Shady Grove Preschool Summary

The article by Erika Christakis, informs future teachers and parents how preschool today may not be benefiting their children as much as they thought. She talks about how preschool has changed drastically over the years as well as kindergarten. She states that “kindergarten may be the new first grade”. Her statement shows how children today are expected more then they were years ago in all grades, especially preschool and at such a young age. Many think this is helping our children or will benefit them in the future if they know more as a child but this may not be the case. The article talks about multiple studies done throughout America to children are learning and how school curriculum changing affects children. A studied showed that children

The purpose of this assignment is to closely observe the development of a child through an interview and apply the theories and concept of child development in his particular cultural and educational context. I selected the child who lives in my neighborhood for the interview and began with seeking the permission from his parents. The child’s name is ‘Abdullah’ and he is seven years old. He lives with his family in Terre Haute and his family consists of parents and two sisters. Abdullah goes to Sugar Grove Elementary School in the Terre Haute city along with his two sisters and he is in grade 2. The interview was conducted at his home and I ensured his convenience. He was cooperative and provided insightful responses to the questions and he provided significant detail in the interview. I was able to track his development stages and connect it to different theories of Developmental Psychology including psychoanalytical perspectives and Piaget’s stages of development. In the following paragraphs, I will explain my observations about Abdullah’s development in the light of developmental theories with special focus on cognitive, social, linguistic, and emotional development followed by making connections between his socioeconomic and cultural background and development. Lastly, I will conclude paper by highlighting that the observations during the interview can facilitate my future practice as a teacher.

First, the author gives some advices to parents that how to choose a right preschool for their children. Second, the author focuses on what the children could learn at preschool. In the article, Kathleen McCartney states that “from preschool, the children start to know the numbers, letters, and shapes, etc. And more important, they learn how to socialize with other children, how to share and contribute to circle time” (Kanter, 2007, para. 3). Social communication is one of the most important components for humans, and it starts from children. The author uses this quotation to make her argument stronger because Kathleen McCartney is Parents advisor, professor of Education, and president of Smith College (Kanter, 2007), but the author does not show the opposite side in this article. This article shows bias at this point. I will use this article to support my argument in essay

Bee H., & Boyd D. ( 2003). The Developing Child, 10th ed. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.

Early childhood education is crucial for success in the formalized education system. Many children born into lower income communities do not obtain this advantage. According to Kozol, simply based off accident of birth a child will lead completely different educational lives (2005). For example, a white toddler in an upper middle class neighborhood might attend a prestigious educational preliminary kindergarten. These respected early education schools are often referred to as “baby ivies” (Kozol, 2005). The child participates in pre-numeracy skills along with pre-writing skills. Conversely, a child of minority descent living in an underprivileged neighborhood may not initiate school until they are five years old. In the three previous years a

Education has come a extensive way from the times of Plato and Aristotle, but from each new era came a person with a concept that effected the world of education eternally. Sisters, Margaret and Rachel McMillian influenced education through their development of the Open-Air Nursery School in more way then one. Not only had they introduced the idea of starting education at a younger age then the fledgling kindergarten program, but their school was devised for kids from low- income areas that needed the extra care as well. A unique concept of the time that grasped my interest and made me want to discover more about their program and it’s effect on Early Childhood Education.

The date of my observation was April 27th, 2010. It was about 9:30 in the morning when I began my study. I went to Grossmont College’s Child Development Center. The first thing I began looking for was if the child-teacher ratio was correct. The child ratio was 2 teachers to about every 8 children. The ratio was good. As I entered there was one large room that almost looked as if it could be two rooms they way it was set up. One half consisted of a large bookshelf with numerous books on it with a couch in the front of it. The other half of the room was almost like a little kitchen. It had a table with chairs around it with a sink and cabinets behind it. There were “age appropriate” toys as well as books all over the

Anne’s First Street Preschool is in Beaufort, North Carolina. Anne Street has a Mother’s Morning Out Program. The MMO is everyday 8 to 12, so the mothers and fathers can do what they need for that brief period of time without having to watch over their child. The MMO has two teachers, A and G. They supervise 7 children, 4 girls and 3 boys. The child used for this project is named C and he is almost 2 years old. The other girls named L, B, K, and T. L and B were twins who were 2 years old. K was almost 2. T was almost 3 years old. The boys, not including C, were D and M. D and M were both around the same age, almost 2 years old. The observation took place from 8 to 9:30, when the children went outside to play.

The community experience that I will be focusing on for this part is NWCC daycare. The age range of the children at NWCC Daycare are 13 months to 5 years old. The two Piaget stages of development that were present in most of the children at the daycare are sensorimotor and preoperational. The three Erikson’s stages of development that were present in the children at the daycare are trust vs. mistrust, autonomy vs. shame and doubt, and initiative vs. guilt.

A longitudinal study done by Lansford et. al involved the observations of 574 children from the ages 5 to 21. The participants were recruited when they entered kindergarten in 1987 or 1988 at Tennessee and Indiana. The parents of the children were randomly approached and asked if they would take part in the longitudinal study. Detailed interviews concerning the child’s developmental history were conducted with their mothers before they had entered kindergarten. In these interviews, the mothers were

The families in the program are in it because primarily because of their geographic location and income status, so it is not the curriculum that draws them in. Neighborhood House Preschool offers half day and full day classes for low-income families with children ages 3-5 living different sites around Seattle. A great thing this approach provides for children is high individualized approaches to each child’s needs, and development stages using scaffolding. In Tools of the mine curriculum, teachers scaffold children’s learning in a variety of ways, from organizing the environment to support learning, to giving hints and prompts, to modeling what to do, to explicit instruction. Depending on what the child is learning and where the child is in the learning stage. Teachers learn to scaffold learning at different levels within the same activity. They learn how to increase the challenge for each child and to scaffold appropriately, providing support and withdrawing support depending on how quickly each child is

Child development is the foundation upon which early childhood practice is based. Because the psychomotor, socioemotional, cognitive, and linguistic developmental domains are inter-related, early childhood professionals in all types of programs (e.g., family child care homes, early childhood education centers) must comprehend both the processes of development and the adult’s role in supporting each child’s growth, development, and learning. (p. 1)

Even though some may believe that disadvantaged students may get socially abused in a preschool type program, the social development of the disadvantaged child can be one of the most influential effects that these programs can have on the student. Any one person can tell from experience that children who have any type of disadvantage tend to be either secluded from the rest of society or to be more antisocial and isolated. In a study called the Ypsilanti Perry Preschool

There are many types of learning opportunities that can encourage a child to learn and help to enhance their abilities. Child care centers are a great way to encourage a child to learn, and to be ready for the school atmosphere. “The Big Top Child Care Center” in Laurel, Maryland have an excellent program for children between two to nine years of age. They have an environment where teachers are well trained and are first aid and CPR certified. They enhance a child’s learning by providing them with nutrition, educational field trips, and special events. Elementary schools are the opening door for early childhood education. Children can begin their learning experience in pre-kindergarten and kindergarten which are the first grades of elementary education. “ Ring Factory Elementary” located at Harford county in Maryland is a school that has three kindergarten classes that teach five to six year olds the beginning of their educational life. Not only are there child care centers and schools a great

Early childhood education is one of the most important policy topics out there. Research has proven that the early years in childhood is a critical period for opportunity to develop a child’s full potential; as well as form academic, social, and cognitive skills that determine not only success in school but also their entire life (The White House). The right to a free, public education is guaranteed to all children in the United States. Early education is voluntary, and therefore some children are not given the opportunity to reach their full potential.