Child family and community family centered early care and education 6th edition janet gonzalez mena test bank

Instructor’s Resource Manual
for

Child, Family, and Community
Family-Centered Early Care and Education
Sixth Edition
Janet Gonzalez-Mena
Napa Valley College, Emerita
Prepared by
Ruby Willey-Rendon
West Texas A&M University

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Instructors of classes using Gonzalez-Mena’s Child, Family, and Community: Family-Centered Early Care and Education,
may reproduce material from the instructor's resource manual for classroom use.

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ISBN-10: 0132902648

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Using Early Childhood Principles with Adult Learners
Authentic Assessment of College Students
Creating a Syllabus or Contract
Some Useful Activities

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Chapter-by-Chapter Ideas and Suggestions
Chapter 1: The Child in Context of Family and Community
Chapter 2: Societal Influences on Children and Families
Chapter 3: Attachment, Trust, and Parenting
Chapter 4: Supporting Families with Autonomy-Seeking Youngsters
Chapter 5: Sharing Views of Initiative with Families
Chapter 6: Working with Families of School-Age Children
Chapter 7: Understanding Families’ Goals, Values, and Culture
Chapter 8: Working with Families on Guidance Issues
Chapter 9: Working with Families on Addressing Feelings and Problem Solving

Chapter 10: Working with Families to Support Self-Esteem
Chapter 11: Working with Families Around Gender Issues
Chapter 12: Stress and Success in Family Life
Chapter 13: Schools and Early Care and Education Programs as
Community Resources
Chapter 14: Other Community Resources
Chapter 15: Social Policy Issues

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4
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27
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35
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Appendices
Appendix A: Ideas for Projects
Appendix B: Magazines, Newsletters, and Journals
Appendix C: California Competencies

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INTRODUCTION
I am writing this manual based on my experience of teaching a class by the same name on and off for
thirty years. The text grew out of my need to have specific information on socialization of young children
to share with my college students, who were mainly early childhood preservice and in-service teachers,
parents, and general education students. This manual represents my ideas on how to use the material in
the text.

The manual starts with some general suggestions to the instructor including information on
• Characteristics and teaching approaches appropriate to adult learners
• Authentic Assessment of adult learners
• Creating a syllabus or contract
• Useful activities for the beginning of the term and closing activities
• General teaching/learning strategies

Those are followed by ideas and suggestions for each chapter, which includes
• A summary
• In-class activities
• Outside-of-class activities
• Ideas for portfolio artifacts related to the chapter
• Suggestions for using the personal-reflection items related to the chapter

Appendix A contains ideas for student projects
Appendix B is a list of relevant magazines, newsletters, journals and videos
Appendix C is the set of minimum competencies for the course, Child, Family, and Community,

required by the State of California as one of the core courses for Assistant Teacher or Associate
teacher under the Child Development Permit.

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USING EARLY CHILDHOOD PRINCIPLES WITH ADULT LEARNERS

I taught children before I taught adults and when I changed jobs, I decided to try in my new adult
classroom the principles I followed in my work with young children. They worked! This guide is built
around those principles, such as active involvement, the use of multiple modalities, learning from
experience, provocation, empowering students by giving them choices, and taking a holistic approach to
teaching/learning.

Active Involvement
Although young children need a number of hands-on experiences with concrete materials, active
involvement for adults makes use of fewer concrete objects and more use of intra- and interpersonal
opportunities to talk, listen, think, read, write and draw. Active physical involvement is also included for
adults in this manual in such ways as role-plays and moving around for discussions in pairs or small
groups. Guided imagery is an example of active involvement. Even though the body is still, the mind is
experiencing in ways that make it seem as if the body is actively involved.

Multiple Modalities
Although lectures may be part of the delivery system of the material, this manual offers activities for
students beyond listening and taking notes. As you read through it, notice the different ways that students
are asked to use their bodies and senses (if not in real life, in imagination) along with observing, listening,
talking, reading, writing, and drawing. Having a variety of learning activities helps address the various
learning styles of students in the class.

Learning from Experience

Another early childhood principle is that students learn from their own experience. This is one way that
students construct knowledge and incorporate new concepts. They also need help to sort out and make
sense of those experiences, which can be done with their peers during small group discussions and also by
the teacher if the class isn’t too large or the course load too big. Many of the exercises and activities in
this manual ask students to share their personal experiences with others. These activities provide an
important way of constructing knowledge, but they also give practice in self-reflection, an important skill
for anyone working or living with young children. What we do today is often greatly influenced by what
happened to us in our childhood. For that reason many of the suggested activities and discussion
questions ask the students to go back to their own childhoods. Also, a “personal reflection” section is
included for each chapter.

