Sharing Web Resources

The winter 2010-2011 newsletter found on the International Step by Step website includes a document titled “Culture and Learning”.  The document will support my work with Head Start education staff to support the diverse cultural backgrounds of the children and families enrolled in their programs.  There are three sections to the document titled, Development and learning; Living and learning; and Learning and schooling.  At the end of each section are Policy Questions pertinent to each section.  Examples of Policy Questions are:

·    How far do policies and programmes support mothers and other caregivers in forming the close and nurturing relationships which are the foundation for children’s earliest development? (2010, p. 16)

·    What steps are required to protect children from harmful or exploitative work while at the same time respecting the positive contribution that appropriate kinds of work can make to children’s development? (2010, p. 32)

In the Living and learning section there are two pages dedicated to promoting play with a case study from Sudan.  The case study described was an observation of young girls playfully acting out the events of the social life in a Sudanese village after they are done with their daily work.  There are many references to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and how child development is a cultural process.

My knowledge on the value of children working at a young age changed when reading this document.  Every time I heard of a child working I would think about young children working long hours in a factory.  Sometimes children’s work is driven by circumstances that are out of the family’s control.  In some of the poorest communities, parents and child care providers are found to incorporate developmental practices into the work the child is participating in; hanging clothes can also support the learning of colors and sizes or teaching the characteristics of weeds and crops while working in the fields.  Parents and communities are supported to ensure children are not subjected to harsh working conditions.

The document is an easy read and has beautiful pictures of children and families from around the world.  The information provided can support all early learning programs in their work to implement inclusive practices in all our professional early learning practices.   It can be found at the following website:  http://www.issa.nl/newsletter/10/winter/files/Culture-and-learning.pdf