Universal Preschool 1. Select and identify TWO concepts presented in the video you find significant as an early educator and explain why you selected these concepts (7 descriptive/detailed sentences) Universal Preschool exists as a program intended to allow free universal Preschool to all four-year-old children, regardless of their family’s financial situation. The particular video explores both sides of the argument, clearly showing that the program has its pros and cons. One concept against Universal Preschool I found interesting is the impact it would have on licensed home care providers. By requiring them to have credentials to teach preschool aged children, many individuals, woman in particular, would be left without a reliable income. I selected this concept because I have not decided if I would like to use my Associates in Early Childhood Education to become an assistant preschool school teacher or if opening a licensed home care facility would be a wiser decision. In other words, by requiring credentials to teach all ages 4 and up, I would be forced to further my education before being allowed to work with preschool children, which, consequently, would limit my income for several more …show more content…
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
The Child Development Center of College of San Mateo provides early care and educational programs for children between the ages of 3 to 5 years old. Children are divided into classrooms with a “master” teacher, a “regular” teacher, and two or three “associate” teachers. Klara attended Classroom, “A,” a stimulating and well-resourced classroom. Klara was observed for two hours on Monday from 9 am to 11 am and for two hours on Wednesday from 9 am to 11 am. During these two hours, classroom activities consisted of “free time,” “story time,” and an outside “play time.” A “master” teacher, a “regular” teacher, and two “associate” teachers were present during observations. Additionally, a total of eighteen children were in attendance during the observed days.
Meyers, M.K. & Gornick, J.C. (2003). Public or private responsibility? Early childhood education and care, inequality, and the welfare state. Journal of Comparative Family Studies, 34, 379-411.
Another factor parents may not look into when finding a preschool is the curriculum that will be taught. “Despite decades of federal, state, and local programs intended to support young children’s preparation for schooling, children from low-income families continue to begin formal schooling at a disadvant...
The idea of universal preschool (UP) has recently exploded across America. Who wouldn’t want cheap or free early education for their children? From a distance the whole idea looks as if there’s nothing wrong with it, but close up it’s a different story. While parents will be saving money, the schools are going to be losing it, with funds being spread even thinner than before. In conjunction to this, the government would be the ones providing the money, and therefore, the curriculum. The trouble is that they would then take the “cookie-cutter” approach, shaping kids’ minds the way they see fit. This tactic could ideally lead to the cure of our economic gaps that Thomas L. Friedman explains in his renowned book, The World is Flat, but will only
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.
The children selected were all Caucasian except for one African American child. The gender distribution was 58% female and 42% male. In today's economy, many families cannot afford the luxury of sending their children to preschool. With this being said, it must be taken into consideration that the children primarily come from upper and middle class families. This factor may have affected the decisions of the children. There is no question as to whether or not these children are fed at home, and in turn may have been unable to wait because they were simply that hungry. If anything, the children may have demonstrated compulsive tendencies because they are "spoiled" and are not used to having to wait for the things they desire.
Decades of research proves partnerships between schools and families not only enhance children’s learning and achievement, it is also mutually beneficial to the families and educators. As an early childhood educator, my philosophy is rooted in establishing and maintaining a strong and effective partnership with families and communities that can help children and their families thrive. My approach focuses on effective communication between family and school, respect for diversity, and promoting learning at home.
The article “The Early Education Racket” is overall a good insight into the authors views on whether children should attend preschool or not. It brought in new insight for me a child that grew up in a household that didn’t send their children to preschool. Some house holds take the decision of whether to send their children to preschool as a huge debate while others are more laid back about the idea. I am happy I read this article and will have it in mind when I make the decision whether to send my children to preschool or to teach them at
There are many questions regarding the topic of universal preschool. What research is there documenting if children have more success in school by receiving an early childhood education? Is it monetarily beneficial for goverments to fund the cost of these programs? What type of financial return is there on the investment? There are programs in place today offering free or reduced priced preschool on an income verication scale. There is a huge population of lower to middle class families that do not qualify for such programs, yet do not make enough to pay the private tuitiont cost. There are lottery systems in place offering a desginated number of open seats in free preschool programs in certain town and cities. Should we be allowing a lottery system to decide which children head start in the education based on the town they live in and what number a computer eraates for them?
