Whose Quality? The (Mis)Uses of Quality Reform in Early Childhood and Education Policy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hunkin, Elise

2018-01-01

This paper reports on the findings of an in-depth genealogical study of the discourse of quality in Australian Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) policy. Quality reform has become the foremost global policy agenda for ECEC due to assumptions about the economic potentials of quality services. In Australia, the recent National Quality…

Early Childhood Standards of Quality for Prekindergarten through Second Grade.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Michigan State Board of Education, Lansing.

Recognizing the value and need for quality early childhood education programs for children ages four through eight years, the Michigan State Board of Education appointed an ad hoc committee to develop standards of quality. Based on the draft developed by this committee, this standards guide is designed to assist administrators, teachers, and…

Qualities of Early Childhood Teachers: Reflections from Teachers and Administrators.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weitman, Catheryn J.; Humphries, Janie H.

Data were collected from elementary school principals and kindergarten teachers in Texas and Louisiana in an effort to identify qualities that are thought to be important for kindergarten teachers. A questionnaire listing 462 qualities of early childhood teachers was compiled from literature reviews. Subjects were asked to check a maximum of 50…

Measurement Quality of the Chinese Early Childhood Program Rating Scale: An Investigation Using Multivariate Generalizability Theory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Dezhi; Hu, Bi Ying; Fan, Xitao; Li, Kejian

2014-01-01

Adapted from the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale-Revised, the Chinese Early Childhood Program Rating Scale (CECPRS) is a culturally comparable measure for assessing the quality of early childhood education and care programs in the Chinese cultural/social contexts. In this study, 176 kindergarten classrooms were rated with CECPRS on eight…

Variations in Chinese Parental Perceptions of Early Childhood Education Quality

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hu, Bi Ying; Zhou, Yisu; Li, Kejian

2017-01-01

As consumers of Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC), Chinese parents play a crucial role in the ongoing process of monitoring, evaluating, and improving the quality of ECEC in China. This study used questionnaires to solicit parental feedback on the importance of, and their quality ratings for, aspects of ECEC. The researchers used a random…

Indicators of Access to Early Childhood Services in the Mississippi Delta. Rural Early Childhood Report No. 5

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shores, Elizabeth F.; Barbaro, Erin; Barbaro, Michael C.; Flenner, Michelle; Bell, Lynn

2007-01-01

The Early Childhood Atlas facilitates spatial analysis in early childhood services research for the promotion of greater quality and accessibility of early care and education. The Atlas team collects and geocodes federal, state and nongovernmental datasets about early childhood services, integrating selected data elements into its online mapmaking…

Can Home-Based Care Offer High Quality Early Childhood Education?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Anne B.

2015-01-01

The nature of quality within home-based early childhood education (HBECE) services is important, since all children have the right to access high quality ECE whether it is centre or home-based. HBECE services are increasing more rapidly than other EC services in New Zealand, and their flexible hours, local contexts, and favourable ratios and group…

Childhood socioeconomic status and risk in early family environments: predictors of global sleep quality in college students.

PubMed

Counts, Cory J; Grubin, Fiona C; John-Henderson, Neha A

2018-06-01

Low socioeconomic status (SES) in childhood associates with poor sleep quality in adulthood. Separately, childhood family environments shape health into adulthood. Here, we investigated whether these early life factors independently or interactively inform global sleep quality in college students. Cross-sectional. College students at a state university (N = 391). As a measure of childhood SES, we asked participants to consider their families' socioeconomic standing relative to the rest of the society during their childhood. We used the Risky Family questionnaire to measure adversity and the presence of warmth and affection in the family environment during childhood, and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index as a measure of current global sleep quality. We used linear regressions adjusting for age and sex to examine relationships between childhood SES, risk in childhood family environments, and global sleep quality. Lower childhood SES and greater risk in childhood family environments independently predicted poor sleep quality. Importantly, in low-risk family environments, there was no significant difference in sleep quality as a function of childhood SES. However, students who were from low childhood SES backgrounds who also reported high levels of risk in their early family environments had the worst sleep quality. Findings highlight the importance of considering socioeconomic and family environments in childhood as informants of sleep quality across the lifespan. Compromised sleep quality in college students could affect academic performance and health over time. Copyright © 2018 National Sleep Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Assessing Quality of Kindergarten Classrooms in Singapore: Psychometric Properties of the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale-Revised

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bull, Rebecca; Yao, Shih-Ying; Ng, Ee Lynn

2017-01-01

The early childhood sector in Singapore has witnessed vast changes in the past two decades. One of the key policy aims is to improve classroom quality. To ensure a rigorous evaluation of the quality of early childhood environments in Singapore, it is important to determine whether commonly used assessments of quality are valid indicators across…

Leadership in Early Childhood Special Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arora, Samita Berry

2013-01-01

With the demands of high quality early childhood special education programs within public school settings, there is a need to place emphasis on research and training regarding early childhood leaders and managers in this complex and diverse field. The focus of this research is to examine what early childhood special education (ECSE) leadership…

Early Childhood Educators' Meta-Cognitive Knowledge of Problem-Solving Strategies and Quality of Childcare Curriculum Implementation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, Yeon Ha

2016-01-01

This study aims to explore the impact of early childhood educators' meta-cognitive knowledge on the quality of their childcare curriculum implementation, and to gain insights regarding successful problem-solving strategies associated with early education and care. Early childhood educators' implementation of general problem-solving strategies in…

Extension's Capacity to Deliver Quality Early Childhood Professional Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Durden, Tonia R.; Mincemoyer, Claudia C.; Gerdes, Jennifer; Lodl, Kathleen

