The Information needs of women newly diagnosed with breast cancer Research Paper

The Information needs of women newly diagnosed with breast cancer - Research Paper Example To this end, 234 women volunteered but only 180 women served as final subjects. During actual collection of data, packages filled with â€Å"information pamphlet and four self-completed questionnaire† are included for mailing to prospective samples. Survey information are arranged from existing knowledge on breast cancer and related topics, familial health and socioeconomic background, perceptions on the given pamphlet, and intent in utilizing screening (mammography) tests after the exposure to information campaign. The software program of SPSS version 10 is employed for convenient descriptive analysis--organizing data sets according to existing knowledge from socioeconomic and clinical background. More to a point, intentions for undergoing the breast screening examination is divided into positive and negative comment and then treated with t-test to evaluate the relation on gathered response against health knowledge. Moreover, a logistic regression had been utilized to further determine the extent of undertaking the screening test based on current level of knowledge on breast well being.

The Hands Of The Blacks Essay Example for Free

The Hands Of The Blacks Essay CAN‘T REMEMBER NOW HOW WE GOT ONTO THE SUBJECT, BUT ONE DAY TEACHER SAID THAT THE PALMS OF THE BLACK‘S HANDS WERE MUCH LIGHTER THAN THE REST OF THEIR BODIES BECAUSE ONLY FEW CENTURIES AGO THEY WALKED AROUND ON ALL FOURS, LIKE WILD ANIMALS, SO THEIR PALMS WEREN’T EXPOSED TO THE SUN, WHICH MADE THE REST OF THEIR BODIES DARKER AND DARKER. I THOUGHT OF THIS WHEN FATHER CRISTIANO TOLD US AFTER CATHECHISM THAT WE WERE ABSOLUTELY HOPELESS, AND THAT EVEN THE BLACKS WERE BETTER THAN US, AND HE WENT BACK TO THIS THINGS ABOUT THEIR HANDS BEING LIGHTER, AND SAID IT WAS LIKE THAT BECAUSE THEY ALWAYS WENT ABOUT THEIR HANDS FOLDED TOGETHER, PRAYING IN SECRET. I THOUGHT THIS WAS SO FUNNY, THIS THING OF THE BLACK HANDS BEING SO LIGHTER, THAT YOU SHOULD SEE ME NOW- I DON‘T LET GO OF ANYONE, WHOEVER THEY ARE, UNTIL THEY TELL ME WHY THEY THINK THAT THE PALMS OF THE BLACK‘S HANDS ARE LIGHTER. DONA DORES, FOR INSTANCE TOLD ME THAT GOD MADE THEIR HANDS LIGHTER LIKE THAT SO THEY WOULDN’T DIRTY THE FOOD THAT THEY MADE FOR THEIR MASTERS, OR ANYTHING ELSE THAT THEY WERE ORDERED TO DO THAT HAD TO BE KEPT QUITE CLEAN. SENHOR ANTUNES, THE COCA COLA MAN, WHO ONLY COMES TO THE VILLAGE NOW AND AGAIN WHEN ALL THE COKES IN THE CANTINA HAVE BEEN SOLD, SAID TO ME THAT EVERYTHING I HAD BEEN TOLD WAS A LOT OF BALONEY. OF COURSE I DON‘T KNOW IF IT WAS REALLY, BUT HE ASSURED ME IT WAS. AFTER I SAID YES, ALL RIGHT, IT WAS BALONEY, THEN HE TOLD ME WHAT HE KNEW ABOUT THIS THINGS OF THE BLACK‘S HANDS. IT WAS LIKE THIS: -LONG AGO, MANY YEARS AGO, GOD, OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, THE VIRGIN MARY, ST. PETER, MANY OTHER SAINTS, ALL THE ANGELS WERE IN HEAVEN THEN, AND SOME OF THE PEOPLE WHO HAD DIED AND GONE TO HEAVEN- THEY ALL HAD A MEETING AND DECIDED TO MAKE BLACKS. DO YOU KNOW HOW? THEY GOT HOLD OF SOME CLAY AND PRESSED IT INTO SOME SECOND- HAND MOULDS. AND TO BAKE THEM OF THE CREATURES, THEY TOOK THEM TO HEAVENLY KILNS. BECAUSE THEY WERE IN A HURRY AND THERE WAS NO ROOM NEXT TO THE 3RE, THEY HUNG THEM IN THE CHIMNEYS. SMOKE, SMOKE, SMOKE- AND THERE YOU HAVE THEM, BLACK AS COALS. AND NOW DO YOU WANT TO KNOW WHY THEIR HANDS STAYED WHITE? BECAUSE THEIR HANDS ARE TIED. WHEN HE HAD TOLD ME THIS SENHOR ANTUNES AND THE OTHER MEN WHO WERE AROUND US WERE VERY PLEASED AND THEN ALL BURST OUT LAUGHING. THAT VERY SAME DAY, SENHOR FRIAS CALLED ME AFTER SENHOR ANTUNES HAD GONE AWAY, AND TOLD ME EVERYTHING I HAD HEARD FROM THEM THERE HAD BEEN JUST PACK OF LIES. REALLY AND TRULY, WHAT HE KNEW ABOUT THE BLACK‘S HANDS WAS RIGHT, THAT GOD 3NISHED MAKING MEN AND TOLD THEM TO BATHE IN A LAKE IN HEAVEN. AFTER BATHING THE PEOPLE WERE NICE AND WHITE. THE BLACKS, WELL, THEY WERE MADE VERY EARLY IN THE MORNING, AND AT THIS HOUR THE WATER IN THE LAKE WAS VERY COLD, SO THEY ONLY WET THE PALMS OF THEIR HANDS AND THE SOLES OF THEIR FEET BEFORE DRESSING AND COMING INTO THE WORLD. BUT I READ IN A BOOK THAT HAPPENED TO MENTION IT, THAT THE BLACK HANDS ARE LIGHTER LIKE THIS BECAUSE THEY SPENT THEIR LIVES BENT OVER, GATHERING THE WHITE COTTONS OF VIRGINIA AND I DON‘T KNOW WHERE ELSE. OF COURSE, DONA ESTIFANIA DID NOT AGREE WHEN I TOLD HER THIS. ACCORDING TO HER, IT‘S ONLY BECAUSE THEIR HANDS BECAME BLEACHED WITH ALL THAT WASHING. WELL, I DON‘T KNOW WHAT TO THINK ABOUT ALL THESE, BUT THE TRUTH IS THAT NO MATTER HOW CALLOUSED AND CRACKED THEY MAYBE, A BLACK‘S HAND ARE ALWAYS LIGHTER THAN ALL THE REST OF HIM. AND THAT‘S THAT! MY MOTHER IS THE ONLY ONE WHO MUST BE RIGHT ABOUT THIS QUESTION OF A BLACK‘S HANDS BEING LIGHTER THAN THE REST OF HIS BODY. ON THE DAY THAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT IT, I WAS TELLING HER WHAT I KNOW ABOUT THE QUESTION, AND SHE JUST COULD NOT STOP LAUGHING. WHAT I THOUGHT WAS STRANGE WAS THAT SHE DID NOT TELL ME AT ONCE WHAT SHE THOUGHT ABOUT ALL THIS, AND SHE ONLY ANSWERED ME WHEN SHE WAS SURE THAT I WOULD NOT GET TIRED OF BOTHERING HER ABOUT IT. AND EVEN THEN SHE WAS CRYING AND CLUTCHING HERSELF AROUND THE STOMACH THAT HAD LAUGH SO MUCH THAT IT WAS QUITE UNBEARABLE. WHAT SHE SAID WAS MORE OR LESS THIS: ? GOD MADE BLACKS BECAUSE THEY HAD TO BE. THEY HAD TO BE, MY SON. HE THOUGHT THEY REALLY HAD TO BE†¦AFTERWARDS, HE REGRETTED HAVING MADE THEM BECAUSE OTHER MEN LAUGHED AT THEM AND TOOK THEM O9 TO THEIR HOMES AND PUT THEM TO SERVE AS SLAVES OR NOT MUCH BETTER. BUT BECAUSE HE COULD NOT MAKE THEM ALL BE WHITE, FOR THOSE WHO WERE USED TO SEEING BLACKS WOULD COMPLAIN, HE MADE IT SO THAT THE PALMS WOULD EXACTLY LIKE THE PALMS OF OTHER MEN. AND DO YOU KNOW WHY THAT WAS? OF COURSE, YOU DON‘T KNOW, AND IT‘S NOT SURPRISING, BECAUSE MANY, MANY PEOPLE DON‘T KNOW. WELL, LISTEN: IT WAS TO SHOW THAT WHAT MEN DO IS ONLY THE WORK OF MEN†¦THAT WHAT MEN DO IS DONE BY HANDS THAT ARE THE SAME HANDS OF PEOPLE WHO, IF THEY HAD ANY SENSE, WOULD KNOW THAT BEFORE ANYTHING ELSE THEY ARE MEN. HE MUST BE THINKING OF THIS WHEN HE MADE THE HANDS OF THE BLACKS BE THE SAME AS THE HANDS OF THOSE MEN WHO THANK GOD THEY ARE NOT BLACK! AFTER TELLING ME ALL THIS, MY MOTHER KISSED MY HANDS. AS I RAN O9 INTO THE YARD TO PLAY BALL, I THOUGHT THAT I HAD NEVER SEEN A PERSON CRY SO MUCH WHEN NOBODY HAD HIT THEM.

