Teaching Music & Drama to Children
Posted on | September 11, 2008 | No Comments
Teachers need theory to teach music and drama to children because:
- Can describe factors related to the teacher, the children, the family, social, and cultural influences, and class room environment
- 3 components: instructions, learning processes, learning outcomes
- Directs teacher in providing sequential experiences for understanding a rhytmic pattern or gain techniques
- Describe child’s need
- Demonstrate learning outcome
- Thoughtful guide to what they do
- Lead children to their maximal musical development
Facets of a child-centred curriculum in music
- Knowing the children’s knowledge level, skills, interests, learning styles, developmental stage, culture and family background. There should not be generalization.
- Beginning where the children are by providing lessons that kead children from familiar to the unfamiliar, let children participate actively, offer variety of lesons.
- Allow time for musical play and exploration such as discover musical sound, play instruments, experimentation, and personal expression through music.
- Integrate music into other parts of a child’s life such as stories, movements, language arts, maths, science etc.
Food Safety in Child Care Centre
Posted on | September 9, 2008 | No Comments
What is food safety?
Food safety deals with the practices and strategies of preventing foodborne illness where it involves proper food purchasing, food storage, handling and cooking.
Food Purchasing
- only buy good quality, fresh and undamaged food
- buy from sources that are inspected for health and sanitation
- do not buy expired food
- if food requires refrigeration, make sure buy it refrigerated
- avoid buying fish and poultry that labels with “frozen, defrosted”, as you have no idea about the freshness
- do not buy dented canned food
- only food with proper packaging
- check food label to ensure buying the right food, with the right ingredients and before the expiry date
Food Storage
- proper warpping
- proper labelling
- proper temperature
- proper arrangement
- protection from contamination
Refrigerated Food
- meat and poultry should be well wrapped to avoid contaminate other food
- freezer bag/aluminium foil can help to prevent freezer burn and quality loss
- label with date of purchase for easy tracking to prevent wastage
- frozen food must be refrigerated quickly
- thawed food should be used within 24 hours
- eggs should be store in refrigerator intheir cartons
- clean utensils must be used
- cooked food to be dated
- reheat food at minimum of 160 degree fereignheit
- store cooked food in covered container less ths 2″ high
- full refrigerator may have contamination risk
Unrefrigerated Food
- store in clean rodent-free areas with doors to cover the storage area
- store at a height of minimum 8″ above the floor
- first in first out
- non-perishable items(flour, sugar, salt) to be stored in air tight container once it’s opened
Food Handling
- anyone with illness, injuries, sores or infections should handle food
- food handle should not be in charge of diaper changing
- wash hands with right techniques
- never thaw food in room temperature but in the refrigerator, microwave oven, or placing water proof plastic bag and submerge into cold water and water to be changed every 30 minutes
- wash hands before handle food
- apron must be clean
- take food handler course
- do not use the same chopping board and knife for vegetable and poultry/seafood
- trim nails, tie back hair
- always reheat food with a minimum of 160 degree fereignheit and soup until rolling boil
Environment Care
- ensure work surface/area is clean
- wash top of tins before opening
- waste bin must be tightly covered
- utensils must be clean
- clean towers and cloths
- keep animals and insects away
Food Poisoining
Infection of gastro-intestinal tract caused by eating or drinking contaminated food or water by bacteria, viruses, toxic, chemicals, metals, or poisonous plants. Symptoms can be vomitting, nausea, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, and fever. It can cause severe dehydration and life threatening.
Semester 2 Assignments
Posted on | September 7, 2008 | No Comments
OH MY! This term is really heavy! We have four assignments for two subjects. Two given yesterday and two given today.
They are pretty heavy type summore. Not like in the first term which is quite OK. We only have four weeks to get all four assignments done. Each asignment is only given 2 weeks to do -.-” Basically, it’s only one week for each assignment.
NUTSSS!!! Better go bury myself in doing them. Have to work summore. 
Nutritions for Young Children – Part 2
Posted on | September 3, 2008 | No Comments
What is a balance diet?
