“Education begins the moment we see children as innately wise and capable beings. Only then can we play along in their world” - Vince Gowmon
Some of us spent our summer working, taking summer classes, studying, relaxing, or traveling. Cesia Herrera (senior, speech pathology) spent her summer learning about the milestones of childhood speech development at none other than our very own Crayon Box Children’s Learning Center. After hearing about an open position at the Crayon Box, Cesia applied for the job through the Andrews website. After meeting with the manager, she completed her various certifications and began training to work as a teacher assistant. When asked about the application process, Cesia described her superiors as “extremely open to questions.” Working as a teacher assistant, Cesia had a range of responsibilities, such as supervising the children, helping with lesson and class preparation, sanitizing dishware, and doing food deliveries from the cafeteria. Wherever there was a need for extra hands, Cesia was there. However, Cesia’s experience at the Crayon Box goes far beyond being an extra pair of hands. Working at the Crayon Box gave Cesia the unique opportunity to observe the multiple stages of language development in real time. For a speech pathology major, this was absolute gold.
Learning a language is different from the learning we do in school since it’s a part of human development. When we are young, we learn by experiencing and listening to the world around us. From the age of four months to seven months, we begin to babble and start making short and long groups of sounds. From seven months to two years, we start to understand words and follow simple commands. From two to three years, we can form two to three-word sentences. These stages Cesia referred to as “language milestones.” “The reason I wanted to work there was because I wanted to be in contact with kids. To get exposure to kids, see their development in language and experience those milestones in real life,” Cesia stated. The monitoring of these “milestones” is an essential part of studying language development. Through working at the Crayon Box, Cesia added a new dimension to her knowledge and gained a more personal perspective in regard to her speech pathology study. She adds that she “learned so much more from seeing those milestones in the kids… to see the phonological expressions, the pronunciation, wow! It was so different to see it first hand and not from pages in a textbook.” Gaining real-life experience in the field of speech pathology was one of Cesia’s ultimate goals this past summer.
Above all else, working at the Crayon Box requires a passion and love for children. This is exactly what Cesia embodies. Although working at the Crayon Box came with its challenges, for Cesia, the experience was well worth it. “Hearing kids learn their ‘R’ and ‘J’ sounds was so funny to hear! It really brings a smile to my face,” she said. It’s no surprise Cesia plans to continue her work at the Crayon Box until she graduates in December.
The Student Movement is the official student newspaper of Andrews University. Opinions expressed in the Student Movement are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors, Andrews University or the Seventh-day Adventist church.