Thoughts from leaders from the field of Early Childhood

Susan Blow, Major contributor to the field of Early Childhood Education, public early childhood education sector

Susan Blow founded and taught in what is considered the first successful public-school kindergarten in the country almost 140 years ago in St. Louis. There were successful private kindergartens in the country at the time, but Blow believed that children who attended public schools needed kindergarten (Travers, 1994). She used games and singing and wooden blocks. She taught the children form and color to increase their manual dexterity and to prepare them for reading and math. Blow’s goal was to enrich the lives of children, especially between the ages of three and seven.

She became a gifted lecturer and author, dramatically combining ideas from philosophy and literature with strategies of teaching young children. Blow was uncompromising in her belief that the more literal the interpretation of Froebel’s ideas for kindergarten instruction, the better (Travers, 1994).

Tighe, T. (2003, October 20). The woman who made learning fun. St. Louis Post – Dispatch (Five Star Late Lift Edition), p. 1.  Retrieved November 28, 2010, from ProQuest Newsstand. (Document ID: 425919411).

Travers, P. (1994). Influences that shaped Susan Blow's involvement in kindergarten education. Journal of Educational Philosophy and History, 44, 146-149. Retrieved from ERIC database.

Stanley Greenspan, M.D., Major contributor to the field of Early Childhood Education, health and well-being sector

This is an excerpt from Dr. Stanley Greenspan’s article, Equal Opportunity for Infants and Young Children: Preventative Services for Children in a Multi-Risk Environment that was included in a 1989 report entitled Giving children a chance: The case for more effective national policies, George Miller, Editor

Clearly, in the first four years of life, children are experiencing their most fundamental lessons-learning to focus, to be intimate, to control their behavior, to be imaginative, to separate reality from fantasy and to have positive self-esteem. Well-mastered, positive lessons afford them real intellectual access to the educational system and, therefore, to a reasonable degree, equal opportunity. Without these early lessons, however, access to subsequent education and opportunities can hardly be truly equal. The child who cannot focus his attention, who can’t decode simple sounds, much less read letters, who is suspicious rather than trusting, sad rather than optimistic, destructive rather than respectful, and one who is lost in a sea of frightening fantasy rather than grounded on a foundation of reality—such a child has little opportunity at all, let alone “equal” opportunity.

 

Whatever abilities children might be born with, as they mature they do not experience biological development separate from environmental needs, nor for that matter, from physical, intellectual or emotional experiences. Poor nutrition, lack of consistent loving care and lack of appropriate emotional interactive and cognitive opportunities can all, either separately or together, seriously compromise development. In the extreme, even proper brain growth will be compromised by severe lack in any one of these areas.

Miller, G., & Center for National Policy. (1989). Giving children a chance: The case for more effective national policies. Retrieved from ERIC database.

Personal Childhood Web

 Mom: To my mom, her family always has and will come first. Mom loves and protects each of her children unconditionally. Through her example, I learned to love wholeheartedly and cherish my children. Next to my daughter, my mom is my greatest cheerleader. Our home was filled with music and laughter, and that was because of Mom. My mom continues to impact my life as a living example of beauty, grace, and class.

Dad: I was a daddy’s girl. I was just over a year old when my sister was born, so my Dad took care of me when my mom was caring for the new baby. My Dad and I have always had a good relationship. I started working for him when I was in high school and continued for the next 15 years. Dad has always been supportive of me throughout each stage of my life. I know he is proud of my career and educational accomplishments.

Auntie Bubbles: I am not sure if we “adopted” Auntie Bubbles, or she “adopted” us. Either way, we were family. My siblings have their birthdays in April; mine is September. Auntie Bubbles would always have a special gift for me when we gathered to celebrate birthdays. She did not want me to feel left out. Each Christmas, Auntie Bubbles would take my mom, my two sisters, and me to a fancy restaurant for dinner in downtown Minneapolis. She would then take us shopping for matching Christmas dresses. Auntie Bubbles and I shared a special date: September 16 was her wedding anniversary and is my birthday.  Although Auntie Bubbles died a couple months ago, my childhood memories of her remain clear.

Joy: Joy is my sister; she is 3 ½ years older than me. As the first born, Joy had to live through the successes and failures of inexperienced parents. I, however, received the benefits of her experiences. Not until I became an adult did I realize the gift I have in Joy as my sister. I remember Joy reading to me, helping me get dresses and brushing my hair. She showed her love and care for me through her actions. I was her little sister and I just knew she would always be looking out for me. As adults, we live thousands of miles apart, but she is always ready to listen or help in any way she can.

