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PUBLIC EDUCATION FOR THREE & FOUR YEAR OLDS.   Term Paper ID:20631 Click to get this paper

Essay Subject: Pros & cons, in theory & practice, purposes, funding, role of teachers & parents, teaching methods, curriculum, social issues, needs & abilities of children.... More...

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Paper Abstract: Pros & cons, in theory & practice, purposes, funding, role of teachers & parents, teaching methods, curriculum, social issues, needs & abilities of children. Paper Introduction: Education in Public Schools for Three and Four-Year-Olds The domains of early childhood education and the public schools have been intertwined in several important ways. One of the purposes of many early childhood programs has been to help the children learn skills that enable them to succeed in school. This same expectation has been shared by policy makers determining the best expenditure for education dollars. At both the state level and federal level, determinations are being made about the best "earmarking" of funds for the public schools (Stegelin, 1992, p. 137). It is the purpose of this paper to provide a philosophical and practical overview of education in the public schools for three and four-year-old children. Leaders in the field of early childhood education often find themselves in complex and contradictory roles as they work out a Text of the Paper: The entire text of the paper is shown below. However, the text is somewhat scrambled. We want to give you as much information as we possibly can about our papers and essays, but we cannot give them away for free. In the text below you will find that while disordered, many of the phrases are essentially intact. From this text you will be able to get a solid sense of the writing style, the concepts addressed, and the sources used in the research paper. ReferencesFreiberg, K. 2 2). Children who have not learned theseintrapersonal and interpersonal skills will need a great deal of assistancein overcoming mistrust, shame, and guilt. The early, immediate gains do not seem to hold in thelater years of public schooling (Stegelin, 1992, p. School finance in the 199 s. Leaders in the field of early childhood education often findthemselves in complex and contradictory roles as they work out arelationship between what seems best for these youngest students and theirrelationship with the public schools. 58). This hasalways been the nature of education, and change brings with it theexamination of values, which can be an uncomfortable process. This study sponsored by The BankStreet Center for Children's Policy was in cooperation with the WellesleyCollege Center for Research on Women. Classrooms tended to lack soft furniture and floor coverings, andoutdoor areas lacked play equipment suited to young children. 99-457.The public schools are in a strong position to maintain a stable, well-paidstaff, and the promise of reasonable salaries tends to attract the highestqualified teachers (Pierson, 1991, p. Humanistic psychologist Abraham Maslow insisted that every person ofevery age operates on a hierarchy of needs. Others were rigid and boring (Mitchell &Modigliani, 1989, p. Is it more important to provide extrahelp for disadvantaged children or find unusual talent and nurture it atthe earliest possible age? I trust that this oddity doesn't cause you anyproblems, and I apologize for it happening.----------------------- 17 16 Most focus on a target group of childrenwho have special needs. The pre-kindergarten programs in public schools can be very goodif the program administrator is well-grounded in early childhood theory,respected by the teachers, and influential with the district superintendent(Mitchell & Modigliani, 1989, p. California, New York, SouthCarolina, and Illinois offer such comprehensive services, but as statedbefore, they are almost entirely aimed at disadvantaged children. Four-year-olds and public schooling. The findings revealed interestingand contradictory information. One of the purposes of manyearly childhood programs has been to help the children learn skills thatenable them to succeed in school. 29). The most dramatic finding of the study was that excellent pre-kindergarten programs depend upon effective, competent, well-trainedleaders. Who gets to decide whichvalues shall prevail in the public school programs for young children, andhow will such programs be paid for? The traditionalpreschool was typically set up for middle class children on a part-daybasis, following many of the criteria for developmentally appropriateconsiderations put forth by NAEYC. The Texas study found that most teachers in the pre-kindergartenprograms surveyed taught with a behavioristic approach, focused on academicskills rather than emotional or social, and allowed children to initiateactivities only during about 25 percent of the class time. The public schools are well-established as the delivery system forprograms for children. Shenotes that most people (she does not say which people) prefer academicpreschools where children don't just play. (1991, November). In bilingualclassrooms, English was spoken for 75 percent or more of the observationperiod. One who follows this philosophy would agree thatthe catch up academic programs may be rather harsh in their expectations.More attention could be given to the child's basic physical and emotionalneeds before expecting him to be operational in a cognitive way. (1991). Otherwise public school programs will turn out to be simplythoughtless junior first grades or play groups. Early childhood education has been seen as a solution to thedropout rate of high school students and those who do graduate but with aminimal level of skill that is usable in the workforce. 