Research that Benefits Children and Families—Uplifting Stories

I have a four year old and from the moment I discovered I was pregnant, the research began-what not to eat, what to drink, what vitamins to take, etc… And the research continues ‘til this day. My daughter is currently in a school where the curriculum is more teacher centered than child centered. I’ve always admired the Montessori Method of learning because of the child’s freedom of exploration and learning through the senses. I love the independence children have in Montessori schools to learn and explore. That doesn’t happen as much where she is. So, I visited a Montessori school… a true Montessori school run by a catholic nun. It was everything I imagined and more, but unfortunately one aspect was missing—PLAY! Keep in mind that I visited the school three times and while there was a lot of learning and self-exploration, the children seemed bored. Perhaps, I caught them on a bad day(s). LOL.

I sat in on the Pre-K class at my daughter’s current school and the children were in circle time led by the teacher. Although, not child centered, the children were engaged and learning. I found myself in a pickle—the dichotomy of play versus learning. So, I did my research and came across an article on the NAEYC website, Research News You Can Use: Debunking the Play vs. Learning Dichotomy: http://www.naeyc.org/content/research-news-you-can-use-play-vs-learning

What I learned from the article is that it is not play versus learning, but play and learning. According to Snow, “Both direct instruction and play have roles to play in high-quality early childhood education.”  So now I had a decision to make. Her current school is very play oriented—while learning all the while. The children do so much from field days to plays to trips, almost every holiday is celebrated and my daughter has so much fun. She LOVES it there! So, I decided to keep her there and pay close attention to her academic advancement. I will continue to work with her at home as I’ve always done and stay on top of her education. Yes, I will be an annoying parent. Did I mention she started reading at 3 years, 8 months and who taught her…ME! I am learning to loosen up a bit and realize that she IS learning! I am happy with the decision I made.

Research Topic

My research topic is the effect(s) of homelessness on young children. All over the globe children are hungry, cold, and homeless. Some believe in order to be labeled “homeless” you have to look and behave a certain way. Well I’ve come to tell you that there is a new face to homelessness and in this case…..homeless children. You would really be surprised how many homeless children there are in America. Some are in shelters and some live in cars...others on the street...yes, on the street. These precious children have to put on a happy face everyday at school and engage in learning and social activities, only to go back to instability. For some inner city children in NYC, the meals at school are the only food they will eat during the school week. Children are affected by their environment and surroundings. Being a homeless child can definitely take its toll on the mental state of the child and his/her ability to perform well in school. In my research, I will compare children who are homeless with children who are not in terms of academic outcomes. I'm sure I will inevitably touch on social-emotional skills and development of homeless children versus those who are not as well.

I am passionate about this topic because I am concerned about the future of our children and would like to bring light to issues that lead to homelessness. Hopefully this will inspire us all to get involved to effect change. Can anyone offer any advice, insight, or resources relevant to this topic? Has anyone had any personal experiences with homelessness they would like to share?