Words of Inspiration and Motivation

“Reading is just one aspect of cognitive development, and cognitive development is just one aspect of human development. A child’s curiosity and belief that he or she can succeed are just as important to reading as knowing the alphabet. I am urging that we broaden our approach to literacy by focusing on the whole child. We must also broaden our understanding of when and where literacy begins. Literacy begins with the thousands of loving interactions with parents after an infant is born. It begins as a child develops a sense of self-worth by realizing that his or her accomplishments, whether they be learning to roll over or to recite the alphabet, are important to significant others. It begins with sitting in a safe lap, hearing a familiar bedtime story. Eventually a child will want to emulate the parent and read, too. Reading, then, begins with meeting the child’s physical, social, and emotional needs, followed by exposure to more formal literacy skills.”
Dr Edward Zigler (one of the founders of Head Start) (12 February 2002) United States Senate testimony.

"As we explore promising practices (to respond to the needs of...children)we will also be working to establish the research evidence for the effectiveness of the Recognition and Response System in early education programs. This should help us think about quality programming for all children, including those who show signs of learning difficulties."Dr.Virginia Buysse (Council for Exceptional Children- The Voice and Vision of Special Education)

Passion, Motivation, and Wisdom from the Professionals in the media segment: Week 2

Sandy Escobido- "Professionals in early childhood have the opportunity to shape a child's life for the better..."
Louise Derman- Sparks- says that working in early childhood "is the most joyful experience" which "makes her feel whole." She even expresses that her desire has been to"fix all the injustices of the world."
  Extra Quote:Renatta  M. Cooper- "Early childhood education is a Civil Rights Issue"in which she is participating  to help "women to have more choices to stay home if that is what they want to do."