59). Of particular interest is a Texas evaluation of pre-kindergartenprograms. The Chapter 1 program serves over 5 , children nationwide, andmany state, local, and federal social service programs provide earlychildhood environments for young children and their teen-aged parents. 46). 138). She laments "chant your colors and shapesand you'll be able to solve our trouble-riddled society's ills" (Greenberg,1992, p. She is particularly sensitive to the child that, for one reason oranother, may be picked on by other children or ignored by teachers. At the time of the appearance of Mitchell's and Modigliani's articlein Young Children, 27 states had appropriated funds for stateprekindergarten programs. The needs for esteem and achievement do not come intoexistence until these lower needs are completely, or almost entirely met(Freiberg, 1987, p. Theauthors point out that nearly all children from ages five through eight arein the public schools, but the early childhood period actually includes allchildren from birth up to age eight (Mitchell & Modigliani, 1989, p. 191). Some are concerned that the content of the curriculaand the process of teaching these young children will simply try to copythat that exists in the elementary grades. I did the extraresearch before reading your sources, and quite by accident duplicated oneof your sources. They tendto favor a handling of subject matter that is integrated rather thandiscrete (Pierson, 1991, p. San Francisco:Jossey-Bass Publishers.Stegelin, D. Texas Education Agency.Note to client, EscofferyFrom Research writerAn odd situation arose during the course of this project. Urbana,Illinois: ERIC Clearinghouse on Elementary and Early ChildhoodEducation.Mitchell, A., & Modigliani, K. In developmentally appropriateclassrooms, children spend most of their time working individually or insmall groups, and the parents and other community members are stronglyinvolved in the program (1991, p. 56-61.Odden, A. (undated). . (1992, March). Young children inpublic schools? Parents seemed to besupportive of the pre-kindergarten programs, although they were not in astrong partnership relationship with the public schools (1991, p. The programs for childrenwho had a native language other than English tended to focus on moving thechildren into English proficiency without regard for competency in thenative language as a strong conceptual foundation. This teacher quoted by Greenberg said, "Goodcharacter, that's what children need . Many families are headed by a single parent who works, and thesechanging demographics bring along accompanying needs for high-qualityeducational and custodial care for children at a younger age. She acknowledges the importanceof the NAEYC guidelines and the important traditions of developmentally-based early childhood programs, but she brings to the forefront such issuesas too much teacher passivity, lack of consideration for multi-ethnicityand nontraditional family composition, lack of social guidance for thechildren, lack of provision for the gifted and talented, and lack ofconsideration for the whole child (Greenberg, 1992, p. The buildings are already there. Why not academic preschool? (1992). Teachers such as this are needed who can ask the important questionsabout what is being taught and why. Some early childhood professionals express concern thatthese programs resemble junior first grades. They share manycharacteristics of public schooling for older children--teacher-directedinstruction, tight schedules, and the teaching of particular skills forschool success. She stronglyfavors programs which are democratic in philosophy and practice, a type ofeducation rooted in the philosophy of John Dewey. These two psychologists and their thinking are discussed only for thesake of example, and there are numerous others who would argue that otherthings are important for young children. She thought a full belly was more important than perfectlyreciting the ABCs and colors. These almost entirely fall into the category ofprograms for four-year-olds who are among the at-risk populations. Public school programs for three and four-year-old children arerather new, and it is premature to expect the answers to these unnervingquestions. 54-64.Lubeck, S. Education in Public Schools for Three and Four-Year-Olds The domains of early childhood education and the public schools havebeen intertwined in several important ways. It is the purpose of this paper to provide a philosophical andpractical overview of education in the public schools for three and four-year-old children. for every $1. 