Recognising Early Childhood Heroes

Posted on by The ECC Blog Spot

As we close out Heritage month, we turn the spotlight on one of our early childhood practitioners! Ms Allia White is a Trained Teacher at Runaway Bay Infant school in St. Ann. The ECI recently became a certified ECI. Ms White and her team represent a host of professionals in the early childhood sector who are the every-day heroes taking care of and educating our children. We salute all our practitioners who are our early childhood heroes! Enjoy reading our recent interview with Ms White, Trained Teacher.

What do you do at your ECI?

I am an Early Childhood Practitioner, I teach the 5-year-olds at my ECI. I am also a member of the Critical Incident Committee where I take the role of Medical Coordinator, a member of the Welfare Committee, and Coordinator of the Dance Club.

Why did you become an Early Childhood Practitioner?

When I was fifteen years old, I was a Sunday school teacher with responsibility for children ages 2 – 6 years old. I taught Sunday school classes for 5 years and I enjoyed it. I soon realized that I had a love for teaching young children. I also discovered a creative side of me that I never knew existed. Through that experience, I developed a passion for a career that involved moulding young and creative minds for the future. I chose to be an Early Childhood Practitioner because I LOVE IT and I am a big believer in early learning. It also offers me an opportunity to influence generations of students by imparting to them the excitement of learning, the passion for discovery and the magical possibilities of a curious mind.

What do you love most about working as an Early Childhood Practitioner?

The children are the best part of my job. Children always see the best in any situation. My students help me every day to grow and learn new things. 

Being a teacher for sixteen years, I can honestly say that, teaching is the most rewarding job in the world. Children at this age are so innocent, they want to learn to do any and everything! I love that I have the opportunity to help them realize their true potential. I get to spend quality time with the children. As the first formal contact for learning and development, I help to lay the foundations for lifelong learning and excellence. The Bible says, “A little child shall lead”, AMEN to that! What is more rewarding than developing the minds of our future leaders?! 

What do you like least about working as an Early Childhood Practitioner?

What I like least about the profession is that there is a shortage of resources for enhancing the children’s learning that are available to the school. We, Practitioners, find ourselves spending out-of-pocket on learning materials for our classrooms. 

My interaction with parents over the years has shown me that some parents are not as involved in their children’s learning and development as they should be. They may not realise that parental involvement is key to their children’s performance and that it also influences children’s attitude and behaviour towards learning; just as Practitioners are important to children’s learning and development, so are their parents. 

What is the one thing you want people to know about the early childhood sector in Jamaica?

I want people to know that the early childhood sector in Jamaica is doing an amazing job. The standards and quality for children’s development have been significantly raised by ensuring that ECIs are certified. A certified ECI is recognized by the ECC as fulfilling the requirements of the operating standards.  

What is your hope for the children of Jamaica?

“Every child can learn, every child must learn”. I hope that all our children will be able to get the quality education and care they deserve. Early childhood impacts nation-building and we want to continue having a positive impact on our children.

To find out more about certified ECIs near you, you can visit our certified ECIs page at https://ecc.gov.jm/early-childhood-institute/certified-eci/

Recognising Our Parents as Everyday-Heroes

Posted on by The ECC Blog Spot

Welcome to October!

National Heroes Day is right around the corner! Are you excited?! On this day, Jamaicans will look back on the contributions of our national heroes. As we approach Heritage Week, we will take this opportunity to highlight our parents and guardians as everyday-heroes. A hero comes in many shapes and sizes, and sometimes being a hero, is simply giving from the heart and expecting nothing in return. Our parents and guardians give us so much every day and they do not expect anything in return, except, that “yuh guh school and study yuh book!” Parents are the most important influence in our lives and we want to salute them! Here are a few reasons why our parents are everyday-heroes:

They Inspire Us

Just like our national heroes, our parents inspire us to become successful adults. Parents inspire us every day, based on the choices they make, and it is safe to say that “children live what they learn”. Think back to when you were a child, have you ever looked at your mommy or daddy and thought, “when I grow up I want to be just like my mommy or daddy?” Yes. I think most of us had that moment. This thought came to us because of our admiration for the role they played in our lives, and they inspire us to become just as good as or better than them. 