Provocation
One way to stimulate learning is to provoke the students with a variety of intriguing problems or engaging
tasks. A single assignment won’t engage every student. When students are questioned, either by the
teacher or by another student, they may feel challenged to go deeper. Leaving them questioning,
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concerned, or facing an issue that is left hanging, may well lead to research or soul searching on the part
of the student. Provoking students is a delicate matter that needs to be balanced with respect and
sensitivity for differences.

Observation
Just as children learn through observation, so do adults. Some students come with natural ability and
others need to learn how to focus and pay attention. Observation is an important part of the
teaching/learning process. For that reason a number of suggestions for observations are found throughout
this manual.

Choices
This manual is based on choices, for instructors using it and for the students in their classes. Students are

more highly motivated when they are engaged with something that has deep meaning or value to them
personally as individuals. Giving choices is the way to make it more likely that every student will engage.
Only by having enough choices can the learner can dig into areas of study that are personally meaningful.

A Holistic Approach
Consider the importance of putting learning in context in ways that puts knowledge to use, rather than
expecting the student to collect isolated pieces of information. The more students can practice and
process what they learn within the context of varied real-life situations, the more they will gain. Help
them to perform authentic tasks and reach an understanding of how what they are learning applies in real
situations. Authentic tasks in an area of true interest are a winning combination over workbooks, drills,
tests, and other simplistic learning exercises and activities.

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AUTHENTIC ASSESSMENT OF COLLEGE STUDENTS

Just as early childhood professionals wish to assess children in holistic and authentic ways, so should
adult educators consider the limitations of objective tests and other traditional devices for assessing
knowledge. Teaching goes beyond the delivery of information and the evaluation of the students’ grasp of
the material. That’s the “lecture, assign, and test” method and it is not the only way. For those of you
who are teaching this class for early childhood education students, who are on their way to becoming
teachers of young children, think of yourself as a role model. Teachers of adults who use multiple ways to
approach and assess the teaching-learning of their students demonstrate good early childhood practice.
Using only limited approaches such as lecture and reading assignments to teach about multiple ways to
facilitate the learning process is far less effective. Teaching isn’t merely telling and assessing shouldn’t
be merely testing.

The Project Approach
An approach used by early childhood educators that works well with adults is the project approach. The

project approach is a time honored, in-depth teaching-learning process that has been applied equally well
to children and adults. A project can be collaborative or individual and can last over days, weeks, or
months as students pursue the study of something of particular interest to them. Both product and process
can be emphasized, that is, if students set out to learn something, the learning itself can be documented as
part of the product. Sometimes the documentation of the process becomes the whole product. Or the
project can de-emphasize the process and let the product stand alone. A research paper assumes a process,
but the process is not a visible part of the end product. The most effective projects are the ones students
choose themselves, although teachers who are good at provocation can sometimes send students in a
direction they might not have gone on their own. Using a project approach as an assessment device
allows students to be evaluated in areas of study that most interest them. Projects can be done
individually or collectively. Portfolio assessment and the project approach provide an answer to the
problem of how to treat everyone fairly but not exactly the same. A list of ideas for projects can be found
in the Appendix.

Portfolios
Portfolios are collections of samples of the student’s work that assess both product and process. The
portfolio is a common assessment tool of early childhood educators and can be used with equal success
for adults. Student portfolios with samples of work done for the class provide a wider range of ways to
demonstrate knowledge and skills than do tests. Portfolios can be used as ongoing assessment devices, as
well as a way to document the student’s best work, serving as an ending record of what the student
accomplished in the term. In the following section each chapter contains suggestions for items to be
included in the portfolio.

