Early Childhood Education 04/05

UNIT 1. Trends and Issues 1. Investing in Preschool, Gerald W. Bracey, The American School Board Journal , January 2003 Investing in quality preschool programs has been found to return $7.00 for every $1.00 spent. The cost of providing early childhood programs is clearly well worth the investment especially for at-risk children. Achievement levels for children in state sponsored progrms, as well as Head Start , increases when children have attended preschool programs. 2. Overview of Existing Policies and Programs for Young Children, Preschool For All: Investing in a Productive and Just Society , Committee for Economic Development, 2002 When the American public starts to view early childhood education as an economic investment then, and only then, will the funding necessary for quality programs for all children begin to become available. The role of the federal government and the states in providing the incentive for businesses and communities to invest in young children can be crucial. 3. Accountability Shovedown: Resisting the Standards Movement in Early Childhood Education, J. Amos Hatch, Phi Delta Kappan , February 2002 The current emphasis on accountability could prove to be harmful to young children. If standards result in significant pressure on children to achieve in academic areasto the exclusion of other areas of developmentthey are inappropriate. Overemphasis on standards can also downgrade teachers' work from professional to technical status. 4. Too Soon to Test, Susan Black, The American School Board Journal , January 2003 The emphasis of current readiness screening for kindergarten is on ensuring that children are ready for the curriculum. Rather than a developmental emphasis, tests focus on maturation factors. This puts pressure on teachers and parents to red-shirt some children, in order to give them extra time for cognitive and social development . 5. Overburdened Overwhelmed, Lawrence Hardy, The American School Board Journal , April 2003 Societal and educational pressures are affecting young children, who are showing signs of stress at school. As accountability measures increase in an effort to raise standards , more pressure is put on children and their parents . The result for some children is being red-shirted or retained in grade. 6. Measuring Results, David J. Hoff, Education Week , January 10, 2002 The growing need to account for the cost and impact of preschool programs is resulting in a search for meaningful and appropriate assessments. Because it is difficult to directly test young children's academic progress, program quality indicators are more appropriate measures of results. 7. Early Education, Henry Petroski, American Scientist , May/June 2003 Petroski contends that daily child's play is the perfect training ground for future engineers. He urges teachers to foster learning activities that will allow children to develop a continued interest in how things work. Play activities encourage children to experiment with design. 8. Does Universal Preschool Pay?, Business Week , April 29, 2002 Strong advocates of all children entering school ready to succeed support universal preschool offerings. However, many question the government using federal funds to support preschool. Achievement for all children, especially at-risk children, will only be attained when quality preschool experiences are available to all. 9. The "Failure" of Head Start, John Merrow, Education Week on the Web , September 25, 2002 Today, the United States is far from being able to ensure that all children have access to sound preschool programs. Even the availability of federal programs such as Head Start does not meet the need for quality programs. The cost of universal, free preschool is high, but the long-term benefits are worth the money. 10. Preschool: The Most Important Grade, W. Steven Barnett and Jason T. Hustedt, Education Leadership , April 2003 There is ample evidence that preschool education is beneficial to young children. The dilemma that early educators now face is convincing legislators and the public in general to stop thinking of education as beginning at kindergarten and focus on providing high quality learning experiences for all children during the preschool years. The focus must be on standards, accountability, and financing programs for preschool children. UNIT 2. Child Development and Families 11. Childhood Obesity: The Caregiver's Role, Bernadette Haschke, Texas Child Care , Summer 2003 Across America the major health crisis affecting adults and children is obesity . Children who are raised in families where there is not a focus on a healthy life style, including physical activity and appropriate amounts of nutritious food, grow to be overweight adolescents and adults. Teachers can encourage physical activity and nutritious food choices in young children. 12. The Allergy Epidemic, Jerry Adler, Newsweek , September 22, 2003 The number of American children who have common seasonal allergies is at an all time high of 9% of children under the age of 18. Not only has the number increased, but the severity of those allergies has increased. School staff are faced with increasingly complex issues related to dealing with these allergies, and the health risks they pose, in the classroom. 13. Preschool Meds, Sheryl Gay Stolberg, New York Times Magazine , November 17, 2002 Just how active is too active? Should preschoolers be given drugs to counter the effects of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)? The controversy over controlling the active behavior of preschool children with drugs is agonizing to parents with a child deemed too active for classroom learning . The author presents the dilemma of one family and their struggle to find the balance of health and well being for their son Sam. 14. Troubled Souls, Claudia Kalb, Newsweek , September 22, 2003 Addressing mental health problems in young children presents a whole new set of challenges for medical professionals. Young children with anxiety disorders and other mental illnesses are causing great problems for school personnel who are often at a loss as to how to best deal with these complex issues affecting behavior and learning ability. 15. Skills for School Readinessand Life, Texas Child Care[read more]