Handwashing

From what I've observed in professional environments where hand washing is especially important to prevent the spread of disease, such as early learning centers and food venues, I can conclude that professionally they are very conscientious of washing their hands, what they do in private is anyone's guess. Other than professional environments it is pretty hit or miss, some people wash their hands diligently, others not so much, its a quick rinse and dry before you toss the towel and grab the door knob. That pretty much sums up my observations to date.

Early interventions, WaKIDS

WaKIDS plays a significant part in the transition between early learning programs (eceap, headstart, etc...) and kindergarten, by giving all teachers a come early learning language to communicate with but also a more universal assessment system that is understood by everyone. Teachers are better prepare to meet new students when they have insight from the previous teacher, WaKIDS also focuses on helping and connecting families with the early interventions that their children might need in order to achieve their greatest overall potential.

Caspar Babypants

Caspar Babypants interacts directly with the children who attend his concerts, he sits down low near them, encouraging them to dance and sing also and he has lots of little stories to go along with his songs, he also played familiar songs and took requests too. There were families of all walks of life there and all of them were having a good time. I personally liked the beatles renditions that we were treated to. Caspar Babypants real name is Chris Ballew, and I know pretty much nothing about him other than what I experienced at his concert, I and my family really enjoyed ourselves. Also, Caspar's wife makes some very beautiful art pieces.

Program overview

Waldorf : The concept behind Waldorf curriculum and education is very beautiful and loving, Waldorf schools focus on the whole child , mind, body, and spirit. Waldorf teachers use self reflection and group coalition to develop their curriculum and how to present the tools their students need in order grow and take in new information, the teachers are free to teach the curriculum in a manner that they know will best serve the children under their guidance, the environments are all very natural and welcoming, encouraging a sense of safety and comfort needed to learn optimally and support discovery.

Reggio : Reggio philosophy is that every child has 100 languages, these languages are ways of learning as well as expressing oneself, and each one is valid and important. The 100 languages in the Reggio philosophy remind me quite a bit of the Multiple Intelligence theory, only in much more detail. The multiple intelligence theory is that there are 8 intelligence types and they also more or less dictate how a person learns best and it varies greatly person to person. The 100 languages theory seem to expound upon this idea, promoting the validity of how each child learns and expresses themselves. Reggio is a highly supportive child led curriculum, the teachers place emphasis on what interests the children using their knowledge and resources to aid in the learning process, music is at the heart of this program, as well as dance and drama, and visual arts such as clay art, literacy and math are also thoroughly integrated into the curriculum. Everything about the Reggio philosophy from the teachers to the environment is intentional and designed to promote not just the child's success but also their families, and families are routinely involved whenever possible.

Cedarsong Nature School : I feel a great resonance with this philosophy, and if I ever venture to open my own center it will very likely be a nature school, I truly believe that being outside in nature daily is vital to us as human beings, especially when we are young and making our initial entrance and connection with the world around us. The children at Cedarsong are never stifled or restricted unless there is a true danger, and they are always encouraged to explore what piques their curiosity in this interest led nature based program,
for instance, they can readily identify a variety of edible plants as well as different bird call, bird calls that parents use to call their children to them at pick up time.

Cooperative preschools : Cooperative preschools are a direct partnership of teachers, children, and families, encouraging not just the growth and learning of the children but also the children's families, parent involvement has been shown to directly and positively impact a child's overall development, the children know that their families value them and what they are learning by being a part of it and the families benefit by being able to better understand their children and what they are learning. Cooperative preschools focus on and benefit the children in part because there are amazing adult to child ratios, better supporting the individual growth of each child through more one on one interactions, all aspects of play are encouraged as well including outside time, a must. Cooperative preschools also operate at a significantly lower cost do to the high parental involvement at all levels of the program, from the classroom to administration and governance. Cooperative preschools have enormous potential to benefit everyone who participates.

High Scope : The High Scope program is based in language development and hands on learning, using the Plan, Do, and Review approach, for instance the teacher will ask the children at the beginning of the day what it is they plan to do that day, and then again when they are engaged in activities, and then they talk together again at the days close. The High Scope approach encourages the development of independence, curiosity, decision making, cooperation, persistence, creativity, and problem solving, and meets all state and national standards and is used in a variety of settings including headstart programs, public school pre-kindergarten programs, and also family childcare settings. Children and teachers alike are participants in the learning and development process with constant quality interactions and observations, High Scope environments are set up for children to succeed in all of their endeavors to the best of their abilities and to help them expand upon what they already know.