55). invested (Odden, 1992,p. Typically, both parents work in mostfamilies. Atboth the state level and federal level, determinations are being made aboutthe best "earmarking" of funds for the public schools (Stegelin, 1992, p.137). Greenberg asserts that early childhood programs fall into one ofthree types which reflect three types of parenting--authoritarian,permissive, or democratic. Permissive adults gravitate toward a pleasant play program wherethe children can have a good time and follow their own interests.Greenberg's concern is that children from these types of programs at eitherextreme do not learn how to function in a group, how to empathize with theneeds of others, nor how to solve problems within a group. Dewey believed thatdemocratic character combines happiness and contribution to the group(Greenberg, 1992, p. Not everyone is in favor of public school programs for three and four-year-old children. 58). The Head Start model found that children cannot learn if they arehungry or in need of medical care. Elementary teachers and earlychildhood teachers often have dramatically opposing ideas concerning howchildren learn and what they should be taught. It seems unavoidable that the task of educating three- and four-yearolds in the public schools will be fraught with controversy. Of even deepersignificance is the need for our society to elevate the value of youngchildren. 55). This developmental approach favors acurricula in which the lines between work and play are quite blurred. They were invited to parent-teacherconferences and provided school newsletters. Schools have an understandablevested interest in children learning skills that will enable them to dowell in later grades. In contrast, private programs and programs funded by socialservice departments tend to pay low salaries and have major problems inattracting and keeping excellent teachers. Early childhoodprofessionals are not necessarily against public school education foryounger children, but they insist that the content and practices be closelymonitored by those who are well-acquainted with the differing needs ofthree and four-year olds. The guidelines of NAEYCare excellent, and they should be understood and followed by the publicschool programs, regardless of child care regulations. Such criteria includes activeinvolvement, materials and activities for a wide range of interests anddevelopmental abilities, play as the most natural way of learning, and theuse of language between child and teacher to express needs, insights,excitement, and problem-solving. This type of teacher can thoughtfullycut through tradition and face the most basic philosophical questions aboutthe purposes of education and how the treatment of young children fits intothat equation. (Part 2):Autocracy or democracy in the classroom? 59). 56).Some of these patterns of organization and program availability may simplyreflect underlying societal beliefs about the purposes of education and therelative importance of quality experiences for children. In an odd twist of the law, mostpublic school programs are exempt from child care regulations, leaving outthe most basic protections for young children. . 456). The study found that compensation was an important factor in teachingstability in public school programs for children younger than five. There are few public school programs for three and four-year oldswhich serve all pre-schoolers. The academic preschools are those which involve efforts to helpdisadvantaged children to catch up to middle class norms. Phi DeltaKappan, 73 (6), 455-61.Pierson, E. V-3 ). Also there was a duplicate of that same one within thefour that you sent. Only about half of the districts inthe three-year survey required that the teachers of the young children holdearly childhood teaching certificates. Dollar for dollar, early childhood education programs seemto indicate a return of about $4. Erikson says that before school age, children must learntrust, autonomy, and initiative. He also cites research which indicates that children who attendpreschool tend to perform better in the elementary grades and in highschool. V-34). They exhibit lower failure rates and less below-grade performanceat all grade levels. Such programs are characterized by ateacher who is indirect, planning an environment that encourages childrento learn through active exploration and personal discovery (Lubeck, p.192). In the Texas survey, the teachers of young children did not usuallyhave special training in early childhood education, and the training forteaching assistants was virtually nonexistent. What is theplace of children in our society? Other arguments for school-based programs include equality,continuity, and logistical advantage for all students. Even the youngest childrenneed to have their basic needs of food, clothing, and shelter from theelements met before they are concerned with the needs of safety, love andbelongingness. A central question in considering publicschool programs is "Who should be served?" Leaders in the field of early childhood education feel that thepublic school has not done particularly well with kindergarten and earlygrade education, and they fear that public prekindergarten would fare nodifferently (Mitchell & Modigliani, 1989, p. Odden reports that preschool education is an important issue inschool finance. It is important thatthe basic questions of the purposes of education and the purposes of earlychildhood education be examined before successful programs will exist. Maybethis child has low self-esteem or poor interpersonal skills. 