During the early years, children go through crucial development stages, and continuous, quality early childhood education can have a lasting, valuable effect on the overall development of children. High-quality early childhood development programs that offer developmentally adequate curricula, allow children to formulate specified cognitive skills at the suitable age. Developmentally adequate curricula assist in the development of cognitive skills which help them acquire new skills and knowledge. Preschool provides children the opportunities to take part in activities they wouldn’t typically do at home such as arts and crafts, science activities, sand and water play and music and movement. These activities can enhance children's’ lives, increase their development and supply them with the tools they need for the future. Children who participate in preschool get to connect with peers and discover the art of socializing. When it is time to go to kindergarten, children who have attended preschool are inclined to be more mentally prepared because they are already acquainted to a certain level of structure. Quality preschool programs can enhance children's’ lives, build social skills and enhance their development. When children are able to socialize they build many necessary tools they will use through out the rest of their lives. Preschool helps prepare children for future years in school. Preschool aged children grow and develop at a very fast rate. The preschool years is a critical stage in emotional development for children. During this time children begin to understand the body, mind and feelings are their own. Children at this time become better at identifying their own feelings – such as happiness, sadness, fear or anger.... ... middle of paper ... ... Children have such strong resources for growth and learning that with a nurturing environment and reasonable support the majority will succeed remarkably. Works Cited Barnett, W. S. (2002). Early childhood education. In A. Molnar (Ed.), School reform proposals: The research evidence (pp. 1–26). Greenwich, CT: Information Age Publishing, Inc. Barnett, W. S., & Camilli, G. (2002). Compensatory preschool education, cognitive development, and “race.” In J. M. Fish (Ed.), Race and intelligence: Separating science from myth (pp. 369–406). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum. Shonkoff, J., & Phillips, D. (Eds.). (2000). From neurons to neighborhoods: The science of early child development. Washington, DC: National Academies Press. Wortham, S. C. (2002). Early childhood curriculum: developmental bases for learning and teaching (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Merrill/Prentice Hall.
We investigated the Early Learning Content Standards and how they aligned with the kindergarten content standards. Our investigation will look at preschool-aged students who have gained this preschool knowledge prior to kindergarten and the negative or positive affects it has on their school career. Does it have an impact on their initial school year? Researching the Kindergarten Readiness Assessment Data on students currently in kindergarten and first grade, and determining who did and did not attend pre-school, will give us information on the students polled. Research states the social-emotional standards in preschool tie directly to kindergarten readiness and, if a child attends preschool, they will be exposed to the social-emotional content standard. The Early Learning Assessment given in preschool is the formative assessment component of Ohio's comprehensive early childhood assessment system called Ready for Kindergarten and is directly tied to the kindergarten readiness assessment that we pulled data information from. The purpose of this research is to show the direct effect of exposure to preschool in the outcomes of the assessments collected and the screenings done by the Ashtabula Area
I am a firm believer that the quality of the child care directly affects the child’s development in the classroom. By eliminating the need for competing preschools to continue to improve their curriculum and to remain relevant in the field of early childhood education, we risk falling into the same trap K-12 education has fallen into. In other words, individual classroom freedom will be lost when teachers are forced to follow the governments blanket and mandatory regulations. I choose this concept because I feel it is important to allow a wide variety of options to families in order for them the find the right fit for their
As you walk into the room, a pint-sized kid runs up to your legs and squeezes your knees. Squeals of delight bounce off the walls as kids boogie to Disney tunes, and another group is meticulously drawing pictures of rainbow colored snowmen. The faint smell of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies wafts through the room. Everywhere you look, there are smiles. Sounds great? Attending preschool is like running through a field of dreams. Unfortunately, not every child gets the opportunity to experience preschool.
Lee, B. G. (2008). Early Childhood Education: The Early Years. California : National Social Science Press .
Tejada, E. (2010). The Promise of Preschool: From Head Start to Universal Pre-kindergarten. Education Review (10945296), 1-6.
Preschool isn't just a place for parents to drop off their children while they are at work for the day. It is in preschool where children learn the necessary skills needed to succeed in school and in life. With high-quality preschools and qualified teachers the possibilities are endless. It's not only the children who reap the benefits of Early Childhood Education; their parents, fellow peers, and even society feel the positive effects of quality preschool programs. Children enrolled in quality preschool programs are more likely to succeed academically and socially when they are older.
McDevitt, T. M., & Ormrod, J. E. (2010). Child development and education. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill.
There are a few types of preschool programs. First there are structured preschool programs that focus on emphasizing an actual school setting and classroom activities in order to prepare the child for kindergarten or first grade. There are also day care centers, which are not as structured as preschool centers. Daycare’s focus mainly on child’s development through social interaction with children and caregivers. Then there are head start programs that are geared to give children a foot in the right direction in order to be ready for preschool or kindergarten. The right kind of childcare can be a wonderful opportunity to promote the profound learning children experience from birth through age five (Selecting child care, 2002).
Morrison, G. S. (1976). Chapter 6: Early Childhood Programs APPLYING THEORIES TO PRACTICE. In Early childhood education today (10th ed., pp. 5-31). Columbus, Ohio: Merrill.
Eliason, C. F., Jenkins, L. (2008). A practical guide to early childhood curriculum (8th edition). New
There are many aspects to early childhood education including what all it contains and is being taught. People willing to teach in an early childhood center are vitally important for learning and have overwhelming benefits for the children (Teufel). Children are expected to know much more information at an early age, so it benefits children to have the opportunity to take part in a program before kindergarten.
Isenberg, J. P., & Jalongo, M. R. (2000). Exploring your role: A practitioner’s introduction to early childhood education. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall.
...preschool years they will learn to initiate and carry out tasks based on experience or exposure to those tasks. Interactions with parents, teachers, peers, and other adults are important in a child's life. These relationships actually shape the brain and lay the foundation for later developmental outcomes, from academic performance to mental health and interpersonal skills.
There are many documented theories about early childhood development, contemporary research still concurs with some of these theories. It suggests, however, that we should be thinking more holistically, taking into consideration; respect for diversity, the wider community and equity, play based curriculums, intentional teaching and ongoing reflective practices when planning for optimal educational experiences for children (Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations, 2009). I acknowledge that ongoing professional learning and reflective practices are a key element of the Early Years Learning Framework (DEEWR, 2009). I accredit working and collaborating with other teachers, families and local communities collectively contribute
Early childhood education plays a key role in a child’s academic development because he or she learns soft skills, job skills, and develop positive traits. Preschool is not like kindergarten, but instead a stepping-stone that prepares young students for the years of schooling they will have later in life. As more schools began to open families wanted to be able to verify that programs would benefit and protect their children. In response, the National Association for the Education of Young Children was made to help families find the best care for their children, by providing the early childhood educators with training and ensuring the quality of children’s daily experiences. (“NAEYC”5).