Real Life Expereinces

           

           I still remember when I was young, after I came back from preschool, I would be very happy because I didn't have any homework to do. I only did it in school during lesson. So, the rest of the time, I just played. I still remembered that I always cycled and played badminton in the courtyard with my brothers and neighbors. Besides that, my parents did not send me to any extra lesson such as English class, piano class or drawing class. So, I did not have much stress on any  homework or attending any extra classes. I really enjoyed and appreciated that I had a wonderful childhood.

            However, the children nowadays are very busy all the time. Regardless weekday, weekend and holiday, their time was always full and pack with schedules. During last semester break, I went back to my hometown, I saw my nieces who are 4 years old (Angel) and 6 years old (Louise) were busied on their homework and attended extra classes. After they came back from school, they needed to finish their homework as soon as possible. I saw their writing and homework were very deep and complicated as well. After finish their homework, they still needed to attend tuition and piano classes. They don't even have the chance to cycling around their neighborhood and playing around with each other. Or as a matter of fact, they don't have any childhood like I did.

            One day, I heard some “interested stories” from my mother (My mother is currently taking care of my 2 nieces). Angel asked my mother, why they need to have so many homework from school, and cannot have a nice nap in the afternoon after school? Why their mother likes to rub off the writing that they had done? They think that, they had done nicely and feel satisfied with their work and need to rewrite? Why they need to attend so many extra classes? Why they cannot spend their time playing in the playground? She keeps asking all those questions and feels unhappy.

            I feel that we should let children have enough time to rest and have their own play time. I really feel pity on what they had experienced. It is because their mind full of questions and unhappy on their daily experiences. We know that children are actively learned through play. In childhood time, they should not have much stress in compete with other children. They need to have their own choice in choosing the activities that they are interested in. I had tried to tell her mother about that, but she thinks that this is their critical time to learn things and they should learn as much as possible. I feel sorry for children nowadays :(

                                                                                                                         Loh Shu Hui

Let's PLAY!!!

“Play gives children a chance to practice what they are learning....They have to play with what they know to be true in order to find out more, and then they can use what they learn in new forms of play.”            Fred Rogers

     I think that play is very important in the lives of young children. I didn’t know that children actually are learning while they are playing. All I know is that the more children play, the more frustrated their parents will be. Parents nowadays emphasize more on the academic area whereby they believe that they sent their children to kindergarten to learn to write and to read. They want their children to score all A’s starting from kindergarten all the way to college/universities. Therefore, parents search for academic-based kindergarten rather than play-based kindergarten. I think that parents should change their mindset and be open-minded. Parents should let their children play as much as possible because play is where children make sense of the world around them. You might think that what can they learn just by playing some blocks or Legos? Or maybe just playing with ruler that they found on the table? Well, what youdon’t know is that just playing with blocks, children learn about problem-solving as in how to build the tallest tower without making them fall, they learn about cause and effect when they put a small block to be the base of the tower, the tower will fall. Children are able to use or enhance their imagination just playing with a ruler, they imagine the ruler is an airplane and it can even be a car. Parents should always encourage their children to play whether it’s in school or at home. In fact, parents should provide different kinds of materials or toys for their children to explore and play.

  

     As a matter of fact, parents should play together with their children. Playing together as a family can promote a stronger bond and a better relationship among family members. It’s a healthy interaction and good clean fun to be enjoyed together. I wished that my parents could have played with me when I was young, I could imagine how fun was that. Even just playing blocks together, playing charade or just by washing car together, it definitely will be so much fun and the bonding between each other will be so unbelievable. By playing as a family, children can learn self-esteem, confidence, leadership, teamwork, cooperation, and so much more which they can carry into their growing years. All I’m saying that play is important! No matter what children are playing, how they are playing, where they are playing, when they are playing, and who they are playing with, as long as they are playing. Play is magical for young children!


                                                      Crystal Hislop

ERRRRRRRRRRR....ERGONOMICS??