139). If theprekindergarten teachers were paid at the same rate as the K-12 teachers,shortages and turnover rates were no different that teachers of other gradelevels. The California State Preschool Program, similar to Head Start, also showspromise for the four-year-old population. Developmental psychologists teach us that certain important lifetasks take place during the ages of three and four, and logically, one cansurmise that these developmental tasks must be understood and respected inorder for public school programs to be, at the very least, not harmful toyoung children. However, the existence of the underlying concerns has to befaced. 59). Those who consider the continuity factors cite studies that indicatethat children who attend preschool in the public school setting andcontinue in the same school tend to view school more positively and haveless anxiety than those who enter the public school at a later age.Continuity provides advantages for the parents too, as they establish on-going relationships with the administration and teachers of the publicschool. The assumptionbehind this aim for early childhood education is that low income andminority students can catch up and become functioning, successful adultswithout falling by the wayside (Stegelin, 1992, p. V-27). Whatever the prevailing philosophy of theteacher and administration, this is the type of child that emerges from theprogram, and it is no casual happening. Norwood, N.J.: Ablex Publishing Corporation.Texas evaluation study of prekindergarten programs: Preliminaryfindings. They had adifficult time unlearning inappropriate methods (Mitchell & Modigliani,1989, p. Teaching in the elementarygrades can be largely didactic, and many early childhood professionals feelthat young children should be taught on a developmental model. Some looked good on paper but in no way carriedout what was written down. This chance occurence makes your paper look a little"light" in terms of the number of references, but the material isthoroughly covered. Most parents and educators agree on the need forchildren to enter formal education as early as possible, but there is notagreement on the best type of education for the early years (Pierson, 1991,p. They will approach even thesimplest tasks with a sense of inferiority and sense of inadequacy(Freiberg, 1987, p. Over the past two decades much legislation hasbeen designed to benefit those who need extra assistance, and preschoolprograms for the public schools tend to fall into that category. This philosophy tends to support the idea ofvertical equality--that "unequal treatment of unequals" will make them moreequal (Lubeck, p. Although it is not possible forsuch a study to completely reveal how teachers interact with children, itwas found that those teachers whose background was mostly with olderchildren had the most difficulty in teaching younger children. 26). They tend to have fewer discipline problems and moreof such students graduate from high school (Odden, 1992, p. Over half ofthe Texas teachers were experienced veteran teachers, but they did not havean early childhood professional certification (1991, p. The representation of ethnicity ofstaff and children was found to be good, but a multicultural curriculum didnot exist in most of the pre-kindergartens surveyed. Most of the books andbulletin boards portrayed a Caucasian world (Mitchell & Modigliani, 1989,p. An important question for professionals concerned with public schoolprograms for three and four-year olds is "What should be taught?"Curriculum models tend to fall into three groups--the traditionalpreschool, the academic preschool, and a hybrid form. Parent involvement was found to be minimal in the programs surveyed.Most of the parents worked. Young Children, pp. Clinton and other legislators have recognized that changing familystructures in the United States indicate a need for public education toextend into the younger years. Why aren't the mothers taking care ofthe children as they did in past generations? Oneunfortunate result of this type of thinking and practice is thathandicapped or disadvantaged three and four-year-olds become isolated fromtheir normal and average peers, exacerbating the very problems that theprograms are trying to solve. Theteacher's role is that of one who observes, encourages, mediates, andextends the children's thinking and creativity. A. V-27).However, implementation left something to be desired. One cannot set up programs simply doing what has beendone before or planning curriculum simply by default. (1989, September). What I aim at is encouraging the kind of good character neededby citizens in a democracy" (Greenberg, 1992, p. Author Polly Greenberg