Kindergarten, Attention and Consequences: New Findings
Science Daily reported some interesting results of a study this week that could have important consequences for kindergarten students who are struggling to pay attention. The study that appeared in the June issue of the medical journal “Pediatrics,” found that children who can’t keep up in kindergarten are more likely to do poorly on standardized [...]
When Supply Does Not Meet Demand: An NYC Analysis
New York Magazine’s Jeff Coplon laid out in great detail something EarlyStories has noted for months: New York City has a serious kindergarten overcrowding crisis, one the New York City Department of Education did not anticipate or plan for. Here’s an excerpt from Coplon’s excellent story….” whole neighborhoods are overrun. On the Upper East Side [...]
Big Cuts To Pre-K Looming in Ohio: Where is Stimulus?
At a time when early childhood advocates are hailing a new federal investment in pre-school education, the economically depressed state of Ohio may be poised to roll back public programs due to state budget cuts. Journalists covering the story or watching this state will have their work cut out for them, because the picture is [...]
Finn’s Universal Pre-K Arguments Stir Opposition
As EarlyStories anticipated, it didn’t take long for opposition to Chester Finn’s opinions on universal pre-kindergarten to emerge. Finn’s op-ed, “Slow the Preschool Bandwagon,” appeared on May 15 in the Washington Post, introducing some of the arguments against universal pre-k that appear in his new book, “Reroute the Preschool Juggernaut.’‘ Finn, a former assistant secretary [...]
What works? Lessons in Early Reading from New Jersey
What kind of a difference can high-quality pre-school make in the lives of the poorest and most disadvantaged children? This is no small question. EarlyStories poses the concept as a reminder of what journalists must keep in mind at a time when President Barack Obama is pushing an expansion as part of his broader education [...]
Swine Flu Outbreak Creates Child Care Chaos
More than half a million children school-aged and younger are suddenly stranded at home due to swine flu concerns, leaving parents who in many cases are already experiencing financial hardship scrambling. On very quick notice, they must find alternative child care settings or leave children home alone because they can’t miss work. As the New [...]
New View on Universal Pre-K: An Unwise Use of Money
Universal Pre-K for all? Not so fast, says Chester E Finn Jr., a former assistant secretary of education and president of the Thomas B. Fordham Foundation. At a time when politicians from President Barack Obama to governments are pushing the concept that all American children should receive at least a year of government funded pre-school [...]
Questions and Concerns about Pre-K Expansions
Patrick Riccards at Eduflak, who aims to improve education “through effective communications,” makes some helpful points that journalists covering the push and pull of pre-kindergarten expansion in a tight economy might consider — including the very real prospect of cuts to existing programs. “We all know,” Riccards wrote, “that once cuts come, it gets harder [...]
So What Did You Learn in Pre-School Today? Questions To Ask
It read almost like a throw-away item, just a small story in the Kalamazoo Gazette that described how some visiting educators would get a chance to learn about the local pre-school curriculum in Western Michigan. But any journalist who wanted to take a deeper look and truly help the public understand what happens in a [...]
Letting Kindergartners Be Kindergartners: What Experts Say
EarlyStories often sees articles proclaiming that pre-kindergarten is the new kindergarten, first grade the new kindergarten. What those catchy but somewhat cliched phrases mean is that early childhood programs are becoming too focused on academics at the expense of play, a key way young children learn. Of course, both are important and necessary — but [...]