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Journals
Encouraging or assigning students to keep journals increases their self-reflective thinking, which furthers
their learning. Journals can be purely for the students’ own use and never read by the instructor, or they
can be part of either the grading/feedback system–or both. If used as part of the grade, the instructor’s

expectations should be clear as to how the journal will be graded. In my own experience, I want students
to feel free to write what they want, so I grade on the amount of time spent and/or number of pages turned
in each time. I do not correct journal writing unless a student asks me to. I never grade on the quality of
the journal writing or make judgments about it. When the quality is so low that I can’t understand what is
meant, I simply say or write that I don’t understand. Or I explain what I do understand and ask if it is
correct. I have a different mind set for reading journals than for reading student papers.
My own purpose for using journal writing is to create a dialogue with individual students by reading what
they have written and writing back to each on a regular basis. My responses include: giving feedback,
personal reactions, asking questions, or sometimes making suggestions. I often ask students to look
further or deeper into their experiences recorded in the journal. I sometimes ask them to analyze. This
works well with some students and not so well with others. With large classes journal writing doesn’t
work because there’s simply not enough time for me to do all that reading and writing. In a large class, I
either have students read and comment on each other’s journals or I use journal writing as one choice
among other assignments. Some students hate journal writing and are delighted to have a choice about it.
The “personal reflection” suggestions connected to each chapter (see the next section) lend themselves to
journal writing if you choose to use them that way.

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CREATING A SYLLABUS OR CONTRACT
The purpose of a syllabus is to inform the students of the teacher’s expectations. It is more than an outline
of topics, a calendar of dates, and list of readings. All those are part of the syllabus. The syllabus should
include the requirements of the course and the kinds of evidence, which document that the students have
met the requirements. The syllabus serves as a written agreement between the teacher and students and it
binds both students and teacher. A flexibility clause can be written in to allow for changes that may come
up. In some cases the teacher and students develop individual personalized contracts instead of using the
teacher-produced syllabus. If a syllabus is used, it should include:
1. Basic Information such as course name, code number, number of credits, location, days and
times when class meets, the instructor’s name, office location, office hours and telephone numbers.

2. Text and other materials should be listed and it should be clear what is required and what is
recommended, and where to find them.
3. Course description, which can be out of the catalogue or paraphrased and personalized by the
instructor in accordance with the description in the catalogue.
4. Course goals, which can be general and, if necessary specific objectives, which can be stated in
terms of what the students are expected to achieve. Some programs require performance
objectives which detail what students are expected to be able to do by the end of the term.
5. Course calendar, including dates for assigned topics, lectures, readings, projects, etc.
6. Course requirements and grading system which should be clear about exactly what is expected
of the student and how teacher and student will know if the requirements have been met
satisfactorily and how they will be translated into a grade that conforms to the grading system
of the institution. Goals, objectives, requirements and grades should all relate to each other.

When I teach a class using this text, I give students choices within set boundaries. I expect them to read
the text and base much of the class work on activities and discussions related to the chapters of the text. I
also expect them to choose a second book to read related to a topic of interest connected to the material in
the text and in class. I sometimes create the book list as the class proceeds by gathering ideas from the
students as well as sharing my own. Other times I give out a book list and insist that student stick to it. A
recent discovery of what to do with the information students have after reading a book came from Marion
Cowee who introduced me to the idea of a “book club.” We team-taught together and created a list of 7
books from which students could choose. Then we formed “book clubs” and scheduled discussions using
a circle-within-a-circle format. The members of the particular book club sat in the inner circle and
discussed what they had read in terms of what they found useful and how it related to their lives, work, or
studies. The outside circle, which was made up of the rest of the class, observed their discussion. After a
period we opened up the discussion to the outside circle too. The book club sessions were lively–much
more interesting than regular book reports!

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For student assessment I use the project approach, which means that some students work all term on a
subject of interest either coming up with a product or with the documentation for a process. I test
students, but am more playful than serious about it. I don’t take test scores as true measures of student
learning but rather as ways to augment learning and involve students in the material. For example, I give
quizzes and then have students correct them and discuss them the same day. I also encourage students
who are good test takers to share some of their secrets with students who aren’t. I often give
collaborative quizzes where groups of students work together. Sometimes I have groups of students make
up quizzes and give them to other groups of students. It’s as useful to think about the material in terms of
what questions are worth asking, as it is to figure out the answers to somebody else’s questions. I’m much
more interested in collecting portfolio artifacts than test scores. I am always thinking of how early
childhood principles apply to adult learning. I worry that real learning goes out the window when testing
is taken too seriously. Also some subjects lend themselves to testing better than does the subject of the
socialization of young children.

