Part 3: Chinese parents' concerns about safety

The issues of health and safety in the childcare emerged from the responses as the concerns for the parents of this research. These Chinese parents, regardless of their children's ages, were consistent about the importance of these issues.  

These parents were happy to accept messy play but believed that interaction with sand and water brought some unsafe and unhealthy factors to their children, for example, wearing wet clothes and having dirty hands. The children were too young to think about everything when playing. The parents emphasized that the childcare teachers were responsible for supervising the children's play, and had to pay big attention to the children's these issues to make sure the children act safely. 

Part2: Chinese parents' understandings of children's play

The Chinese parents expressed their interesting views and gave much prominence to their young children's play in childcare centres.

Some Chinese parents believed that young children should learn through play, by interacting with materials, and based on their interests, because "children broaden their thinking through play." They believed that childcare centres are places for young children to play and a school is a place for formal learning. 

Some parents conveyed their perspectives about young children should be free to play in their early years, free to do everything, and do what they want to do. Early childhood centres bring a big advantage to young children that is the children can have messy play. 

Comparing the Chinese educational system with the Western one, these parents believed there no one is better or worse since the practices are based on different cultural values and beliefs. 

Research report part 1: Chinese parents' expectations of young children's learning in childcare centre

These briefly summarized findings stemmed from semi-structured interviews with five Chinese immigrant parents in October 2009 in New Zealand. They were recruited from two privately owned childcare centres. Their children were aged between one and a half years to four years and eleven months old.

The five Chinese parents emphasized the importance of children’s social skill and self-care ability’s learning in the childcare centres. They believed that these aspects were “very important” core learning concepts in their children’s early childhood period. They expected the children to develop positive relationships with other children. Some parents emphasized that their young children should learn how to play with other children; some wanted their children to be more extroverted. In relation to self-help skills, these parents expected their children to develop ability and habit for self toileting, washing hands before and after eating, and caring about things and places. They believed that the childcare centres could support their children to achieve these goals, and showed their appreciation to the children’s achievements.

These Chinese parents responded differently to their young children acquiring knowledge in the childcare centres. Some parents preferred that their children’s learning should focus on basic knowledge and English language. Some parents indicated that they did not have a “specific expectation” in regard to what children should learn in centres. Some of them expressed their opinions that children’s learning should focus on using brain and learn from a wider range of things.

According to these Chinese parents, the basic knowledge included simple counting, basic alphabet, knowing and writing names. They believed that these basics were important and necessary preparation of late schooling. Some parents indicated that English language acquisition was a significant learning outcome in the centres. They hoped that their children could understand what the teachers said, and communicate with other children in English. Some parents wanted their children to have freedom and relaxed childhoods.

These Chinese parents expected their children to experience different cultures in the childcare centres. They wanted their children to make friends with children who have different ethnic backgrounds. Some parents believed that diversity learning would support the children to develop adaptability and acceptability. Some parents expected their children to experience different cultures, and believed it would widen their children’s learning world. Along with experiencing diverse cultures, they also wanted their children to maintain the home languages and Chinese cultural values. They spoke a home tongue to their children in their daily lives, and some parents taught their children Chinese counting, writing and ancient poems at home.

Limitations of key teacher programme

Each single teaching programme has its advantages and disadvantages, primary care giving programme no exception. In practice, the key children generally show strong attachment to his/her key teacher and refuse comfort from other teachers. Another limitation of key teacher system is the parents unable to obtain information about their children if the key teacher is absent.

To overcome the natural faults of the primary care giving program, the key teacher needs to encourage the children's social interactions to establish good relationships with other teachers. The children will discover pleasure of being with others. Good communication between the teachers is essential for sharing information within the team. By this way, the parents will get information about their children when the key teacher is not available.

Primary care giving programme

Primary care giving (it is also called the key teacher programme) for infants is a care programme which intends to build up warm, secure and responsive relationships with children and partnerships with their families. The role of the primary care giver is to take the key position in feeding, sleeping, nappy changing, observing and playing with a particular child/children. Primary care giver also has the key role of making connections to the child/children’s cultural background and family contexts, and documenting the child/children’s learning experiences in early childcare settings.