Eating full range of nutrients that found in variety of food which produces a good fuel resource providing the body with the energy needed for all its different functions and purposes.
Healthy eating means getting the right overall balance, not bannung or promoting specific food to enable body to grow, repair, fight infections and support healthy, energetic lifestyle.
What is food group?
Use to inform people about healthy balanced eating without require them to have significant or specialised knowledge about the subject of nutrition. It will make us simpler to plan meals and keep an eye on eating patterns.
-
Food group 1: Breads, other cereals and potatoes
- Rich in carbohydrate, starchy, high energy food
- Naturally contacin vitamins and minerals
- 5 daily servings
e.g. 2 tablespoon of rice/pasta, 1 slice of bread, 2 small oatcakes
Food group 2: Fruits and vegetables
- High in vitamins and minerals
- High in fibre
- Low fat except avocadoes, seeds, nuts
- 5-6 daily servings
e.g. 1 fruit rich in vitamin C, 1 glass of vegetables or fruit juice, 1 green vegetables(2 tablespoons of peas), 1 table spoon of raisins, 2 tablespoons of sweet corns, raw vegetable sticks
Food group 3: Milk/dairy products
- Rich in protein, saturated and unsaturated fats, calcium and milk sugars
- 3 daily servings
e.g. 1 glass of full fat milk, 1 pot of yoghurt, 1 tablespoon of grated cheese
Food group 4: Meat, fish and high protein food
- Rich in first class/high nutrient value proteins
- 2 daily servings
e.g. portion of baked beans, fish fingers
Food group 5: Fat rich and sugar rish food
- Smallest proportion
- Filling burt low in essential nutrients
- High in energy
- High level of refined sugar
- Highly processed
- Small portion is allowed but don’t eliminate it totally
e.g ice cream, chips, sweets
Nutritions for Young Children – Part 1
Posted on | September 2, 2008 | No Comments
What is nutrition or dietetics?
Nutrition is a term used for science or study of food and how the body uses the constituents of food.
What is food?
- cover virtually all substances that we eat or drink and can include both solid and fluids
- including nutritional supplements
- does not include drugs or medications
- provide nourishment and energy to enable the body to function such as grow, reproduce, move, maintain its temperature, repair & renw tissues, prevent & fight infection, recover from injury/illness, eliminate & excrete waste products
- provide energy
- either originate from vegetation or animal sources
- eaten raw, cooked, on its own or along with other food
What is nutrients?
- collection of components that occur in food which are necessary to sustain life, growth, and health.
Types of nutrients:
- Carbohydrates – energy for growth, body maintenance and all movement, e.g. rice
- Protein – growth and repair of body tissue, e.g. eggs, meat
- Fats – maintain body temperature, e.g. meat
- Minerals(e.g. Calcium, Magnesium, Iron) – body functions and metabolism, growth of skeletal system, bone strenght, nerver regulation & control, enable energy production, e.g milk, seafood
- Vitamins(e.g. A, B, C, D, E, K) – support & regulate cellular processes, growth, prevent diesease, and repair tissues, e.g. fruits
- Dietary fibre/roughage – food residues that body needs but does not absorb for gastro-intestinal function and other health benefits, e.g. vegetables
- Water – not strictly “nutrient” but is life essential for cellular function, prevent dehydration and onset of systemic problems
Got My 1st Semester Result
Posted on | August 30, 2008 | No Comments
Hehehe… Very happy ;p Pass with distinctions.
# English for Early Childhood Professional – A
# Mathematics for Young Children – A
In fact I didn’t worry that I will fail as I gave more than what the marks allocated for the questions. Writing so many things there will surely have points that hit the jackpot hahaha…
Let’s see whether can I still maintain my straight A’s record for diploma.
Music & Drama for Pre-Schoolers
Posted on | August 28, 2008 | No Comments
Elements and concepts in music and drama in a preschool curriculum program:
-
Acting:
- Expressive use of body and voice
- Movement is important to free the child’s energy and emotions and aware of the workings of the body and to control them.
