http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/

                   This website seemed to have a number of topics that apply to the United States.  All of these seminars are topics of importance and offer much advice/information about important topics.  I think it is very interesting to see that other countries are focusing on some of the same issues that we are here in the United States.  Between the last course and this current course, I have been becoming more and more aware of what is happening in other parts of the world.  I feel that this is so beneficial because we can share tips, advice and information between each other.  I have always believed in sharing ideas and combining thoughts in order to make positive experiences for children.  Here is a list of seminars to attend hat focus on important topics related to early education:

Sharing Sensitive News with Parents Online Seminar 26 Sept 2014

Helping Parents of Late Talkers Use Gesture to Support Expressive Language Development Online Seminar 22 Oct 2014

Helping Parents Use Routines to Promote Young Children’s Interaction and Language Skills Online Seminar 30 Oct 2014

Coaching Parents in How to Play Online Seminar TBA/On demand

Starting Early: Red Flags and Treatment Tips for Toddlers on the Autism Spectrum Online Seminar TBA/On demand

Make Words Sparkle for Preschoolers and Kindergarten Children: Bring Vocabulary to Life During Book Reading and Daily Interactions Online Seminar On demand

Making Book Reading a Time for Interaction and Conversation Online Seminar On demand

References:

http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/events/

My Research Story

 

When I think of a positive result of research, I think about a time last year while I was teaching preschool.  There was a child in my class that was of the Hispanic culture.  He was four years old.  Every day at lunch time he would just sit there and not eat his food.  I was not sure why he was acting this way.  I thought maybe it was because he didn’t like the meals at school.  Maybe he was just a picky eater?  One day I picked up a fork and put some food on it.  He opened his mouth and took a bite.  This made me want to do some research on his culture.  I found out that in his culture, the caregivers help the children with self-help skills such as eating, longer than what we do in the United States.  I spoke to the parents about working with their child to teach him to feed himself so that he would be able to keep up with the other children.  The parents were very accepting of my idea and also worked on these skills at home. 

Early Intervention

I chose this topic because I have worked with special education for three years.  I realized how amazing these children are and should get the help that they deserve.  Sometimes children need a little extra assistance whether it be occupational therapy, speech therapy or many other types of therapy that is offered to children.  Children are extremely vulnerable at young ages and need to be set on the right track.  There are many organizations that help these children and families.  Early education sets the groundwork for children and their future.  If there is something that they need assistance with, it is better to do it at a young age.  It can be rather difficult to change things that a child has already learned.  I am curious if any of my classmates have worked with anyone with special needs and if so, do they feel that these services help them?