Ergonomics for Elementary School Students

July 1, 2002 
By R. Michael 

While senators and labor officials argue over ergonomics definitions and injury rates some elementary schools are taking the opportunity to improve ergonomics for their students.

An innovative program at Elizabeth Blackwell Elementary School in Sammamish, Washington, is trying to teach students, some as young as five, that fitting the environment to you is a good thing. 

According to MSNBC, some surveys indicate that fourth-graders spend 9 percent of their time on computers; by 12th grade, that proportion jumps to 19 percent. The University of Rochester, found similar evidence when they asked sixth- through eighth-graders whether they experienced computer-related aches or pains at home or school. A total of 47 percent experienced discomfort with wrists; 44 percent with neck; 43 percent with eyes and 41 percent with hands.

The program at Elizabeth Blackwell Elementary will focus on teaching children about minimizing awkward postures and the importance of taking breaks during computer work or play.

at http://www.ergoweb.com/news/detail.cfm?id=414

What is Ergonomics???

     We guessed that now roughly you know what is ergonomics. Well, in case you still don't know what is ergonomics. Here you go, ergonomics is the science related to children and his school, embodying the anatomic, physiologic, and mechanical principles affecting the efficient use of human energy. For example, safe lifting techniques, proper posture, appropriate seating position, and adaptive equipment are only few of the many examples of ergonomics in the school. Apart from that, Ergonomics is fitting the work place to the worker (in this case, the child).  This may be a problem in the mismatch between a child's body size and the size of adult furniture and computer equipment. Children are learning unhealthy computer habits early.  These are then integrated into adulthood.

    When we were young and just starting to school at 4 years old, the chairs and the tables all are in primary student’s size. Everyday, we need to “climb up” the chair and sit on it. I had seen one of my classmates falls down from the chair because she cannot saw the teacher’s writing on the blackboard. Therefore, she stands on the chair so it was on her eye level and accidently felt down. Besides that, around 8 something in the morning, we hardly can see what teacher had written on the blackboard because of the sun shining through the windows. It was hard for the children to concentrate due to the sunlight.

     As we can see ergonomics is very important in our lives and we have to start practicing ergonomics since young. Child care and kindergarten nowadays should always emphasize on the child-size chairs and tables for the children, every furnitures should be at child's eye level to prevent children from getting hurt as in their back, postures, no slouching, their eyesight and so on. Child care and kindergarten who have computer class also need to focus on the children's ergonomics, make sure that children are comfortable with the height of the seat, the distance between the computer and their eyes are not to near or to high for them to see, their hands are resting on the keyboard or table when they are typing and they are not hurting themselves.Parents should also pay more attention regarding this matter whether they have computers at home or not. We should always put the child's concern and needs first.

 

     

It's Cooking Time!!!

Cooking With Young Children

By Randi McCreary, eHow Contributor

Updated: August 9, 2009

From a very young age children are fascinated with food. Parents can take advantage of their children's interest for food by letting them become familiar with nutritional value and how food is prepared. By doing this, parents build a solid relationship with their children and are able to set the tone for how they want their children to perceive food.

Safety First

1.    Cooking with young children is a great time to review safety and have little ones become familiar with the dynamics of a kitchen. Even in the beginning stages, when the child is just an onlooker, a lot can be learned. Children can learn the importance of cleanliness in the kitchen and how to avoid accidental spills or being near a hot oven or stove. The information that young children receive at home will then easily be transferred into other settings. Having the assurance that your child knows how to be safe even when they are not in your presence is great peace of mind.

Enrichment

2.    Cooking can also teach children lessons that are ongoing in their academic environment. Allowing children to measure dry ingredients, estimate how much liquid needs to be used or figure out how large or small certain portions need to be are great reinforcements for mathematics. Similarly, working from a recipe book or creating an original recipe book as a family gets the child reading or writing. If your child is not of an age where they are able to read or write, it is still good practice to familiarize them with different food groups and explains how certain foods compliment others.