Universal Preschool : There is a lot of debate over universal preschool, proponents of universal preschool point out both the short term and long term benefits of  early childhood programs are that children are more ready for school and achieve greater academic success and display greater self regulation skills, and further down the road in adolescence and adulthood they are also less likely to engage in reckless or dangerous behavior and they tend to maintain steady employment more readily than their peers who were not involved in a similar early learning environment. Those opposed to universal preschool argue that if these programs are not high quality that the benefits seem to trickle away during the later school years, however, the benefits later in life still stand with consistent employment etc... another thing is that someone has to pay for this program, and that can feel like trying to get water from a rock sometimes. So overall the evidence is there, now we just wait and see, and when we do implement a universal program we work to ensure that it is highest quality no matter where you are.

ECEAP 3 of 3

The ECEAP program is another free early childhood program aimed toward low income families, one that I would like to see used as a model for a universal preschool, ECEAP or Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program is a very delightful program, I love the emphasis on natural and cultural materials from around the world, I feel that just about any child would soon come to be extremely comfortable in the ECEAP environment, everything in the ECEAP environment is relevant and also age and developmentally appropriate. The teachers work diligently to support the children in their classroom, keeping up dialogue with the children and utilizing developmentally appropriate practice and guidance techniques, they also work to support the families of the children in their class, creating monthly newsletters with information about the curriculum and local events and activities, or special events in the classroom that families are invited to participate in, they also interact with parents at drop off and pick up apprising them of the days highlights or lowlights. The ECEAP program also focuses on building competency and skill building with the families of the children, and also seeks input from families on ways to potentially improve the program effectiveness.
I could go on for days, I really could, but I am leaving off here as I am sure that I will have ample opportunities to expound upon the virtues of programs such as ECEAP and Headstart, so until next time.

Military CDC ( Child Development Center ) 2 of 3

 The Child Development Center that I observed is a very good example of a welcoming environment for both children and their families, which is very good as the center I observed serves the families of our nations military families. These families are at a higher risk than most because of a number of constant daily stresses such as extended work days, 6 or 7 day work weeks often, little sleep because of anxiety keeping you up worrying about everything etc...as well as a number of other less frequent stresses, such as an upcoming deployment or training trip. These are on top of the multitude of everyday stresses they face anyway just as everyone else does, the rent/mortgage, the utilities, cheer leading practice, children with special needs, etc...

 So it is a very good thing that this Child Development Center is welcoming to the whole family, as these families need a lot of extra support. This CDC is a place where families know that their children will be well cared for and their growth nurtured. The environments in this CDC are all age and development appropriate with variety of materials around the classrooms, both natural and synthetic, every child has a cubby with their name and picture on it as well as a chair with the same, the room is set up to make movement through the room easy and comfortable, everything that is for the children to use freely is readily available. The teachers themselves strive to be warm and nurturing, supporting and directing children's overall development in a manner that is age appropriate and gives them the stepping stones for further development and builds on what they already bring from their individual home environments. This CDC also has a number of family events every year and field trips, examples would be a special lunch or activity day that families are invited to, or a trip to the pumpkin patch, these family involvement practices help parents to feel more connected and less stressed, because they get to experience and observe the support and care their children receive everyday, the teacher's also keep parents up to date on the classroom and community activities through monthly newsletters, and they also have copies of magazines that focus on connecting them with local activities and events in the surrounding areas.

Headstart 1 of 3

The Headstart Program is a very comprehensive early childhood program, the teachers work hard to present a warm and welcoming environment for both the children they teach and care for, and for their families as well. The environment is warm and inviting, natural materials are all around the classroom, as well as children's art, everything in the classroom is age and developmentally appropriate, better enabling all children to prosper in every way. Headstart curriculum is strengthening, that seems like an odd word I know, but that is what it is, strengthening, Headstart focuses primarily on the child and what is best for them, strengthening them and giving them the tools they need in order to be happy and healthy and find their place in the life, to do that though the Headstart program works diligently to support and strengthen the family and help them feel connected in their community. The teacher's do this by modeling positive guidance techniques, and holding holding skill building classes for families, and through parent meetings and parent teacher meetings, just this last week I was in a Headstart parent meeting and we had a guest speaker in to share with us about CERT (community emergency response team ) and MYN ( map you neighborhood ) programs in our area, and how they are designed to help us as individuals and communities to be better prepared for disasters. Overall, I believe that Headstart is a very competent early childhood program, one that I would love to see made available more universally.

