Do Early Childhood Programs Really Work?

The effectiveness of the Head Start Program is controversial, Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dunbar, author of Freakonomics (Early Childhood Longitudinal Study). They concluded that the Head

Based on this policy analysis, the recommended alternative is for the federal government to educate states on recognizing the importance of and participating in the quality early education programs. Some states have already started making progress in modeling and developing early learning systems for children zero to age five. According to the Whitehouse (2011), “The President’s 2012 budget calls upon Congress to establish a new, competitive Early Learning Challenge Fund, administered by the Departments of Education (ED) and Health and Human Services (HHS), for states that are ready to take dramatic steps to improve the quality of their early childhood programs. The Early Learning Challenge Fund will be complemented by investments in Head Start

Sensory integration is a condition that can be found in young children. This condition is defined as the difficulty of developing motor and cognitive skills at a typical rate(book). If the parent of a child with this condition is fully aware, most likely they will take the steps they need to better their child’s life. With that being said, the child will need an occupational therapist. The researcher has gathered information on the steps and guidelines of what an occupational therapist needs to follow for early intervention, the benefits it has for the child in need, and also the roles of an occupational therapist that will be further discussed. One of the most important role that an occupational therapist can do for a child with sensory integration is early intervention. The earlier you acknowledge the condition, the better outcome the child has at improving his/her physical and mental capabilities. Early intervention helps these children strive towards a path that improves their abilities and skills that are developed during these crucial years.

Just think about this one tiny effect. Imagine that you are about to start school at the age of five, and once you arrive you see that kids around you are more prepared, confident, and eager to learn. These young smiley five year old faces don’t make you happy. In fact, this makes you depressed, and saddened. Early education, also known as preschool is of vital importance. Preschool or an early educational establishment is a group of people offering early childhood education, before the age five. They offer enriching courses for children, and help prepare them for the transition into elementary school. Children who use the opportunity of an early education have a huge advantage. On the other hand, children who don’t enter preschools seem to lack in certain areas, and lag behind. Many children in our country do not attend preschool at the age of three or four, and directly enter kindergarten without the early learning opportunity. This issue of a less advantage situation could eventually lead to a bigger disadvantage when it comes to learning. Many parents aren’t willing to send their children to preschool in their early years as it is over expensive and unnecessary for a three year old to enter school. I, on the other hand, disagree with these people. If children learn from early on, there won’t be any need to worry about others who have advantages. I believe that early education should be mandatory, and since many people can’t afford preschools, public school districts should have their own preschool grade for all younger students.

Recent studies on early childhood education have shown that children who have access to quality pre-kindergarten education tend to have higher educational attainment than those who do not have the opportunity. While the literature is by no means uniform on this, the bulk of current evidence suggests that such policies will likely be helpful, especially for students in low - income and minority school districts. Only time will tell, of course, if such programs can help to make inroads into the seemly intractable achievement gaps, but based on current evidence, it is a policy worth

Children dont have to go to a legit child care facility to get an early education. Early childhood education comes in many forms most of the learning starts at home. “Playing with your child helps keep your child engaged in the kind of play where learning occurs. Your interest, questions, and comments as you play alongside will help your child use toys productively,”(How to Support Children’s Approaches to Learning?). In saying that children learn best through play based experiences they learn from things they experience or items they can touch and hold. Children learn from the comments thier parents give, they pick up on the little things. Children who don’t participate in some type of quality education programs are 50 percent more likely to be placed in special education. Children are also 25 percent more like to dropout of school and are 60 percent more likely to never attend college. 40 percent are more likely to become teen parents ,and finally 70 percent more likely to become a teen parent.

When raising their child, parents often question whether or not they should allow their child to participate in an early childhood education program, such as Pre-K. Usually, it's because they are skeptical of the effectiveness of these programs, what with all the debate surrounding the subject. Many claim that these programs do nothing to benefit a child’s success. However, that is not true. Early childhood education programs actually provide a stable head-start for a child’s future success.

I agree with the opinions in the article, because believe that these sort of programs like Head Start and home-visiting programs for soon-to-be mothers or possible at-risk youth. Head Start is a great program that focuses on early delinquency prevention and the home-visiting programs, also, strive to prevent child abuse, neglect, and other negative factors that could increase the chances of a young child to grow up being a delinquent or criminal (Saminsky, 2010). The only negative I would say about these programs is it seems to end at a young age. The article does explain how the author believes that these programs went to an older age. There can still be influences through the rest of their lives as a minor that can have a negative impact

Bania, N., Kay, N. A., Aos, S., & Pennucci, A. (2014). Outcome evaluation of washington state’s early childhood education and assistance program. (Document No. 14-12-2201). Olympia: Washington State Institute for Public Policy.

Thesis Statement: Early childhood education has many benefits and there is the potential for many significant outcomes if universal preschools were put into place.

These programs reduce the educational costs to our society by decreasing the need for special education and alike services after handicapped infants and toddlers reach school age.

The effects of early childhood educational programs, both short and long-term, for all children are remarkable. Some assume that children with disabilities cannot get the full experience and that they cannot take advantage of those experiences that they would encounter in a preschool type program. On the other hand, a study done by Lamorey and Bricker found that “children with disabilities enrolled in integrated early childhood programs demonstrated higher lever of social play and more appropriate social interactions, and were more likely to initiate interactions with peers” (Diamond, 1994, par. 2). Gains in socialization and interaction with peers are just the beginning of the effects that these ‘early intervention’ type programs have on children (Smith, 1988, par. 1).

Early childhood education has not always been the top priority in the education world. Although, research has proved that it should be the top priority as the benefits of Early Childhood Education are innumerous. Extensive neuroscience research has discovered that the brain is build over time and it is built from the bottom up. Early childhood experiences directly affect the quality brain development. Establishing a sturdy foundation through a high quality early childhood education experience, will dramatically develop child's brain. As a result, they will have a brighter future. In this essay, I will propose a plan for the children of 2020 and how to ensure the best early childhood education experience. I personally believe that racially, culturally, linguistically and developmentally responsive practices parental involvement are critical to the sturdy foundation that is essential to the positive early childhood experience.

Not only does early education bring the benefit of interaction, it also lets the child feel loved and have trust in others. If a child is encountered with early programs then they are able to meet the needs of their child stage life. If these needs are not properly met, then they may become less successful in their performance in an educational environment.

It is a clear and worthy investment. The question lies in which preschool program is the most effective. Previous reviews of programs have focused on if they contributed to later success, but a few of them compared the programs on their effectiveness. A number of programs showed positive results continuing to the end of kindergarten and beyond, signifying that the preschool involvement had impacts aside from early exposure to academic content. (Johns Hopkins University, 37). Also, several programs had effects on oral language skills, which are emphasized in most preschools.