The Church as Forgiving Community Essay Example for Free

The Church as Forgiving Community Essay Summary The topic covered by this article is about the power of forgiveness and the Church posing as the initial model of a forgiving community. Forgiveness interventions have shown to decrease anxiety, depression and anger while increasing self-esteem and hope. (Magnuson Enright, 2008) The article focuses on the process of forgiving as a learned action that must be practiced and performed in order to truly master it. The process is two-fold in both providing and receiving forgiveness. The article focuses on promoting the essential moral trait of forgiveness in children within their central communities and the establishment of these communities, referred to as â€Å"The Forgiving Communities†. These communities include three interdependent categories: the family, the school, and the Church. The article introduces two process models of forgiveness; Robert Enright’s process model which breaks down forgiveness into a four phase process that includes uncovering anger, deciding to forgive, working on forgiveness and the final outcome. Worthington’s REACH model breaks down the forgiveness process into recalling the offense, empathizing with the offender, gifting the offender with forgiveness, committing publicly to forgiveness and holding onto the forgiveness one has achieved. Both models agree that empathy for the offender is vital to the forgiveness process. These models were tested amongst select primary schools in Belfast, Northern Ireland, in which forgiveness interventions were held with children with notable success. The article proposes that the Church could be utilized as a similar model in which it serves as Forgiving Community in which all levels of leadership would cater to the community from infancy through adulthood with various types of programing and education. Personal Response I was interested in this article because I know how detrimental it can be to hold onto forgiveness. Throughout my 18 years of service in the U.S. Air Force, multiple deployments and several assignments in leadership, I have witnessed how holding onto past wrongs can eat away at you like a cancer and often time, it goes unnoticed until truly identified and examined by self-identification or through third party intervention. I have been involved with several situations in which members deploy into a combat zone and return different people. Many have been wronged by a common enemy and struggle to even examine the idea of forgiveness. Many soldiers carry around this pain and baggage for years without ever truly recognizing exactly what they are holding onto. The Church can be vital to this recognition and the recovery process. The article relayed how the Church can play such a vital role as a Forgiving Community reaching to all members of the family from child to adult. It was also interesting how among the various levels of leadership and roles in the Church, each one was able to offer their own gifts and talents providing to the community. It relays how a community must be all-encompassing feeling of safety and opens not only to give forgiveness, but to accept forgiveness as well. I would like to further investigate this topic by researching small group studies on forgiveness that are available through my own local Church community. I am part of a small group that meets regularly and would like to incorporate the topic into our lessons. In addition, I see that Robert Enright has done a vast amount of research on the topic and has produced many works as a result. One of the books that I would like to read is his Forgiveness is a Choice: A Step-by-Step Process for Resolving Anger and Restoring Hope (2001). I understand that it is something that we must decide to do. Until we make the first step to accept and be willing to forgive, or be forgiven for that matter, we will bear the ever increasing weight of the wrong and carry it with us throughout our journey through life darkening our  outlook and damaging our hope. Application The setting for the application of the information in this article would be the Aviano Center, a small non-denominational Church located just outside of the Aviano Air Force base in Pordenone Italy. The client who came in for our session was a 30 year old wife and stay-at- home mother of two toddlers whose husband was currently deployed to Afghanistan. They had lived in the area for about 4 months before he deployed and he is currently 5 months into an 8 month deployment. She states that she can no longer deal with the children. She has found herself trying to cope alone and often finds herself losing her patience and yelling at the children. She is afraid that she is going to end up just like her mother, who she resents because of the verbal and physical abuse that she had put her through when she was a child. She is ashamed and embarrassed about her situation. She approached me because I am one of the leaders at Aviano Center and she knows that I am in the military and also the â€Å"Life Group† facilitator who organizes the small groups for our Church. In addition, the group that I host is particularly for those families whose family member is about to deploy, is deployed or recently returned from a deployment. In the meeting with this member, I would attempt to get her to realize that she is potentially dealing with several issues, with forgiveness and resentment potentially playing a major role in them. She may be holding on to past wrongs committed by her mother and past and present wrongs that she has committed herself. I would walk her through the forgiveness process and highlight that it is a learned trait that must be practiced. I would explain that forgiveness involves both granting and receiving forgiveness. I would explain the forgiveness models, the details of those models and explain that the Church can be a model of a forgiveness community. Additionally, I would reiterate that she is not alone in feeling the way she does, in fact I would offer that there are many who feel similarly right within the Church making her aware of the current small group focused on the facilitation of the forgiveness process. I would encourage her that these groups are a caring  community that respects confidentiality. Regardless of where the conversation led, in closing, I would ask her if she would like to pray with me. I believe that God has enabled us with this ability to communicate to encourage, provide hope and comfort in situations just like this. While this may not be appropriate in all situations, depending on the client, I believe it is all too often overlooked, especially amongst believers. Reference Magnuson, C.M., Enright, R. D. (2008). The church as forgiving community: An initial model Journal of Psychology Theology 36(2), 114-123.