The Importance Of Promoting Wellbeing In Children Young People Essay

The Importance Of Promoting Wellbeing In Children Young People Essay What occurs to children in the early years has consequences right through the path of their lives. While there are many occasions to interfere and make a difference to the lives of children and young people, this report suggests that intervening in early childhood is the most effective phase to impact on the future development of the child. This statement explores the factors that effect on life-long health, growth and well-being from environmental, and life path perspectives. Early childhood settings plays an important role in promoting health and a feeling of wellbeing for children, their families and ultimately their communities (Hayden Macdonald, 2000). Therefore the goals of health and wellbeing promotion are supported by parents, staff and early childhood professionals who use early childhood services. There are multiple aspects or dimensions to general wellbeing. For the purpose of this report it is convenient to identify and discuss the most important six areas of health mental, emotional, spiritual, physical, environmental and social. These six areas are overlapping and interrelated, but together provide a useful framework for thinking about childrens growth and development as health, well-rounded individuals. 2. Background The early childhood era sets the phase for how well children view themselves, each other, and their world. Young children actively construct meanings about the world and their place in it, offering alternative but equally valid understandings to adults (Millie Watson, 2009). The communication between careers and children work as building blocks for the growth of children as whole (Hayden et al., 2000). In order to share positive experiences of services delivered for the development of six dimensions of health and wellness in respective childcare settings is the intended objective of this report. 2.1 Health: Towards Wellness and the Six Dimensions Prior to the 1800s, health was simply means the antithesis of sickness (Donatelle, 2006). Therefore, when all parts of body were functioning properly called as a good body having health. However focusing on global health issues at an international conference in 1947, the World Health Organization (WHO) took a landmark step and clarified that what health truly meant: Health is the state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity (Donatelle, 2006). According to Donatelle (2006), Health is complex and involves the interaction of variegated factors, which includes; Physical refers to the capability of human body structure to function properly Social refers to the capability to interact with other individuals Mental refers to the capability to process information and act properly Emotional refers to the capability to cope, adjust, and adapt Spiritual refers to conviction in some force or dynamic other than humans Environmental consist of  · External: refers to ones surroundings (e.g., habitat, occupation)     · Internal: refers to an individuals internal structure (e.g., genetics) Achieving wellness means attaining the optimal level of wellness for a given persons unique set of limitations and strengths (Donatelle, 2006). 2.2 Wellness and Wellbeing: The importance in early childhood One of the greatest indicators of health and wellness in a community is the extent to which it nurtures healthy children, as they will become the healthy adults citizens who make communities vibrant (McMurray, 2007). While we have long recognized that early experiences have an effect on later life, new findings from longitudinal studies and new brain conceivable techniques, are showing that the initial years of life are serious in the purpose of physical, neurological, cognitive, emotional and social growth (Ferber, 1996). In the meantime, studies on social determinants have exposed that enduring health and well-being is predisposed not only by heredity and lifestyle, but also by economic, social and other environmental factors (McMurray, 2007). These findings recommend that accountability for health extends beyond health check professionals: doctors and nurses. Those who are concerned with promoting healthy environments may be uniformly significant in guiding health outcomes. Early childhood professionals are comprehensible contributors in this ground. 3. Six Dimensions of Wellness The six dimensions of wellness interact continuously, influencing and being influenced by one another. For example, spiritual wellness is associated with social skills, which can help build interpersonal relationships, which are in turn linked to physical wellness and longer life expectancy. The self-esteem that comes with emotional wellness is associated with increased physical activity and healthy eating habits, which support physical wellness. 