Family Day Care

   If I was to own my own family child care home I would want to have a safe learning environment where everybody has the right to receive the best education possible without having parents worry about how they are going to pay for their child's education. It is hard to put a monetary value on education. As our text states, "the toys, materials, and equipment you put out for children; the posters, pictures, and art objects you hang on the wall; and the types of furniture and how you arrange them all influence what children learn" (Derman-Sparks and Edwards, 43). I feel  that it is important to have everyone sit in a circle next to each other because a circle represents an ongoing cycle which is what learning is. I feel that if everyone sits in a circle then everyone has an equal chance of being seen and heard. I would also have pictures of the things that are going on in the classroom and have these posters in front of the classroom as parents enter to drop off and pick up their kids from school. I feel that it is important for parents to see what their child is learning in school and that there is an equal number of students from diverse backgrounds. I feel that school is a place for learning, but there also needs to be some play time in order for students to have a balanced schedule. I feel that there needs to be separate areas in the classroom for different activities. For example, I would have a separate area for reading. In this area one must be quiet when others around them are trying to read. I would also have an area for arts and crafts so children can express themselves. I feel that arts are important and that all children should be able to express themselves. I would also have a separate area for toys and would have a diversity of toys such as African-American dolls, Chinese dolls and dolls that have physical disabilities.
  I feel that children do well in school when there is parent involvement. I feel that parents need to be a part of their child's education in order for a child to succeed in school. I would have family nights where parents come to school and help out with activities. I would also have holiday celebrations where children will learn about other cultures. I remember when I was in the second grade we had a Christmas party where everybody had to bring in an ethnic dish from their homeland. It is a great learning experience leanring about other cultures and how different countries celebrated Christmas.  I feel that diversity is very important in education.

Source:
Derman-Sparks, L., & Olsen Edwards, J. (2010). Anti-bias education for young children and ourselves. Washington, D.C.: National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).