2 application assignments | Literature homework help
Learning Resources
Required Resources
Note: To open PDF documents, you will need the Adobe® Reader® software (available as a freedownload at: http://get.adobe.com/reader/).
- Course Text: Berns, R. M. (2013). Child, family, school, community: Socialization and support (9th ed.). Belmont, CA: Thomson/Wadsworth.
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- Chapter 1, “Ecology of the Child” (pp. 3–31)
- Chapter 2, “Ecology of Socialization” (pp. 33–69)
Resources for Action Plan 1
Optional Resources
Application: Action Plans
The information and knowledge that you gain from this course will help you develop five Action Plans (one for each week of the course) focused on responding to contemporary issues and events that impact young children. For each Action Plan, you will ask yourself a form of the following questions:
- What do I need to know to understand the situation and needs of children and families?
- What ideas and advice from experts may be useful in assisting children and families?
- What will I, as an early childhood professional, be able to do to help young children and their families?
Besides helping you synthesize your learning each week, each of the Action Plans you create may be useful to your future work with children and families and a resource that you can share with other early childhood professionals.
The focus of each Action Plan is as follows:
- Action Plan 1: Supporting Children’s Needs Following a Disaster
- Action Plan 2: Supporting Young Children Through a Family Loss
- Action Plan 3: Addressing Maltreatment—The Role of Early Childhood Professionals
- Action Plan 4: Supporting Families of Divorce
- Action Plan 5: Advocating for Children and Families in Your Community
Note: The Action Plans may or may not be directly tied to the content covered in each week.
Action Plan 1: Supporting Children’s Needs Following a Disaster
This week, you have been learning about the ways that children are continually influenced by the world in which they live, particularly the microsystem of the family. You have also learned that microsystems are not the only source of influence on children’s development. Sometimes changes in the larger world—t he chronosystem—also impact the microsystems of family, school, and community.
As the world entered the 21st century, a number of events and tragedies have greatly affected the lives of children and families. In the United States, acts of terrorism, natural disasters, the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and greater economic uncertainty have brought about dramatic changes. The increased presence of the mass media in everyday life brings traumatic events into nearly every home, often in real time, potentially increasing their impact on every microsystem. Supporting young children and advising families in how to meet children’s needs in the face of these challenges is often part of the work of early childhood professionals.
For your first Action Plan, you will think about the ramifications of such events by exploring the effects of Hurricane Katrina, which impacted the lives of young children in New Orleans, Mississippi, and Alabama through physical and emotional distress. This distress was further exacerbated by Katrina-related challenges faced by their families, such as finding housing and jobs. For some families, these challenges have continued over a period of years. Lessons learned from Katrina about how we can support young children and their families can be applied to many situations.
Action Plan Professional Scenario: Imagine you are an early childhood professional working with young children and families in the Gulf region who are still struggling with the effects of Hurricane Katrina.
Before you create your Action Plan, consider:
- What does an early childhood professional need to know in order to understand the situation and needs of these children and families?
- What ideas and advice from experts may be useful in assisting children and families?
- What can early childhood professionals do to help, either directly, by suggesting activities and advice, or by referring the family to other community resources and professionals?
The following steps will help you address the above points and, in turn, create an Action Plan that may be useful in your future work.
1. What You Need to Know: Learning About the Impact of Katrina
Review and reflect on the following four resources. The first article was written immediately after Hurricane Katrina. The other articles provide updates on the current situation for some victims of Katrina.
2. Ideas and Advice: Checking Resources
Review the following links which offer resources for helping young children, including those affected by Katrina and disasters that have occurred since. Take notes on ideas that you think would be valuable for children coping with the kinds of Katrina-related issues that you have read about.