Multiple Intelligence Quiz

Here are my top four M.I. scores.

Naturalistic Intelligence.




Intrapersonal Intelligence.



body/Kinesthetic Intelligence.




Verbal/Linguistic Intelligence.




I don't know why, but it never really occurred to me that I was a primarily Naturalistic learner, I new I was a very hands on learner, and that I like to reflect internally on what I am learning, as well reading up on and asking further questions. Looking back now though, I can see where my Naturalistic intelligence came in, I was always outside, and learning about the plants and animals around me, constantly observing and later asking questions, I have also always loved to read and reflect when I am outside in nature.
 I feel fortunate in that my learning needs were met pretty well as a young child, I won't lie and say that it was perfect, I do remember that all of the various teachers that I did have, that they tried to be very intentional in their interactions with me and other children. Two of my favorite teachers growing up were my Mother and my next door neighbor Mrs. Griffin. Looking back I realize now that my Mother worked very hard to meet each of my siblings and I at our individual levels and learning styles, and Mrs. Griffin was my amazing neighbor who was like another grandmother in some ways, she taught me about flowers and china painting to name a couple of things, and she encouraged our developing sense of responsibility and enterprise by "hiring" us all at some point, to care for her and her husbands garden and cats while they were away visiting family or camping.
 While my childhood was hardly all sunshine and roses, there were some amazing teachers along the way that helped keep me on track more or less.

medical and dental resources

 There are a wide variety of resources available to families in need to help them find medical and dental insurance as well as to help them find healthcare providers and dentists for their whole family.

Washington state has recently implemented a fairly comprehensive universal healthcare program, that goes a long ways towards benefitting the state as a whole. By making it possible for every family to have healthcare affordably, a huge burden and worry was lifted from a significant portion of the populations shoulders. 

 I have found and listed a number of agencies that specialize in connecting families to the resources that they need.

Washington Information Network 2-1-1 - Access the 2-1-1 database by selecting “Search” from in the link. Search for dental resources by city, county, or zip code. If you do not find the service you need, please dial 2-1-1 from anywhere in Washington to speak to an Information & Referral Specialist for assistance. A call center is available with translators for all languages. If you are calling from an out-of-state number, please dial toll-free: 1-877-211-WASH (9274). The Statewide Health Insurance Benefits Advisors (SHIBA) - The SHIBA HelpLine provides free help to people of all ages with questions about health care coverage, affordable health care coverage, and health care access. Spanish available. 1-800-562-6900. ParentHelp123.org - Apply online for Apple Health for Kids, Washington’s free and low cost health insurance program for children under age 19, which provides medical and dental coverage. Families can find referrals for children’s dental clinics and programs by calling the Family Health Hotline 1-800-322-2588 or using the online Resource Finder. The Center for Pediatric Dentistry (CPD) - CPD is a collaboration of the University of Washington and Seattle Children’s. CPD provides comprehensive and specialty dental care to children of all ages, including children with special needs. Medicaid accepted. 206-543-5800 American Indian Dental Services (PDF) - This brochure lists contact information for all Tribal Dental Clinics in Washington State. WA Free Clinic Association - These non-profit clinics see children and adults without dental insurance at little or no cost. WACMHC - The Washington Association of Community & Migrant Health Centers is committed to improving the oral health status of all who seek care in Washington State. ABCD Program - If you are the parent or guardian of a child under the age of six who is insured by Medicaid, he or she is eligible for the ABCD program. To find an ABCD-certified dentist in your community, contact your local ABCD program. https://www.dshs.wa.gov/esa/community-services-offices/medical-programs http://www.benefits.gov/benefits/browse-by-state/state/WA https://www.wahealthplanfinder.org/HBEWeb/Annon_DisplayHomePage.action?authn_try_count=0&contextType=external&username=string&contextValue=%2Foam&password=sercure_string&challenge_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wahealthplanfinder.org