2013-01-01

In recent years much attention has focused on the role of enhancing a teacher's professional knowledge and skills in helping to improve the quality of early care experiences for young children birth-5. In the study reported here, an environmental scan of the early childhood professional development programs offered within the Extension system…

Quality Improvement Efforts among Early Childhood Education Programs Participating in Iowa's Quality Rating System. REL 2017-244

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hawkinson, Laura E.; Faria, Ann-Marie; Bouacha, Nora; Lee, Dong Hoon; Metzger, Ivan

2017-01-01

This report describes the quality improvement efforts of early childhood education programs participating in Iowa's Quality Rating System (QRS). It identifies supports and barriers to quality improvement and examines how quality improvement supports and activities relate to changes in program quality ratings across time. The study team developed…

The "I" in QRIS Survey: Collecting Data on Quality Improvement Activities for Early Childhood Education Programs. REL 2017-221

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Faria, Ann-Marie; Hawkinson, Laura; Metzger, Ivan; Bouacha, Nora; Cantave, Michelle

2017-01-01

A quality rating and improvement system (QRIS) is a voluntary state assessment system that uses multidimensional data on early childhood education programs to rate program quality, support quality improvement efforts, and provide information to families about the quality of available early childhood education programs. QRISs have two components:…

Diet Quality throughout Early Life in Relation to Allergic Sensitization and Atopic Diseases in Childhood.

PubMed

Nguyen, Anh N; Elbert, Niels J; Pasmans, Suzanne G M A; Kiefte-de Jong, Jessica C; de Jong, Nicolette W; Moll, Henriëtte A; Jaddoe, Vincent W V; de Jongste, Johan C; Franco, Oscar H; Duijts, Liesbeth; Voortman, Trudy

2017-08-05

Early-life nutrition is an important modifiable determinant in the development of a child's immune system, and may thereby influence the risk of allergic sensitization and atopic diseases. However, associations between overall dietary patterns and atopic diseases in childhood remain unclear. We examined associations of diet quality in early life with allergic sensitization, self-reported physician-diagnosed inhalant and food allergies, eczema, and asthma among 5225 children participating in a population-based cohort in the Netherlands. Diet was assessed during pregnancy, infancy, and childhood using validated food-frequency questionnaires. We calculated food-based diet quality scores (0-10 or 0-15), reflecting adherence to dietary guidelines. At age 10 years, allergic sensitization was assessed with skin prick tests. Information on physician-diagnosed inhalant and food allergies, eczema, and asthma was obtained with questionnaires. We observed no associations between diet quality during pregnancy and allergic sensitization (odds ratio (OR) = 1.05 per point in the diet score, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.99, 1.13), allergies (0.96, 95% CI: 0.88, 1.04), eczema (0.99, 95% CI: 0.93, 1.06), or asthma (0.93, 95% CI: 0.85, 1.03) in childhood. Also, diet quality in infancy or childhood were not associated with atopic outcomes in childhood. Our findings do not support our hypothesis that a healthy dietary pattern in early life is associated with a lower risk of allergic sensitization or atopic diseases in childhood.

Quality Early Education for Quality Childhood. Proceedings of the International Conference of the World Organization for Early Childhood Education (3rd, Hong Kong, November 30 - December 1, 1996).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

World Organization for Early Childhood (Hong Kong).

This document contains the proceedings of a conference on early childhood education. Included are a list of the members of the executive committee of the OMEP and of the conference organizing committee, the program, the keynote addresses, abstracts, and an index of presenters. The keynote addresses were: (1) "Achieving Quality Early Care and…

Service quality of Early Childhood Education web portals in Finnish municipalities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koskivaara, Eija; Pihlaja, Päivi

Increasing number of governmental organizations have transformed material on their web sites as a way of providing users with information about their products and services. In this paper, we apply Yang et al (2005) instrument for analyzing municipal early childhood education (ECE) web sites in Finland. The objective of the study was to find out the quality of ECE web portals as well as to give hints to improve their value from users' point of view. In general the five dimensions, usability, usefulness of content, adequacy of information, accessibility, and interaction, of the Yang et al model seems to be applicable also in the early childhood education environment.

Comparing Cultural Differences in Two Quality Measures in Chinese Kindergartens: The Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale-Revised and the Kindergarten Quality Rating System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hu, Bi Ying

2015-01-01

This study examined the degrees of congruence between two early childhood evaluation systems on various quality concepts: the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale-Revised (ECERS-R) and Zhejiang's Kindergarten Quality Rating System (KQRS). Analysis of variance and post hoc least significant difference tests were employed to show the extent to…

Confronting the Quiet Crisis: How Chief State School Officers Are Advancing Quality Early Childhood Opportunities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Council of Chief State School Officers, 2012

2012-01-01

In 2009, the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) adopted a new policy statement on early childhood education. Based on the work of a task force of 13 chiefs, "A Quiet Crisis: The Urgent Need to Build Early Childhood Systems and Quality Programs for Children Birth to Age Five" presents a compelling argument for why public…

Quality of the Literacy Environment in Inclusive Early Childhood Special Education Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Guo, Ying; Sawyer, Brook E.; Justice, Laura M.; Kaderavek, Joan N.

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the quality of the literacy environment in inclusive early childhood special education (ECSE) classrooms ("N" = 54). The first aim was to describe the quality of the literacy environment in terms of structure (i.e., book materials and print/writing materials) and instruction (i.e., instructional…

Stability and Patterns of Classroom Quality in German Early Childhood Education and Care

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kuger, Susanne; Kluczniok, Katharina; Kaplan, David; Rossbach, Hans-Guenther

2016-01-01

Many education systems worldwide have dedicated a significant amount of resources to improve quality levels in early childhood education and care. Research can contribute to this goal by providing information about conditions of high-quality education and care and reasons for changes in the quality provided to children. This study therefore…

Educating Early Educators: Voices of Early Childhood Educators Participating in Formal Education as Part of a Statewide Quality Rating Improvement System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Griess, Carolyn J.

