Implementation of one care and one education routine

The care routine (Sleep routine)

Introduction

According to the National Sleep Foundation, children of all ages need to have maximum sleep during the night and even during the day. Unlike adults, children tend to sleep during the day even if they had slept during the night.

The National Sleep Foundation suggests that sleepiness can look like a symptom of attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder. Sleep loss in children can be caused by various disorders such as attention deficit-hyperactivity (ADHD). In addition, researchers suggest that sleep apnea is also evident in children.

Children who have sleep apnea tend to wake up after a short time (Ombudsman 2019). They may also struggle to breathe. Therefore, if the parent realizes that the child is not sleeping enough, he or she should seek advice from a pediatrician. The main reason for the formation of this routine is to enable children to have enough sleep.

Aims

• To ensure that children sleep for not less than four hours.
• To determine whether the children have sleep-related disorders or not.
• To protect the children from any disorder that is caused by lack of enough sleep.
• To promote the growth of the children.
• The routine also aims at addressing sleeping needs for children of all ages. Research indicates that infants need more sleep than children of 7 years. Therefore, the routine will focus on the ages of the children.

Objectives

After the implementation of this routine, the children will have enough sleep during the day and the night. The following objectives will be achieved.

• All children will have enough sleep, depending on their age.
• School going children will sleep for maximum hours to enable them to attend classes and other daily engagements.
• The routine will enable infants to have enough sleep to avoid sickness. Research shows that the immune system of infants is weaker than that of adult-children. Therefore, they need more rest.
• Through the implementation of this routine, children will have enough time to sleep during the day as well as during the night. The sleeping hours will be divided according to age differences.

Rationale

The main reason for the formation of this routine is that every child is unique and has inalienable rights as set out in the United National Convention on the Rights of the Child. Some of such rights aim at ensuring that the children are well taken care of. Giving them enough sleep is a way of taking care of the children.

This routine is based on Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion Charter and Guidelines for Early Childhood Care and Education (DCYA 2016). The policy addresses the need to have enough sleep and the benefits that it brings to the children.

All childcare facilities are required to adhere to the provisions of the local and international conventions on children’s rights. Also, this rationale is in line with the provisions of the Child Care Act 1991.

Planning and Implementation

Before the introduction of this routine, research was carried out in different childcare facilities in Ireland. The research aimed at identifying the implementation of various sleep routines in specific daycare facilities.

Particularly, one of the useful daycare that played a key role in the research is the Tusla QFR Day Care. Apart from the daycare, research done in hospitals to determine the rate at which children are affected by sleep-related disorders. The information from the hospital indicated that children who were not getting enough sleep were prone to diseases.

The first step in planning the routine was the preparation of the room. I ensured that the room temperature was right for sleeping. Also, I ensured that the beds were comfortable enough to enable the children to have a sound sleep. Some bedding was considered because they are more comfortable.

For a child to have a sound sleep, the beddings should be a bit warmer. I advised the caregivers to consider certain clothes for the children. For instance, some children who had heavy clothes would not sleep with such.

The arrangement of the bed was made to incorporate more than two children in one bed. The time of sleep was set after lunch since many children feel sleepy after eating. Therefore, this was an appropriate time for children of all ages (Wolke 2019). The plan also included familiarizing with the prescribed sleeping routines for the children.

As far as the plan was concerned, I began by identifying the best room that would accommodate the children. I also provided a music system and some toys for the kids. The involvement of the caregivers was also part of the plan.  

This routine was carried out as follows.

• Checking room temperature
• Dressing the child appropriately
• Offering snacks
• Playing soft and soothing music and
• Ensuring that the child has a friend to sleep with.
• Putting the child in bed

Evaluation of the routine

The most effective element in this routine was the sleeping hours recommended by the sleep foundation. In day care, most of the children slept for maximum hours depending on their ages. However, some children adapted to the routine after a longer period.

Even though the children were not used to the routine before, some used to wake up before the desired time. The routine can be improved by categorizing the children according to ages and allowing them to sleep with their peers. For instance, teenagers should not sleep with toddlers in one room to avoid any disturbance.