3.1 Physical wellness Physical wellness is basically the overall well being of a persons physical state. This dimension includes characteristics such as size and shape, sensory acuity and responsiveness, susceptibility to disease and disorders, body functioning, physical fitness, and recuperative abilities (Donatelle, 2006). For good health, children need physical activity. Being active promotes healthy frame, strength and joints, builds patience and muscle force, makes it easier to uphold a healthy load, increases power, and even fosters self-respect. Children of all ages need and want places to play. To support the variety of their physical activities, they need many types of entertaining facilities, both public and private, near their homes and schools (Sallis Glanz, 2006). Children may spend more time being immobile indoors, where they remain inactive. These inactive behaviours such as television viewing and videos are dangerous factors for obesity in youth and reducing such behaviours is another strategy for preventing weight gain in children. Similarly using less fruits and vegetables and greater dependence on convenience foods and fast foods contribute to the epidemic of childhood obesity (Sallis et al., 2006). 3.1.1 Experience of our childcare Centre The standard length of reside in a childrens home is making an impact on individual students, so we recognize it as a challenge. We created modified tactics to give confidence to children (and staff) to eat at smallest amount five servings of fruit and vegetables each day and to connect in one hour of physical activity which consist of play and fun, five days a week. The center also provides hands-on training for forefront staff that helped those serves as role models for healthy performance. The center produced partnerships with other group of people organizations to offer nutrition-related services. 3.2 Emotional Wellness Emotional wellness is an active condition that fluctuates with corporeal, academic, spiritual, interpersonal and social, and environmental wellness (Donatelle, 2006). Sound health results from the contentment of basic needs the need for kindness and love; safety and clarity; social acknowledgment; to feel capable; physical needs and for meaning in life. It includes happiness and happiness, efficient social functioning and the dispositions of hopefulness, openness, curiosity and flexibility (Hood, 2009). The infants achieve their satisfaction of basic needs by: attaching themselves to individual and groups of people who can help them survive and to find out how things around them work; to explore their soundings, so they can eventually learn to keep themselves safe and meet their own needs. And since these two behaviours are so fundamental, not achieving success with them causes distress (emotional dysregulation), which, if sustained, affects mental health (Hood, 2009). 3.2.1 Experience of our childcare center: considerations of Emotional Wellness Promotion, Prevention, and Intervention Staff at our center provides opportunity for involvement and plans with careful notice that successfully maintains emotional wellness. Promotion We provide emotionally supportive environment by holding and singing to infants and play with toddlers, and pay attention to and monitor preschoolers vigilantly. We display problem solving skills by using role play indicating words and verbal communication with toddlers, and assist possible group discussions that direct problem solving skills with preschoolers. Prevention Prevent a lack of communication with families We do proper planning for sharing strategies and information with families to better understand childrens likeness and dislikesness attitudes. Avoid escalated situations We do appropriate planning to make sure that all actors of working group have ordinary visions for anticipation, intrusion and endorsement to provide a complete support scheme. Intervention Awareness of interventions services We keep alert ourselves from the need of intervention services such as mental health and child wellbeing agencies, early intervention programs, and medical intervention services for high threat situations. Construct successful collaborations We provide documented information to the intervention service program to provide a complete picture of the childs needs in order that they correspond efficiently with one another and employ follow up strategies. 3.3 Intellectual Wellness The uniqueness of intellectual health include the ability to think clearly, reason impartially, examine seriously, and use intelligence effectively to meet life challenges. Academic health means learning from successes and mistakes and making sound, responsible decisions that take into deliberation all aspects of a situation (Donatelle, 2006). Children have a talent for being inquisitive about everything around them. So the caregivers should try to regain this inquisitiveness about the world and will be astonished at how much children will learn. 3.3.1 Experience of our childcare center Our centers services in this dimension of wellness are not exhaustive; however we try to improve childrens intellectual wellness. To make an action plan to improve children intellectual wellness, we discover issues related to problem solving, originality, individuality, and learning. We try to figure out to children to read for fun! By choosing books for fun (like filling colours in figures), so they not only gain knowledge of about an exacting topic or concentration, but also learn about how others express themselves. 3.4 Spiritual Wellness According to Bone (2008) Spirituality is a term with many definitions and means different things to different people and often confused with religion but my definition of spirituality is a à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦..means of connecting people to all things, to nature and the universe. Spirituality adds to my appreciation of the wonder and mystery in everyday life. It alerts me to the possibility for love, happiness, goodness, peace and compassion in the world. Spiritual wellness refers to integrating our beliefs and values with our actions (Donatelle, 2006). A sense of purpose, direction, and awareness form spirituality. 3.4.1 Experience of our childcare center To develop spirituality in children we teach them through fun play and demonstrations and mutual dealings in the setting; To forgive, we replace condemnation or judgmentalism. To love, we replace hatred. To share or to be generous we replace selfishness. To be compassionate, we replace intolerance. To speak kind words we replace contentiousness and meanness. 