- Increase ability to communicate
- Enhance child’s imagination
- Sensory awareness activities to sharpen perception and appreciation of how sense help us enjoy and know the world
- Sensory recall activities to remember feel, look, sound, smell and taste that enable to recreate the sensations even it’s just in their imagination
Playmaking(informal)/Playwriting(formal):
- Collaborative improvisation
- Playmaking, chidlren will will decided on who the character and what the character will be doing, there is no need to write down.
- Playwriting, a formalized script is prepare and it’s it’s already pre-planned on who do what.
Responding & Constructing Meaning:
- Development of aesthetic sensibility
- They must know the theater convention such as curtain up, curtain down, curtain call etc.
- They should also know the audience etiquette where they should keep quite when the play is going on, laugh at appropriate time, clap at appropriate time and so on
Designing:
- Envisioning and arranging the environment
- Arrange furniture to suggest a a particular setting or use fabric or accessories for costumes
Directing:
- Planning classroom improvisation
- Develop social, group, and concensus skills as they plan and rehearse to improvised on the scripted scenes to be presented to the audience
Researching
- Finding information to support classroom dramatizations
- Use books, posters or any visual material
How theatre arts work in the classroom?
-
1. Introduce
Give idea, story or poem to engage attention by related them to their own experiences or ask them questions.
2. Present poem or story
Tell the children the story and have them relate it to their personal experiences
3. Plan
Teacher will plan for the play by being a sidecoach(give suggestions to the chidlren, let the children pantomime) or play a role(teacher act it out) or appreciative audience(just sit/stand and watch).
4. Act
Start acting and chidlren should keep stay in their intended place and quiet and wait for “curtain” signal.
5. Reflect/Evaluate
Make connection between the play and real life with the children and help them recognize, appreciate the aesthetics of the play. This will let the teacher know how well the children understand the art form.
6. Plan & Replay
Repeat the 5 steps above either replay the same character or scene or move on to a new scene.
Music and drama help children develop an awareness of of themselves as:
Physical beings: Body and voice as an instrument to create and communicate
Creative beings: Enhance creativity
Organizers of experience: Learn to solve problems, shape and control what is happening by using their minds and bodies to give form to the art
Reflective beings: Responding thoughtfully to their surroundings
Social beings: Enhance and cultivate moral values among their peers and their surroundings
Key issues in selecting materials for music and drama lessons:
1. Must be safe and sturdy.
2. Must be suitable for their age.
3. Can be used as teaching materials for other lessons as well.
1st Semester Result Is Out!!
Posted on | August 26, 2008 | No Comments
The result is out but I haven’t go get it 
Hahaha… I’m not even feeling nervous or panick about it. Wonder why? Last week, we were told that 9 persons failed the exam, everyone in the class was so worried. Hmm… I don’t think I’m one of them. *cross my fingers* Will go collect it this Saturday.
Assignments not given yet… When will it be given?
Safety & First Aid in Child Care
Posted on | August 22, 2008 | No Comments
What is safety?
Safety relates to the condition at workplace(Nursery) and applies to the pursuit of a state where the risk of harm has been eliminated or reduced to an acceptable level. There will not be accident when there is safety.
What is Accident?
It’s an undesired event, giving rise to death, ill-health or injury. It also infers a chance occurance that us accompanied by no control or responsibility.
Accident caused by 2 factors:
1. Unsafe behaviour/act
2. Undafe conditions
Caregivers must realised that most injuries to children can be prevented by having control(prevention) and responsibility(protection).
What is hazard?
Hazard is an article, substance or situation that has the potential to cause harm or damage. Example of hazards:
1. Water
2. Chemical
3. Lighting
4. Noise
5. Electricity
6. Toys
7. Heights
8. Flooring
What is risk?
Risk is the likelihood of harm occurring. The severity of outcome can be zero, low, medium or high. When the severity is high, this should have the highest priority.
