Quotes about Children***Our Future

Old men can make war, but it is children who will make history.----- RAY MERRITT

Stay a child while you can be a child.  ------STEPHEN SONDHEIM,

Childhood is the world of miracle or of magic: it is as if creation rose luminously out of the night, all new and fresh and astonishing. Childhood is over the moment things are no longer astonishing. When the world gives you a feeling of "déjà vu," when you are used to existence, you become an adult.-------EUGENE IONESCO,

Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.----------BIBLE, Mark 10:14

The deeds of the children are a testament to the upbringing they received from their parents.-----CHRISTOPHER PAOLINI

Behavior: "BeHave to live in this world!"

            A child’s behavior is very important. I do believe academics should be a top priority, but a child must know how to behave in order to do their best academically.  I know children that are A+ scholars, but cannot hold a conversation.  They have not developed the basic social skills. For example, how will I know your intelligence level if you cannot talk to me?

            The opposite of the shy behavior is a child that is totally out of control. I also know children who are really advanced for their age, but their behavior is uncontrollable. I have heard people say, “They are too smart that’s why they act so badly.” Yes, this could be true because they are bored.

            Yet instill, in both of these instances a child’s behavior should be assessed.  They will eventually have to know how to get along with other people.

Mexico

The New Mexico State Department of Education has contracted with The Center for Development and Disability to develop and implement a course on functional behavioral analysis (assessment) and positive behavior supports for children within the public schools. With the 1997 Reauthorization of IDEA is has come a mandate for more functionally-based assessments of children who are displaying difficult behaviors within the schools.  These assessments must consider carefully what purpose (function) a particular behavior serves for the individual.

Functional assessments work from the philosophical belief that a person's behavior is reasonable from his own point of view.  Part of the assessment process is attempting to understand that person's point of view and the logic behind his thinking.  This requires that the team working with the child seek information through interview(s) with the child, family and school personnel working with and on behalf of the child.  In addition, observations in a variety of contexts must be conducted so that the purposes of a target behavior can be determined.  These data-gathering processes then lead to hypotheses about how to intervene with the behavior.  The hypotheses can then be tested so that the most appropriate interventions can be discovered.  Using a functional behavior assessment approach will lead to a proactive and comprehensive behavior plan for a student.

           The advice I would recommend is that parents, friends, family members, and educators also keep your eyes and ears open for a child’s behavior as well as their academics; because they are our future and they need to know how to function in society.