Impact of Imperialism on India

Impact of Imperialism on India Throughout history, many nations have implemented imperialism to enforce their will over others for money, protection and civilization. India was no exception. Since its discovery, Europeans were trying get a piece of Indias action. In many cases England was the imperial, or mother country. Since India was put under imperialism, a great deal of things changed, some for the good, mostly though for the bad. Between 1640 and 1949, India was ruled by two periods of imperialism, both of which effected India in a very profound and permanent manner. The first period of European control was between 1740 and 1858. During this period the British East India Company controlled the Indian sub-continent under the guise of economic imperialism, when in fact the manipulation of Indian affairs was much more political than let on. When it was founded in 1600 by Queen Elizabeth I, the East India Companys main purpose was to break into the Indonesian spice trade which was dominated by the Dutch. But after colonizing a post a Madras in 1640, the company was re-chartered to include such rights as coining money and act as government to British subjects at the East India Companys posts. As well, the British government also gave the company the right to make was or peaceful arrangements with powers who were non-Christian. This control expanded with the founding of a port at Bombay in 1668, and the founding of Calcutta in 1690. Then in 1756, a young employee named Robert Clive, who had been named lieutenant-governor in 1755, was sent to take back Calcutta from the Bengal nawab. He accomplished this in January of 1757. Then later that year, Clive lead a group of 950 European and 2,000 Indian soldiers(sepoys) against a group of 50,000 Indians lead by a degenerate nawab at Plassey. The victory of the English forces over the local resistance brought Bengal under the effective political control of the East India Company. Although a puppet nawab was left in control of the area, Clive was granted the right to extract land revenue from most of eastern India. Throughout this whole period, the company slowly found its privileges being revoked, until in 1858, the Sepoy Rebellion, or the Indian Revolution, finally brought an end to the rule of the East India Company in India when it was revealed the cause of the rebellion was the use of beef and pork fat to grease rifle cartridges, which are taboo to the Muslims and Hindus. This Revolution brought the rule of the East India Company to an end. The second period of English imperialism started in August of 1858 when the British monarchy assumed direct control of India from the East India Company. This established a full colonial government, where British officials run the countrys affairs, in India. This is known as colonial imperialism. This period was one of major change in Indian life and culture. While the East India Company tried respect local customs and learn local languages, the colonial government tried to impose British culture on India. . . encouraged the Indian people to abandon their traditions and learn to speak, dress and live like Europeans. This came to a head in 1877, when Queen Victoria was recognized as the Empress of India. The colonial government felt it was their duty to civilize the people of India, feeling I am a little bit better than you, therefore my presence is necessary. This all began to end in 1885 with the formation of the Indian National Congress, made up of middle-class Indians who were kno wn as the congress. This congress campaigned for free education for both sexes, more Indian representation in government, and other reforms. But then in the early 1900s, nationalists began to reject British rule and petition for its end in India by boycotting British goods and publishing books which restored peoples pride in Indias ancient heritage. The nationalist leader, Mohandas Gandhi, is perhaps best known for his method of passive resistance to help the struggle of India. Then finally in 1949, the partitioning of the British controlled lands into the independent countries of Pakistan and India brought an end to English rule in the Indian subcontinent. Throughout the rule of the British in India, the effect of the colonial and economic imperialism impacted the sub-continent in the form of many economic and social changes. On the economic side, many Indian goods were sold overseas by the East India Company, but the government