Would bonuses for pre-k teachers improve quality?
To create an educated workforce, you have to start with high-quality educators. In the field of early childhood, the issue has long been debated. High quality programs tend to be taught by teachers with four-year degrees and specific training in early childhood education. Yet teachers may be poorly trained, or not trained at all. Only [...]
One way to improve early childhood ed: leadership
With all the talk about budget cuts and other ways early childhood education is being hurt in the recession, it was refreshing to read a piece that looks at other obstacles and ways to improve the quality of early learning. Education Week points out that elementary school principals in the U.S. don’t get sufficient professional [...]
Why Finland gets early childhood education right
It’s always fascinating to hear how other countries handle the education of their littlest learners, and even better to participate in a discussion with top educators on the subject. EarlyStories had a chance to converse on BAm! Radio with Linda Darling-Hammond, the Stanford University researcher and professor, and John R. Burbank, the executive director of [...]
Ban pre-school graduation ceremonies? Or should we have a heart?
EarlyStories was at first amused, then appalled, and then maybe even convinced that pre-school graduations are a waste of time and money, after reading Valerie Strauss’s item in The Washington Post‘s Answer Sheet blog. Strauss donned a cynical cap and left her rose colored glasses off when she wrote “it’s time to call a halt [...]
Why the impact of low quality childcare lasts long beyond childhood
One of the most frustrating and difficult aspects of early childhood education — and child care — in the U.S. is the lack of quality. Advocates and academics alike have called for all kinds of ways to improve pre-school programs with higher standards . They’ve called for better teacher training and higher standards for day [...]
Should young children be allowed to fail?
EarlyStories had a chance to take part in a fascinating discussion with top educators recently on the Bam Radio Network, who were asked just how much young children should be allowed to stumble, fall — and yes, fail. Failure isn’t an easy word for parents or for educators, especially at a time when a push [...]
At what age Descartes? Philosophy at a young age
EarlyStories has always been fascinated by how children learn — along with what they are able to learn if exposed to certain topics at a very young age. Herbert Ginsburg of Teachers College has done some interesting work on teaching young children math that showed just how much, when given a chance, children are capable [...]
A telling story of early intervention in Oregon
Consider the way Betsy Hammond of The Oregonian told the story of how one state is attempting to help young children with developmental delays. Hammond visited a center that operates seven preschool classes for students and described how teachers encourage a 3-year-old named Luca to use his words: They place items he loves both out [...]