2012-01-01

Early childhood education has gained national attention as a tool for increasing outcomes and reducing risks for young children and their families. In an effort to ensure that early childhood programs are of high quality, many states are implementing systems that identify levels of criteria that denote excellence. Pennsylvania has adopted such a…

A Question of Quality: Do Children from Disadvantaged Backgrounds Receive Lower Quality Early Childhood Education and Care?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gambaro, Ludovica; Stewart, Kitty; Waldfogel, Jane

2015-01-01

This paper examines how the quality of early childhood education and care accessed by 3- and 4-year-olds in England varies by children's background. Focusing on the free entitlement to early education, the analysis combines information from three administrative datasets for 2010-2011, the Early Years Census, the Schools Census and the Ofsted…

Preparing to Launch: Early Childhood's Academic Countdown. Quality Counts, 2015. Education Week. Volume 34, Number 16

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Edwards, Virginia B., Ed.

2015-01-01

This 19th annual edition of "Quality Counts" takes a broad look at the issues and forces shaping the discussion around early-childhood education. It examines how new academic demands and the push for accountability are changing the nature of early-childhood education for school administrators, teachers, and children alike. Reporters…

The Quality Imperative: Tracing the Rise of "Quality" in Australian Early Childhood Education and Care Policy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Logan, Helen; Press, Frances; Sumsion, Jennifer

2012-01-01

Quality in early childhood development was barely mentioned in government policy four decades ago. But this has changed. Using discourses and gazes as analytical tools, and by examining the recent past (1972-2009), this article traces how and why "quality" has become a key component of the current Council of Australian Governments'…

Quality and Impact of Centre-Based Early Childhood Education and Care. Research Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Janta, Barbara; van Belle, Janna; Stewart, Katherine

2016-01-01

There is a strong association between the quality of Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) provision and the outcomes for children, with high quality ECEC being associated with better child outcomes later in life. This brief reviewed the broad range of indicators that have been linked to quality, with a focus on understanding how these…

Evaluating and Supporting Early Childhood Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Passe, Angèle Sancho

2015-01-01

There's a lot of conversation in the early childhood community on evaluating teachers to improve their performance. Raising the quality of early care and education is a priority for policymakers and practitioners on local, state, and federal levels. As a result, much attention is being focused on early childhood educators to ensure that they do a…

Building Community Systems for Young Children: Early Childhood Education. Building State Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems Series, Number 11

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bassok, Daphna; Stipek, Deborah; Inkelas, Moira; Kuo, Alice

2005-01-01

This report examines the importance and funding sources of early child care and education (ECE), and the ways in which the State Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems (SECCS) Initiative improves early childhood outcomes. Section I presents what is known about the importance of ECE, quality and access. Section II describes the current funding…

Pedagogy for Early Childhood Gifted Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kaplan, Sandra; Hertzog, Nancy B.

2016-01-01

Federal attention is focused currently on investing and improving the quality of early childhood education, so that children's potential and talent development can be used as a natural resource for the future of our country. This article engages readers in transitioning their thinking about early childhood gifted education from a traditional…

Parents as Discerning Consumers at Three Types of Early Childhood Centres.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Farquhar, Sarah-Eve

Parents' views on the goals of early childhood programs and on characteristics of a high quality center were examined in a study that also investigated parents' understandings of quality in three different types of early childhood services. The study was part of a major project on the quality of early childhood centers, which was funded by the New…

Quality Ratings and Improvement Systems in Early Childhood Education: Promising Approaches for Pennsylvania. A PACER Policy Brief

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jenkins, Della; Englander, Katie

2016-01-01

Policymakers are recognizing that Pennsylvania has fallen behind in providing equitable access to high quality early childhood education. Governor Tom Wolf ran on a campaign promise of universal pre-k access and proposed an unprecedented budget increase for early childhood programs in 2016. In Philadelphia, Mayor Jim Kenney has made pre-k a…

The Effect of Regulation on the Quality of Early Childhood Services in Ireland

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Kane, Mary

2005-01-01

The first legislative control over early education services in Ireland came into place in 1996, in the form of the Child Care (Pre-School Services) Regulations (Department of Health, 1996). The research hypothesis of this study was that the implementation of the Regulations would have had an impact on quality of early childhood care and education…

Access to Quality Early Childhood Care and Education. Background Paper for the Quality Child Care Think Tank. Draft.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brandon, Richard N.; Smith, Diana

This background paper discusses the current system of child care finance in Washington State and analyzes options for improvement. It describes prominent characteristics of the early childhood care and education system, findings relating program quality to staff/child ratios and staff educational levels, characteristics of quality, parent…

Aboriginal Early Childhood Education in Canada: Issues of Context

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Preston, Jane P.; Cottrell, Michael; Pelletier, Terrance R.; Pearce, Joseph V.

2012-01-01

Herein we provide a literature synthesis pertaining to the state of Aboriginal early childhood education in Canada. We identify key features of quality Aboriginal early childhood programs. The background and significance of early childhood education for Aboriginal peoples is explicated. Cultural compatibility theory is employed as the…

Quality and Equity in Early Childhood Care in Peru

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Izu, Regina Moromizato

2006-01-01

The present study examines educational policy documents and programs on early childhood development and education in Peru. The author provides an evaluation of early childhood learning programs and their outcomes in different education centers in Peru. Health, nutrition, development, and participation are identified as key areas of concern. The…

Regulators' Views of Quality in Early Childhood Care and Education Settings in Ireland

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hanafin, Sinéad

2016-01-01

There is a substantial literature on the importance of good-quality early childhood care and education services. There is also, however, some agreement that service quality is a nebulous concept which is difficult to define and therefore difficult to assess. While there is growing literature in the area, the views of one stakeholder group--that of…

Measuring the Quality of Early Childhood Programs--Guidelines for Effective Evaluation Tools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Epstein, Ann S.