of England saw India as a large base for British goods, as well as a source of raw materials. This lead to British officials discouraging Indian industry, as well as encouraging the production of export crops rather than food crops. In this way cotton was produced in India, processed in England, and thin sold back to the Indians. This change in food supplies killed millions of Indians from famine in the 1800s. Then when the British government took direct control, the construction of railways, canals, and roads, especially the opening of the Suez canal in 1869 opened the interior of India for trade throughout Europe and Asia. With the construction of the telegraph lines in India, exports from India jumped tremen dously. However, all of the profit went to the colonialists, plunging most Indians into poverty. The social changes included the introduction of health care and hospitals, which, while curing diseases and improving the general health of Indians, created such a tremendous population explosion that famine resulted in some regions. As well, the creation of British educated professionals and business people created a new upper-class in India changing the rule of class in India forever. All of these changes, while under the guise of helping the natives, only served to help the colonists and leave the Indians feeling inferior, as though Indians are only hewers of wood, and drawers of water All of these changes in Indian culture and economy forever changed the destiny of the Land of India. While many changes may have been good in retrospect, they were only meant to help the colonizing British. Overall, the colonization of India had nothing but a negative effect on its people and culture. Perhaps one day people will realize that imposing one culture on another is not only wrong, but it is destructive to the natural course of a countrys history.

Essay --

Mexican Independence ( Rough draft ) Have you ever thought of something you're so curious about? Something that your curiosity runs completely insane because you need the full information or a full story about what really happened or how did it happen ? Well I did, When a research paper was assigned about Spanish Culture I was only Interested into one topic and thats the History or background oh how the Mexican People receive their Independence. Like how America had it’s own story of its independence. Independence is about Freedom, the freedom to do what you want or to be who you are. Well like any other culture independence was very important to the spanish people, I believe its a celebration way bigger than an event like Cinco De Mayo. I believe it’s one of the most important events for the spanish people, and here’s why! During the early nineteenth century , Mexico was slightly influence by the country U.S and France as they seek for their Independence. They began to plan or thought about a rebellion against spain. One of the famous people involve in this event was Father Miguel Hidalgo who was from Dolores, Mexico . Father Hidalgo was one of the main leaders in the rallying group of people seeking for Independence against Spain. As time passes by Hidalgo and his people during the year 1810 of late fall Hidalgo and his people were already planning a revolt against spain. The Spanish people found out about the revolt which led the Spanish Government to order the arrest of Hidalgo and his officers. When Hidalgo found out, he called a meeting at his church. He rang the church bell on the night of September 15, 1810 to call his congregation to mass. Here Father Hidalgo rallied the people to fight. He gave the speec... ...ime all across Mexico. While the crowd says this they fill the air with confetti, streamers and hoopla. Castillos explode in showers of red, white, and green. The actual day of September 16 is similar to July Fourth in the US. There are rodeos, parades, bullfights, horseback rider performances and grand feasts. The statues in memory of Father Hidalgo are decorated with red, white, and green flowers. The Mexican Flag is made up of green, white, and red. The green is on the left side of the flag and symbolizes independence. White is the color in the middle of the flag and symbolizes religion. The red is on the right side of the flag and symbolizes union. These colors are used often in decorating for the Mexican Independence Day fiesta. September 16 is a very remarkable day for the spanish tribe it’s because it’s the day they receive their freedom from spain.