They Provide Us with Support  

Parents also display their heroic ways by providing us with guidance and support. They do this by actively encouraging us to do our best in all that we do. They are also the ones to cheer us on (sometimes when no one else is cheering!). When we reach milestones, face difficulties or just need a boost, they are there waiting in the wings. We can always count on our parents to shower us with praises, boost our self-esteem and motivate us to be the best we can be.

They Make Sacrifices for Us

Parents go the extra mile to provide us with the best. From the moment we are conceived, our parents begin to adjustment their lives to ensure that they make our world better than the one they came into. We see how our parents continue to make sacrifices for us, whether it is them skipping lunch to buy us something we want or to pay for those extra lessons that they think we need.

It is the simple things that make our parents everyday-heroes and we appreciate them for it.

Tell us why your parents are everyday-heroes by leaving your comments below or on our social media pages.

Working Together for Better ECIs

Posted on by The ECC Blog Spot

Last week we looked at what an ECI’s physical environment should be, this week we want to share with you one way the ECC works with our ECIs to ensure they provide the highest quality education standards for our little ones.

Most of what we do at ECC involves working closely with ECIs. Take, for example, the ECC and ECIs collaboration during Learning Environment Week (LEW). Learning Environment Week is a bi-annual event on the ECC’s calendar and this year, Learning Environment Week was August 19-30, 2019. This collaboration between ECC’s staff and the ECIs is geared towards improving and enhancing the learning environments to prepare ECIs for re-opening after the long summer break.

What is a learning environment and why is it important?

The learning environment or the learning centre is the area in the classroom that is set-up for the child’s independent and self-directed learning. Learning centres are organised according to the learning activities they offer children. The organisation, structure and purpose of the learning environment are stipulated under Standard 2 of the ECC’s Operating Standards for ECIs. Standard 2 stipulates that institutions have comprehensive programmes designed to meet the holistic development of the child, included but not limited to, the child’s language, physical, cognitive, socio-emotional needs. The ideal learning environment has a variety of cognitive toys (toys that stimulate brain functions such as thinking, problem solving and information processing), books and learning materials, with clearly defined areas for various learning activities that will provide early stimulation for children.

What did we do during LEW?

ECC staff members visited various ECIs across the island to meet with principals, practitioners, and caregivers to assist with getting ECIs ready for their re-opening on “September morning”. We got down to the basics, a lot of scrubbing, sweeping and dusting were involved. We cleaned those classrooms like we were getting ready for the Queen! Besides cleaning, here are some other activities that we participated in:

  • De-cluttering and reorganising instructional areas to create aesthetically pleasing appearances to facilitate a positive climate for teaching and learning
  • Distributing books to ECIs to increase access to a variety of books within the learning environment
  • Working with early childhood practitioners to develop learning materials for learning centres
  • Reviewed standards to support ECI’s Certification of Registration target

The ECC is responsible for coordinating and regulating early childhood services and programmes, we must have a working relationship with key stakeholders, and none more important than our ECIs. This collaborative work aims to ensure quality learning environments for all our children where all their developmental needs are met.

Check out our Gallery for more pictures of Learning Environment Week!

To learn more about us, go to the ECC’s website.

Choosing the Right ECI for Your Child

Posted on by The ECC Blog Spot

September is the time of year that many parents are excited to see their young ones off to school. As you wave them off on their first day, did you ever wonder if that ECI is providing the best physical environment for your child’s development?  Do you know what the typical physical environment of an ECI should look like?

Don’t worry! We are here to help!

Standard 4 of the Early Childhood Commission’s 12 Operating Standards for ECIs, outlines that an early childhood institution (ECI) must have physical environments that meet building, health and safety requirements. It should also allow adequate space for children and facilitate their developmental needs.

Why the physical environment important?

The simple fact is that the early years are an important period of children’s development. The environment in which the children spend most of their time has a very strong impact on their development. Take for example, gross motor skills which include running, skipping, jumping and walking, can all be delayed or promoted by the child’s physical environment. At this stage of a child’s development, choosing the right ECI is a very important task for parents. The ECI’s environment must be one that is safe, responsive, stimulating and nurturing, in essence, one that will facilitate the optimal development.