Miss Esser: Miss Esser was my 6^th grade teacher. Miss Esser was young, pretty, and “hip.” The boys in class had crushes on her and the girls wanted to be her. She saw something in me; I’m not sure what it was. Maybe she could tell that I had been teaching my younger siblings. I became her assistant and I loved it! Miss Esser had confidence in me; she provided opportunities for me to express myself in ways that I still practice today as a classroom teacher.

Favorite children's books

Peter Rabbit stories by Beatrix Potter and Winnie the Pooh stories were my favorite stories when my children were young.

Eric Carle, Jan Brett. and Audrey Wood are some of my favorite children's authors/illustrators. I like Eric Carle and Audrey Wood books because many of the stories are repetitive and easy for young children to learn. Jan Brett's retelling of folk tales and stories about animals can be integrated into almost any theme. Each author has their own unique style of illustrating their books and I am glad I don't have to choose an ultimate favorite--all are delightful!

Photo of me with my children at their high school graduation party

Story about a child that still touches me

The Teddy Stoddard Story

There is a story many years ago of an elementary teacher. Her name was Mrs. Thompson. And as she stood in front of her fifth grade class on the very first day of school, she told the children a lie. Like most teachers, she looked at her students and said that she loved them all the same. But that was impossible because there in the front row, slumped in his seat, was a little boy named Teddy Stoddard. Mrs. Thompson had watched Teddy the year before and noticed that he didn't play well with the other children, that his clothes were messy and that he constantly needed a bath. And Teddy could be unpleasant. It got to the point where Mrs. Thompson would actually take delight in marking his papers with a broad red pen, making bold X's and then putting a big "F" at the top of his papers.

At the school where Mrs. Thompson taught, she was required to review each child's past records and she put Teddy's off until last. However, when she reviewed his file, she was in for a surprise. Teddy's first grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is a bright child with a ready laugh. He does his work neatly and has good manners...he is a joy to be around." His second grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is an excellent student, well liked by his classmates, but he is troubled because his mother has a terminal illness and life at home must be a struggle." His third grade teacher wrote, "His mother's death has been hard on him. He tries to do his best but his father doesn't show much interest and his home life will soon affect him if some steps aren't taken." Teddy's fourth grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is withdrawn and doesn't show much interest in school. He doesn't have many friends and sometimes sleeps in class."

By now, Mrs. Thompson realized the problem and she was ashamed of herself. She felt even worse when her students brought her Christmas presents, wrapped in beautiful ribbons and bright paper, except for Teddy's. His present was clumsily wrapped in the heavy, brown paper that he got from a grocery bag. Mrs. Thompson took pains to open it in the middle of the other presents. Some of the children started to laugh when she found a rhinestone bracelet with some of the stones missing and a bottle that was one quarter full of perfume. But she stifled the children's laughter when she exclaimed, how pretty the bracelet was. She put it on and dabbed some of the perfume on her wrist. Teddy Stoddard stayed after school that day just long enough to say, "Mrs. Thompson, today you smelled just like my Mom used to." After the children left she cried for at least an hour. On that very day, she quit teaching reading, writing, and arithmetic. Instead, she began to teach children. Mrs. Thompson paid particular attention to Teddy. As she worked with him, his mind seemed to come alive. The more she encouraged him, the faster he responded. By the end of the year, Teddy had become one of the smartest children in the class and despite her lie that she would love all the children the same, Teddy became one of her "pets."

A year later, she found a note under her door, from Teddy, telling her that she was still the best teacher he ever had in his whole life. Six years went by before she got another note from Teddy. He then wrote that he had finished high school, third in his class, and she was still the best teacher he ever had in his whole life.

Four years after that, she got another letter, saying that while things had been tough at times, he stayed in school, had stuck with it, and would soon graduate from college with the highest of honors. He assured Mrs. Thompson that she was still the best and favorite teacher he ever had in his whole life.

Then four more years passed and yet another letter came. This time he explained that after he got his bachelor's degree, he decided to go a little further. The letter explained that she was still the best and favorite teacher he ever had. But now his name was a little longer. The letter was signed, Theodore F. Stoddard, MD.

The story doesn't end there. You see there was yet another letter that spring. Teddy said he'd met this girl and was going to be married. He explained that his father had died a couple of years ago and he was wondering if Mrs. Thompson might agree to sit in the place at the wedding that was usually reserved for the mother of the groom. Of course, Mrs. Thompson did. And guess what? She wore that bracelet, the one with several rhinestones missing. And she made sure she was wearing the perfume that Teddy remembered his mother wearing on their last Christmas together. They hugged each other, and Dr. Stoddard whispered in Mrs. Thompson's ear, "Thank you, Mrs. Thompson, for believing in me. Thank you so much for making me feel important and showing me that I could make a difference." Mrs. Thompson, with tears in her eyes, whispered back. She said, "Teddy, you have it all wrong. You were the one who taught me that I could make a difference. I didn't know how to teach until I met you."