3.5 Social wellness and wellbeing Social health is a part of psychosocial health which includes our interactions with others and our ability to adopt to range of social situations (Donatelle, 2006). Social wellness is a significant part in every persons life, above all because it helps him be familiar with his normal interdependence with others, despite of the relationship. Donatelle (2006) maintains that people who are more connected to others manage stress more effectively and are much more resilient when they are bombard by life crisis. The shortage of social wellness frequently leads to disruptive behavior and causes incapability to regulate in social environment. The teachers openness to children, parents, and the cultures represented in their classroom influences their overall effectiveness in teaching and their ability to foster childrens social development particularly. When teachers use these strategies, they are more effective in promoting childrens social competence and maintaining a positive learning environment. Therefore, the content of teacher-child interaction should be predominantly related to activities, learning, investigations, and plans (Katz McClellan, 1997). 3.5.1 Experience of our childcare center To develop social wellness, behaviours, and attitudes of children we take the following important steps: Reach out: Offering friendship environment to children as a first step to social wellness- where children of different cultural and social setups interact with each other for knowing and understanding of their mutual needs and develop mutual cooperative attitudes. Promote chosen relationships: Promoting the relationship built between various children and to stay in healthy relationships. These relationships involve children who care about one another and their wellbeing. Since there is trust and compassion, one feels secure and contented, two vital elements for social wellness. Communicate effectively: Effective communication is a first step of initiation of relationship a vital component of social wellness; therefore, we remain in constant interaction with children through play and fun to develop their skills for effective communications. 3.6 Environmental wellness Environmental Wellness means having an understanding of the exterior environment and the role persons play in preserving and improving environmental circumstances. (Donatelle, 2006). An understanding of these connections can be fostered during the early childhood years through play, productive work and daily routines. (Young Elliot, 2003). Opportunities to directly explore the world with all senses are paramount to a childs understanding of their connections to the environment. The role of the adult is crucial in interpreting these connections, both verbally and physically, and in exploring the values that underpin sustainable lifestyles (Young Elliot, 2003). 3.6.1 Experience of our childcare center Our focus on this dimension of wellness and well being is not much thorough; nevertheless we try to give messages to children through play and fun activities relating to: Dont leave water running Demonstrate children about scarcity of water resources and better use of water in daily life. Use of recycled paper bags when shopping To realize children to use paper bags and avoid use of plastic bags due to different biodegradable features of both. Use waste material for play experiences whenever possible such as cloth for sewing, and polishing etc. Care for plants by watering as needed. 4. Conclusion Children change and develop in response to these different health dimensions, so the developmental process plays an important role in shaping and determining their future health and wellbeing. It can be concluded that intervening early in the life course has the greatest prospective to stop or considerably improve some of the health and wellbeing troubles seen in adult life. The most direct way of improving outcomes in childhood and thus influencing the life course is to ensure that all caretaking environments in the early years are consistently nourishing, stimulating, and organize the health and developmental requirements of young children. Therefore when young children spend time outside the home, the caretaking environment needs to be the best we can make it. 5. Recommendations Following the conclusion it is recommended that childcare needs to be conceptualised as an opportunity for learning and socialisation rather than child minding. Actions and policies need to focus on creating a quality early learning environment; this means having staff with appropriate qualifications and training, and child/staff ratios that are appropriate to the developmental needs of the child. Universal and primary care services across the health proportions and education sectors need to be better coordinated with one another, in order to direct various environmental risk factors and respond to the complex needs of children and their families. These services need to be more adaptable, so that they can react to the emerging needs and problems of childrens health and wellness.

Life Is So Good by George Dawson and Richard Glaubman Essay examples --

Life Is So Good by George Dawson and Richard Glaubman Good Afternoon Ms. McCafferty, I made this appointment because I passionately believe that the book, Life is so good written by George Dawson and Richard Glaubman should be on the Carey booklist for Year 9 students. Life is so good is a magnificent part biography, part autobiography of a 103 year old black man named George Dawson who went to school to learn to read and write when he was 98 years old. George Dawson may be 103 but he can still walk without a cane and can remember his life with an uncanny ability. That is why there is so much detail in this book. Life is so good tells of his hard life from when he was only 6 years old and living on a farm in the outer region of a town called Marshall in Southern Texas. In an early c...

