Introduction
Majority of community members perceive teaching young children as a simple exercise, which is not the case. This perception is wrong having participated myself in such a program in California with “we care services for children”. This is a childcare center, which primarily deals with children with special needs such as Down’s syndrome and autism. In addition, the center aims to give parents the required support and resources to support the upbringing of these children. Children are born and brought up in different environments, which primarily play the role of shaping their perceptions towards different events and occurrences. When handling children one has always to ensure they meet each child’s wants as per specific times or find a way of solving their problems. Majority of caregivers take these problems as simple but to children they are very important.
Observations Made and personal effects
Dealing with young children is hard because at every moment their moods and needs are changing, although with dedication I realized one could always serve their needs adequately. Children have different learning styles and concentration levels, hence at all times I had to structure instructions in a way, which incited maximum attention. Majority of children react negatively when dealing with “strangers” during initial encounters however, as interaction increases they cope easily. This made me realize the importance of creating good relationships with children during first encounters, because it enhances acceptance. Children’s coping rates primarily depend on incentives provided by the tutor; hence, at some instances it is good to include activities such as singing and games during the learning to make children like one. In addition, children’s behavioral patterns depend on environments they have grown up in; this is because there were varying behavioral patterns among children I dealt with. Children have reading problems that are probably caused by language and health problems such as autism. On the other hand, these children had different perceptions about their fellow children, which on further inquiry I proved to have originated from parental stereotypes.
Through the community work, one clear thing I realized is that all members of the society have a role to play in ensuring children grow up with good morals. The community-teaching program has really altered my original perception on children. Previously I thought imposing rules and fears on children was the only way of dealing with children’s needs, which is the opposite. All children should receive required attention and listening because it helps in building in them good perceptions and personalities.
Children’s Needs
Children as any community member need love and attention, which varies depending on their health condition and surroundings. Satisfaction of these needs dictates development of children’s personalities, behavior, and attitudes. During learning teachers should give children freedom to use their hands in manipulating learning materials, because this makes learning interesting. On the other hand, children require good relationships with their caregivers, because it influences their attention in class. Good health also plays an essential role in children’s development in that it helps in alleviating attention deficits among learners (Steinhauer pp.2-4).
Ways of Making a Difference
Although meeting children’s needs is hard as a tutor, the little impact one makes can greatly influence children’s learning. Majority of children suffer from perception, reading, and health problems, which greatly affect their personality development. Parents alone cannot solve these problems, hence need for communal participation (National association of childcare resources p.1).
I intend to use the knowledge learnt to sensitize the community on the importance of handling all children equally regardless of their health conditions through use of lobby groups. Through the sensitization, I am sure all community members will learn to respect all children’s rights, hence provide them with proper care
Conclusion
In conclusion, whether an individual has children or not, there is a lot each individual can give to ensure the well-being of children. Collective responsibility should be the guiding principle, because it will ensure all community members are dedicated towards ensuring growth of children.
Works cited
National association of childcare resources and referral agencies. Caring and sharing to last a lifetime: helping children develop positive social skills. Childcare aware. 2009. Web.
Steinhauer, Paul. The primary needs of children: a blue print for effective health promotion at the community level. 1995. Web.