2000-01-01

Summarizes what High/Scope discovered to be the critical characteristics of a comprehensive and valid measure of early childhood program quality. Provides suggestions for how the tool can be used, and highlights with examples. Asserts that the guidelines effectively assess efforts of child development, staff development, and soundness of…

Tensions in Constructions of Quality in Australian Early Childhood Education and Care Policy History

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Logan, Helen

2017-01-01

In pronouncements of early childhood education and care (ECEC) policy the importance of quality appears as a seemingly irrefutable concept. Yet, attention to ECEC policy history reveals tensions between discourses that construct quality in ways that endure whereas other ways are ostensibly forgotten. Drawing on a Foucauldian-influenced…

Academy Update (Early Childhood Professionals Collaborating for Quality), 1986-1992.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Academy Update, 1992

1992-01-01

This document consists of the first 15 consecutive issues of a newsletter published by the National Academy of Early Childhood Programs (The Academy), a division of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). The newsletter focuses on providing information and feedback on early childhood programs for early childhood…

The Relationship between Teacher Qualification and the Quality of the Early Childhood Care and Learning Environment. Campbell Systematic Reviews 2017:1

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Manning, Matthew; Garvis, Susanne; Fleming, Christopher; Wong, Gabriel T. W.

2017-01-01

Poor quality early childhood education and care (ECEC) can be detrimental to the development of children as it could lead to poor social, emotional, educational, health, economic, and behavioural outcomes. The lack of consensus as to the strength of the relationship between teacher qualification and the quality of the early childhood learning…

(Re)Centering Quality in Early Childhood Education: Toward Intersectional Justice for Minoritized Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Souto-Manning, Mariana; Rabadi-Raol, Ayesha

2018-01-01

In this chapter, we offer a critical intersectional analysis of quality in early childhood education with the aim of moving away from a singular understanding of "best practice," thereby interrupting the inequities such a concept fosters. While acknowledging how injustices are intersectionally constructed, we specifically identified…

Leadership Competencies in U.S. Early Intervention/Early Childhood Special Education Service Systems: A National Survey

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bruns, Deborah A.; LaRocco, Diana J.; Sharp, Olga L.; Sopko, Kim Moherek

2017-01-01

In 2015, the Division for Early Childhood of the Council for Exceptional Children released a position statement on leadership in early intervention and early childhood special education (EI/ECSE). Division for Early Childhood emphasized the importance of developing and supporting high-quality leadership within and across all levels of EI/ECSE…

Quality Early Childhood Education in Costa Rica? Policy, Practice, Outcomes and Challenges

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

San Francisco, Andrea Rolla; Arias, Melissa; Villers, Renata

2005-01-01

High-quality early childhood education has been shown to improve school outcomes in several developing and developed nations. The history of policy around pre-school education in Costa Rica is described as background to presenting cross-sectional data on the emergent literacy skills of low-income Costa Rican children in kindergarten, 1st and 2nd…

Explorations in Early Childhood Education: The Mount Druitt Early Childhood Project.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Braithwaite, John; And Others

This book concerns the Mt. Druitt Early Childhood Project, which was developed to provide quality educational programs for disadvantaged children living in the western suburbs of Sydney, Australia. In order to set the subsequent discussion in broader perspective, chapter 1 addresses several key issues influencing project development. Chapter 2…

Frameworks for Change: Four Recurrent Themes for Quality in Early Childhood Curriculum Initiatives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burgess, Jennifer; Fleet, Alma

2009-01-01

This paper reports on the first phase of a case study that investigated how early childhood teachers experience organisational change. As one of three levels of quality improvement, State government-funded curriculum initiatives were developed with an aim to promote change. Three curriculum documents, one each focusing on literacy, pedagogy and…

Impact of early childhood caries on oral health-related quality of life of preschool children.

PubMed

Li, M Y; Zhi, Q H; Zhou, Y; Qiu, R M; Lin, H C

2015-03-01

Child oral health-related quality of life (COHRQoL) has been assessed in developed areas; however, it remains unstudied in mainland China. Studies on COHRQoL would benefit a large number of children in China suffering from oral health problems such as dental caries. This study explored the relationship between COHRQoL and early childhood caries, adjusted by socioeconomic factors, in 3- to 4-year-old children in a region of southern China. In this study, 1062 children aged 3-4 years were recruited by cluster sampling and their oral health statuses were examined by a trained dentist. The Chinese version of the Early Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale (ECOHIS) and questions about the children's socioeconomic conditions were completed by the children's parents. A negative binomial regression analysis was used to assess the prevalence of early childhood caries among the children and its influence on COHRQoL. The total ECOHIS scores of the returned scale sets ranged from 0 to 31, and their average scores was 3.1±5.1. The negative binomial analysis showed that the dmfs indices were significantly associated with the ECOHIS score and subscale scores (P<0.05). The multivariate adjusted model showed that a higher dmft index was associated with greater negative impact on COHRQoL (RR = 1.10; 95% CI = 1.07, 1.13; P < 0.05). However, demographic and socioeconomic factors were not associated with COHRQoL (P>0.05). The severity of early childhood caries has a negative impact on the oral health-related quality of life of preschool children and their parents.