An Analysis of On Sitting Down To Read King Lear Once Again Essay

An Analysis of On Sitting Down To Read King Lear Once Again The poem "On Sitting Down to Read King Lear Once Again" by John Keats is a sonnet about Keats' relationship with the drama that became his idea of tragic perfection, and how it relates to his own struggle with the issues of short life and premature death. Keats uses the occasion of the rereading this play to explore his seduction by it and its influence on himself and his ways of looking at himself and his situation in spite of his negative capability. From the first few lines Keats alludes to the great romances of the previous ages as opposed to William Shakespeare's great tragedies. While it could be discerned that Keats is referring to his poem Endymion: A Poetic Romance, the underlying meaning of the lines remains. Keats writes "O golden tongued Romance, with serene lute!/ Fair plumed Syren Queen of far-away!/ Leave melodizing on this wintry day,/ Shut up thine olden pages and be mute." (Lines 1 - 4). Keats here is shutting out the idyllic romantic notions he cannot at this time cling to due to the ever present spectre of death that hangs above him. Keats forsakes the romantic here leaning instead toward the tragic, which is what he perceives his short life to be. In these opening lines Keats seems to be a desperate, and morose storyteller who forbids himself the taste of the ideal, regardless of how strong a pull romance has for him. Keats is forced to command the romance to "Shut up thine olden pages and be mute!" (4) in orde r to pull himself away from it. This shows not only the strong attraction romance holds for Keats, but also Keats' recognition of the Romance as a personified thing he can converse with and bid "Adieu!" (5). The use of ... ...ime it is clear that Keats has succeeded in accomplishing the transition of the Phoenix into immortality, as Keats still lives on over one hundred seventy five years after his death in his poetry and our memories ON SITTING DOWN TO READ KING LEAR ONCE AGAIN by John Keats O golden tongued Romance, with serene lute! Fair plumed Syren, Queen of far-away! Leave melodizing on this wintry day, Shut up thine olden pages, and be mute: Adieu! for once again the fierce dispute (5) Betwixt damnation and impassion'd clay Must I burn through; once more humbly assay The bitter-sweet of this Shakespearian fruit. Chief Poet! and ye clouds of Albion, Begetters of our deep eternal theme! (10) When through the old oak Forest I am gone, Let me not wander in a barren dream, But when I am consumed in the fire, Give me new Phoenix wings to fly at my desire.

Trade Commission :: essays research papers

The Federal Trade Commission, in submitting a Request For Public Comment Concerning Guides For The Dog And Cat Food Industry, is asking the American Public to assess guidelines for monitoring the pet food industry that have been in place since 1969. Since the basic thrust of the original guidelines was to control misrepresentation in the industry, it is hard to imagine that the public would disagree with the original intent of the guidelines. It would also be prudent to assess whether a review of such sound guidelines would be either necessary or worth the cost of carrying out the assessment. On the other hand, it has been thirty years since the original guidelines were implemented, giving the public and the industry time to see if the guidelines have done their job in a cost-effective manner and whether or not they need to be retooled for an industry that has gone through considerable technological and economic changes. Therefore, it would seem reasonable to conduct a survey that wo uld target key areas, such as any overlapping of the guidelines with federal, state, and local laws, the integrity of industry self-regulation in a new era of economic and technological advances, and whether or not the guidelines have imposed undue cost to both the industry and the public. Few would argue with the points of the original guidelines, whether it is monitoring misleading claims in advertising, or monitoring the quality of the products themselves. Despite economic and technological advances that have taken place in the industry since 1969, the guidelines still hold up as sound. There are also federal, state, and local laws that attempt to insure the same integrity in the pet food industry. The pet food industry also closely monitors itself. Given all these factors, it would seem best to question the necessity of such a survey, or, at least, to limit its scope and cost. What could be unseen motives for initiating such a reassessment? The American pet food industry would certainly want to keep pressure on the government to regulate foreign competition, insisting that competitors meet the same stringent standards set for American manufacturers. The FTC would also stand to gain from the number of its workers that would be paid for conducting the reassessment and the power and prestige that such guidelines tend to give the FTC It might be useful to assess how much cost the original guidelines have imposed on the industry and the consumer in increased prices for pet foods and if the guidelines have added anything to federal, state, and local laws that already monitor the industry.