Emergent Literacy Support in Early Childhood Education Essay

26 preschool teachers and 8 preschool administrators drawn from 8 preschools in Kasempa and Solwezi districts constituted the sample. A total 680 preschoolers were part of the classroom environments in which naturalistic observations were conducted. The data were collected through questionnaires for preschool teachers, designed to capture preschool teachers’ knowledge of emergent literacy and classroom practices. Questionnaires were also administered to preschool administrators and these were designed to capture the schools’ profile on their teachers, philosophy on literacy instruction and availability of teaching and learning materials. For the naturalistic observation of actual classroom sessions, data were gathered with the aid of a Classroom Literacy Checklist. Further data were collected using semi-structured follow-up interviews to fill in any gaps from questionnaires and observations. The findings were that all the preschools investigated had low literacy support as a result of limited language and literacy opportunities for the children and paucity of learning and play materials. Lack of the preschool teachers’ appreciation of emergent literacy rendered them unable to fully provide environments and practices that support emergent literacy. INTRODUCTION Background: The concept emergent literacy was introduced in 1966 by a New Zealand researcher Marie Clay in her doctoral thesis entitled Emergent Reading Behaviour but the term was coined by William Teale and Elizabeth Sulzby in 1986. The term was used to describe the behaviours seen in young children whereby they imitate adults’ reading and writing activities, even though the children cannot actually read and write in the conventional sense. The development of the emergent literacy perspective can be traced from the reading readiness perspective. In the four decades since Clay’s introduction of this term, an extensive body of research has expanded the understanding of emergent literacy. According to current research, children’s literacy development begins long before they start formal instruction in elementary school; it begins at birth and continues through the preschool years even though the activities of young children may not seem related to reading and writing. Early behaviours such as â€Å"reading† from pictures and â€Å"writing† with scribbles are examples of emergent literacy and are an important part of children’s literacy development. With the support of parents, caregivers, early childhood educators, and teachers, as well as exposure to a literacy-rich environment, children successfully progress from emergent to conventional literacy. In other words their growth from emergent to conventional literacy is influenced by their continuing literacy development, their understanding of literacy concepts, and the efforts of parents, caregivers, and teachers to promote literacy. It proceeds along a continuum, and children acquire literacy skills in a variety of ways and at different ages. Children’s skills in reading and writing develop at the same time and are interrelated rather than sequential. Educators can promote children’s understanding of reading and writing by helping them build literacy knowledge and skills through the use of engaged learning activities. As children are moving into conventional literacy, they pass through different periods of development in their efforts to become successful readers, just as they did at the emergent level. Over the past ten years, the concept of emergent literacy has gradually replaced the notion of reading readiness. Consequently, it has a significant impact on the way the teaching of literacy in early childhood programmes is approached. The theory of emergent literacy developed from research in the fields of child development, psychology, education, linguistics, anthropology, and sociology. It has virtually redefined the field of literacy and made educators, teachers, and parents aware that the term reading readiness no longer adequately describes what is happening in the literacy development of young children (Teale, 1986). Research conducted on emergent literacy indicates that support to children’s emergent literacy in early childhood education facilitates easy literacy development in children. Parents, caregivers, and teachers need to ensure that young children are exposed to literacy-rich environments and receive developmentally appropriate literacy instruction. Such environments and experiences have a profound effect on children’s literacy development by providing opportunities and encouragement for children to become successful readers. Thus a preschool should be an environment that supports the  continuation of emergent literacy. In order for a preschool to promote the continuous emergence of literacy, it must be an environment where there is a high variety of authentic literacy activities. It must also be an environment that affords learners opportunities to engage in purposeful literacy activities which are acknowledged as valid literacy behaviour. In the Zambian context emergent literacy is a fairly new phenomenon. Its practice is dependent on what teachers know and believe about it and this also is dependent upon the training that preschool teachers undergo. Against the background of emergent literacy, the concern of early childhood educators should be â€Å"valuing the knowledge children have than with replacing it by highly dubious and narrow models of what literacy is and how it functions† (Hall, 1989: viii). Little is known regarding literacy teaching in preschools in Zambia. This study, therefore, attempted to find out the extent to which classroom practices in preschools in Zambia, with special reference to Kasempa and Solwezi, support the continuation of emergent  literacy in children. Statement of the problem: Although the theory of emergent literacy has been in use for over four decades, it is not known to what extent emergent literacy is appreciated and supported in early childhood education in Zambia. While research has been conducted in other parts of the world, there has been no investigation into its practice in Zambia’s preschools. Thus the problem that was being investigated was that we do not know the extent to which classroom practices in Zambian preschools, and with particular reference to Kasempa and Solwezi, support the continuation of emergent literacy in children. Objectives: This study sought to achieve the following objectives: (i) To ascertain preschool teachers’ knowledge of emergent literacy in children. (ii) To establish the extent to which the classroom environment supports the continuation of emergent literacy. (iii) To establish what literacy instruction programme is in place and the extent to which it supports emergent literacy. (iv) To find out teaching and learning materials that are available in preschools and the extent to which they support emergent literacy. (v) To establish classroom literacy practices that obtain in preschools and the extent to which they support emergent literacy. Significance of the study: The significance of this study was premised on the fact that it focused on one critical area of education namely early childhood education. While a lot of research has been done on the basic and high school sectors of education in Zambia, very little has been done on preschool education. It is indisputable that good early childhood education is a precursor to the other levels of education. This study sought to investigate the extent to which classroom literacy practices in early childhood education in Zambia support the continuation of emergent literacy. Such a study has not been explored before in Zambia. This study, therefore, is significant in that it might provide valuable data on early childhood teachers’ knowledge of emergent literacy and the extent to which classroom practices support the continuation of emergent literacy. It is hoped that such data might be useful to policy makers such as the Ministry of Education and preschool curriculum des igners. In this way, it might provide data on which future curricula for early childhood educators’ training can be based. It is also hoped that the study will stimulate further research into emergent literacy practices in Zambian preschools, which is currently lacking. METHODOLOGY Research design: This study was qualitative as the researcher sought to interpret his observations and the respondents’ views to establish the extent to which practices in the target preschools support the continuation of emergent literacy. However, the study also employed some quantitative elements in the design. The study was also naturalistic because there was no systematic manipulation of any process during observation. Rather the researcher observed live classroom practices in the preschools as the teachers and learners went about with their activities. Sample size: The sample for the study was drawn from eight preschools in the  two study areas, namely Kasempa and Solwezi Districts in North-western Province. The sample size comprised 26 preschool teachers and 8 preschool administrators. 