Describe the characteristics of high quality early childhood programs.
Various research studies have shown that high quality early childhood programs have certain common characteristics. These characteristics help parents in making better child care choices for their children. Quality early childhood programs, measure the conditions that generally promote a safe, nurturing and stimulant environment for children. These characteristics are;
Low child/teacher ratio. Low child/teacher ratio allow teacher to attend and respond to the individual needs of a child. The teacher is able to give each child sufficient attention as well as create a strong bond which in turn increases a child’s security.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
Staff with higher education and on-going training. Higher education assists the teachers and directors in understanding the needs and development of young children. This helps the teachers in planning activities for children as well as interacting with them in appropriate ways of development.
Low teacher turnover. Teachers who are well compensated and with good benefits change their jobs less frequently. This lowers turnover and increases opportunity for children to create attachments and build relationships with their teachers.
Accreditation or higher than minimum licensing standards. Childhood programs with a national accreditation or higher than minimum license display an intention of providing high quality early childhood program. It also displays that the program’s standards are higher than minimum.
Discuss and give examples of at least three benefits of early childhood education. Use scholarly research findings to support your position.
Benefits of early childhood education include (Palmer, 2015);
Socialization. Socialization with other people who are not the family members a child, in a safe environment, is an essential fundamental element. By introducing a child to other children, we support the child’s transition into their own friendship group. In addition, it helps children to overcome shyness and gain self-confidence. However, lack of socialization hinders a child’s social development.
For example, on the first day of kindergarten, children tend to clutch their parent’s hand with their eyes brimmed with tears. Some children even go to the extent of screaming and throwing tantrums. This shows that these kids socialization process has not yet occurred (Tomlin, 2008).
Concept of cooperation. Learning how to cooperate, share, take turns and persevere within a safe learning environment, is very essential for a child’s development. Professionals who are very concerned about a child’s welfare guide this concept. This is mostly important for the child who may not be used to sharing at home. Sometimes it can be a difficult lesson for the child, but it is also crucial to learn it early. For example, a parent could tell their child that cooperation means, taking turn, working together or sharing. The parent can also explain that by doing this other children will want to keep playing with him/her (Brown, 2010).
Encouraging holistic development. This approach helps to build a strong foundation for a child’s mental, emotional, social and physical development, which prepares them for a lifetime. Each teacher is trained to identify areas where support in needed for each child. The teachers are also able to build the necessary programs and activities around these areas. For example, if a child loves playing with planes, a good childhood teacher will take that chance to improve that child’s learning by researching about planes. For instance, how planes are made, why we use them, different types of planes and so on. By doing this the teacher will take a child’s passion and turn it into a learning opportunity (Ron, 2012).
Apply psychological theories to a policy or policy initiative relating to early childhood education, such as No Child Left Behind (NCLB), Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Early Intervention, Head Start, or another program of your choosing. Include details about how the program is implemented and what population it aims to serve.
No Child Left Behind (NCLB) testing starts at third grade. The effects of legislation are starting to be experienced in schools. This is because policy makers believe that starting early on the development of academic skills will help children reach the expected standards of elementary school. They also hope that an early introduction to education will minimize the gap in achievement, between children from economic disadvantages and more advantaged homes. Pre-school teachers are currently under pressure to begin teaching children the fundamental academic skills that are assessed under NCLB (Stipek, 2006).
There are a number of advantages in promoting academic skills development in early childhood, especially for children who are economically disadvantaged. Children from low-income families generally begin school over a year behind the middle class children, in basic academic competencies (Stipek, 2006).
Explain how early childhood education and policy affect the physical, social and cognitive aspects of child development. Use scholarly research findings to support your position.
Physical aspect. Childhood education enhances the physical development of a child. In large group facilities, children generally have recess and physical education. A well-designed educational program for children in preschool includes activities that improve gross motor skills of the children. Children physically develop through games such as, running, jumping, hoping, skipping and leaping, among others. Fine motor skills, which involve handwriting, are also strengthened. Early education aim at enhancing muscles in the hands and fingers through sensory activities like, sewing cards, building blocks and finger painting among others (LoBello, 2013).
Social aspect. Childhood education increases social development in children. Children in group settings have greater opportunities in developing social relationships with other children. Children work together and learn to respect each other’s boundaries and limits. Interacting with each other helps them learn how to wait, take turns and listen (LoBello, 2013).
Cognitive aspect. Childhood education raises the cognitive skills of children. This education introduces new ideas, skills, concepts and opportunities. It gives children a place where they can explore, experiment and work confidently along other children. Preschool offers the foundation of academic learning. In preschool children listen to poetry, sing songs and build blocks among other things. These activities are necessary for grasping phonic and reading skills, when the children become appropriately developed. In addition, playing with sand, water and containers, provide a basis understanding of some basic maths concepts (LoBello, 2013).
References
Brown, K. (2010). 5 Tips for Teaching Cooperation . Retrieved October 11, 2018 from; https://www.kidsintransitiontoschool.org/5-tips-for-teaching-cooperation/
LoBello, K. (2013). How Education Affects Early Child Development . Retrieved on October 11, 2018 from; https://mom.me/toddler/5366-how-education-affects-early-child-development/
Palmer, V. (2015). The 13 Key Benefits of Early Childhood Education . Retrieved on October 11, 2018 from; https://www.google.com/amp/s/m.huffpost.com/us/entry/7943348/amp
Ron,M. (2012). A Brief Introduction to Holistic Education . Retrieved on October 11, 2018 from; http://infed.org/mobi/a-brief-introduction-to-holistic-education/
Stipek, D. (2006). No Child Left Behind Comes to Preschool . Retrieved on 11, 2018 from; https:www.jstor.org/stable/10.1086/505440
Tomlin, C. (2018). Factors Affecting Socialization of Children . Retrieved on October 11, 2018 from; www.earlychildhoodnews.com/earlychildhood/article_view.aspx?ArticleID=553