American colonies in 1763 †A new Society? Essay

Between the settlement at Jamestown in 1607 and the Treaty of Paris in 1763, the most important change that occurred in the colonies was the extension of British ideals far beyond the practice in England itself. Changes in religion, economics, politics, and social structures illustrate this Americanization of the transplanted Europeans. By 1736, although some colonies still maintained established churches, other colonies had accomplished a virtual revolution for religious toleration and separation from Church and state. In England, the Anglican Church was dominated and the other churches were suppressed. However, in colonial America, people tried to separate the church and state. One of the examples is Roger Williams, who attacked theocracy in New England. He wanted the church to be separated from the state. He was banished from the Massachusetts Bay and he built a new colony, Rhode Island with religious freedom. The other example would be the Maryland Toleration Act in which, all kind of people with different faiths could live in Maryland. The other colonies such as Pennsylvania, New York, and Carolina all had ethnically and religiously diverse populations. In a similar economic revolution, the colonies outgrew mercantile relationship with the mother country and developed an expanding capitalist system of their own. In 1660 and 1663, England passed the Navigation Acts to monopolize the trade of the English colonies. The colonies produced far more than England needed but they were not allowed to sell to other countries. Rather, England would acquire the extra products and sell them to other European countries for their own profits, which was not fair. American colonists worked very hard, they harvested the land, and sea, did manufacturing and commerce, industrialization, and plantation agriculture. Despite all of the injustices of England, their economy grew twice as fast as it did in England. Building on English foundations of political liberty, the colonists extended the concepts of liberty and self-government far beyond those envisioned in the mother country. England’s government was based on the Constitutional Monarchy, which was limited after the Glorious Revolution and Parliament got  more power. However, in America, the governments were much more different than in the mother country. The governors in American colonies were trying to retain a royal image, but the legislatures followed England’s example of a limited monarchy to control these leaders. The colonies had their separate and self-government, which were well organized at the time British tried to enforce its power in America. The Confederation of New England, an intercolonial political organization established by Puritans in 1643 to coordinate government and to provide greater defense against the French, Dutch, and Indians could be a very good example of self-government. The other example would be the yearly town meeting of citizens of New England villages, which selected village officials and settled village business. As a result of this self-reliance, these colonial governments were able to fuel the later American Revolution. In contrast to the well-defined and hereditary classes of England, the colonies developed a fluid class structure, which enabled the industrious individual to rise on the social ladder. The social classes in England had always been constant or in other words fixed. If you were a member of the middle class, you could never become a member of aristocrats, the upper class. Comparing to the colonial America, the social structure was fluid in which, a lower class member could become an aristocrat by getting wealthier and working hard. Another comparison can be made between England and her colonies in the way of suffrage. In the North American English colonies, most white males would be allowed to vote by age forty. Voting rights were usually reserved for those who owned a certain amount of land. In England, however only one-third of men would ever vote. The figure dropped to nine-tenths in Ireland. In conclusions, the colonies in 1763 had changed dramatically in many aspects from those of the mother country, England. Religiously, economically, politically, and socially, the colonial people had changed and even improved on the old English ways. The treaty of Paris (resulting form the end of the French and Indian War in 1763) ended all foreign threats to English colonies in North America, elimination the colonies’ need for British protection and increasing the self-reliance.

Developmental Psychology and Children Essay

This is a very important stage as it helps children to get ready for school as well as preparing them for their future learning and successes. From when child is born up until the age of 5, the children early-years experiences should be happy, active, exciting, fun and secure and to support their development, care and learning needs. In my setting children will be learning skills, acquiring new knowledge and demonstrating their understanding through 7 areas of learning and development. Children should mostly develop the 3 prime areas first. These are: †¢ Communication and language †¢ Physical development †¢ Personal, social and emotional development. These prime areas are those most essential for  the child’s healthy development and future learning. As children grow, the prime areas will help them to develop skills in 4 specific areas. These are: †¢ Literacy †¢ Mathematics †¢ Understanding the world †¢ Expressive arts and design. These 7 areas are used to plan all children learning and activities. The key person teaching and supporting child will make sure all the activities are suited to child’s unique needs. This it’s suitable for very young children, and it’s designed to be really flexible so that all staff in my setting can follow the child’s unique needs and interests. Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) learn by playing and exploring, being active, and through creative and critical thinking which takes place both indoors and outside. In my setting I plan the activities based on the current interests and abilities of the children present. Sometimes the activities will be led by adults in order to practise and develop particular skills like using scissors or gluing, or learning new songs and rhymes to develop children’s awareness of sounds and letters. At other times children will select what they play with from a rich learning environment set up in the playroom or classroom. They will appear to be playing but, as this is how young children learn, they will be learning too. Washing the dolls’ clothes for instance helps develop physical skills, and gives the opportunity to communicate and co-operate with others, and to discover the properties of water and detergent. In the table above is a short meaning of the seven areas of learning and development that must shape educational programmes in early-years settings. All areas of learning and development are important and inter-connected. Three areas are particularly crucial for igniting children’s curiosity and enthusiasm for learning, and for building their capacity to learn, form relationships and thrive. Children develop and learn in different ways and at different rates. The framework covers the education and care of all children in early-years provision, including children with special educational needs and disabilities. The EARLY YEARS FOUNDATION STAGE (EYFS) is a term defined in Section 39 of  the British government’s Childcare Act 2006. The EYFS comprises a set of _Welfare Requirements_ and a set of _Learning and Development Requirements_, which must be followed by providers of care for children below 5 years old – the age of compulsory education in the United Kingdom. The Welfare and Learning and Development requirements are not specified in the Act but in separate. The legislation took effect from September 2008 and updated in 2012. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have separate framework. The Welfare requirements apply to the whole of the UK, but the Learning and Development requirements apply only in England. The EYFS is organised into 4 themes: -a unique child -positive relationships -enabling environments -learning and development The EYFS is linked to the Every Child Matters (ECM) agenda which has 5 areas that need to be addressed: -staying safe -being healthy -enjoy and achieve -make a positive contribution -achieve economic well-being The purpose of the ECM agenda is to ensure that all children are safe, have their needs met and are able to fulfil their full potential. _1.2 DESCRIBE THE DOCUMENTED OUTCOMES FOR CHILDREN THAT FORM PART OF THE RELEVANT EARLY YEARS FRAMEWORK_ The Early Years Foundation Stage was designed to ensure that all children-regardless of where they live, their family background or circumstances-would have access to a quality early years education. To be able to measure this and also to ensure that practitioners have a clear focus for their work, a series of outcomes is given for each area of learning. These are called the Early Learning Goals. This helps that each child can meet them by the end of their reception year. These goals are important as they form the building blocks for children’s later education. It is important that practitioners recognise that many of the early Learning Goals are also associated with children’s development and so while it is reasonable to expect children to meet them at the end of the reception year, they are not meant to be used as outcomes in nurseries or pre-schools. It is also worth noting that some children will for a variety of reasons not meet  all the early Goals as they may h ave specific health or learning difficulties or because they are simply younger than the other children. Every child deserves the best possible start in life and all support to full-fill their potential. A child’s experience in the early years has a major impact on their future life chances. A secure, safe and happy childhood is important. When parents choose to use early years services they want to know that setting will keep their children safe and will help their children to thrive. The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) is the framework that provides that assurance. The overarching aim of the EYFS is to help young children achieve the five Every Child Matters outcomes of staying safe, being healthy, enjoying and achieving, making a positive contribution, and achieving economic well-being. Personal social and emotional development – children need to develop a positive sense of themselves and of others, to learn respect for others, social skills and a positive disposition for learning. Self-confidence and self-esteem, behaviour and self-control helping children to understand their emotions and how to express those emotions, self-care children needs to be able to do tasks like dressing and feeding , sense of community learning where a child has come from respect for others and inclusion. The EYFS was designed to ensure all children are treated the same no matter where they have come from that they would have access to the same education to measure this and to ensure practitioners have a clear focus for their work a series of outcomes id given for each learning area these are called early years goals this is done by the end of the reception year. A UNIQUE CHILD Every child is a unique child who is constantly learning and can be resilient, capable, confident and self-assured. I understand and observe each child’s development and learning, assess progress, plan for their next steps. I support children to develop a positive sense of their own identity and culture. I identify any need for additional support. I keep children safe. I value and respect all children and their families equally. Positive Relationships – children learn to be strong and independent through positive relationships. POSITIVE RELATIONSHIPS ARE warm and loving, and foster a sense of belonging sensitive and responsive to the child’s needs, feelings and interests supportive of the child’s own efforts and independence consistent in setting clear boundaries