Building Quality Early Childhood Assessment: What Really Matters?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bailey, Ann Elise

2017-01-01

This research explored the knowledge, skills, and strategies early childhood teachers possess related to implementing curriculum and authentic assessment. Research suggests that early educators rate their knowledge of curriculum and authentic assessment and their implementation of both as excellent. Despite these self-reported, high levels of…

Family Quality of Life: A Key Outcome in Early Childhood Intervention Services--A Scoping Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bhopti, Anoo; Brown, Ted; Lentin, Primrose

2016-01-01

A scoping review was conducted to identify factors influencing the quality of life of families of children with disability. The review also explored the scales used to measure family quality of life (FQOL) as an outcome in early childhood intervention services (ECIS). Multiple databases were searched from 2000 to 2013 to include studies pertinent…

Advancing Early Childhood Development: from Science to Scale 1

PubMed Central

Black, Maureen M; Walker, Susan P; Fernald, Lia C H; Andersen, Christopher T; DiGirolamo, Ann M; Lu, Chunling; McCoy, Dana C; Fink, Günther; Shawar, Yusra R; Shiffman, Prof Jeremy; Devercelli, Amanda E; Wodon, Quentin T; Vargas-Barón, Emily; Grantham-McGregor, Sally

2018-01-01

Early childhood development programmes vary in coordination and quality, with inadequate and inequitable access, especially for children younger than 3 years. New estimates, based on proxy measures of stunting and poverty, indicate that 250 million children (43%) younger than 5 years in low-income and middle-income countries are at risk of not reaching their developmental potential. There is therefore an urgent need to increase multisectoral coverage of quality programming that incorporates health, nutrition, security and safety, responsive caregiving, and early learning. Equitable early childhood policies and programmes are crucial for meeting Sustainable Development Goals, and for children to develop the intellectual skills, creativity, and wellbeing required to become healthy and productive adults. In this paper, the first in a three part Series on early childhood development, we examine recent scientific progress and global commitments to early childhood development. Research, programmes, and policies have advanced substantially since 2000, with new neuroscientific evidence linking early adversity and nurturing care with brain development and function throughout the life course. PMID:27717614

Maternal work hours in early to middle childhood link to later adolescent diet quality.

PubMed

Li, Jianghong; O'Sullivan, Therese; Johnson, Sarah; Stanley, Fiona; Oddy, Wendy

2012-10-01

Previous studies on maternal work hours and child diet quality have reported conflicting findings possibly due to differences in study design, lack of a comprehensive measure of diet quality and differing ages of the children under investigation. The present study aimed to prospectively examine the impact of parental work hours from age 1 year to age 14 years on adolescent diet quality. Multivariate linear regression models were used to examine independent associations between parents' work hours at each follow-up and across 14 years and adolescent diet quality at age 14 years. A diet quality index was based on the international literature and Australian recommendations, consisting of six food groups and nine nutrients. Perth, Western Australia. Children (n 1629) participating in the Western Australian Pregnancy Cohort (Raine) Study. Compared with children of mothers in full-time employment, children of mothers who were not employed in early childhood up to age 5 years had a higher average diet quality score at age 14 years, independent of maternal and family socio-economic status. Across 14 years the number of years the mother worked full time and increasing average weekly hours were associated with lower diet quality. Father's work hours had little association with adolescent diet quality. Having a mother stay at home in early to middle childhood is associated with better diet quality in adolescence. Support may be beneficial for families where the mother returns to full-time employment before the child reaches 8 years of age.

Enhancing the Quality of Early Childhood Education and Care: ECEC Tutors' Perspectives of Family Engagement in Spain

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Paz-Albo Prieto, Jesús

2018-01-01

Access to high-quality early childhood education and care (ECEC) is important for developmental outcomes and school success. The first years of life are a critical period for learning and the quality of early experiences can have a significant impact later in life. Parenting is one of the primary influences on children's development and family…

Recent Coverage of Early Childhood Education Approaches in Open Access Early Childhood Journals

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Keskin, Burhanettin

2016-01-01

A content analysis of the coverage of the major approaches to early childhood education in the early childhood research journals, published between 2010 and 2014, that are early childhood research oriented and have free online access were investigated. Among 21 journals in early childhood education, two journals were selected for the content…

Patterns of Classroom Quality in Head Start and Center-Based Early Childhood Education Programs. REL 2017-199

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Irwin, Clare W.; Madura, John P.; Bamat, David; McDermott, Paul A.

2016-01-01

Measuring classroom quality and ensuring high-quality learning experiences for young children are interests of the Early Childhood Education Research Alliance, a research alliance of Regional Educational Laboratory Northeast & Islands. This study, conducted in collaboration with the alliance, addresses these interests by examining multiple…

A Study of the Relationship between Early Childhood Program Attributes and Early Childhood Reading Achievement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Washington, Novella M.

2012-01-01

This quantitative correlational study focuses on the relationship between early childhood program attributes and early childhood reading success. Data will be gathered from early childhood sites with grades prekindergarten through second grade in which early childhood program attributes exist and early childhood reading is measured by the…

New Hampshire Early Childhood Professional Development System: Guide to Early Childhood Careers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McDonnell, Tessa, Ed.

The community of child care providers in New Hampshire has adopted the Early Childhood Professional Development System as an initial step toward assuring quality care and education for children. This guide describes the components of that system and is presented in eight sections. Section 1 of the guide introduces the system based on a set of two…

Early Childhood Folio 3: A Collection of Recent Research.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wright, Judith, Ed.; Podmore, Valerie, Ed.