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SOME USEFUL ACTIVITIES

At the Beginning of the Term
Helping students feel comfortable and make connections creates a conducive learning atmosphere. Here
are some icebreaker exercises to set a tone for the class.
1. The Lemon Exercise
Whoever first used this exercise with me thirty years ago used lemon, maybe because she had a lemon tree
at home. Over the years I have adapted it, using whatever fruit was in season. I like a fruit the students
can eat on the spot. Here are the directions:
Bring one piece of fruit (same type of fruit) for each student. Pass out fruit. Ask students to
examine their piece of fruit carefully. You can make this an observation exercise, giving details on
how to observe. Or you can make it a sensory experience, asking students to use more than one
sense to “get to know” their fruit. Once they know their fruit well, tell them to introduce it to

someone else and show that person what makes their piece of fruit unique. Tell them to introduce
it to a second person. Tell them that this is for identity purposes, in case they need a witness. Then
collect all the fruit into one or two baskets, depending on the size of the class. Pass the basket
around and see if each person can find his or her own fruit. If their fruit is missing, they can take
their witnesses around and examine other people’s fruit to see if they can find their missing fruit.
Usually everyone ends up satisfied having found their own fruit by the end, even in a large class.
Ask students what the purpose of the exercise was or what they got out of it. They usually have
some good answers to those questions. Use this to demonstrate attachment to go with Chapter 1.
It works. Students get attached to their fruit.

2. Who Is Like Me?
This exercise works best if there is some diversity in the room, but can be used even with a homogeneous
group.
Choose a nursery rhyme and walking around the room with your eyes closed saying it over and
over in your native language. Listen for others speaking your language or saying a rhyme that you
know and can relate to. Stick close to that person or persons. On the leader’s signal, open your
eyes and see who is in your group.

3. The Story of My Name
This is a “go-round” (see Activity 6 under General Teaching/Learning Strategies) Go around the
room using some object as a “talking stick.” Whoever has the object has the floor and doesn’t give
it up until passing the object (or throwing it if it is a light-weight ball). In a large group, divide the
number of students by the time allotted for this activity and announce clearly at the beginning how

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much time each student has. Otherwise this activity could take hours. The directions are: “Tell us
whatever you want about your name: first or last or entire name. Suggestions: how you got it; if it
reflects your roots, culture, ethnicity; a special story, if it suits you; how you feel about it; any

history.” The teacher should also take part in the exercise. Besides being a good get-acquainted
exercise, this exercise helps the teacher and students remember the names of the class members.

4. Reading Clues
Have each student put his or her keys in a bag or box. Then the bag is passed around and each
student selects a bunch of keys and has to say five things they feel the keys show about the owner.
The point is to help students see that there are subtle ways to find out things about people. They
can think about how to look for clues about the children. Another effect of this activity may be to
show how we can make wrong assumptions. Adults can explain where we misinterpreted the cues.
It’s important to remember to check out assumptions. (Activity idea came from Barb Armstrong)

5. Protective Urges
Ask students to look in their handbags, backpacks, pockets or on their person for something that
has personal meaning–something they can hold in their hand that is important to them. Have them
tell the person next to them why it is important and personal. Then have them exchange items.
Ask them how it feels to give over something to which there is a personal attachment. How might
this be like or different from a parent giving his or her child over to a caregiver, provider, or
teacher for the first time? Did trust issues come up? Talk about ways to help parents feel more
confident in separating from their children. (Thanks to Gretchen Brookes for this idea.)

6. Defining Words
Have students create posters in small groups to define words using only visual images. Have each
group explain its poster to the larger group. This is a particularly effective device for getting
students to look at the term “culture” and try to define what they mean by it. “Diversity” is
another word that is worth exploring this way. Any word will work. The exercise taps resources
that remain untapped when definitions are verbal. (Intisar Shareef gave me this idea.)

7. Scavenger Hunt
Make up your own categories to fit your class. Below is a sample.
Who is like me? Who is different from me? To whom am I drawn?

Write the name of a person in this group for each of the following items. You may use a
person’s name only once.
1. Who has a birthday the same month I do?
2. Who have the same last initial as mine?
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3. Who has the same first initial as mine?
4. Who has the same hobby as I do?
5. Who has my hair color?
6. Who would I like to have as my neighbor?
7. Who was born outside the state of _______?
8. Who was born in the state of ________?
9. Who is somebody I wanted to meet when I first saw him or her?
10. Who enjoys being a parent?
11. Who reads the same kind of books that I read?
12. Who is my friend?
13. Who likes swimming (or a sport that you like)?
14. Who likes to watch TV (or a kind of entertainment that you like)?
15. Who has the same favorite television program that I have?
16. Who was born on a farm?
17. Who was born outside the United States?
18. Who is someone with whom I have something in common?
19. Whom do I know least in the group?
20. Who likes math?
Adapted from: Teaching Affective Behavior in the Classroom, Provo Public Schools.

