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Executive Summary
Pages 1-22

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From page 1...
... It focuses on programs provided outside the home, such as preschool, Head Start, and child care centers. As the twenty-first century begins, there can be little doubt that something approaching voluntary universal early childhood education, a feature of other wealthy industrialized nations, is also on the horizon here.
From page 2...
... the accumulation of convincing evidence from research that young children are more capable learners than current practices reflect, and that good educational experiences in the preschool years can have a positive impact on school learning. The growing consensus regarding the importance of early education stands in stark contrast to the disparate system of care and education available to children in the United States in the preschool years.
From page 3...
... As the child is assimilated into the culture of education in a setting outside the home, early childhood programs must be sensitive and responsive to the cultural contexts that define the child's world outside the school or center, and they must build on the strengths and supports that those contexts provide. CONTEXT OF THE REPORT AND COMMITTEE CHARGE As Americans grapple with decisions about early childhood education that many European countries have already made, we can draw on certain advantages.
From page 4...
... and the Office of Special Education Programs, the Spencer Foundation, and the Foundation for Child Development. An important motivation for sponsors of the study is to help public discussion of these issues move away from ideology and toward evidence, so that educators, parents, and policy makers will be able to make better decisions about programs for the education and care of young children.
From page 5...
... These data focus attention on the child's exposure to learning opportunities, calling into question simplistic conceptualizations of developmentally appropriate practice that do not recognize the newly understood competencies of very young children, and they highlight the importance of individual differences in children, their past experiences, and their present contexts. Recent research on cognitive development also emphasizes the role a supportive context can play in strengthening and supporting learning in a particular domain.
From page 6...
... This research includes experimental comparisons of carefully specified alternative approaches; experimental and quasi-experimental studies of the effects of "model" programs, Head Start, and public preschool programs on children in poverty; studies relying on "natural variation" among child care programs to examine the effects of program features and quality on the learning and development of children from a broad cross-section of soci
From page 7...
... , and physical development are complementary, mutually supportive areas of growth all requiring active attention in the preschool years. Social skills and phy-sical dexterity influence cognitive development, just as cognition plays a role in children's social understanding and motor competence.
From page 8...
... This does not mean adopting the methods and curriculum of the elementary school; rather it is a matter of providing children with a mix of whole class, small group, and individual interactions with teachers, the experience of discourse patterns associated with school, and such mental strategies as categorizing, memorizing, reasoning, and metacognition. · Young children who are living in circumstances that place them at greater risk of school failure including poverty, low level of maternal education, maternal depression, and otherfactors that can limit their access to opportunities and resources that enhance learning and development are much more likely to succeed in school if they attend welI-planned, high-quality early childhood programs.
From page 9...
... This does not imply, however, that many of the music, arts and crafts, and physical activities that are common in quality preschool programs are of less importance. Indeed, the committee supports the notion that it is the whole child that must be developed.
From page 10...
... When these activities operate in the child's "zone of proximal development," where learning is within reach but takes the child just beyond his or her existing ability, these curricula have been reported to be both enjoyable and educational. While the committee does not endorse any particular curriculum, the cognitive science literature suggests principles of learning that should be incorporated into any curriculum: · Teaching and learning will be most effective if they engage and build on children's existing understandings.
From page 11...
... Careful assessment is even more critical to effective strategies for working with children with disabilities and special needs. The growing sense of public responsibility for the quality of early childhood programs means that there are also external pressures to use tests and assessments for program evaluation and monitoring and for school accountability.
From page 12...
... RECOMMENDATIONS What is now known about the potential of the early years, and of the promise of high-quality preschool programs to help realize that potential for all children, stands in stark contrast to practice in many perhaps most early childhood settings. In the committee's view, bringing what is known to bear on what is done in early childhood education will require efforts in four areas: (1)
From page 13...
... The committee proposes recommendations in each of these areas. Professional Development At the heart of the effort to promote quality early childhood programs, from the committee's perspective, is a substantial investment in the education and training of those who work with young children.
From page 14...
... that suggest the value of this sort of supervised student teaching experience. Recommendation 5: All early childhood education and child care programs should have access to a qualified supervisor of early childhood education.
From page 15...
... The U.S. Department of Education should collaborate with universities in developing the demonstration schools and in using them as sites for ongoing research: · on the efficacy of various models, including pairing demonstration schools as partners with community programs, and pairing researchers and in-service teachers with exemplary community-based programs; · to identify conditions under which the gains of mentoring, placement of preservice teachers in demonstration schools, and supervised student teaching can be sustained once teachers move into community-based programs.
From page 16...
... Policy States can play a significant role in promoting program quality with respect to both teacher preparation and curriculum and pedagogy. Recommendation 10: All states should develop program standards for early childhood programs and monitor their implementation.
From page 17...
... . Recommendation 11: Because research has identified content that is appropriate and important for inclusion in early childhood programs, content standards should be developed and evaluated regularly to ascertain whether they adhere to current scientific understanding of children's learning.
From page 18...
... Recommendation 15: Early childhood programs and centers should build alliances with parents to cultivate complementary and mutually reinforcing environments for young children at home and at the center. FUTURE RESEARCH NEEDS Research on child development and education can and has influenced the development of early childhood curriculum and pedagogy.
From page 19...
... Research on Programs, Curricula, and Assessment Recommendation 17: The next generation of research must examine more rigorously the characteristics of programs that produce beneficial outcomes for all children. In addition, research is needed on how programs can provide more helpful structures, curricula, and methods for children at high risk of educational difficulties, including children from low-income homes and communities, children whose home language is not English, and children with developmental and learning disabilities.
From page 20...
... Parents are relying on child care and preschool programs in ever larger numbers. We know that the quality of the programs in which they leave their children matters.
From page 21...
... Moreover, the considerable lead by other developed countries in the provision of quality preschool programs suggests that it can, indeed, be done on a large scale.


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