680 preschoolers were part of the classroom environments where the naturalistic observations took place. The sample structure for the preschool teachers is presented below as Table 1: Highest Qualification Males Female Total Untrained Certificate Diploma Primary Certificate Totals Teacher’s (Table 1): Sample Structure for Preschool Teachers in the Study Areas 5 Sampling techniques: Samples were chosen on a non-probability basis on the understanding that respondents would be available, easy to access and ready to participate in the study. As such and convenient and purposive samplings were used. This is because the researcher selected samples according to what was logistically convenient and feasible. Bearing in mind the period in which the study was to be undertaken, the preschools that were selected were those that were not in hard-to-reach areas. This was in line with Ghosh (2006) who says convenience sampling is used when the universe is not defined and when administrative limitations make it difficult for the researcher to randomly select samples. Since purposive sampling is used to target a group of subjects a researcher believes to be reliable for a study (Kombo and Tromp, 2006), in this study it was used to select the eight schools in the study area. The use of this sampling technique was aimed at ensuring that only well-established preschools were targeted. Data collection: Three instruments were used to collect data. The Classroom Literacy Checklist was used as a classroom observation instrument. It was used to check for classroom practices in terms of literacy-richness of the environment, reading practices, variety of literacy activities, authenticity of literacy activities and teachers’ usage of children’s knowledge of literacy. It was adapted from other literacy observation checklists such as the KS1 Format and the National Centre for Learning Disabilities 2004 Literacy Environment Checklist developed by Groover J. Whitehurst (Ph.D.). These observation instruments are designed to assess whether literacy environments in preschools provide a range of quality literacy experiences and a print-rich environment which are important factors in the facilitation and support of literacy learning. Two types of questionnaire were used, one for teachers and the other for administrators. The questionnaires for the teachers sought to elicit information on their training and knowledge of emergent literacy. The questionnaires for the administrators sought to elicit information on the school profile, instructional materials and the school’s ethos on literacy development. Questionnaires were given on the first day of research at each preschool. The idea was to give respondents three to five days of answering the questionnaire, based on findings from the pilot test. Interviews were conducted with teachers and administrators as follow-ups to help fill in gaps or clarify any matters from 6  questionnaires and observations. For the teachers these were done soon after each observation. For administrators these were conducted at least twice in each school, one of which was on the last day of the research at each particular preschool. Data analysis: Since this study was mainly qualitative, data analysis (particularly preprocessing) began during the data collection stage. During lesson observations the researcher made class profiles by recording the children’s level, age range and enrolment. The researcher was also doing a dairy on each lesson observed. Another thing the researcher did at this stage was to ensure that the data were internally consistent. For example, the researcher would make follow-ups with informants to clarify any contradictions and gaps in the questionnaires or interviews. Data preparation then followed and this included summarizing and organizing the data according to categories. At the final stage the  researcher sought to make interpretations of the questionnaire responses, obs ervations and interview responses. FINDINGS This study sought to find out the extent to which classroom practices in preschools support emergent literacy. The study relied mainly on naturalistic observations of live classroom sessions but this was complemented by questionnaires and follow-up interviews. Below is a discussion of the specific findings, divided into five sections, each discussing the findings in relation to each of the five objectives of the study. Preschool Teachers’ Knowledge of Emergent Literacy: The study has revealed that none of respondents had ever heard of the term ‘emergent literacy’. In spite of this, the findings have also revealed that all the respondents have noticed elements of emergent literacy in children when they just enter preschool. The study has further shown that respondents have high awareness levels of children’s emergent literacy behaviours. However, the study has also revealed that generally, the respondents’ appreciation of the children’s emergen t literacy was very poor. One area major area where this was evident was with regard to knowing how to reinforce children’s display of emergent literacy (for 7  example if a child got a book and began to turn pages or if a child stood up and began to ‘read’ around the room). This apparent disparity between the respondents’ high awareness of emergent literacy behaviours and their low appreciation of emergent literacy can be attributed to the respondents’ training. It was clear that preschool teachers are not taught about emergent literacy, hence the respondents did not regard emergent literacy behaviours as a developmental stage in literacy learning. Generally all the respondents tended to subscribe to the reading readiness perspective. In relation to the purpose of the study, these findings suggest that preschool teachers in the study areas cannot provide the necessary support to children’s emergent literacy if they are ignorant of emergent literacy as a developmental stage in children’s literacy learning. Preschool Classroom Environment: This study has revealed that the classroom environments in the study areas have low literacy support. It has also established that the most common aspects of literacy support were the alphabet frieze and month and day names. This effectively means that the environments were not print-rich. The study has further revealed that the preschool teachers had low knowledge levels of how a preschool environment ought to be. In cases where the respondents revealed high knowledge levels, there was a gap between this knowledge and what was obtaining in the classrooms. The findings established that this was due to paucity of resources and having proprietors/managers who were ignorant of preschool education. These findings suggest serious implications on children’s literacy development. First because preschool teachers and proprietors/managers tended to have low appreciation of what a preschool environment ought to be, they cannot provide the requisite envir onment that fully supports the continuation of emergent literacy. Secondly, because preschool children in the study areas have little exposure to a literacy-rich environment, they may not easily progress from emergent to conventional literacy. Preschool Curriculum: This study has revealed that the study areas do not seem to have any clear philosophy regarding literacy instruction. As such the preschools did not have clear literacy instruction programmes. The study has also established that there is no common syllabus for preschools in Zambia. Preschools were using whatever they could lay their hands on. These findings show that it is difficult to measure the schools literacy instruction success when issues of syllabi are vague. Literacy Instruction Materials: This study has revealed a paucity of teaching and learning materials in the study areas. The most commonly available instructional materials are flashcards, charts and building blocks. The study has established that there is a lack of a variety of reading books, workbooks, literacy objects for pretend play, and generally playthings. In view of the paucity of literacy instructional materials in the study areas, there is less support to children’s emergent