Field Experience Report: The Power of Their Ideas: Lessons for America from a Small School in Harlem

In today's society, early childhood education programs have become an almost expected first step in every child's life. Studies have shown that when children attend they children who attend a preschool program are exposed to numbers, letter, and shapes on a daily basis. They also begin to learn many life skills, like how to socialize, share and separate from their parents. These first steps of learning are so important that now forty states in the U.S. now offer state funded pre-k programs (Kanter, 2016). With some many different preschools and early childhood programs, how do parents know if the programs are being held to a certain standard? The Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale (ECERS) is one comprehensive assessment tool available. Using this tool while quietly observing a preschool classroom, will help to define areas of strength as well as areas needing to be strengthened. The scale has thirty five different areas that are divided into six subscales, that will be observed. Each question is yes or no answer to a specific question and example.

The materials are age appropriate for the children who are 3-5 years old. The classroom has a variety of areas where the children can learn through play house, block, art, music, small toy, book, computer area. The classroom has a hatch computer where the children can learn through the computer software. High Scope is the integrated curriculum where the children learn through play. Children use the plan do review planning, worktime and recall. Where the children plan where they want to work they will carry out their plan during worktime and the children will recall what they did at worktime. Children will learn differently by doing and other children

“Researchers have claimed that good communication between staff and parents (as well as good communication between staff) is a prerequisite for high-quality care and education of young children; that it positively influences children's cognitive and social development, increasing their educational success, and that it contributes to good relations between children and between staff and children”. (Mac Naughton,) The physical, social, and emotional environments welcome and support with variety of activities, different kinds of books, color, and words that shows express of pictures. The environment shows that the simple rules, routine, and expectation for the early childhood program for families and children. Every children have a different rates of grows and develop through an environments but they will, like, interest, or something important to them (Housand, 2012). The environment connect with physical, social, emotional through pictures that allow the families and children the challenge, curiosity, control, and competition their diverse characteristics and

Transition and school readiness are complex issues which have a major impact on children’s holistic development. How well this process is facilitated and how practitioners view children’s school readiness will shape and influence their future learning. Early experiences during the transition period from early childhood settings to more structured and formal learning environments have implications for children’s life trajectories and their ability to become adjusted citizens as individuals and well-functioning members of society. Early childhood practitioners play a critical role in establishing strong foundations for the successful transition between environments.

The report was written by Lilian G. Katz, professor emerita of early childhood education at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where she is on the staff of the Clearinghouse on Early Education and Parenting. She is past president of the National Association for the Education of Young Children and the first president of the Illinois Association for the Education of Young Children. Katz is currently the editor of the online peer-reviewed trilingual early childhood journal Early Childhood Research & Practice, and she is the author of more than 100 publications about early childhood education, teacher education, child development and the parenting of young children.

In early childhood settings, theorist play a critical role in the developing and implementing the programs’ philosophy. Our program integrates theories of development on how children learn by designing the environment and makes it meaningful to the child. Our approach to learning derives from early childhood theorist that include, Piaget, Dewey, and Erikson. These theorists allow us to develop an understanding on the importance of providing learning opportunities for children, where children can processes learning with rich experiences in their environment.

As an early childhood professional, I believe that children learn best through play. The environment set up is crucial to the success of the children’s learning. There must be adequate space set up in a visually appealing manner meant to and peak the children’s interest and encourage exploration. There should be a variety of materials provided that are developmentally appropriate and safe as well as creatively stimulating. The classroom should be set up as a “yes” environment where children are encouraged to touch and explore all items at their level. All materials should be safe, clean, and able to be manipulated by the children. The classroom should be divided into different areas based on the interests and skills of the children and materials in these areas should be rotated on a regular basis to keep the

Roughly 50% of 3 and 4 year olds living in the United States do not attend any school prior to kindergarten, according to the National Center for Educational Statistics (page 1). Preprimary programs are not accessible or required in all states. This means that about half of our young children will not have any preschool experience before being placed into the ever-advancing school system. “Many countries including Japan, the United Kingdom, Mexico, and France enroll nearly 100% of their 4-year-olds in preschool” (Atlantic. Para. 6). Preschool is the stepping-stone into a structured system. Great Schools Authors believe “…it’s their first experience in a structured setting with teachers and groups of children” (Para 1). Quality programs are the start to a great educational foundation. The benefits for young kids having some experience in preschool are far to great to not have it be available to all kids. The structure of our school systems has changed so much that years ago a child could have entered kindergarten and been at the same level as their peers; today they are expected to know so much more causing a gap in

While observing at the Child of God Preschool in Newark, Ohio, I got to actively engage with several preschool age children, each in their own stage of development. I specifically interacted with two children, one four year old and one five year old who were both different developmentally but appropriate for their ages’ milestones. Among the twelve children in the preschool class, I noted that the majority of the children were four years of age and would be attending kindergarten in the fall.