This booklet is a collection of articles addressing current issues in early childhood education. The first article, "Would You Like to Pack Away Now?: Improving the Quality of Talk in Early Childhood Programs," (Laurie Makin) addresses how teachers talk to children. The second article, "Persistence When It's Difficult: A Disposition…

Early Childhood Military Education?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pelo, Ann

2011-01-01

Does the country's national security rely on top-quality early childhood education? Yes, say the military leaders of Mission: Readiness, an organization led by retired military commanders that promotes investment in education, child health, and parenting support. Actually, the generals are right, but for all the wrong reasons. The generals' aim is…

Promoting School and Life Success through Early Childhood Family Literacy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Swick, Kevin J.

2009-01-01

Early childhood family literacy programs have great potential to positively influence children and families. This article presents the core values and key components of high quality early childhood family literacy programs. The benefits and cost effectiveness of these programs are also discussed.

Classroom Effects of an Early Childhood Educator Professional Development Partnership

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Algozzine, Bob; Babb, Julie; Algozzine, Kate; Mraz, Maryann; Kissel, Brian; Spano, Sedra; Foxworth, Kimberly

2011-01-01

We evaluated an Early Childhood Educator Professional Development (ECEPD) project that provided high-quality, sustained, and intensive professional development designed to support developmentally appropriate instruction for preschool-age children based on the best available research on early childhood pedagogy, child development, and preschool…

Designs for Living and Learning: Transforming Early Childhood Environments.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Curtis, Deb; Carter, Margie

While the early childhood field has formed standards to help in recognizing quality programs for children, practitioners seldom use values to guide in selection of materials or to help plan early childhood environments. This book draws on a variety of educational approaches, including Waldorf, Montessori, and Reggio Emilia, to outline hundreds of…

Assessment Practices and Training Needs of Early Childhood Professionals

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Banerjee, Rashida; Luckner, John L.

2013-01-01

Assessment plays a critical role in the planning and delivery of quality services for young children and their families. The purpose of this study was to identify the current assessment practices and training needs of early childhood professionals. A large sample of early childhood professionals responded to a comprehensive survey. The most…

Identifying Continuous Quality Improvement Priorities in Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting.

PubMed

Preskitt, Julie; Fifolt, Matthew; Ginter, Peter M; Rucks, Andrew; Wingate, Martha S

2016-01-01

The purpose of this article was to describe a methodology to identify continuous quality improvement (CQI) priorities for one state's Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting program from among the 40 required constructs associated with 6 program benchmarks. The authors discuss how the methodology provided consensus on system CQI quality measure priorities and describe variation among the 3 service delivery models used within the state. Q-sort methodology was used by home visiting (HV) service delivery providers (home visitors) to prioritize HV quality measures for the overall state HV system as well as their service delivery model. There was general consensus overall and among the service delivery models on CQI quality measure priorities, although some variation was observed. Measures associated with Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting benchmark 1, Improved Maternal and Newborn Health, and benchmark 3, Improvement in School Readiness and Achievement, were the highest ranked. The Q-sort exercise allowed home visitors an opportunity to examine priorities within their service delivery model as well as for the overall First Teacher HV system. Participants engaged in meaningful discussions regarding how and why they selected specific quality measures and developed a greater awareness and understanding of a systems approach to HV within the state. The Q-sort methodology presented in this article can easily be replicated by other states to identify CQI priorities at the local and state levels and can be used effectively in states that use a single HV service delivery model or those that implement multiple evidence-based models for HV service delivery.

Renovating Early Childhood Education Pedagogy: A Case Study in Vietnam

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thao, Dang Phuong; Boyd, Wendy Anne

2014-01-01

Since 2003, the Vietnamese government has prioritised curriculum reform efforts and commitment to improving the quality of the national curriculum. The Vietnamese early childhood education renovation has encountered considerable changes and challenges, particularly in the area of pedagogical approaches. Many early childhood teachers continue to…

Early Childhood Educators' Perspectives of the Swedish National Curriculum for Preschool and Quality Work

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brodin, Jane; Renblad, Karin

2015-01-01

There is today an increasing global interest in early childhood education, especially with regard to curriculum and quality work. The aim of this article is to study preschool teachers' and child care workers' views on the revised national curriculum for preschool in Sweden (Lpfö 98, rev. 2010), and if the educators perceive that they can conduct…

Physical Education in Early Childhood

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stork, Steve; Sanders, Stephen W.

2008-01-01

This article examines the incidence and quality of physical activity instruction during early childhood. Although the positive effect of physical activity on the cognitive, social, and physical development of young children is generally acknowledged, there is little emphasis nationally on ensuring appropriate physical educational experiences…

Variations in the Availability and Quality of Early Childhood Education and Care by Socioeconomic Status of Neighborhoods

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cloney, Dan; Cleveland, Gordon; Hattie, John; Tayler, Collette

2016-01-01

Research Findings: This article provides Australian evidence of the availability and quality of early childhood education and care (ECEC) services in low-socioeconomic status (SES) neighborhoods. There is less availability of ECEC in low-SES areas in Australia, and these programs provide a lower average quality of care than in more advantaged…

Early childhood cortisol reactivity moderates the effects of parent-child relationship quality on the development of children's temperament in early childhood.