Children who participate in quality early learning programs tend to be more successful later in school. They are also most socially and emotionally competent. In addition those children show higher verbal and intellectual development during early childhood than children who do not participate in early learning programs (A Parent’s Guide to Choosing Quality Child Care). In order for a child care center to be a quality center they must have an educated staff, a program accreditation, and good health and safety practices. Parents choose high quality child care for many reasons. These programs prepare children for school in which they gain intellectual and social skills. Also the programs are a good opportunity for children because they receive age-appropriate learning materials and activities to let the children learn and grow.
From the perspective I have at this stage in my journey in the early childhood education field, I would like to share what I have come to value and believe in regards to early learning and care by looking at my philosophy statement. To begin we will look at the statement and highlight three key features and find out why they are important to me, then we will see what they will look like in my practice, and lastly we will examine these ideas closely by looking at where they originated. By taking an in-depth look at my philosophy statement we will better understand the motivation behind my practice which I hope to continue to refine and refresh as I gain more knowledge and experience.
According to Ashford (2007), The National School Board Association’s (NSBA) believes publicly funded preschool programs can help raise student achievement by providing a solid foundation on which many children can build (p. 23). If districts don’t currently offer preschool through their school, principals can reach out to local preschool programs, convert some, or all, of their preschool education classes into inclusion classes, contract with local preschool providers, hire only qualified preschool teachers, create professional development days specifically for early childhood teachers, or implement other school wide practices that meet the needs of young children (Frede & Barnett, 2011). Barnett (2014) states that all levels of government will have to increase their support for young children and families, including the federal government, which can best lead the way by providing financial support and incentives that encourage and enable state and local governments to develop sustainable quality programs. All efforts must be made to ensure that our children are receiving the high quality interaction and experiences needed in order to properly develop and ensure school readiness. Enrollment in a high quality preschool will aid in closing the achievement
As a student interested in later joining a field requiring me to own a daycare, this article stuck out to me. One of the hardest decisions in a parent’s life is deciding things for the safety of their child. Daycare is one of the most talked about topics in a household when the child is young. Households where usually both parents work tend to entrust their faith in a good daycare for their child to attend. Many other parents may put their child in a daycare simply for the social interaction of their young child. Studies show children in daycare adjust to school easier with already being in the environment of being around other kids.
There are many different types and funding sources for pre-kindergarten with varying regulations, including Title 1 pre-kindergarten programs, Head Start, subsidized community child care programs and state funded universal pre-kindergarten programs (Abbot-Shim et al 2003; Bassok et al. 2008; Burger 2010; Howes et al. 2008; Winslet et al. 2008). And since President Obama proposed making high-quality preschool education available to every American four year old in his 2013 State of the Union address, the debate over the benefits of preschool has been thrown into the national spotlight (Jyoti, 2013). Causing every parent to know that preschool must be purchased for a well-built price. In different cities those prices may vary from private and public schools. According to a recent report by Child Care Aware America, parents, on average, are paying anywhere between $3,900 (Mississippi) to nearly $11,700 (Massachusetts) for full-time, center-based care for a four-year-old (Jyoti,
Babies don’t stay babies forever. Eventually, they turn four and parents have to make the difficult decision of putting them in preschool or keeping them to themselves for an extra year. This decision could be life changing for a child, however, it could also be too much for a four year old. The history of preschool becoming an everyday thing for any child has greatly evolved over the years. Preschool gives young children a head start on school so when they attend kindergarten they already have an understand of some school related things. The price of sending a child to preschool is also a factor a lot of parents look at before sending their kids. These are all reasons that parents either decide it is good for their child to attend preschool or to keep them at home for another year.