It is impossible to eliminate all hazards to avoid accident but it is possible to reduce the risk to acceptable level where the hazard won’t turn into accident.
Why moral, legal and economics is closely related to health and safety?
1. Ligislation requirements (ensure it is as safe as possible)
2. Vicarious liablity (everyone related must be responsible)
3. Moral obligation (taking care of your neighbour)
4. Fines for non compliance to regulations
5. Economic impact (direct/indirect cost eg. insurance, medical fee, legal fee…)
Operator of nursery must:
1. Ensure safe workplace e.g good lighting, flooring, exit, access
2. Provide safe equipment and plant e.g repair any damaged things that can cause accidents
3. Ensure work safety e.g competent workers
4. Introduce safe procedure for oeprating tools/equipments
5. Provide adequate supervision, training and instructions e.g training, constant medical check-up
6. Provide appropriate PPE(Personal Protective Equipment)
7. Set health and safety policy
8. Comply to rules & regulations set up by the authority
Caregivers must:
1. Take care of his/her own and others’ safety
2. Comply with the rules
3. Use PPE
4. Report to top management about the hazards
5. Report all accidents
To ensure safety at all time:
1. Good management control
2. Implement OSH(Occupational, Safety, Health) policy
3. Identify hazards and associated risks then minimise or eliminate them
4. Promot OSH at all levels
Safety policy should be:
1. Clearly written
2. Include guidelines, checklist, injurty reports, strategies, practices
3. Limitations
4. Suggest methods of communication
Basic elements of safety policy:
1. General Statement of Intent (What)
2. Organisation involved (Who)
3. Arrangement (How)
4 major goals of high quality child care:
1. Maximize health status
2. Minimize risk
3. Use education as tool
4. Recognizing importance of guidelines
General child care safety policies should cover:
1. Creating safe environment – use all risk management and injury prevention tools(role modeling, education, observation, supervision)
2. Injury prevention management – safe enviroment for the child to learn, play and develop
3. Developing a safety plan – prevent risk & promote safety
4. Implication for caregivers – should use preventive and protective measures
Basic emergency response procedures:
- Knowledge of first aid is essential
- Should have basic first aid training
- Organise for emergencies, and plan according especially for children with special needs
- Emergency numbers and information should be easily available
- First aid kit must be available
- Understand the 10 steps for emergency response in right orders
Many Functions of Music
Posted on | August 20, 2008 | No Comments
Music is everywhere. It’s important for children to expose themselves to music as early as possible because music is one life’s essential ingredients as it’s a way they explore and experiment the world. It is the core of their socialization and expressive communication with one another and the refuge where they find peace, joy, and fulfillment away fom the worries of their young lives. It will also provide holistic development such as intellectual, emotional, physical, and spiritual selves.
Simple breakdown of functions of music to young children:
- Emotional expression whereby the children might dance when they are happy.
- Aesthetics enjoyment which it is use for deep emotional and intellectual enjoyment.
- Entertainment for the children.
- Communication between their family, community, and societal cultures.
- Symbolic representation which they will be able to relate certain music with certain scenario for example Chirstmas song is related to Christmas.
- Physical response to the music is able to enhance children motor skill and soothing music can improve their quality of sleep.
- Enforcement of conformity to social norm which children can learn about manners or warnings or instructions from songs.
- Validation of social institutions and religious rituals.
- Contribution to the continuity and stability of culture.
- Contribution to the integration of society as music is known as bringing people together no matter who they are.
- Improve academic understanding where music can be used to learn about numbers or alphabets.
Children may begin with musical toys in their earliest years, progress to nonpitched precussion instruments, and then to xylophones, recorders, and keyboards. Strings, wind and brass instruments of the orchestral and band variety are likely to be introduced to children in the intermediate grades.
Ways children demonstrates their musical capacities:
- Dance
- Sing their own tune
- Change the song lyrics
- Play musical instruments
- Make various sounds from things around them
- Mimic sounds or songs they hear
Pocket Money
Latest Products