Early Childhood Teaching Language: Fill & Download for Free

Not even though, but because.The point of homework is not to keep children busy the whole evening, to make their brain overheat, so to say, or to make them spend the precious hours, days, and years of their childhood engaged in rote learning minutiae they will forget after the next exam.An American teacher who has moved to Finland and started to teach here[1][1][1][1] has noted that one of the biggest differences is the number of standardized tests. In the USA, many teachers would like to teach their students more creatively, but the expectations set for them from above often force them to teach not what they deem the most important, but what their students are supposed to know in a test.And often (according to this American teacher living in Finland) these things are not ones the students will remember afterwards.Children are blessed with an intrinsic curiosity.With a method that emphasizes the joy of learning, children can easily learn. They benefit from different learning styles: learning by doing, making project works, learning languages by singing, etc.And the role of homework is just to recall the things handled in classroom.That’s it.It may take 15 minutes per day, it may take half an hour; but in primary school, anything more than that will just add to the stress level and make children learn less, not more.As children grow, the amount will gradually increase, but the idea is that children still have time to do other things, read, play an instrument, do sports — whatever it is they like to do.Of course it is also important to ensure that teachers have a Master’s diploma, are paid a good salary, and are motivated. And motivation has to do greatly with an authority to teach the way they find the most efficient for that particular group of students. If teachers have the liberty to organize their teaching, choose their methods, and evaluate themselves what the children have learned and what needs to be explained again—and be relied on while doing all this—they will be more motivated. And that way they will also teach better.Also physical well-being is important.In Finland, it starts from free maternity clinics, child welfare clinics, and school healthcare. The well-being of every child is carefully monitored, and families who need help will receive it.Early childhood education is important, too. It consists mainly of free play during which university-educated early childhood teachers will encourage children to learn new things.[2][2][2][2]All this is supposed to be as stress-free and playful as possible. Our philosophy is that children need to be children. Academic goals are taken care of later.We also have healthy free lunch at school for 12 years. And after each 45-minute lesson, children have a 15 minute break during which they play freely outside, in any kind of weather. (Snowy days are the best.)(Photo source)Children who need additional help will have a possibility for extra classes with their own teacher, with a teacher of Finnish as a second language, or a special needs teacher. Sometimes they have a personal assistant in the classroom.Learning is about so many things. Sleeping enough, having enough time for your brain to recover, eating healthy food, playing outside, and being able to learn in a stress-free environment all contributes to learning.Homework is important.But increasing the amount of it is not helpful, quite the contrary.Footnotes[1] Taught by Finland - Finnish Education Lessons from an American Teacher[1] Taught by Finland - Finnish Education Lessons from an American Teacher[1] Taught by Finland - Finnish Education Lessons from an American Teacher[1] Taught by Finland - Finnish Education Lessons from an American Teacher[2] Kindergarten: While American Kids Read, Their Finnish Peers Play [2] Kindergarten: While American Kids Read, Their Finnish Peers Play [2] Kindergarten: While American Kids Read, Their Finnish Peers Play [2] Kindergarten: While American Kids Read, Their Finnish Peers Play

Shashi Tharoor's proficiency in language is of the kind that is built up in early childhood.He was groomed in Campion School, Mumbai, well known for producing articulate young men. The likes of Ratan Tata, Kumar Mangalam Birla, along with a bunch of prominent names in the world of film, theatre and writing, and even a former Air Marshal and Rear Admiral, are notable alumni. I personally find even the non-famous alumni I know of, from that particular school, to be delightful conversationalists.The school is Jesuit-run, and back in the day, like other similar schools, had Anglo-Indians and Parsis on the teaching staff. Anyone who has experienced the tongue-lashings, the strict adherence to propriety, the fastidious use of language that is the trademark of teachers of that ilk, wouldn't be surprised at all at how Tharoor turned out!(Fun fact: Tharoor revived the defunct Wodehouse Society, and is an acknowledged fan of the author.)

I worked in Early Childhood for 16yrs in Melbourne as a Qualified Early Childhood educator and in that time I experienced prejudice and sexism, mostly from parents and occasionally from other staff. But mostly the reaction has been positive. Lys is right - the children don’t care what your particular arrangement of chromosomes is. They want some-one to tell them stories, push them on the swing, help them with their shoelaces, to build and climb and play dress-ups with. They’re looking to us, as educators, to guide behaviour, to lead by example, to teach language and science and music and the social and emotional skills that will prepare them for school. The other thing they learn is prejudice and they learn it from their parents, guardians and siblings. I’m proud to have been a part of an industry that is changing and there are many more men working in early childhood now than when I started. I gave up trying to prove myself to other staff. The only people who’s opinions I cared about were the children in my care. It comes down to one thing - the primary rule of education - duty of care. My duty of care was to the children, everything else was just politics. Remember those three words - duty of care.