A questionnaire to encourage early childhood professionals to think carefully and creatively about tactics for bringing senior adult volunteers into an early childhood education setting. The 8 questions are based on information presented in the "Developing an Intergenerational Program in your Early Childcare and Education Center" guidebook.

1. Finding senior volunteers

Intergenerational program developers often note that finding senior volunteers is difficult. Check off the following items that represent feasible strategies or outlets for recruiting senior volunteers

2. Rank Recruitment Activities

Using an "incremental recruitment" approach, rank the following recruitment activities, from the one that should take place first to the one that should take place last

3. Promoting self-sufficiency and autonomy

Of the following images, which displays a senior adult who is promoting self-sufficiency and autonomy on the part of the child(ren)?

4. Teaching Seniors about children's need for autonomy

For the situation illustrated in the photograph below, how might the teacher share with the seniors some information about children's need for autonomy?

5. Childhood center - toy figures

If your early childhood center has a toy car collection with small figures as drivers, which of the following would you prefer?

6. Childhood center - drama center wigs

If your early childhood center has a drama center with a collection of wigs and dress-up area, which of the following would you prefer?

7. Imagery of what older people are like

True or False: In terms of the photographs, story books, and exhibits that portray images of older adults at the early childhood center, a simple, unified message about what older people are like, such as in presenting them only in roles traditionally associated with old age is important.

8. "Developmentally appropriate" activities

Which of the following activities can be characterized as "developmentally appropriate" for both young children and older adults?

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Matthew Kaplan, Ph.D.
  • Professor, Intergenerational Programs and Aging

Contact Us

Matthew Kaplan, Ph.D.
  • Professor, Intergenerational Programs and Aging