There are always changes in regards to the development of preschool-age children and the roles of early childhood professionals within the preschool setting. I want to learn and gain more knowledge of every aspect of the preschool environment in which can be helpful to making sure that the children that I work with are developing physically, emotionally, socially, and cognitively. This course has enhanced my knowledge of play and the preschool environment and how they both can shape children’s development. But I would love to continue to learn more in how I can provide a classroom environment that will allow for me to give the optimal learning and development experience to the children that I work with. I want to be able to take the experiences such as my observations of the preschool classroom that I observed and turn those experiences into ways to enhance my own teaching and learning experiences for the children that I work with. According to the text teachers who observe children see opportunities to reinforce and enrich children’s learning experiences (Gestwicki, 2014, p. 381). I definitely believe this to be true, and I also believe that the more things that you learn it can only be beneficial for both the children and the teachers. I know that this course has continued to help me build on the foundation of learning that I need to be a successful early childhood professional in a preschool setting and also help in the development of preschool-age children. This course shined a light on the fact that the role of early childhood professionals has several dimensions which include the children playing a role in their own development as well. I think that in the preschool classroom today that all early childhood professionals must acknowledge this and go forth accordingly in how they approach the development of the whole child in regards to

The children enjoy school. the classroom is different from tradition al classrooms founded on a learner centered environment. Subjects in academics are used by hands on materials. After every activity the child puts up all the materials, it shows them responsibility. Children here learn at their own pace. It helps a child to learn by touching, smelling, hearing things. This children’s school started in the Philippines, but now there are thousands of schools of this type. The system is a learners centered program. The children are comfortable here at this school and they enjoy

The parents of today’s society are signing up their children for preschool and head start programs more than ever. “About seventy five percent of the nation’s four year old attend a preschool center, as do fifty percent of three year olds.” (Barnett, 2008, page 3). Preschool has long been though to shape a child’s academic life, putting a child ahead of the curve in kindergarten and leading them into a successful school career. The primary reason for attending preschool in past decades was the known benefits of socialization, but preschool has changed a lot over the years putting much more emphasis on cognitive development. Gone are the days when children only focused on colors, shapes, and numbers. Today’s preschoolers are learning music and second languages. Questions still remain about how successful these programs are when it comes to preparing children for their future academic careers. This paper will examine the known advantages and disadvantages of sending a child off to preschool as well as what qualities a preschool should have.

Throughout the history of America, early childhood programs were not in great pursuit for American children. The care and instruction of young children outside of the home was inadequate. Most people believed that early childhood programs served no purpose. Therefore, most parents neglected to enroll their young children in preschool programs. However, in the past few decades, there has been a major shift in thinking in regards to the importance of early childhood education in the United States. Americans have come to the realization that development and learning start right after birth. Therefore, early childhood programs are needed to develop children in the areas of social, cognitive, physical and language development. In this document, we are going to examine a special education early childhood program.

Early childhood classrooms provide children experiences that consider as an significant predictor of future academic success (Sandilos et. al, 2004). While UNICEF (2000) defines quality in education, UNICEF also mentions about importance of the physical environment in a quality education. The tables, seats and work spaces in the classroom are the component of the physical environment of classroom (Uludag, 2008). The ways of teachers utilize the component of the physical environment influences their practice, students’ attitude towards kindergarten classroom, peer relationships and the finally the quality of the education (Celik & Kok, 2007; Karip, 2007). It is inevitable that while teachers

The purpose of my proposed study is to analyze the values of early childhood education in the public schools system. There are several things that I hope to accomplish by conducting this research. This research will further illustrate how a sound foundation on certain skills enhances the readiness for those students entering kindergarten. This research will also provide possible solutions for kindergarten retention rates in the public schools system. I plan to investigate the