Interview with a professional

     This week I was able to observe and speak with a development therapist. As she came to the classroom I was able to introduce myself and explain why I was in the classroom. She was able to explain to me that she conducted an hour therapy on one child per week. She brings different toys, puzzles, sensory toys and small blocks for the child. The purpose for these toys are for the child to be challenge through play.
      The therapist has noticed that there is many children whom now a days need speech therapy. What I noticed about this therapy was that it was conducted in the child's home language, which is Spanish.  I was very happy that it was conducted in Spanish because the child's language is respected.  The therapist also mentioned that she enjoys working with the parents. She enjoys when the parents come to observe the therapy because the parents observe and then practice what they have learn at home.
     I was very happy to have observed this therapy. I gain knowledge of how assessments are done and that with continuous practice the children progress. I was also happy to hear that these therapies involve the parents. I was happy to see this because my research involves parent engament and its importance on the child's development.

Observing toddler classroom

Name: Rosalinda Nava de Espinosa Title: Bilingual Education •Whom you observed and interacted with in your setting during these 2 weeks I am doing my observation in El Hogar Del Niño (Home of the Child) is a bilingual and bicultural center located in the neighborhood of Pilsen in Chicago. El Hogar Del Nino offers early childhood development programs for Toddler, Early Head Start, Head Start, Preschool, and School-age children and their families. Also, El Hogar del Niño offers an environment where children can develop their skills culturally, emotionally, psychologically, and socially. El Hogar Del Niño is NAEYC accredited. In the morning I observed when the first child arrived with his mother, he had a big smile on his face. He ran to his teacher, hugged her while saying: “Iter” (teacher.) I also saw how the teacher greeted the mother; I really liked how the teacher welcomed her. The mother then asked the teacher if A needed something such as diapers, wipes and/or extra clothes. The teacher thanked her for asking and said that for the moment he did not need anything. It was nice to see that the mother and teacher communicated in the same language (teacher and mother speak Spanish.) A’s mother said bye to her son and the teacher told him: “Say bye to mommy and tell her I see you later.” A waved his hand saying “bye bye” and A mother told the teacher I will see you in the afternoon. As the mother was leaving the teacher’s assured her that she was going to keep a close eye. During my observations I have been interacting with the lead and the two assistants I observe how teachers support oral language development of English language learners by singing songs in group time, first the teachers sing in Spanish (to accommodate the Spanish speakers) and then in English. For example, the first song in the morning is the good morning song they sang the song in English and Spanish. The children with this song clapping their hands and call out their classmate’s names as well as the teacher’s names. By singing bilingual (Spanish and English) songs the teachers support the child’s home language and helping them learn a new one. •Any special learning experiences insights, challenges, etc. related to your topics/focus questions and/or advocacy efforts in this setting, the community, and/or the field Based on what I have been observing the beliefs of the program regarding the nature of infants and toddlers are strong among the teachers. The staff shows a great respect toward the children under their care by treating them as a unique person and offering quality time. As well the staff has a belief that children are capable learners and by building strong relationships with each child will help them to learn and develop in a healthy environment. With this in mind during my observations I could observe that the teacher followed the children’s interests and goals. The teacher always allowed the child to decide where they wanted to play, she allowed them to explore the environment and respect their decisions. One scenario I could observe is during the welcoming circle time. Some of the children didn’t want to stay singing as a group. The teacher allowed them to stood up and play wherever they wanted. The rest of the children stay on the carpet singing with the teacher. The teacher told me “this is an excellent opportunity to offer one on one quality time to the children, while the rest is singing the greeting songs , I can go with the ones that don’t want to stay there and have an intimate time with them”.