Early Childhood Education: July 2011

‘Babies’

By Anne Neuberger

As educators of young children, both parents and teachers can always benefit from a fresh perspective. This summer, enjoy a delightful movie that will give you something to ponder in preparation for the upcoming school year.

A French filmmaker, Thomas Balmes, spent a year filming the lives of four children, from their births to their first steps. “Babies,” follows that incredible first year in four different cultures, in four countries (Namibia, Japan, the United States and Mongolia). It is a joyful expression of life — and much more!

Certain aspects will affirm the fact that all humanity has certain traits in common. This in itself is valuable as we struggle to build a more peaceful and just world. Other aspects point out the differences in life circumstances that are both fascinating and challenging if you choose to reflect on them. The movie is not representative of babies’ lives the world over — it would take much more than four lives to show that! It does not give a great deal of information on the families’ lives either, which is because it is filmed as close to the babies’ perspective as possible. It is here that parents and teachers will find much to ponder.

Here are some questions to reflect on after viewing the movie:

What do we all have in common with these babies?

Is there anything I learned from this movie that I would like to incorporate into my experiences with children?

How is language encouraged in each culture?

Water is increasingly becoming a world crisis. What did I learn about the use of water for the babies’ care? What could I encourage in terms of water with my children?

Which baby do I feel has the happiest life? Is there anything from that child’s experience that I can bring to children here?

Which baby, by the film’s end, was the most independent? Which was the most interdependent? Which was the most dependent? What were the factors that led to this?

How do the differences in outdoor environments affect each baby’s activities? How do my children use the outdoors?

How does each baby use objects (in exploring sounds, textures, trying to manipulate items, imitation, etc.)?

How does the amount of material goods each child has affect his or her life?

All of the babies are healthy and learn well. Compare the different ways they were stimulated to learn in their first year.

What are the pros and cons of growing up with other children nearby?

Did the kind of housing each child had affect what he or she learned?

What happens in each child’s first year that could contribute to the child’s sense of God, of a sense of the spirituality of life?

(NOTE: “BABIES” has no adult themes. It is rated PG because of “cultural and maternal nudity,” so consider your audience’s maturity and experiences before sharing this with children. Learn more at http://www.focusfeatures.com/babies)

Check out Anne’s website at www.anneneuberger.com and see her latest book, “All God’s Children” (Twenty-Third Publications, $14.95), a Catholic Press award winner. Anne is also co-author of Allelu!, OSV’s new early childhood curriculum (http://www.allelu.com/).