PubMed

Kopala-Sibley, Daniel C; Dougherty, Lea R; Dyson, Margret W; Laptook, Rebecca S; Olino, Thomas M; Bufferd, Sara J; Klein, Daniel N

2017-05-01

Positive parenting has been related both to lower cortisol reactivity and more adaptive temperament traits in children, whereas elevated cortisol reactivity may be related to maladaptive temperament traits, such as higher negative emotionality (NE) and lower positive emotionality (PE). However, no studies have examined whether hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activity, as measured by cortisol reactivity, moderates the effect of the quality of the parent-child relationship on changes in temperament in early childhood. In this study, 126 3-year-olds were administered the Laboratory Temperament Assessment Battery (Lab-TAB; Goldsmith et al., 1995) as a measure of temperamental NE and PE. Salivary cortisol was collected from the child at 4 time points during this task. The primary parent and the child completed the Teaching Tasks battery (Egeland et al., 1995), from which the quality of the relationship was coded. At age 6, children completed the Lab-TAB again. From age 3 to 6, adjusting for age 3 PE or NE, a better quality relationship with their primary parent predicted decreases in NE for children with elevated cortisol reactivity and predicted increases in PE for children with low cortisol reactivity. Results have implications for our understanding of the interaction of biological stress systems and the parent-child relationship in the development of temperament in childhood. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) Quality Standards in the Republic of Ireland and the Republic of Serbia: Two Discourses of Quality

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Breneselovic, Dragana Pavlovic

2015-01-01

The paper provides a comparative analysis of establishing quality in early childhood education and care (ECEC) in the Republic of Ireland and the Republic of Serbia. The analysis is done through desk research of documents dealing with the standards of quality. The following dimensions were compared: 1) The way of preparing and adopting documents;…

Measuring and Improving Quality in Early Childhood Environments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bernard van Leer Foundation, 2015

2015-01-01

The International Consultation, convened in Leiden (the Netherlands) in September 2014, brought together early childhood experts and stakeholders--supported by the International Step by Step Association (ISSA), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the…

Qualities for Early Childhood Care and Education in an Age of Increasing Superdiversity and Decreasing Biodiversity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ritchie, Jenny

2016-01-01

In this article it is argued that notions of "quality" in early childhood education have been captured by neo-liberal discourses. These discourses perpetuate the western, individualistic, normativising and exploitative attitudes and practices that are contributing to the climate crisis currently imperilling our planet. Educators may…

Innovations for High Quality, Aligned Early Childhood Educator Preparation. IERC 2016-3

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

White, Bradford R.; Baron, Debra Mayconich; Klostermann, Brenda K.; Duffy, Daniel Q.

2016-01-01

Much attention during the past decade has been given to the need to develop a well-trained early childhood education workforce. In order to address this need, the Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE) awarded Early Childhood Educator Preparation Program Innovation (EPPI) grants to institutions of higher learning. The IBHE funded partnerships,…

Early Childhood Educators' Well-Being: An Updated Review of the Literature

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cumming, Tamara

2017-01-01

Researchers are increasingly recognising the connections between early childhood educators' well-being and their capacity for providing high quality education and care. The past five years have seen an intensification of research concerning early childhood educators' well-being. However, fragmentation along conceptual, contextual and…

Intersections: Feminisms/Early Childhoods. Rethinking Childhood, Volume 3.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hauser, Mary E., Ed.; Jipson, Janice A., Ed.

Through personal narrative and scholarly reflection, this book examines the foundations of early childhood education, contemporary curricular and pedagogical practice in early childhood education, and critical issues affecting the multiple worlds of childhood. Essays by individual contributors are linked by contributors' conversations. An…

Early childhood cortisol reactivity moderates the effects of parent-child relationship quality on the development of children’s temperament in early childhood

PubMed Central

Kopala-Sibley, Daniel C.; Dougherty, Lea R.; Dyson, Margret W.; Laptook, Rebecca S.; Olino, Thomas M.; Bufferd, Sara J.; Klein, Daniel N.

2017-01-01

Positive parenting has been related both to lower cortisol reactivity and more adaptive temperament traits in children, whereas elevated cortisol reactivity may be related to maladaptive temperament traits, such as higher negative emotionality (NE) and lower positive emotionality (PE). However, no studies have examined whether hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activity, as measured by cortisol reactivity, moderates the effect of the quality of the parent-child relationship on changes in temperament in early childhood. In this study, 126 3-year olds were administered the Laboratory Temperament Assessment Battery (Lab-TAB; Goldsmith et al., 1995) as a measure of temperamental NE and PE. Salivary cortisol was collected from the child at 4 time points during this task. The primary parent and the child completed the Teaching Tasks battery (Egeland et al., 1995), from which the quality of the relationship was coded. At age 6, children completed the Lab-TAB again. From age 3 to 6, adjusting for age 3 PE or NE, a better quality relationship with their primary parent predicted decreases in NE for children with elevated cortisol reactivity and predicted increases in PE for children with low cortisol reactivity. Results have implications for our understanding of the interaction of biological stress systems and the parent-child relationship in the development of temperament in childhood. PMID:26689860

Scientifically Based Reading Research Strategies in the Preschool Classroom: An Investigation into Quality Early Childhood Reading Practices and Literacy Acquisition in One Northern Michigan Early Reading First Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCool, Yvonne Donohoe

2013-01-01

A growing body of research has emerged to support the concept of providing early childhood education as a quality investment for our children, unlocking early potential and creating lasting impacts related to school success and beyond. Several landmark studies indicated that a quality education targeted at our youngest learners has the ability to…

Principle-Centered Leadership in Early Childhood Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carr, Victoria; Johnson, Lawrence J.; Corkwell, Connie

2009-01-01

One of the most important aspects of any early childhood setting is the quality of its leadership. Leaders set the tone and are critical to the development of a nurturing environment that supports families and staff, who then encourage children to flourish. A principle-centered leadership approach is an effective model for early childhood…

Early Childhood Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Elkind, David

In five sections, this paper explores dimensions of early childhood education: schooling generally construed as nonparental instruction in knowledge, values, and skills. Section 1 looks at some of the factors which have contributed to the rapid growth of early childhood education in modern times. Section 2 briefly highlights the contributions of…