and stimulating children Enabling Environments – children learn and develop well in enabling environments, in which their experiences respond to their individual needs and there is a strong partnership between practitioners and parents and carers. ENABLING ENVIRONMENTS †¢ value all people †¢ value learning †¢ I offer stimulating resources to all the children’s cultures and communities †¢ learning opportunities through play and playful teaching †¢ I support children to take risks and explore Learning and Development Children develop and learn in different ways. The framework covers the education and care of all children in early-years provision, including  children with special educational needs and disabilities. In my setting I teach children by ensuring challenging, playful opportunities across the prime and specific areas of learning and development. Children start to learn about the world around them from the moment they are born. The care and education offered by our setting helps children to continue to do this by providing all of the children with interesting activities that are appropriate for their age and stage of development. The Areas of Development and Learning comprise of three prime areas; personal, social and emotional development; communication and language physical development; and four specific areas: Literacy Mathematics Understanding of the World Expressive Arts and Design; For each area, the practice guidance sets out the Early Learning Goals. These goals state what it is expected that children will know and be able to do by the end of the reception year of their education. The practice guidance also sets out in ‘Development Matters’ the likely stages of progress a child makes along their learning journey towards the early learning goals. Our setting has regard to these matters when we assess children and plan for their learning. _Personal, social and emotional development_ Our programme supports children to develop: positive approaches to learning and finding out about the world around them; confidence in themselves and their ability to do things, and valuing their own achievements; their ability to get on, work and make friendships with other people, both children and adults; their awareness of, and being able to keep to, the rules which we all need to help us to look after ourselves, other people and our environment; their ability to dress and undress themselves, and look after their personal hygiene needs; and their ability to expect to have their ways of doing things respected and to respect other people’s ways of doing things. _Communication, language and literacy_ Our programme supports children to develop: conversational skills with one other person, in small groups and in large groups to talk with and listen to others; their vocabulary by learning the meaning of – and being able to use – new words; their ability to use words to describe their experiences; their knowledge of the sounds and letters that make up the words we use; their ability to listen to, and talk about, stories; knowledge of how to handle books and that they can be a source of stories and information; knowledge of the purposes for which we use writing; and making their own attempts at writing. _Mathematics_ Our programme supports children to develop: understanding and ideas about how many, how much, how far and how big; understanding and ideas about patterns, the shape of objects and parts of objects, and the amount of space taken up by objects; understanding that numbers help us to answer questions about how many, how much, how far and how big; understanding and ideas about how to use counting to find out how many; and  early ideas about the result of adding more or taking away from the amount we already have. _Understanding of the World_ Our programme supports children to develop: knowledge about the natural world and how it works; knowledge about the made world and how it works; their learning about how to choose, and use, the right tool for a task; their learning about computers, how to use them and what they can help us to do; their skills on how to put together ideas about past and present and the links between them; their learning about their locality and its special features; and their learning about their own and other cultures. _Physical development_ Our programme supports children to develop: increasing control over the large movements that they can make with their arms, legs and bodies, so that they can run, jump, hop, skip, roll, climb, balance and lift; increasing control over the small movements they can make with their arms, wrists and hands, so that they can pick up and use objects, tools and materials; and their understanding about the importance of, and how to look after, their bodies. _Expressive Art and Design_ Our programme supports children to develop: the use of paint, materials, music, dance, words, stories and role-play to express their ideas and feelings; and  their interest in the way that paint, materials, music, dance, words, stories and role-play can be used to express ideas and feelings. _Assessment (learning journal, progress checks)_ I assess how young children are learning and developing by observing them frequently. I use information that I gain from observations, as well as from photographs of the children, to document their progress and where this may be leading them. I believe that parents know their children best and I ask them to contribute to the learning journals by sharing information about what their children like to do at home and how they as parents are supporting development. I make periodic assessment summaries of children’s achievement based on our on-going development records. These form part of children’s records of achievement. I undertake these assessment summaries at regular intervals as well as times of transition, such as when a child moves into a different group or when they go on to school. _1.3 EXPLAIN HOW THE DOCUMENTED OUTCOMES ARE ASSESSED AND RECORDED_ â€Å"Assessment plays an important part in helping parents, carers and practitioners to recognise children’s progress, understand their needs, and to plan activities and support. On-going assessment (also known as formative assessment) is an integral part of the learning and development process. It involves practitioners observing children to understand their level of achievement, interests and learning styles, and to then shape learning experiences for each child reflecting those observations. In their interactions with children, practitioners should respond to their own day-to-day observations about children’s progress and observations that parents share.