Familiar Foods

3.    Often, when children turn their heads from certain foods, it could be that they are not familiar with them. If parents are able to introduce colorful vegetables, whole grains and fresh fruit early in a child's development, the child will likely acquire a taste for these types of healthy treats. The parents create the staple for the children. It's important for children to know that they can enjoy broccoli without cheese and fruit can be a great replacement for candy. Ultimately, the best part of cooking with young children is that parents are able to teach them responsibility and independence. A love for food then becomes a love for family.

Read more: Cooking With Young Children | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/way_5278208_cooking-young-children.html#ixzz12FLbf5wI

             Since young, our parents never allowed us to watch them cooking, not even stepping into the kitchen because for them, kitchen is the most dangerous place for children. Apart from that, parents think that if children are inside the kitchen when they are preparing meals, children will trouble them and it even messy the whole kitchen. As for today's case, children don't even have the opportunity to step inside the kitchen because they have maid to prepare the meals, what is the use of involving children in preparing meals when parents themselves are not the one preparing it? Maid is the one who do all the cooking and preparing meals and parents always remind the maid never let their child to step into the kitchen. Whenever they step into the kitchen, just shoo them out. For some both working parents, their kitchen is just for displaying it, they never actually use the kitchen because they have the time to cook.

           Me myself and Shu Hui also encountered this problem whereby our parents never allowed us to be in the kitchen whether they are cooking or not cooking. So for both of us, we only started to learn how to cook when we are away from our home to further study. It's kinda sad  to say that we only know how to cook around 18 years old, started with learning how to cook rice and cook maggi. How we wish that our parent would have allowed us in preparing meals, even just a simple meal or just watching them cook, it would have help us a lot.

        We strongly encourage parents to involve their children in preparing meals simple because:

1. A fun experience for both parents and the children
2. A rewarding experience for children and parents as this facilitates a closer bonding between both the child and the parents 
3. Help children to become more independent in their later life    

           You can start off with simple tasks like letting children measuring water or serving cooked dish to the plate or just setting up the dining table. Slowly on, give them bigger tasks like washing rice or mixing the mixture. Children surely will feel that they are part of your cooking and they will enjoy it. Besides. the bonding between you and the child will be wonderful.

           So, let your little ones put on the chef's hat and cook!

Here are some recipes for you and your little ones to try out,

Banana and Strawberry Smoothie

	Preparation: 15 mins Cooking: 15 mins
	Serves: 3 serving
	Suitable for: children aged 1 year and above

Ingredients

150ml cold water

30g milk that is suitable for your child

15g banana

15g strawberry

Crushed ice

Cooking Method

1)    In a blender, mix all ingredients.

2)    Blend well and serve immediately.

Tofu & Egg Yolk Vegetable Porridge

	Preparation: 20 mins Cooking: 20 mins
	Makes: 4 servings
	Suitable for: children aged 1 year and above

Ingredients

A
500 ml	Water
50 gm	Tofu
30 gm	Carrot, minced
30 gm	Green Peas
1	Egg Yolk, boiled & minced
50 gm	Nestlé CERELAC® Rice Cereal
1 gm	Milk that is suitable for your child (Recipe uses NESLAC Excella Gold)

Cooking Method

1.    In a saucepan, add water and boiled tofu, carrot and green peas until softened.

2.    Then stir in egg yolk, Nestlé CERELAC^® Rice Cereal and milk.

3.    Serve immediately.

Negative Impacts of Technology in Young Children

Wherever and whenever we go, we see children are playing with their parent’s I phone or phone, psp or video games in their hand, playing online games or facebook with their parent’s laptop and so on. The invention of technology had greatly taken over our lives, so is in the lives of the children. Children nowadays are being expose to technology at a very young age, even a 3 years old child also know what is an I phone and know how to play with it compare to the olden days of ours. We can say that they are very lucky to live in today’s world whereby everything is so modernize and gadgetry. What are the impacts of these devices on young developing children?