literacy as children do not have sufficient interaction with a variety of literacy objects. The other implication is that with the paucity of play things, the children spend less time on play related activities and do more of formal learning. Classroom Literacy Practices: This study has revealed that using music is a practice widely employed in all the eight preschools. However, the study has also established that preschool children in the study areas have limited reading experiences. In almost all cases children seldom handle reading books as this is reserved for Reception or Grade 1 levels. This is because teachers do not see this as necessary since the children cannot read in the conventional sense. Further children are rarely read to and hardly engage in shared book reading. It has also been found that there are hardly any independent activities for c hildren not working with an adult. More formal learning as opposed play-related learning has been found to be a common practice. The implication of these findings is that preschool teachers in the study areas are not using developmentally appropriate activities to teach literacy to the preschoolers. CONCLUSION By analysing the classroom practices, preschool teachers’ knowledge of emergent literacy and the environments in the study areas, this study has established that the practices in the eight preschools do not provide sufficient support for the continuation of emergent literacy. A number of factors have militated against high support for emergent literacy. The first factor is the preschool teachers’ lack of knowledge/appreciation of emergent literacy. This has arisen from the nature of training that preschool teachers undergo in Zambia. Coupled with this is the fact that some of the preschool teachers currently serving in schools have not undergone formal training. In this study almost a third of them were untrained. The other factor is lack of resources to construct appropriate structures for  preschools and furnish them with requisite materials. This has been compounded by the fact that preschool education in Zambia is privately run and as such the Government has had n o stake in it. The third fact is the very fact that Government has had no stake in preschool education. This has led to lapses in the registration of preschools and lack of serious and constant monitoring of preschools. As such there is no quality assurance in the provision of preschool education. The results of this study are significant in two main ways: the results have indicated the need for capacity-building preschool teachers in the area of emergent literacy. The results have also demonstrated the need for Government’s keen participation in preschool education. As regards the need for capacity-building preschool teachers, the study has demonstrated that while preschool teachers may notice emergent literacy behaviours among preschool children, they cannot unwittingly provide the necessary scaffolding to emergent literacy if they do not have sound knowledge of the phenomenon. This, therefore, means that emergent literacy must be part of preschool teachers’ curriculum. The need for government’s keen participation in preschool education arises from the fact that most of the inadequacies noted are a result of lack of stringent regulation and monitoring of preschool education. Stringent regulation will ensure that only individuals/institutions meeting the minimum standards are allowed to run preschools. On the other hand, constant monitoring will ensure that high standards are maintained in preschools. Another key way Government needs to participate in preschool education is through provision of grants or instructional materials. It is commendable that preschools are now falling under the Ministry of Education which has expert personnel to oversee the running of education provision in general and preschool education in particular. There is, however, need to come up with a directorate responsible for preschool education. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I wish to acknowledge the valuable contribution of the many people without whom the demands of this research would not have been met. First I pay tribute to my academic supervisor Dr John Simwinga who provided the much needed counsel, guidance and criticisms from the proposal stage right through the completion of this thesis. Thank you for your confidence in me and giving me latitude throughout this academic journey. May God continue to lift you in your academic pursuits. I also wish to thank Mr D.C. Nkosha for having inspired my interest in emergent literacy which led to my pursuing this study. I thank lecturers Mr G Tambulukani and Mr S.B. Hirst for making useful comments at various stages of the study; all lecturers on the NOMA (Norwegian Masters) Literacy Programme for sharpening my academic faculties. Special thanks go to all the participants in Kasempa and Solwezi districts who made it possible for me to undertake the study at no cost. I extend my thanks to all my colleagues on the course with whom I worked well. Notable among them are Ms Mary-Grace Musonda, Ms Georgina Njapau and Mr Benson Kamangala. My gratitude will be incomplete without expressing my indebtedness to my wife for tolerating my academic appetite and for her continued understanding, support and perseverance and remaining a pillar in our home during my long periods of absence. I remain grateful to the girls Tionge and Peggy for enduring my absence and remaining good children while I was away. I am grateful to my employers for granting me paid study leave yet again, without which it would have been impossible to pursue my master’s programme. I shall remain forever grateful for the NOMA scholarship granted to me through the University of Zambia. To God be the glory for the great and many things He has done for me. REFERENCES Barton, D., 2007. Literacy – An Introduction to the Ecology of Written Language. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing Bergen, D., 2001. Pretend Play and Young Children’s Development. ERIC Digest, ERIC Clearinghouse on Elementary and Early Childhood Education  Bredekamp S. (ed.) 1987. Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Early Childhood Programs Serving Children from Birth Through Age 8. Washington, DC: NAEYC. Freeman, E.B., and J.A. Hatch 1989. â€Å"Emergent Literacy: Reconceptualizing Kindergarten Practice.† Childhood Education, 66, 21-24. Ghosh B.N., 2006. Scientific Method and Social Research. New Delhi: Sterling Publishers. Gunn, B., D. Simmons and E. Kameenui, 1994. Emergent Literacy: Synthesis of Research. University of Oregon Hall, N., 1989. The Emergence of Literacy. London: Hodder and Stoughton Harste, J.C., V.A. Woodward and C.L. Burke 1984. Language Stories and Literacy Lessons. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann Educational Books. Hiebert, E. H., 1988. â€Å"The Role of Literacy Experiences in Early Childhood Programs.† The Elementary School Journal, 89 (2), 161-171. 12 Hiebert, E. H. and J.M. Papierz, 1990. â€Å"The Emergent Literacy Construct and Kindergarten and Readiness Books of Basal Reading Series.† Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 5 (3), 317-334. McMahon, R., 1996. â€Å"Introducing Infants to the Joy of Reading.† Dimensions of Early Childhood, 24 (3), 26-29 Morrow, L. M., 1990. â€Å"Preparing the Classroom Environment to Promote Literacy during Play.† Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 5, 537-554. Morrow, L.M. (ed.), 1995. Family Literacy: Connections in Schools and Communities. New Brunswick: International Reading Association Serpell, R., L. Baker and S. Sonnenschein, 2005. Becoming Literate in the City – The Baltimore Early Childhood Project. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Sonnenschein, S. L. Baker, R. Serpell, D. Scher, S. Fernandez-Fein and K. Munsterman, 1996. â€Å"Strands of Emergent Literacy and Their Antecedents in the Home: Urban Preschoolers’ Early Literacy Development.† National Reading Research Centre: Reading Research Report No. 48 Teale, W, and E. Sulzby, 1986. Emergent Literacy: Writing and Reading. Norwood, NJ: Ablex Publishing Corporation. Teale, W. H. and E. Sulzby, 1987. Literacy Acquisition in Early Childhood: The Roles of Access and Mediation in Storybook Reading. In D. A. Wagner (ed.), The Future of Literacy in a Changing World (pp. 111-130). New York: Pergamon Press. Van Kleeck, A., 1990. Emergent Literacy: Learning about Print before Learning to Read. Topics in Language Disorders, 10 (2), 25-45. Wilson, N and S. McLean, 1994. Questionnaire Design: A Practical Introduction. Newtown Abbey: University of Ulster Press.

