mob. And they are a mob. Make no mistake about it. Dissension is not allowed. You must agree with them or you have to shut up and sit down. Hillary Clinton just told us that they do not have to be civil to people that disagree with them until they get their way. I do not know about you but that is not the type of society I want to live in any longer.
Conclusion
How does this all relate to the early childhood world? No other field in academia except maybe psychology has a more progressive/liberal bias than early childhood. Political correctness holds sway without much push back at all. Have you ever tried to cross the liberal bias in this field? I have and it is very ugly. Only two allegations in this society get the "guilty until proven innocent" treatment. One is sexual assault and the other is child abuse. I was falsely accused of child abuse. Another provider I know had her son falsely accused of sexual assault. They do not even beat around the bush either. They go straight to completely destroy without any ifs, ands, or buts. Proving your innocence takes years to accomplish and you never really get your reputation back. That is why they do it. They do not allow dissent. Political correctness is a cancer that is eating our society alive from the inside out. For the first time in a long time I actually have hope that the sleeping giant will wake up and throw off the shackles that the progressives have placed on us for years. As I said, I do not want to live in a society that has constantly shifting norms. I refuse to tow the party line. Who is with me?
I hope you have enjoyed this post. Goodbye and God bless!!
https://linktr.ee/natawade
Monday, April 30, 2018
Cognitive Development for 2 to 2 1/2 year olds - Early Literacy
This post will start posts for the age group of 2 to 2 1/2 year olds. It will focus on the area of learning - Early Literacy and cover the components - Picture and Story Comprehension and Book Reading Skills. Remember I am taking my information from the Tennessee Early Learning Developmental Standards (TN-ELDS).
We will start with the learning expectation: Begins to understand the connection between books and personal experiences. The first performance indicator is: Talks about the characters and events in storybooks in ways that suggest understanding of what has been said or read. Wow! I have not really seen a two to two and a half year old that could do this in about 5 to 7 years. Most of the children this age are barely speaking much less conveying that type of language. Most of the three year olds struggle with this performance indicator. Only those fortunate children that have parents that read to them every day might conquer this performance indicator. However, those same parents would also have to be the ones that greatly restrict screen time as well. More and more research is coming forward that links massive screen time to the language delays we see all the time in the early childhood world.
The second performance indicator is: Relates events in books to personal experiences. Again, it has been years since I have seen a two year old conquer this performance indicator. Children in our society can work a smart phone but they have so little experience with books to conquer this until they are three years old. This performance indicator requires quite a bit of book experience. Most two year olds can barely get through half a book without walking away and becoming disinterested. We must read to our children!!
The third performance indicator is: Makes associations among similar books (e.g., child gets two books about trains and shows the adult that they contain similar pictures or events). Some of today's two year olds might actually conquer this particular performance indicator only because it involves pictures. We have so tilted our culture to be visually dominant that even those children over exposed to screens can find similar books based on pictures. However, if you expect them to talk about it, you will be sadly disappointed. The association will not go further than the similar pictures and the word "train."
We will now move on to the component - Book Reading Skills - with the learning expectation - Recognizes and enjoys reading familiar books. The first performance indicator is: Recites whole phrases from favorite stories if the adult pauses at opportune moments. Again, this is another performance indicator that I have not seen two years old conquer for several years. I have actually seen three year olds not have enough book experience to be familiar enough with any book to do this. This performance indicator assumes that a child has a book read to them over and over again. The sad truth is that many parents do not read to their children at all. Many childcares do read but other activities required by all the crazy regulations make reading the same book over and over not really feasible. Therefore, children do not receive enough exposure for this one until they are nearly four years old.
The second performance indicator for this one is: Protests when an adult misreads a word in a familiar and usually predictable story. I hate to be a broken record but two year olds in today's culture do not conquer this one. No one reads to them enough to acquire that much book experience. Many three year olds cannot conquer this performance indicator. They have never heard a story enough to know when the adult does it wrong. They even have so little experience with books that the repetitive nature of some stories goes over their head for months. People, it is time to put down the tablets and phones and start reading to your children. The language delays we are experiencing are real and are only going to get worse.
I hope you have enjoyed this post!! Goodbye and God bless!!
https://linktr.ee/natawade
We will start with the learning expectation: Begins to understand the connection between books and personal experiences. The first performance indicator is: Talks about the characters and events in storybooks in ways that suggest understanding of what has been said or read. Wow! I have not really seen a two to two and a half year old that could do this in about 5 to 7 years. Most of the children this age are barely speaking much less conveying that type of language. Most of the three year olds struggle with this performance indicator. Only those fortunate children that have parents that read to them every day might conquer this performance indicator. However, those same parents would also have to be the ones that greatly restrict screen time as well. More and more research is coming forward that links massive screen time to the language delays we see all the time in the early childhood world.
The second performance indicator is: Relates events in books to personal experiences. Again, it has been years since I have seen a two year old conquer this performance indicator. Children in our society can work a smart phone but they have so little experience with books to conquer this until they are three years old. This performance indicator requires quite a bit of book experience. Most two year olds can barely get through half a book without walking away and becoming disinterested. We must read to our children!!
The third performance indicator is: Makes associations among similar books (e.g., child gets two books about trains and shows the adult that they contain similar pictures or events). Some of today's two year olds might actually conquer this particular performance indicator only because it involves pictures. We have so tilted our culture to be visually dominant that even those children over exposed to screens can find similar books based on pictures. However, if you expect them to talk about it, you will be sadly disappointed. The association will not go further than the similar pictures and the word "train."
We will now move on to the component - Book Reading Skills - with the learning expectation - Recognizes and enjoys reading familiar books. The first performance indicator is: Recites whole phrases from favorite stories if the adult pauses at opportune moments. Again, this is another performance indicator that I have not seen two years old conquer for several years. I have actually seen three year olds not have enough book experience to be familiar enough with any book to do this. This performance indicator assumes that a child has a book read to them over and over again. The sad truth is that many parents do not read to their children at all. Many childcares do read but other activities required by all the crazy regulations make reading the same book over and over not really feasible. Therefore, children do not receive enough exposure for this one until they are nearly four years old.
The second performance indicator for this one is: Protests when an adult misreads a word in a familiar and usually predictable story. I hate to be a broken record but two year olds in today's culture do not conquer this one. No one reads to them enough to acquire that much book experience. Many three year olds cannot conquer this performance indicator. They have never heard a story enough to know when the adult does it wrong. They even have so little experience with books that the repetitive nature of some stories goes over their head for months. People, it is time to put down the tablets and phones and start reading to your children. The language delays we are experiencing are real and are only going to get worse.
I hope you have enjoyed this post!! Goodbye and God bless!!
https://linktr.ee/natawade
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