1. Reduce pro-social behavior 

Children surely will be pro-social when they spend most of their time in front of the T.V., video games and computers because they have abandon their childhood to socialize and play with one another. In fact, this will make them to become being withheld and shun from the outside world.

2. Difficulty in distinguishing fantasy from reality

Children will have the problem distinguishing fantasy from reality because what they see in the computer games or T.V., they might think that it is true. For example, superman really exist and people will live happily ever after.

3. Health problems

When children spend most of their time in front of the T.V., or computers, sooner or later their will encounter health problems like eyesight, their back or even obese.

 

From all the above comics, we can see that technology indeed had influenced the lives of children. With the invention of more and more technology and cool gadgetry, we can see for ourselves that children nowadays don't run around in the backyard playing police and thief, playing "masak-masak" using leaves, playing hide and seek, and even just playing in the playground. All the childhood games that we used to play are slowly diminishing, and what more can we say about traditional games (congkak, kites/wau)? Some children don't even know what is congkak? It's sad to say that technology indeed had taken all the childhood games that we used to play. For us, we still think that childhood games are the best. It's fun and it's definitely better than all the video games/computer games. Children nowadays spend most of their time inside the house watching T.V. shows, playing video games/computer games and some even have facebook. Yes, of course living in 21st century, we cannot be outdated in terms of technology and we know that parents care and love their child very much. They try to give them the best thing in the world and make sure that they have everything that the world is having but we would like to encourage the parents to share their childhood games with their children or even play with them. Let children have the childhood that they should have (run around and hide) and we can guarantee that children will never forget their childhood like how we never forget about it. Childhood is always the best memories of all time!!!


* We as educators or parents should be careful when choosing the right technology or right programs/computers games for the children. We must always think of and put the positive impacts first when choosing technology.*

Positive Impacts of Technology in Young Children

Technology in today’s world has made a great impact on us, even in the lives of children. Technology is any object or process of human origin that can be used to convey media. Without any doubt, technologies are invented to make our life easier and better. Children as young as three years old had been exposed to different kinds of technology, (T.V., computer, video games, play station, Ipod, I phone and so on). The question that we, as educator or parents should ask will be what are the impacts of these devices on young developing children?

1.    Physical Development

Fine motor skills are develop when children are typing or playing with their fingers while they also develop eye hand coordination as in typing and looking at the screen the same time.

2. .Intellectual Development

Children are developing their cognitive skills when they solve problems in the computer programs. With good computer programs, children understand the properties of new objects, discover the interaction between things and see the predictability of cause and effect.

3.   Language Development

Children are developing their language skills whereby they tend to use rich language when talking with peers, creating pictures, dictating stories and listening to programs that talk.

4.   Emotional Development

Children are able to enhance their emotions whereby self-expression and mastering skills help children to develop a strong sense of self confidence. When children are able to complete a task, they feel good about themselves and it boosts their confidence and self-esteem level.

5.   Social Development

Children are able to develop their social skills with computer programs that encourage cooperative play. Children negotiate turn taking and use group dynamics to solve problem.

Our opinions:

We think that parents nowadays should encourage and expose technology to their children because technologies are invented not only to make adult’s lives easier but also the lives of young children. There are a lot of benefits regarding technology in young children’s lives. When we were 4-5 years old, our parents never really expose us to different kinds of technology except T.V. We wish that our parents could have exposed us with technology like educational computer games; it would be so much fun for us to learn. We think that children will pay more attention and able to remember what they learn when their learning is involved with educational games. No doubt that surely it will make their learning more fun and interesting. Teacher should always involve technology like computer or computer games when planning a lesson instead of just normal lessons. Teacher should give children the opportunity to use or play with a computer, even just using it to search any information a child would like to know or find out.