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Closing Activities
I like to end each class with some kind of special activity. I got this idea from Elizabeth Jones. One
night class I took from her always ended with a bedtime story for adults.
1. Good-night or Good-bye Story
Choose a story and read it at the end of class. Or tell a story. These could be content-related,
child or adult stories, or just generally interesting stories. The instructor can be in charge of
choosing stories, or the students can take turns sharing a story. An alternative to a story is to
read a quote that relates to the class somehow. Or show an image on the overhead projector that
leaves the students something to think about.

2. One Word Poem
Stand in a circle (holding hands or not as feels comfortable and appropriate). Ask students to say
a one-word poem. You can give it a theme: How I felt tonight; something I learned about the
content of the course; how I feel right now, etc. Tell students they can give as many one word
poems as they want, but not in a row.

3. Name Game
Toward the beginning to the term when students still don’t know the names of all their classmates, I like
to end with some kind of name game. Here is one.
Use a lightweight ball or a soft throw able object for this exercise. Say the name of a student and
toss him or her the ball. Tell that student to do the same until all students have been named
aloud. This can also be done as a waker upper when the class drags.

General Teaching/Learning Strategies
1. Brainstorming
Choose a word to explore through this exercise. Attachment, power, infant, caregiver, discipline,
environment, respect, ecology, society, societal influences, family are all words that offer
opportunities for students to gain insights into associations, meanings, and innuendos of words.
It also helps students to understand that not all share the same associations, so it tunes students
into each other’s experiences. Here is how to carry out the exercise using the word power.

Brainstorm this word. Ask what comes to mind when you say the word power. Write down
words and phrases so everyone can see them. Sometimes it helps to have two people writing so
the exercise doesn’t slow down. Let people call out their words. Don’t censor, correct, question,
or comment. Accept whatever associations they give as valid. Don’t laugh or allow students to
laugh. The idea is to be creative and tap into the unconscious. The teacher’s comments or facial
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expressions of surprise or puzzlement will dampen the creativity, so be neutral and accepting.
Keep the exercise going for a while even after it begins to slow down. Pushing on past the
natural stopping place helps students to think broader, deeper and more creatively. Sometimes it
helps to ask students to think of making a TV commercial for some product using images that
invoke the word or concept power. When you have covered several chart sheets or a board with
the brainstormed words, ask students to use the words to: 1. Write a definition or 2. Create a
poem or 3. Make up a song or 4. Create an image or symbol or 5. Draw a picture or 6. Make up
a dance or a movement, gesture, or some other body expression or 7. Create a role-play. By
giving a choice of expression students can use their strengths instead of always being in a more
academic, literary, or linear mode.

2. Exploring Stereotypes
This is a variation of Brainstorming. Pick two groups of people that lend themselves to
stereotypes. One group should somehow relate to the people of the class. Two contrasting
groups that bring forth lots of discussion are football players and early childhood teachers. On
chart paper or a board write down everything the class has ever heard someone say about the first
group. Don’t censor. The point is to get the stereotypes down on the paper. Then do the same
with the other group. Compare the two and let the class decide which are stereotypes and which
are valid descriptions. What usually happens is that it is easier to see the stereotypes of one’s
own group than another group. After a fairly unthreatening start with two less emotional and
controversial groups, it is possible to take a risk and add a group like gay men or lesbian women.
Don’t do this until the group has begun to come together and support each other and you are

confident that the exercise will have positive outcomes.

3. Taking a Stand
Make a statement about a topic that will provoke discussion. (Under-age girls should have
parental consent for abortions, for example.) In the four corners of the room post signs: Strongly
agree; Agree; strong disagree; disagree. Have students stand in the corner that best fits their
opinion. Have them discuss why they stand where they do. Get them to dialog with each other.
Have someone from the strongly agree group restate the position of someone from the strongly
disagree and vice versa. This exercise not only makes for a lively discussion, but also gives a
chance for the students to practice listening skills. Teach students about respecting each other’s
differences.