asks that her readers thoughtfully ponderessential questions regarding the nature of the academic preschool. Of particular concern was the small portion,including the state of Texas, which allowed class sizes up to 35 children(Mitchell & Modigliani, 1989, p. However, thePerry Preschool study, a longitudinal research program, cited a substantialcorrelation between early childhood education and long-term societal gains. Critics further question whether public school programs for three andfour-year-olds can deliver what is promised. Young Children, pp. At times, various programs even find themselves in acompetitive relationship, trying to gain access to public funding for thechildren who need it (Stegelin, 1992, p. In the UnitedStates, education is designed to be available to all citizens, and one ofthe purposes of education is to provide equal opportunity to all citizens,an important tenet of a democratic society. Without thestable security of the public school involvement, social service programscan become fragmented, contradictory and disorganized. 28). One fine teacher of four-year olds was quoted in thearticle. L. 455). Human development: A life-span approach,Third edition. Are the public schools the best place for such education totake place? (1992, February). Many childrenof this type live in less than optimal homes and need a great deal ofguidance and attention from teachers, and early childhood programs shouldprovide that. (1987). Early childhood professionals try tocooperate with the public school system, but they often take issue with thepractices that are not in keeping with what is known about childhooddevelopment. Early childhood education: Policy issues forthe 199 s. Such comprehensive nutrition and healthservices must be a part of public education for three and four-year-olds ifeducation of the whole child is the aim. Thestudy reiterates the fact that the vast majority of children younger thanfive are not in public school programs, while the very high percentage (9 percent) of children between five and eight are in public school programs.This pattern requires examination by those who care about quality educationfor children of a younger age. The average class size for four-year-olds was 16, and the mostcommon class size was 2 . Historically, programs such as Head Start have been aimed towardsdecreasing the gap between at-risk populations and middle- and upper-classstudents. Professionals in these programs mustunderstand how children think and feel, how they perceive, and what typesof activities engage their interest. What happens when the values of the school contradict thevalues in the home? Of particular concern in the study was the ratio between children andstaff. Good character is formed at anearly age. As we may guess, authoritarian parents tend to prefer the academicpreschool where there is a certain strict schedule and clear content to betaught. This same expectation has been shared bypolicy makers determining the best expenditure for education dollars. 58). 54). NAEYC, the principal professional organization for those interestedin early childhood education, insists upon developmental appropriatenessfor programs for young children. Other forms of parentalinvolvement included special workshops and advisory councils, althoughthese were found to be quite rare. Data from Head Start andother "catch-up" programs show a dropping off effect in academic benefitsafter a few years. The school has anestablished relationship with other community agencies, and to a largeextent, the school has taken on the role of coordinating agency for theeducation of children with disabilities since the passage of P.L. As Greenberg mentioned, it seemsparamount that administrators and teachers of three and four-year-oldchildren in public school programs be quite deliberate and thoughtful aboutwhat they are doing. Boston: Jones and Bartlett Publishers.Greenberg, P. Many of the programs researched werewonderful and child-centered. The pre-kindergartenprograms did not appear to be grounded upon sound theory about how youngchildren actually learn, and no evaluation processes monitored the qualityof the programs. They do not need to be indulged or pampered, but they need to begiven the best attention possible with the collective resources that areavailable. What results is children who fit aparticular mold, which may or may not be in the best interests of thesociety at large. Early education in the public schools: Lessonsfrom a comprehensive birth-to kindergarten program. 41). Oneearly childhood program study examined for three years the public schoolprograms for children younger than five. 62). This study reports the findings of a five-year evaluation,including a statewide survey, case studies, and a longitudinal study. The "only ifs" reconsidered. Over5 Texas school districts were providing pre-kindergarten programs forchildren at the age of four, and administrators and teachers were receptiveto the concept of developmentally appropriate practices (1991, p. If this paper is not what you are looking for, you can search again: Search for: or Click here to request an essay written just for you.