Eager to Learn Educating Our Preschoolers (2001) / Chapter Skim
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Introduction
Introduction
Pages 23-36
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From page 23... ...
growing evidence from child development research that young children are capable learners and that educational experience during the preschool years can have a positive impact on school learning. Thus, a convergence of practical, moral, and scientific considerations leads to heightened interest in the education of young children and new opportunities for the improvement of their learning and the enhancement of their lives.
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From page 24... ...
But as the United States embarks on a voyage previously taken by others, certain advantages are evident: we have a strong research community investigating early childhood learning and development and producing evidence on which to base the design, implementation, and evaluation of programs. We have a tradition of experimentation and observation in preschools that gives us access to a wealth of experience before preschool attendance becomes a universal feature of American childhood.
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From page 25... ...
This does not mean that child care should be devoted to academic training for children under 5 any more than preschool. The developing consensus is that out-of-home care for young children should attend to their education, including school readiness, as well as providing protection and a facilitating environment for secure emotional development and sound relationships with other children and adults.
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From page 26... ...
26 EAGER TO LEARN TABLE 1-1 Early Chilclhoocl Eclucation and Care Policy Dimensions in Selected OECD Countries Locus of Administrative Age Group Eligibility Country Policy Making Auspice Served (years) Criteria Austria State and local Welfare 3-6 Working 0-3 Belgium State Education 24/2-6 Universe Welfare (Center and FDC)
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From page 27... ...
Working parents, with Mixed local government, family Supply and special needs allowance, and parent fees demand (income-related, maximum 25% of costs) Universal State and local government Supply With special needs, poor, plus parent fees (income-related, working parents maximum 16-20 % of costs)
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From page 28... ...
As America progresses toward more and better preschools, questions concerning children from low-income and educationally disadvantaged families and those with physical and mental disabilities deserve special attention. A strong finding from research is that early intervention can help prevent or mitigate the development of learning difficulties.
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From page 29... ...
There is general agreement that the care of young children should facilitate their intellectual, emotional, and social development in ways that support their subsequent learning and social participation, in school and other settings. Beyond this, the elements of pedagogical quality with which this report is primarily concerned can be embedded in programs that are responsive to various cultural conceptions of early childhood and several alternative models of preschool education.
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From page 30... ...
· Produce a coherent distillation of the knowledge base and develop its implications for future research directions, practice in early childhood education programs, and the training of teachers and child care professionals. · Draw out the major policy implications of the research findings.
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From page 31... ...
Scope of the Report It is important to note at the outset that this is the first attempt at a comprehensive, cross-disciplinary examination of the accumulated theory, research, and evaluation literature relevant to early childhood education. The task was huge and the research both varied and of variable quality.
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From page 32... ...
Committee Perspective Care and Education Based on research and on the expert judgment of its members, the committee takes as given that good pedagogy includes meeting children's basic needs and providing emotional guidance and support, as well as motivating, instructing, and supporting their learning. There are a number of words and phrases designed to convey this idea, such as "educate" and "the whole child." Under whatever rubric, the important point is that adequate care involves cognitive and perceptual stimulation and growth, just as adequate education for young children must occur in a safe and emotionally rich environment.
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From page 33... ...
And such family factors as parental aspirations and expectations for achievement, parental strategies for controlling child behavior, maternal teaching style, linguistic orientation, beliefs about the causes of child success and failure in school, children's home environment, and family stress and poverty (Powell, 1997) all affect the child in preschool.
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From page 34... ...
They inclucle the teacher role, teaching styles, anc! instructional techniques (SirajBlatchforcI, 1998~; the key informing principle for early chilc~hoocI .
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From page 35... ...
The research base is variable. On one hand, the documentation of impressive learning abilities in young children by many methods and investigators represents a strong source of data in support of our conclusions on the need for early childhood educators to engage children in cognitively rich tasks.
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From page 36... ...
Chapters 7 and 8 address the supports needed as the United States moves toward universal preschool attendance. Chapter 7 looks at the preparation of early childhood teachers and caregivers, emphasizing the need for professionalization of the field, including more and better training, to enable them to engage their charges effectively.
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