ISSUE: All programs in early childhood education are not equally effective in promoting the learning and development of young children. The overall effectiveness of an early childhood program is dependent upon several factors: quality staff, suitable environment, appropriate grouping practices, consistent schedules, and parent involvement.
Decisions about these factors often are made early in the planning and organizing process for an early childhood program. These decisions have important ramifications because they affect the child, the family, the classroom, the school, and the community. Yet these benefits do not necessarily occur in every early childhood program. After identifying best practices in early childhood education, this group can help provide input on decisions regarding the details of curriculum, assessment, staff selection, school climate and environment, and parent involvement.
Community collaboration is essential in setting goals and providing focus for an early childhood program. When a community plans a new early childhood program or seeks to improve its current program, a series of questions need to be asked: Who will staff the early childhood program? How will the classroom look? What is the best way to group the children? What will the day be like for the children?
What will be the role of parents? The answers to these questions are important in determining the quality of the program.
Decisions made about the organization of the early childhood program must have a firm foundation in the growth and development of the young child. These decisions should be based on the following premises:. Using these premises as a foundation, planning and organizing for an effective early childhood program should emphasize five factors: quality staff, suitable environment, appropriate grouping, consistent schedules, and parent involvement.
The first factor in planning for effective early childhood programs is quality staff who have training and experience in teaching young children. Specifically, teachers and administrators who work with young children should have a background in Early Childhood Education or Child Development; these courses of study emphasize child development, the learning style of the young child, and the need to develop partnerships with parents.
In addition to coursework, teachers and administrators should have completed supervised training in working with young children. Although findings on the positive effects of early childhood development programs have been widely disseminated, less attention has been given to program impacts across the entire period of early childhood.
This review summarizes evidence on the effects and cost-effectiveness of programs and services from ages 3 to 9. The major focus is preschool programs for 3- and 4-year-olds, full-day kindergarten, school-age programs including reduced class sizes, and preschool-to-third-grade interventions.
Participation in preschool programs was found to have relatively large and enduring effects on school achievement and child well-being. Suggested citation: Center on the Developing Child Retrieved from www.
Briefs InBrief: Early Childhood Program Effectiveness This brief is part of a series that summarizes essential scientific findings from Center publications. Effective services build supportive relationships and stimulating environments. Providing supportive relationships and safe environments can improve outcomes for all children, but especially those who are most vulnerable.
Between 75 and of every 1, U. Credit: Center on the Developing Child. Effective interventions address specific developmental challenges. Decades of brain science and developmental research suggest a three-tiered approach to ensure the health and well-being of young children: Tier 1 covers the basics—the health services, stable and responsible caregiving, and safe environments that all children need to help them build and sustain strong brains and bodies.
Tier 2 includes broadly targeted interventions for children and families in poverty. Programs that combine effective center-based care and education for children with services for parents, such as education or income supports, can have positive effects on families and increase the likelihood that children will be prepared to succeed in school. Tier 3 provides specialized services for children and families who are most likely to experience toxic stress.
0コメント