Many children spend most of their day in an early childhood group setting, as such, ECIs are considered children’s “home away from home”. As parents, we should be asking ourselves, is this ECI homely enough for my child? The ideal ECI must include facilities, equipment and materials that foster our children’s development.

Parents, here are some things you need to know about the physical environment of your child’s ECI:

  • All building structures must adhere to the building standards outlined by the Ministry of Local Government and Community Development
  • The physical environment of an ECI must be free from all health and safety hazards
  • Each classroom must be properly ventilated and have adequate lighting
  • Both indoor and outdoor areas must be equipped with adequate space to facilitate learning and play

We want the best for our children, so why not get it right from the start?  A good early childhood environment should foster physical, emotional and cognitive development. So let’s choose right by ensuring that your child’s ECI follows the building, health and safety standards of the ECC.

To find out more about our 12 Operating Standards for ECIs, click here.

The ECC is bringing the 1st 1000 Days to Your Mobile Phone!

Posted on by The ECC Blog Spot

The 1st 1000 days of a child’s life…. sounds familiar? Certainly, it is not a new concept. It is the concept that is now guiding early childhood development research and practices world-wide. But what exactly are the 1st 1000 days?

Global researchers and experts in child development have described the 1st 1000 days as an important period of the child’s development when the foundations of physical, socio-emotional and neurological development are established. This period includes the nine months of pregnancy through to the first two years of a child’s life.

Why are the 1st 1000 days so important?

The 1st 1000 days are marked by rapid changes and development. In the brain, the formation of neural pathways is a special feature of this period. The brain, structured by these neural pathways, is important for the child’s cognitive functions, physical growth and socio-emotional development. These changes and development during those crucial weeks of pregnancy, are preparing the baby for life outside the womb. Although babies are born “pre-wired”, optimal development is not a given but is dependent on the baby’s carers and environment.

Did you know that babies are born with the capacity to understand any language spoken to them?  However, as children grow and their linguistic abilities are influenced by the language(s) they are exposed to, they gradually lose their multi-lingual capability. Not that you cannot become multi-lingual later on in life – it’s just more difficult to learn a new language, let alone many.

Why the 1st 1000 Days App?

The example above shows us how important it is for us to know and understand the basics of child development and what we need to do to support our children as they grow and develop. Parents are the gate-keepers of our society and as such the family is considered the first institution for every human being. I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase “the hands that rock the cradle, rule the world.” However powerful they are in their role as care-givers, parents can sometimes feel powerless to effectively execute that role. Like every institution, the family needs support. As the agency that is responsible for early childhood, it is our mandate to ensure that all Jamaica’s children are provided with the opportunities that will facilitate their optimal develop. The 1st 1000 Days App is one aspect of our expression of this mandate. We will harness technology to support parents, in the comfort of their homes and in their free time, to provide them with the resources they need to strengthen their parenting skills and improve their knowledge of child development. This is a new approach to supporting parents and bringing to them the information they need.

More about the App

The App will be interactive and user friendly, targeting parents across the socio-economic landscape. As far as we know, it is the first of its kind, anywhere!

The App will feature resources and parenting tips, information on child development, child profiles with vaccination schedules, push notification and reminders for clinic appointments and much more. This App is the start of something new, a new frontier in parent support and we will not stop at the first 1000 days. While we are launching with the first 1000 days, the App will be updated with other stages of early childhood so that it will continue to be useful to parents beyond those early days.

Welcome to Our Blog

Posted on by The ECC Blog Spot

Hello Reader!

Thank you for visiting our blog. We are the official blog for the Early Childhood Commission (ECC).

Who we are

The ECC is an agency of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information of Jamaica. We are the agency that is responsible for regulating and coordinating early childhood services. Early childhood is the period that spans 0-8 years old.

Our Blog

This blog will serve as a medium for communicating with you, our readers, events, research, topics and general information on early childhood development. We see this blog as an opportunity to increase the public’s knowledge of early childhood development (ECD) and the work of the ECC.

We aim, through our efforts here, that ECD will become part of the Jamaican parlance and not only for those who work in the sector but for parents, stakeholders, and members of the general public.

We hope that you will enjoy the content we will curate for you on our blog and that you will not only keep coming back but will also be sharing with your friends and family.

Happy Reading and stay tuned!

Team ECC