The Importance Of Quality And Development Of Children 's Brains

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

On February 12th, 2012, in his State of the Union address, President Obama discussed the long-term benefits a universal preschool would have on today’s society. “In states that make it a priority to educate our youngest children…studies show students grow up more likely to read and do math at grade level, graduate high school, hold a job, form more stable families of their own. We know this works. So let’s do what works and make sure none of our children start the race of life already behind.” (Obama) Unfortunately, an overwhelming number of children, from low-poverty areas, are unable to access high-quality early childhood programs for their preschool aged children. Consequently,

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

The studies found that all pre-school programs have the potential to prepare disadvantaged preschoolers to enter school at the same level, but since the children in this study were so much more disadvantaged and lower intellectually, they had no way to go but up. Since Head Start is designed for economically and intellectually disadvantaged children, these deficits can be specifically corrected. Simple knowledge like colors, street signs, and discipline are taught, but often assumed by other preschoolers who are more privileged they have already mastered those skills. Meeting the children on their own level brings them up to close the gap with other children. However, this gap appears in other

Early experiences are critical for a child’s development. According to the U.S Department of Education “there are 2.5 million children here in the U.S that does not have access to preschool.” Not everyone can afford

The Abbott Preschool Program is administered through New Jersey’s Department of Education and the Department of Human Services. It was designed to provide all of New Jersey’s children an opportunity to succeed. The Abbott Preschool Program Longitudinal Effect Study (APPLES), published in 2013, investigated the impact of the Abbott program on children’s learning through the end of kindergarten. The findings of this study demonstrated that children who attend the Abbott Preschool Program, whether in public schools, private settings or Head Start, improve in language, literacy, and math at least through the end of their kindergarten year.

The study found that the children who attended pre-K showed increased aggression and decreased self-control (with effect sizes ranging from 0.07 to 0.11 in the model) and performed “significantly” higher in math and reading upon entering school for kindergarten (with effect sizes of 0.10 to 0.12), with disadvantaged children having more lasting cognitive gains (Magnuson, 2007, 34). However, the study also found that “for most children, the cognitive benefits fade,” largely disappearing by the spring of 1st grade, “but the behavioral effects persist” (Magnuson, 2007,

Early childhood education has many benefits and there is the potential for many significant outcomes if universal preschools were put into place. Some feel that children who start kindergarten without previously attended preschool sometimes lack certain skills such as social and communication skills and an inability to follow routines. There were also studies done that found attending preschool could help to close the achievement gap in the grade school years. A child’s first few years of life are most important, and they absorb the most during those years. By providing universal preschool, all children would be benefiting, especially those who are in at-risk families or part of the lower class. As a society, we have a responsibility to help the children in our communities and provide them with the education they need in order to help them succeed in life.

Early years in a child’s life ( when the brain is forming) represents a critically important window to develop a child’s full potential and shape academic, social, and cognitive skills. The Universal Prekindergarten Initiative urges each state to provide access to state funded preschool programs for four year olds. These programs would vary due to teacher qualifications, number of students, staff-child ratio, and operating schedule. Economic analysis ( Bowman) indicates that a better educational investment is in preschool education is in preschool education. To have a successful program states would need to support the prek. President Obama has called upon Congress to expand access to high quality preschool

In the midst of discussion of the effectiveness of early childhood education for children prior to entering kindergarten, the question of approach comes in terms of who will benefit from pre-k class time. Kristen Mobbs’s dissertation focuses on the differences between different learning settings and socioeconomic statuses of the students attending state/private/federally funded preschools. An excerpt from Mobbs’s research was deemed quite appropriate toward the reasoning for this study: “Disadvantaged and traditionally marginalized students are at an incrased risk of developing behavior and social problems (Bulosky-Shearer & Fernandez, 2011), and girls demonstrate higher approaches to learning (Dominguez et al., 20100, perform better in school

Technological advances in the past decade have allowed scientists to study the brain in ways that have led to new understanding about how young children develop. There is a new understanding of both the capabilities and the vulnerabilities of infants and young children and that understanding is has influenced the work of caregivers and teachers. During pregnancy, the basic architecture of the brain is formed. Although, certain experiences do influence the developing brain during pregnancy, such as maternal health and stress, intake of drugs and/or alcohol, and quality of maternal nutrition.

The aim of this article is to understand the positive ramifications that can result from providing students with universal preschool. The article maintains that by giving students the earliest possible opportunity to experience school that we can enrich them through cultural diversity. Moreover, this article contends that students can also be improved academically, socially, and culturally by being engaged with a preschool curriculum. Likewise, developmentally students that have attended preschool have been found to have long-lasting benefits that ensure that they are on task with age appropriate goals. Additionally, because of the culturally diverse curriculum found within preschool curriculum; students learn to respect others and this allows

“The important thing about how the brain develops is that barring extreme deprivation, sensory deficits, nutritional problems, or brain injury, children will develop normally-- normal language, normal vision, and normal social interactions. If you forget to teach your 2-year old the word dog, that child's capabilities

Have you ever stopped to think about the importance that preschool plays in your child’s life? We may tend to think that preschool is a time for our children to interact and play with other children their own age. What we may not think about is just how important preschool years are academically as well. Many studies have shown that the preschool years lay the foundation for better academic readiness and social development in children as they get older (Hines, McCartney, Mervis, & Wible, 2011, as cited by Weisberg, Hirsh-Pasek, & Golinkoff, 2013). Many preschool teachers build this foundation through two methods of teaching: direct instruction and free play. But what if there is a better way for teachers to mold the minds of our young children that promotes even more readiness and development?

About 4 million children enter kindergarten in the United States each year (Duncan 2015). However, preschool attendance has been a controversial topic for over fifty years. Advocates argue preschool provides children with a foundation to excel upon entering kindergarten. According to Kathleen McCartney, PhD, Dean of Harvard School of Education, preschool exposes children to numbers, letters, and shapes. In addition, children learn how to socialize – get along with other children, and they also learn how to share (Kanter 2007). Critics argue preschool is too structured and hinders children creativity. Michael Smith President of the Home School Legal Defense Association is cautious of over institutionalizing children who attend preschool. He indicated that parents who provide children with plenty of love and attention during their influential years will develop naturally (Lester, 2007). Although there are differences of opinions when it comes to the benefits of preschool, enrollment continues to increase. The National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) report indicates more than two-thirds of 4-year olds and more than 40 percent of 3-year-olds were enrolled in preschool in 2005. In addition, about forty states now offer state-funded pre-k programs (2007).