4. Make a Continuum
Similar to Taking a Stand except instead of four corners there are two ends and participants place
themselves along where they belong by talking to the other people in the line. For example, a
good discussion can come out of helping students look at their assumptions about a subject
where there is bound to be disagreement among class members. Stress listening skills and
respecting diverse perspectives.

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5. Give-One and Get-One Activity
Fold a piece of paper in two the long way. Number down the left side 1-12. Number down the
fold 1-12. The idea is to share ideas about two topics or questions. Here is an example that goes
with Chapter 4: On one side of the fold the student writes: What are some adult behaviors that
encourage a sense of initiative in children? On the other side of the fold: What are some adult
behaviors that inhibit a sense of initiative in children? After students write their names at the
top of paper they write something by number 1 on both sides of the fold. Then they walk around
and gather ideas to write under the other numbers–sharing what is written on their paper with

others. This gives students a chance to learn from each other in an active learning format. The
discussion afterwards can look at possible misconceptions or differences in perspective. It’s
important to respect diversity in this and every exercise.
6. “Go-Round”
This is a useful activity to explore a topic. It results in informal classroom research and helps
students to get to know each other. Any topic with which everyone in class has had experience
will work. Examples: 1. How did you learn what it means to be a girl (boy)? Who did you learn
it from? Would you teach what you learned to children you work or live with? (Goes with
Chapter 10) 2. What is your experience with, ideas about or feelings regarding “security items”
for babies? (Goes with Chapter 2 and 3) This is an excellent “diversity” activity because even in
a homogeneous class you’ll discover differences. If more than one culture is present you’ll
discover possible cultural differences too.

7. Circle within a Circle
The point of this exercise is to lower the number of people in a discussion and practice
observation skills. Arrange chairs so that half are in an inner circle and the other half around
them. Inner circle people discuss a topic, while outer circle people observe. After a period,
observers discuss what they observed. Then they switch places and continue the discussion.
This is a good way to limit the number of people in a discussion and still involve everyone. It
also lets class members understand dynamics of discussions.

8. Poster Sessions
Divide the class into small groups and give each group a different topic or question related to the
topic of the session. Each group is given a big sheet to write the results of their discussion.
When ready, hang the sheets around the walls. Ask other students to add to the sheets as they
want–and circle things they disagree with, question, or want to know more about. Have a
discussion about the circled items. This is a good way to get the whole group to hear about what
was discussed in each small group without a long report-back session after the small groups.

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9. Guided Imagery
One way to get students to reflect on their own experience is to help them re-experience it
through the use of guided imagery. Prepare students for a guided imagery by getting them to
relax. Ask them to get comfortable. It helps sometimes to turn out the lights. Ask them to take
deep breaths and lead them by saying, “Take a deep breath in. Hold it; now let it out.” Do that
several times. Then tell them to become aware of their breathing. Tell them, “Just notice your
breath going in and out.” Tell them if they aren’t comfortable they can move into a more
comfortable position. Tell them to notice where points of tension exist and consciously relax
them. Tell them to notice where their body touches the chair and floor. Move until they are
comfortable. Tell them, “If your clothes bind you, notice that and then put it aside. Notice your
breathing. Try becoming aware of breathing.” Tell them to take deep breaths from the lower
abdomen rather than the chest. Don’t talk too much, but keep leading them to relax. You can
start at the toes and ask them to be aware of them and tighten them up, then relax them. Work
your way up the body. Or if you don’t want to take all the time to get them deeply relaxed, the
guided imagery will still work if you take them rather quickly into it. Ask them to experience
being in their body, their mind, and their feelings. Make this a sensory experience. The more
detail you can suggest the better the experience for most people. Some people may get
emotional. That doesn’t hurt. People will only get out of a guided imagery what they are ready
to handle. This isn’t therapy and students realize that. They don’t expect you to be a therapist.
The following is an example of how guided imagery can be used to re-experience childhood.
Say, “Go back to a time in your childhood when you were playing. Get in touch with what that
was like. Actually experience it. Be in the child body you had then. What does that feel like?
Look at your hand. Is something in it? What does it feel like? Look down at yourself. How do
you look? How do you feel in this small body? Look at your feet. How do they look?” Next
help them get in touch with the surroundings. Say something like: “Look around, where are
you? What do you see? What is there in the environment with you? Any people? What is it
like where you are right now? How do you feel? Can you get in touch with any emotions?
What are your senses taking in? Smells, sounds, sights. What does it feel like? Touch