I interacted with the children in liaison with their caregivers. I realized that most of the children trusted their caregivers as compared to strangers. Therefore, they obeyed their caregivers and acted on the routine. My colleagues also played a crucial role in ensuring that the routine was implemented.

Personal Learning Gained

Based on the said routine, I now understand why children need to sleep for specific hours. I know how to dress a child appropriately for sleep. Considering the steps involved in this routine, I learned how to make children have a sound sleep.

For instance, playing soft and soothing music is one of the activities that enabled the children to sleep for the required hours. I learned that effective communication with the parents and caregivers provides useful information in terms of the child’s health condition.

Recommendation

All daycares should specify the specific sleeping hours that each child should be subjected to. In this regard, caregivers should be aware of the provisions of the Child Care Act of 1991. The implementation of the sleeping hours should be accompanied by other things such as snacks and music. In other words, children should be entertained.

The education routine (Storytelling routine)

According to the provisions of Children and Families Act 2014, a child or young person has special educational needs if he or she has a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special educational provision to be made for him or her.

Storytelling is one of the best ways to educate young people (ISN, 2019). Research indicates that children can quickly master a story than adults. Their memory is more likely to recall what they learned from a particular story as compared to adults. The main aim of this routine is to educate the children.

Aims

• To educate the children in the past and future aspects of life through storytelling.
• To prepare children psychologically for education and academics.
• To involve parents in teaching their children.
• To identify the best stories for the children and the time at which children are active to learn.

Objectives

The main objective of this routine is to enable the children to become readers. With regards to storytelling, parents and caregivers are likely to use books. Children can also adopt the culture of reading books to find more stories.

The other objective of this routine is to prepare the children to become responsible adults. The policies on storytelling emphasize that storytellers should treat children equally and with respect. Equal treatment should be emphasized regardless of age, religion, and ethnicity.

Rationale

Storytellers should treat children as individuals. They should use materials that are appropriate for the children. For instance, the volume of the books used for children should be smaller. Ideally, children do not need to read a lot; instead, they need to be entertained.

This routine is based on the best practices of storytelling for the children (Storytellers of Ireland 2018). As far as storytelling is concerned, this routine will address the dos and the ethical procedures. For instance, storytellers are not supposed to single out one child for favoritism.

Planning and Implementation

Before the introduction of this routine, I researched the effect of storytelling and its importance in children’s development. I researched the educational provisions that re needed for storytelling and other appropriate information that parents should know in regards to storytelling.

Parents play an essential role in ensuring that their children are well-educated through storytelling. The provisions of the Special Education Needs Act emphasized the benefits of storytelling.

In regards to planning, I identified the best time that children were active and a suitable environment for learning. I also provided relevant materials, including charts and books. Furthermore, I engaged parents in the routine by involving them in oral storytelling. Research indicates that parents are good storytellers to their children. Parents should tell stories to their children.

To implement the routine, the following steps were used.

• Creating a storytelling environment by involving the children in decision making. Such decisions included sitting position. Many children are fond of changing their sitting positions and allowing them to sit the way they want to create a pleasant environment.
• Winning the audience by convincing the children that the storytelling session is going to be enjoyable, and they should be attentive.
• Read the book with great rhythm and pace by involving different intonations that have been used by the author.
• Convey the mood of the story by involving facial expressions and having eye-contact with the children.
• Involve the children in the story in areas such as chorus and even asking questions.
• Slow down for the ending to attract the attention of the audience.

Evaluation of the routine

The involvement of the children in storytelling was effective. In this case, I realized that those children who participated were attentive. In terms of planning, I realized that the design of the venue plays a crucial role in storytelling. The routine was age-appropriate even though the participants were of different ages.

The time allocated for the routine was appropriate because children cannot be attentive for a long time. The storytelling session took less than an hour. I interacted with the children by asking questions and involving than in chorus of song on the particular story.

Personal learning gained

In regards to the storytelling routine, I learned that children learn quickly through storytelling. Creating a good relationship with the children is essential as far as storytelling is concerned. Many children prefer being encouraged and praised instead of being criticized.

Also, children should not be discriminated based on their age, gender, or religion. I also learned that involving children in storytelling enables them to understand and also to master the lessons learned in a particular story.