Life and Media Influences [WLO: 1] [CLOs: 2, 3]

Prior to beginning work on this discussion, read Chapter 14: The Family, as well as the article Mobile and Interactive Media Use by Young Children: The Good, the Bad, and the Unknown. Then, watch this video The Changing American Family (Links to an external site.).

Life as we know it will change for the next generation, and those changes must be accounted for in child development. Today, many factors play a large part in the life of a child. Some factors to consider include the following:

• child rearing styles (as described in tables 14.1 and 14.2 in your textbook)
• socio-economic status
• ethnic and cultural influences
• family size
• non-traditional family units
• child maltreatment
• increased media use

It may sound difficult, but as a caregiver, you will need to find strategies to support children who come from homes with many of these factors in play.

In your initial post,

• Share your own beliefs about four or more of these areas, labeling each area accordingly.
• Discuss how you will avoid any personal bias in your approach to working with students who experience some of these factors, and whose home environment may be very different from your own.
• Explain what you can do to help prevent the negative influences of media on students while respecting the diversity of families.

Guiding Social Skills [WLO: 3] [CLOs: 2, 3]

Prior to beginning work on this discussion forum, read Chapter 15: Peers, Media and Schooling as well as the article Early Childhood Teachers as Socializers of Young Children’s Emotional Competence.

All teachers play an important role in the social development of children in their care. While some children interact easily with peers, others find this difficult, leading them to feel isolated and rejected. Since children spend much of their day in a school setting, it is critical for educators to understand their role in the child’s social development. There are many things educators can do to foster and promote social development in children. For this discussion, you will

• Outline your personal opinions on the importance of a teacher’s role in the social development in children.
• Outline three different strategies or activities that a teacher can implement to support social development of the children in the classroom. Please indicate an age-group you believe these would be most appropriate for in your post.
• Discuss a plan you would create for a child who isolates from others on a consistent basis to assist that child in becoming socially competent.