Introduction:
About the Guidebook
A question asked by a growing number of early childhood
professionals is: Do young children and older adults benefit by participating
in intergenerational programs in early childhood settings? The intergenerational
literature is quite optimistic in its answer. Among the numerous benefits
noted are the following:
- Children benefit from the extra nurturing and attention.
- Children learn about aging and lifespan development.
- Seniors benefit from the sense of being needed and
appreciated.
- Seniors have a positive, calming effect on the classrooms
in which they work.
Yet, it is not always
clear, from an organizational standpoint, how to go about developing
effective programs that will lead to these
and other desirable outcomes. Toward this end, a team of educators
involved in the development and study of intergenerational programs
at Penn State
University's two early childhood centers set out to develop a guidebook,
web-based activities, and other resources to assist early childhood
professionals interested in involving senior adults in early
childhood care and education
programs.
These
resources—all accessible through this website—convey
practical information on topics such as finding and training senior volunteers,
preparing staff, and integrating senior adults into the curriculum. An
underlying theme in these materials is that with good support and training,
senior adults can do more than assist with the existing curriculum that
is developed by professional staff. They can become valuable curriculum
makers and contribute to all sorts of positive changes in the entire
early childhood setting.
We
hope you find these materials of use and welcome your input as to additional
resources we could develop or link to for
our website. Contact Matt Kaplan for
more information.
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Guidebook
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Guidebook
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