 

Primary care giving is a popular programme for working with very young children. Through this programme, children and families settle into the centre and develop a sense of trust and reciprocity with the primary caregiver, other teachers and the centre environment. The model of programme enables infants to feel safe and secure, and are encouraged and supported for further exploration and interaction with the environment.  

Smoothing children's transition into a childcare centre

Starting to attend a childcare center is a big challenge for young children and their parents. Transition from home to centre could be very difficult time and stressful event and it is very normal for the child and the parents to show a range of emotions. To settle a child into a childcare centre, teachers need to take an extremely careful process and to practice professionally and effectively.

Here are some key aspects of good strategies that summarized from daily practice and research articles:

Allowing the child and parents time to adapt to the new environment. Children need opportunities to become familiar with the new setting, and the parents need take time to getting know the teachers. The length of transition process depends on an individual child and family, so make sure that the individual child needs are met.

It is a good practice to have a key teacher for the new child. The key teacher has responsibilities to share detailed  information such as the child primary care needs, interests, and learning experiences etc. with the parents. The teacher should have the main role of providing primary care, supporting the child's learning, and obtaining information about the child home background.

Encouraging the child saying goodbye to the parents when they make separation. This is a good way to help the child develop a sense and understanding of regular events that he/she attends centre regularly and the parents collect him/her at certain time.

Play and safety

Physical experience and movement offer risk during young children's play. Therefore, safety is the most important issue needs to be addressed when implement play-based programme. To minimize unnecessary injuries, we need to

Check the equipments and ensure that the equipments are in good conditions before setting up.

Make sure enough space for children's physical activities.

Supervise children's play, especially keep a watchful eye on swings, slides and climbing frames areas.

Create appropriate challenges for children.

Support children to develop skills and abilities that protect themselves from harm.

Enhancing parent-teacher relationship in childcare settings

Positive parent-teacher relationshio in childcare setting lays foundation for children's learning and development. Here are some ideas that may be useful for early childhood teachers to enhance the collaborative partnership.

1. Respecting parents expectations.
2. Respecting parents' diverse cultural backgrounds.
3. Recognizing parents' strengths.
4. Open communication.
5. Being professional.

How to choose a childcare service

Many parents ask a question about how to choose an appropriate childcare service for their children. Generally speaking, parents of young children should have a pre-enrollment visit before they make a decision. Here are some tips that may help you.

Taking some time to visit several centres (2 to 3) in the area where you want to your children attend. During the visit, you should observe the centres physical environment including outdoor equipment, space. Good facilities and natural environment with big space are good for young children's physical and emotional development.

Observing the teachers/staff practices. Do they interact with children? Do they work as a team? Are they friendly?

It is better to take your child/children with you when you visit a centre. Spending some time in the centre and observe your child/children's engagement with the environment. Asking your child/children whether he/she likes there.

Children's play and development

Children love to play. Play is an excellent medium for achieving learning goals for young children. Through play, young children master skills and develop understandings in all of their development domains.
       
   Social development:  play encourages different levels and forms of social participation. Young children learn how to comfortably engage into social groups, they are in control of the way in which they want. Children manage their confilicts in ways that minimize risks of their interaction and become more cohesive, which they build relationship, social skills and enjoyment of being with others. they select their own level of social engagement, have change to choose playing with a group, or staying alone. Children learn rules of their group and alter the rules to meet theri needs, they learn to take other's ideas in turn to develop their responsibility.

   Cognitive development: Play encourages children to use their mental skills and abilities to explore diverse materials. Play involves ideas, thoughts, discussions and feelings that support children to become more skilled in probelm solving.

   Emotional development: Play provides children positive contact with their environment where children are allowed to act at their own level and meet their individual needs. During play, children have freedom to run, jupm and shout. They are free to do messy activities to shed their negative emotions.

   Physical development: One of the importances of play for young children is the involvement with their whole body at the physical level. When children play, they master theor body movement efficiently, joyously, and with quality and control in a range of ways. The essential physical skills such as balance, body coordination, speed, strength, and motor skills are fostered through engagement of physical activities.