Early
Education: Let's Get Involved and Put First Things First
Susan Donahoe, Early
Childhood Coordinator
President Bush's recent
charge that all Head Start students know their alphabet,
count to ten and be tested three times a year indicates an
admirable desire to see that all children have the best
possible start in life. It also highlights the need to think
carefully about what we want to focus on in the way of
educational priorities for the youngest members of our
community and how we should get there.
It is vital that young
children have a rich and nurturing environment for learning.
The years before kindergarten provide powerful opportunities
for long-term benefit to the child's emotional and cognitive
development that are unmatched by those in the later years.
Recent advances in technology and brain research techniques
have only highlighted this fact. At a time when more and more
of our youngest children are spending substantial parts of
their day in care outside their home, numerous studies have
verified that the quality of early childhood education can
make a powerful difference.
Many states, Wisconsin
among them, are engaged in efforts to improve the quality of
early care and education for all young children. A recent
review of literature by the EPIC/EPRU Home | Education and the Public Interest Center identified significant factors in
effective early education programs that included the
following:
· Low class sizes and
child-teacher ratios
· Highly qualified and
well-paid teachers, with at least a bachelor's degree and
specialized training in early education
· "Intellectually
rich" curricula (some discussed literacy/numeracy
emphasis)
· Systemic support for
best practices and ongoing professional development
· Active partnerships
with parents
· Programs that start
no later than age three
http://www.epicpolicy.org/files/Summary-01.Barnett.pdf
In addition, much research
has specified the foundational importance of a focus on
social/emotional development. Studies on adults in the
workplace rate social competence as more important to success
on the job than intelligence or skill in job performance.
Many kindergarten teachers identify it as more desirable than
any particular academic skill for the overall success of a
child in kindergarten. Social competence has far reaching
effects, and the development of those skills is strongly
influenced by the social competence of the adults that
provide early care and education. It is essential that the
caregivers of young children have good social competence
themselves and are able to provide, first and foremost, a
language-rich, responsive environment that models respect and
effective problem solving. Technical skill in particular
subject areas or curriculum are important as well, but only
after that interpersonal criterion has been met.
Although there may be some
initial financial investment necessary to support quality
programming, the eventual benefits show it to be a great
investment. The cost/benefit ratio indicates that for every
$1spent in early education, $7- $10 is saved in costs such as
remedial education, behavior issues or incarcerations. School
districts have a vested interest in the children under 5 in
their community because those same young children will be
occupying space in their schools in a very short time.
Whatever problems they have by the time they enter school,
the schools will have to deal with. School districts also
have a workforce of qualified, professionally paid staff and
a system of professional development and support. Both of
these elements were mentioned earlier as indicators of
quality, and both are difficult for most community programs
to access. The state of Wisconsin provides equalization aid
funding for four-year-old programming and allows great
flexibility in how that programming is designed. Community
task forces to create four-year-old programming could be an
opportunity to collaborate with community caregivers/
educators and forge alliances that support all young
children.
The schools would be wise
to invest in any opportunity to support quality programming
for children under five. It is time to look carefully for
community alliances and outreach that will enrich us all
through better early support for our youngest of citizens. As
we do so, let us keep in mind that the foundation of a
nurturing environment provides the social model upon which
all other successes will be built.
http://www.wcwcw.com/earlychildhood/investment.htm