3. Taking Action: Supporting Children and Families in Need
Consider what you have learned about the components of microsystems, in this case, children’s needs with respect to their family life and routines and their sense of security. For Action Plan 1, write:
- Five bullet points covering essential information with regard to what early childhood professionals need to know in order to understand the needs of young children and their families who have been affected by a natural disaster such as Hurricane Katrina
- Five bullet points covering useful information and/or suggestions from experts
- Two problems related to the impact of Katrina with regard to disruption of children’s family life and routines and sense of security, and specific ways you, as an early childhood professional, could support the child and family that would help to address these problems
- A summary of how what you have learned about the effects of Hurricane Katrina will help you and other early childhood professionals support children’s needs following this type of disaster
Assignment length: 2–3 pages
WK2 Applic
Learning Resources
Required Resources
- Course Text: Child, Family, School, Community: Socialization and Support
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- Chapter 3, “Ecology of the Family” (pp. 77–104, read up to “Religious Orientation”; pp. 109–110, read from “Meeting the Challenge of Change: Family Empowerment”)
- Chapter 4, “Ecology of Parenting” (pp. 115–126, read up to “Chronosystem Influences on Parenting”; pp. 135–150, read from “Parenting Styles”)
- Article: Scott, J., & Leonhardt, D. (2005, May 15). Class matters: Shadowy lines that still divide.The New York Times. Retrieved fromhttp://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/15/national/class/OVERVIEW-FINAL.html?scp=1&sq=%20Class%20matters:%20Shadowy%20lines%20that%20still%20divide&st=cse&_r=0
Resources for Action Plan 2
Optional Resources
Application: Action Plan 2: Supporting Young Children Through a Family Loss
This week, you have been learning about the vital role of the family in the socialization of children. The course text highlighted many changes in the composition and functioning of families over time, notably the influence of divorce, single parenting, and step-parenting. This week, for your second Action Plan, you will focus on ways to support children through an event that was not covered in your text but one that, as an early childhood professional, you may face while working with young children and their families: the death of a close family member. You may already be aware that children respond to and have a different understanding of death than adults. Use the knowledge of child development that you have gained so far, your perception of family ecology from the readings this week, and the specific articles provided below in developing your Action Plan.
Action Plan Professional Scenario: Imagine you are working in an early childhood setting that cares for and teaches children ages 0–5. Two families in your program share a grandmother who has been an active and loving caregiver for their children—an infant, a toddler, and a preschooler. The grandmother has recently passed away and you want to support these families by helping them understand how infants, toddlers, and preschoolers grieve in order to help the children with this loss.
Before you create your Action Plan, consider:
- What does an early childhood professional need to know in order to understand the situation and needs of these children and families?
- What ideas and advice from experts may be useful in assisting children and families?
- What can early childhood professionals do to help, either directly, by suggesting activities and advice, or by referring the family to other community resources and professionals?
As you prepare this Action Plan, keep the focus on gathering and identifying the knowledge and ideas that you can best share with parents and other key adults. Remember that working directly with children as a grief counselor is an area of expertise that you may choose to pursue. However, as an early childhood professional, you are most qualified to help young children in this area by supporting the significant adults in their lives and remaining consistent, sensitive, and caring.
Follow these steps to create your Action Plan:
1. What You Need to Know: Learning About How Children at Different Ages Respond to Death
Naturally, children respond to situations in their own ways often based on where they are developmentally; sometimes based on temperament. Keep this uniqueness in mind as you read the following articles on children and grief. Although there is some overlap, you will find that all three help to clarify how young children of different ages respond to death. As you read, take notes on important developmental information and ideas that you think are important to share with parents/family members:
3. Taking Action: Supporting the Whole Family in Responding to Loss
With knowledge and ideas in hand, you’re ready to suggest ways to support young children in dealing with a family loss. Use the information and advice from the articles to make your plan. Think of it as preparing a script for meeting with the parents or other significant family adults. Include the following in your plan:
Part I: Supporting an Infant
Explain in your own words:
- Developmental information about what an infant may feel or understand about a family death
- Possible ways that an infant may respond to a family death
- Specific advice from experts on how to help an infant through a family loss
Part II: Supporting a Toddler
Explain in your own words:
- Developmental information about what a toddler may feel, believe, or understand about a family death
- Possible ways that a toddler may respond to a family death
- Specific advice from experts on how to help a toddler through a family loss
Part III: Supporting a Preschooler
Explain in your own words:
- Developmental information about what a preschooler may feel, believe, or understand about a family death
- Possible ways that a preschooler may respond to a family death
- Three specific ideas or activities the family can do at home to help a preschooler through a family loss
As you write your plan, remember the following:
- Your goal is to help parents/family members understand how infants, toddlers, and preschoolers may respond to the family loss.
- Parents/family members are most likely grieving, too. Consider their feelings in explaining their children’s needs.
- Choose language that you would feel comfortable using—language that is respectful and sensitive—to create a model presentation for talking with adult family members.
Assignment length: 2–3 pages