TOBACCO USE essays

TOBACCO USE essays In 1492 native Indians were smoking rolled up tobacco leaves. In the 16th century tobacco smoking spread to Europe. By the late 1800 tobacco tolled in paper called cigarettes were a major industry with billions being sold each year. Today there are many products that contain tobacco. Cigarettes and snuff are the most popular on the market. Cigarettes consist of tobacco rolled in papers that are flavored, and some with filters. Snuff that consists of thinly shredded raw tobacco air packed in containers to chew. Many leaders of the tobacco industry have yet to state that tobacco is an addicting drug. But in society today it is very convenient to purchase tobacco. With cigarettes a person can puff and inhale their lungs with smoke, and snuff a person must place in their mouths between your bottom lip and gum. Both are ingested into your bloodstream and can affect your body in different ways. Both uses of tobacco create oral fixation to the users. Such oral fixations are so controlling they can damage your body. With cigarettes it affects your lungs and throat. With snuff it affects your mouth, gums and throat. Both can cause bad breath. Both can stain your fingers and teeth the color yellow. Both can cause early ageing. Cigarette smoking can lead to cancer in many parts of the body, but not surprisingly most of the damage it does to the lungs. Chewing tobacco can lead to cancer of the lips and mouth. Most cigarette smokes would like to believe they could protect themselves from cancer just by using a holder or by switching to filter-tipped cigarrettes, cigar or a pipe. Unfortunately they cant. Chewing tobacco is even worse. The users of this believe that just because they are not inhaling it that they are safe as well. They are not. Two choices of tobacco use you inhale smoke or chew tobacco the effects are still severe. Both can cause disfigurement to the face, throat, and lu ...

Free Essays on Traditional Values Of Confucius Theory

In the Analects, Confucius gives readers certain guidelines regarding how government and kingship should conduct itself. Through his descriptive text Confucius breaks down many aspects of the expectations of ruling forces. Confucius embodies a sense of traditional and moral values that shine through in his writings. His conservative view appears throughout the Analects as Confucius outlines his guidelines regarding a legitimate, successful government, and the qualities of a good king. Confucius outlines the government as consisting of three major practices: filiality, humaneness, and ritual decorum. These practices which Confucius describes traditionally contain very conservative and moral ideologies. All three practices stress the importance of moral values such as peaceful, egalitarian interactions, respect and concern for others, and dignity. Confucius stems out to expand his definitions of the three practices, but the main traditional concepts remain the same. Filiality involves placing great importance on the care one has of their family members, and treating non-family members as if they were part of their family. Confucius found this practice extremely important in society, and believed that if everyone was â€Å"filial and friendly toward one’s brother†, it would have its effect on the government and influence it in a positive way ( 47). Filiality, according to Confucius was a very important key to a harmonious government. As Confucius wrote â€Å"A young man is to be filial within his family and respectful outside it. He is to be earnest and faithful, overflowing in his love for living beings and intimate with those who are humane† (45). This idealistic view embraces the moral ideologies that Confucius sought after. While some governments rely on enforcing strict, unfair rules to achieve a successful government, they often result in unrest and violence. Confucius promotes ethical goodness for a perfect go vern... Free Essays on Traditional Values Of Confucius Theory Free Essays on Traditional Values Of Confucius Theory In the Analects, Confucius gives readers certain guidelines regarding how government and kingship should conduct itself. Through his descriptive text Confucius breaks down many aspects of the expectations of ruling forces. Confucius embodies a sense of traditional and moral values that shine through in his writings. His conservative view appears throughout the Analects as Confucius outlines his guidelines regarding a legitimate, successful government, and the qualities of a good king. Confucius outlines the government as consisting of three major practices: filiality, humaneness, and ritual decorum. These practices which Confucius describes traditionally contain very conservative and moral ideologies. All three practices stress the importance of moral values such as peaceful, egalitarian interactions, respect and concern for others, and dignity. Confucius stems out to expand his definitions of the three practices, but the main traditional concepts remain the same. Filiality involves placing great importance on the care one has of their family members, and treating non-family members as if they were part of their family. Confucius found this practice extremely important in society, and believed that if everyone was â€Å"filial and friendly toward one’s brother†, it would have its effect on the government and influence it in a positive way ( 47). Filiality, according to Confucius was a very important key to a harmonious government. As Confucius wrote â€Å"A young man is to be filial within his family and respectful outside it. He is to be earnest and faithful, overflowing in his love for living beings and intimate with those who are humane† (45). This idealistic view embraces the moral ideologies that Confucius sought after. While some governments rely on enforcing strict, unfair rules to achieve a successful government, they often result in unrest and violence. Confucius promotes ethical goodness for a perfect go vern...