† EYFS 2012† All effective assessment involves analysing and reviewing what you know about each child’s development and learning. You can then make informed decisions about the child’s progress and plan next steps to meet their development and learning needs. This is called assessment for learning. †EYFS 2012† Formative assessment is the type of assessment based on observations, photographs, videos, things children have made or drawn and information from parents. It informs or guides everyday planning. Summative assessment is a summary of all the formative assessment done over a long period and makes a statement about the child’s achievements. The Early Years Foundation Stage Profile is the summative assessment completed by practitioners at the end of the EYFS.† EYFS Practice Guidance 2007 â€Å"In the final term of the year in which the child reaches age five, and no later than 30 June in that term, the EYFS Profile must be completed for each child. The Profile provides parents and carers, practitioners and teachers with a well-rounded picture of a child’s knowledge, understanding and abilities, their progress against expected levels, and their readiness for Year 1. The Profile must reflect: on-going observation, all relevant records held by the setting, discussions with parents and carers, and any other adults whom the teacher, parent or carer judges can offer a useful contribution.† †Year 1 teachers must be given a copy of the Profile report together with a short commentary on each child’s skills and abilities in relation to the three key characteristics of effective learning. These should inform a dialogue between Reception and Year 1 teachers about each child’s stage of development and learning needs and assist with the planning of activities in Year 1. †EYFS 2012† In my setting we †reflect on the different ways that children learn and reflect these in† our †practice†. The †three characteristics of effective teaching and learning are: _playing and_ _exploring_ – children investigate and experience things, and ‘have a go’ _active learning_ – children concentrate and keep on trying if they encounter difficulties, and enjoy achievements _creating and thinking critically_ – children have and develop their own ideas, make links between ideas, and develop strategies for doing things My setting curriculum is planned and delivered with every child at the heart  of what we do. Every child’s needs are met through a personalised learning journey in partnership with parents, carers and other professionals. We report on these aspects when a child transfers to a different setting or school. My setting provide accurate and up to date information about each child’s learning and development and we are able to share this with parents and professionals associated with each child in order for each child to make the best progress possible. In my setting I observe children throughout the day, inside and outside accessing a range of opportunities which can be adult led or child led. Parents have access to their children’s records at all times. Records will be updated termly and a development folder should document the child’s ‘learning journey’. Assessment should identify/highlight any children not making progress so that measures can be put into place to ensure that all children make progress. Assessment is used to ensure early intervention takes place and the gap is closed between those who achieve and those who do not. Children should be assessed in their home language where appropriate and the progress should be tracked. Children learn best when they are happy, relaxed, stimulated and involved. In my setting I encourage children to think, explore, play, take risks, question, talk, listen, show, create, share, celebrate, be, learn, grow, know and develop. Through the setting we visit the child and family at home and get to know them, we ask the family to fill out an ‘all about me’ form to share information, we take photographs and videos of children learning, we make observation notes about the children’s successes, we valuate group time planning, we give feedback to children and parents about their progress and what steps come next. In my setting we create and maintain a green  developmental book on each key child, we mark off development matters statements as they are achieved, we inform the Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator SENCO if we have concerns about a child’s progress. My setting set targets for the school relating to curriculum areas and identify ‘target children’ who may need additional support with their learning. My setting support, monitor and develop this through: – Observation and monitoring of the procedures – Continually developing strategies which improve assessment and record keeping – Communication and partnership with parents and other agencies to share skills and ideas – Internal moderation of records – Staff development and discussion – Related reading – Attending courses – All about me form – Development Matters records – Long Observation sheets – Group Time planning sheet – Well Being and Involvement Scales – Language Assessments – Transition Document RESOURCES: Books: Level 3 Diploma Children and Young People’s Workforce by Penny Tassoni EYMP 2 Promote learning and development in the early years Cache Level 3 Diploma Children and Young People’s Workforce by Carolyn Meggitt EYMP 2 Promote learning and development in the early years www.early-years.org www.nicurriculum.org www.foundationphasewales.com www.early-education.org.uk