something. Explore it. Experience your tactile sense. What are you thinking as you play in this
environment? Now go ahead and play undisturbed for awhile.” Be silent for a while then slowly
guide them back to the here and now. Tell them to say good-bye to the people and things that
are around them. Tell them to walk away and wave. Tell them to walk slowly back to the
classroom and when they are here and ready, to open their eyes.
Let them share their experiences with the large group, a small group, in a dyad, or in writing.
Then discuss: How was the experience for you? What worked? What didn’t work? Think about
your own play experience. How can you use your own experience to understand the importance
of free play for young children?

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These last strategies are ways of getting students to interact with and respond to what they read.
10. Save the Last Word for Me
Each participant picks two quotations or segments from the reading and copies what is selected
on one side of each of two 4X6 cards. Then participant turns cards over and writes a personal
response on the other side. In small groups the participants share quotations and responses by
going around the group one at a time. The first person reads both sides of one card. The group
comments and discusses. The participant responds to comments. Then the next person does the
same thing until all have gone around once. Then the first person reads from the second card and
the procedure repeats again.

11. Double Entry Journals
Participant folds paper in half lengthwise. On one half, writes a quotation from the reading. On
the other half writes a response. In small groups these quotations and responses are shared,
taking turns so each student gets to share.

CHAPTER-BY-CHAPTER IDEAS AND SUGGESTIONS
How to Use This Section

For each chapter, I offer a number of ideas and suggestions for activities and assignments. Pick and
choose from mine and add your own. I don’t expect you to do everything I suggest. I picked my
favorites; they may not be yours. Many of the activities depend on students interacting with each other.
These activities assume a trust level in the class. I start day one getting students to know each other and
feel comfortable sharing. I can’t always control the trust level, but I do my best. Because I start early,
students who want a different kind of course sometimes leave. I feel all right about that. My experience
tells me that students take care of themselves and when they aren’t ready for something, they back off.
If those students who aren’t quite ready for sharing at the beginning of the class do stay, I trust that
when an activity touches something too sensitive for them to handle, they will pass. I urge all students
to participate in everything, but allow students who feel a strong need to sit back at times and not
participate.
Many of the activities suggested call for breaking the class into small groups. I use many devices for
doing this so students get to know all the class members, not just a few. At first I don’t give choices, but
use the following techniques: I have students count off and sit with the group that represents their
number. I have students line up by birthdays and then I count off the groups from the line. Or I have
them line up in alphabetical order by first names and later in the semester by last names. (This procedure
helps them learn each other’s names). Some teachers set up small groups and have students go to the
same group each time. That idea hasn’t worked well for me. The students can become too exclusive.

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CHAPTER 1: The Child in Context of Family and Community
Summary
As students study child development and early education, it is important to think about
children in the contexts of their families and communities. The ecological model
developed by Urie Bronfenbrenner helps us understand the unique contexts of each
family. This way of thinking about the child is a theme throughout all the chapters of this
book.
Figure 1.1 provides a visual representation of the four layers of context in the ecological

model. With the child in the center, the layers progress outward from the microsystem
(the contexts in which the child is most closely embedded), through the mesosystem (the
contexts created by the interactions of the microsystems), followed by the exosystem (the
contexts of the broader community) and the macrosystem (the contexts of society as a
whole), all of which function in the context of change over time (historical and
developmental). The layers interact with each other to create a highly complex context
for each child. The ecological model also supports a family-centered approach to early
education as most beneficial to the child, the family, and teachers.
A guiding principle of family-centered care and education is the “parent as the child’s
first teacher”. This shifts the focus from the professional as the “expert” on the child and
emphasizes the importance of looking through a variety of lenses to understand the
context in which children develop. Culture, family systems theory, and the whole child
are some of these lenses.
Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs model is presented in Figure 1.2. His theory rests
on the idea that basic needs must be met for growth to occur and that this is an ongoing
process that lasts a lifetime in a process called “self-actualizing”. Our basic needs are
physiological, followed by the need for safety, the need for love and belonging, the need
for recognition from others, and finally the need to live up to our potential – to be all that
we can be.

