Ahmad is thriving at 2 1/2 years of age. His parents continue to be thrilled and are thinking about sending him to a Montessori school.
Ahmad seems to have a particular interest in anything that has a ball associated with it. Football, baseball, soccer - you name it, and Ahmad enjoys it. This, of course, pleases his father to no end, and Khalid can't help but see himself in his son. Ahmad also likes anything having to do with trucks. He seems to be "all boy" as his mother says.
* Describe Ahmad as a typically-developing 2 1/2 year old. Attend carefully to his language skills, and indicate the extent to which he is able to communicate in the three languages around him. What would we expect to see if we met Ahmad given his secure attachment to his parents?
* Outline Montessori education. Children can start at 2 1/2. Why so young? How does Montessori differ from traditional schooling? How could Ahmad benefit from going to school at such a young age? The highly motivated will pay a visit to Woodland Montessori School in Harrisonburg to observe the classrooms there.
* Describe Ahmad in terms of the various systems of which he is a part (see reading). What is his microsystem, mesosystem, etc.?
DECISION POINT ::: Does Ahmad attend Montessori school?
1. As a typically developing 2 ½ year old physically, he can walk around without spilling a drink, go down the steps one foot at a time, and can ride a tricycle. Therefore, physically Ahmad is becoming more independent. Mentally, he operates in the here and now and does not really understand the concept of “tomorrow” or “next week”. He often substitutes “w” for “r” which would make “rabbit” sound like “wabbit” (Extension, 2009). As far as language goes, Ahmad will be very easy to understand. He can report on past events, and sometimes predict and use his imagination. He will use more indirect requests rather than direct requests (“I am hungry” instead of saying “I want a cookie”) (Sax & Weston, 2007). He can participate in longer conversations with his parents as well as with other friends of the family. He can understand if mom says “When will we go to preschool?” or “How do we get ready in the morning?”. The family will hear him ask more questions like “Why mommy?” or “when are we leaving?’ or “how do we get there?”. At this time, Ahmad can also answer questions with “because” like “I go to daycare because mommy and daddy have to work”. Socially, Ahmad will want to copy adults so he may copy some of the things his mom or dad says. He also will want to please the adults but will want to be independent at the same time (Extension, 2009). With the three languages that Ahmad is hearing studies show that by age 2 “the child is able to produce most of the vowels in the three languages” (Hua & Yang, 2010). Therefore, Ahmad can communicate with all of the family members. There may be unusual errors in speech pattern due to “interjections or interactions” between the three languages. Overall, Ahmad will be able to respond and converse with his parents equally, no matter what language.
ReplyDeleteWorks Cited
Extension. (2009, September 14). Development and Characteristics of a 39-40 Month Old Child. Retrieved February 9, 2012, from Extension: http://www.extension.org/pages/22950/development-and-characteristics-of-a-39-40-month-old-child
Hua, Z., & Yang, H.-Y. (2010). The Phonological Development of Trilingual Child. Internation Journal of Bilingualism , 105-126.
Sax, N., & Weston, E. (2007, January). Language Development Milestones. Retrieved February 9, 2012, from University of Alberta Speech-Language Pathology: http://www.rehabmed.ualberta.ca/spa/phonology/milestones.pdf
2. In Montessori education, children can start school at 2 ½ because that is when their developmental needs reach a level of readiness for learning more skills. Montessori environments are created to support wholistic growth of children, so they learn not only practical skills, but also academic and social skills as well.
ReplyDeleteIn Montessori schools, children learn through all five senses, not just through listening and reading. Each child chooses the activities that he is interested in, and he works at his own pace. There are no assigned grades in the system, however each student is extensively observed and individual projects are created so that each child can build on his or her skills and continue learning and improving.
Children are placed in three year-age groups, where they are able to socialize, teach and learn from each other, and work together to interact and problem solve. These children work to challenge each other academically and mentally, as well as form emotional bonds with each other.
The classroom is arranged according to subject area, and the children are always free to move around, rather than remaining at the same desk for the entire day. Students can also spend as much or as little time as they want on a certain subject. The day is arranged into three hour work periods, where younger children have one or two work periods, and older children have work periods, as well as meetings with the teacher or study groups.
Olaf, M.. "FAQs." The international montessori index. Michael Olaf Montessori Company, 2010. Web. 8 Feb 2012. .
DECISION POINT: Ahmad could benefit both academically and socially from attending school at such a young age. He would be placed in a group with other children close to his age, and he would be with the same children for a few years, enabling him to form friendships with peers. He would also be challenged academically by working with students older than himself, and he would be able to eventually help students younger than himself. Ahmad would also be able to start finding where his interests lie, and start learning more about what interests him.
ReplyDeleteLisa Yoo Questions
ReplyDelete1) What are the benefits to the child of having a positive relationship with her grandparents Ron and Tom? What are the benefits for the entire family?
2) What is the average cost for having a newborn with CP? What are the typical hospital visits like in the 2nd year?
3) Will Lisa benefit more from a Assisted Speaking Device or does she still have a chance to develop her speech at this time?
Wendy Marianna Questions
1. What are some personal difficulties that Sierra could be having from trying to raise two young children at the same time?
2. What may have influenced Wendy and her mother’s strained relationship?
3. How might Sierra react in light of her feelings towards Wendy and Wendy’s tendency to be “inconsolable”?
3. Ahmad’s main microsystem is his family. He has two very loving parents who care for him deeply. He is able to interact with them and express himself in a manner of ways. Ahmad’s other microsystem is his daycare. There he is able to interact with other children as well as other adults, providing him more opportunities to develop his social skills. One mesosystem found in Ahmad’s life is his parents’ interaction with the adults and other parents at the day care. When they make contact, linkages are formed which create a mesosystem. Some exosystems are found in his parents’ workplaces. The healthcare he receives is part of an exosystem. Ahmad’s macrosystem is a tricky one. While his parents agreed to raise him with a Muslim foundation, his mother’s beliefs must still play a part in his life, complicating his macrosystem. In addition, being raised a Muslim in a predominantly Christian country influences his macrosystem.
ReplyDeleteQuestions for Terrance Singh:
ReplyDelete1. Does Vasha have family that could help her raise Terrance?
2. Is there any information available about the success rates of community services overall? Have they actually been proven to be effective?
3.I f CPS suspects that the child is being abused or neglected, why was he not taken out of the home?
Questions for Thomas Mahoney:
ReplyDeleteDo you think Thomas should be educated in a private or Montessori school setting immediately or that they should try to educate him in a standard public or private school first? Why or Why not?
At what point in a child with Autism's development is it "time" to bring in further specialists such as behaviorists? How helpful have they shown to be?
Since Thomas doesn't always cue his needs, what are some adaptive strategies Ian and Molly could use to allow Thomas to further express himself?