In-class Activities
Influence on Development
Before introducing the ecological model, have students work together in groups of 3 or 4
to explore their ideas about the many social factors that influence the development of
children. Using large poster paper and markers, ask them to start with a circle in the
center representing the child. Then, have them use bubbles (for types of influences) and
linking lines, (for interconnections between the influences) to brainstorm the complex
web of influences. Ask them to think particularly about what influences are closest

and/or most important to the child and which are more in the background. Students can
fill in detail in the spaces between the bubbles.

A Reality Show
Pick a current well known public figure (movie and pop music stars make good subjects)
with a dramatic personal life. Britney Spears comes to mind. Have the class explore how
the ecological model can be applied to analyzing this person’s behavior. How did a
music superstar go from being the idol of popular music to losing custody of her children,
hospitalization for mental illness, and ridicule? Consider examples from each ecological
system: Microsystem (what was her home life like with her parents and siblings, how
was she influenced by the media during her childhood); Mesosystem (what links to
positive role models were available in her childhood, what other opportunities besides
music did she have); Exosystem (what sort of pressures from being in the recording
business affected Britney); Macrosystem (to what moral, religious, cultural values was
she exposed); Time (what was the effect on Britney’s self-esteem from her childhood and
early adulthood experiences).

Outside-of-class Activities
1. Create your own ecological model. Look back through your own childhood for
examples of influences on your life from each of the ecological systems: micro, meso,
exo, macro and time. Consider specific influences from each of the components in each
of the systems. For example, in your microsystem, how were you influenced by your
immediate family, neighborhood, play area, teachers, peers, and childcare? Describe how
these blended with each other to result in the influences of the mesosystem. Then fill in
this information in your own set of concentric circles. You can use arrows to show how
the different systems interacted in their influence.
2. Visit an early childhood program and look for examples in the structure and function
of the program of things that support all 5 levels of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. What
objects and activities foster a child’s ability to meet their basic needs at Level 1? How do
the interactions between teachers, children and parents fulfill the needs of Level 2? Level

3? Level 4? Level 5?

Possible Portfolio Artifacts
1. An observation of how one child’s hierarchy of needs is being met in their early
childhood program


2. An interview with a parent of more than one child about some differences in their
ecological systems and how those differences are reflected in each child’s behavior.

Personal Reflections
• Think of a “best friend” in early childhood. How was their microsystem
different from yours? Their macrosystem?
• During your childhood, which of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs do you feel
were well met? Which were not? How did important adults in your life affect
how your needs were met or not?
• When you were young, did you attend schools that were family-centered?
How did the school encourage family involvement? Was your family involved?
How did they participate?
• Think of some examples of how you experienced a parent or other close adult
in your life as your “first teacher”.
• When you were young, did you attend schools that were family-centered?
How did the school encourage family involvement? Was your family involved?
How did they participate?
• In your neighborhood, when you were growing up, whose house was the one in
which the neighborhood children congregated? Why do you think this happen?
What does this say about the boundaries of the family?
• Which of the lenses presented in Chapter 1 interests you the most and why?
How would you use this lens to think about your life now?

Online Test Bank
for

Child, Family, and Community:
Family-Centered Early Care and Education
Sixth Edition
Janet Gonzalez-Mena
Napa Valley College, Emerita
Prepared by
Ruby Willey-Rendon
West Texas A&M University


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Instructors of classes using Gonzalez-Mena’s Child, Family, and Community: Family-Centered Early Care
and Education, Sixth Edition, may reproduce material from the online test bank for classroom use.

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ISBN-10: 0132902613
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xxiv


Table of Contents
Chapter 1

The Child in Context of Family and Community

1

Chapter 2

Societal Influences on Children and Families

5

Chapter 3

Attachment, Trust, and Parenting

8

Chapter 4

Supporting Families with Autonomy-Seeking Youngsters

12

Chapter 5

Sharing Views of Initiative with Families

16

Chapter 6

Working with Families of School-Age Children

20

Chapter 7

Understanding Families’ Goals, Values, and Culture

24

Chapter 8

Working with Families on Guidance Issues

27

Chapter 9

Working with Families on Addressing Feelings and Problem
Solving

30

Chapter 10

Working with Families to Support Self-Esteem

34

Chapter 11

Working with Families Around Gender Issues

38

Chapter 12

Stress and Success in Family Life

42

Chapter 13

Schools and Early Care and Education Programs as Community
Resources
46

Chapter 14

Other Community Resources

50

Chapter 15

Social Policy Issues

54

Answer Key

58

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