Investing in Michigan's Future: Meeting the Early Childhood Challenge

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schweinhart, Lawrence J.; Fulcher-Dawson, Rachel

2006-01-01

This report presents results from research into the effects of early childhood programs on their participants, particularly low-income and at-risk children. The studies described offer evidence on the long-term effects of high quality early childhood programs. Such programs can have long-lasting positive effects on children and their families,…

Knowledge and Beliefs of Early Childhood Education Students at Different Levels of Professional Preparation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goble, Carla B.; Horm, Diane M.; Atanasov, Amy M.; Williamson, Amy C.; Choi, Ji Young

2015-01-01

The expansion of early childhood education programming has heightened the focus on teachers' educational preparation and its role in providing high-quality services for young children. The interest in teachers' education is especially relevant in early childhood since differentiated levels of preparation are commonly used in quality rating and…

Early Childhood Systems: Transforming Early Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kagan, Sharon Lynn, Ed.; Kauertz, Kristie, Ed.

2012-01-01

In this seminal volume, leading authorities strategize about how to create early childhood systems that transcend politics and economics to serve the needs of all young children. The authors offer different interpretations of the nature of early childhood systems, discuss the elements necessary to support their development, and examine how…

Embracing Multiple Ways of Knowing in Regulatory Assessments of Quality in Australian Early Childhood Education and Care

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jackson, Jen

2015-01-01

In 2012, a new assessment and rating process for Australian early childhood education and care (ECEC) services was introduced, using a new National Quality Standard (NQS). The NQS assessment and rating process has similarities to observational assessment systems used in educational research, and involves similar strategies for upholding…

A Systemwide Approach to Improving Early Childhood Program Quality in the Detroit Metropolitan Area. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shouse, A. Clay; Epstein, Ann S.

This document is the final report of the McGregor-funded High/Scope training initiative, a system-wide approach to improving the quality of early childhood programs in the Detroit metropolitan area. The 3-year project was based on the validated High/Scope educational approach and training model, which advocates hands-on active learning for both…

The Current State of Early Childhood Education Programs: How Early Childhood Center Directors Manage Their Human Resources

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arend, Lauren E.

2010-01-01

Purpose: Research in the field of early childhood education (ECE) demonstrated the association between skilled directors and high quality programs. Still, most state licensing requirements do not delineate the requisite knowledge or experience necessary to be an effective director. Many ECE directors advance to their position directly from the…

Enhancing Recognition of High Quality, Functional IEP Goals: A Training Activity for Early Childhood Special Education Staff

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lucas, Anne; Gillaspy, Kathi; Peters, Mary Louise; Hurth, Joicey

2014-01-01

This training activity was created to support participants' understanding of the criteria needed to develop and write high quality, participation-based Individualized Education Program (IEP) goals. The term "functional" is often used to describe what goals ought to be, yet many Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) staff (e.g.,…

How Neuroendocrinology Can Contribute to Early Childhood Education and Care: Cortisol as a Supplementary Indicator of Quality

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

D'Angiulli, Amedeo; Schibli, Kylie

2016-01-01

How to measure quality of early childhood education and care is an evergreen topic of research and discussion in various disciplines. Here, we propose a contribution from developmental neuroscience and neuroendocrinology. In this secondary data analysis study, we tested the hypothesis that salivary cortisol can serve as a reliable objective…

Meeting Children Where They Are: Culturally Adapted Models of Early Childhood Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Modica, Sarah; Ajmera, Maya; Dunning, Victoria

2010-01-01

Research has proven the many benefits of early childhood education and development programs. Although much progress has been made in the last decade, many young children still do not have access to high-quality early childhood education. In many countries where government programs have failed, nongovernmental organizations and community groups…

International Perspectives on Early Childhood Curricula

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oberhuemer, Pamela

2005-01-01

The early years of childhood are receiving increased public policy attention in many countries around the world. Debates on providing quality services and ensuring a good foundation for lifelong learning are generating a new interest in curriculum issues. What understandings do we have of young children? How do they access and construct knowledge…

Leading for Quality Improvement: A Comparative Research Agenda in Early Childhood Education in England and Hong Kong

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leeson, Caroline; Campbell-Barr, Verity; Ho, Dora

2012-01-01

This paper discusses the changing concepts of leadership in early childhood education (ECE) in England and Hong Kong during a period of significant education reform. We seek to illustrate the interplay between the impact of the policy agenda and the emerging quality leadership perspectives found in the theoretical literature, by first considering…

Linking Brain Principles to High-Quality Early Childhood Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rushton, Stephen; Juola-Rushton, Anne

2011-01-01

Many educators are already knowledgeable about and skilled in best practices. And much of what is happening in developmentally appropriate programs exemplifies "brain compatible" practices. Being educated in the connections between best practices and brain compatibility is an important part of the knowledge base of early childhood educators. Just…

Contemporary Perspectives on Early Childhood Curriculum. Contemporary Perspectives in Early Childhood Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saracho, Olivia N. Ed.; Spodek, Bernard, Ed.

Noting that the curriculum in early childhood education is dramatically different from that at other levels of education, this volume seeks to clarify some of the issues related to early childhood curriculum development and its bases in both personal knowledge and knowledge from the different disciplines to achieve a "balanced curriculum."…

Developing Professional Early Childhood Educators in England and Hungary: Where Has All the Love Gone?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Campbell-Barr, Verity; Georgeson, Janet; Varga, Anikó Nagy

2015-01-01

European education agendas have emphasized the importance of early childhood education in providing the foundations for lifelong learning. Central to the success of early childhood education is the quality of provision, with the workforce being key. While qualifications levels are frequently cited as important for the quality of provision here we…

Maternal Depression and Parenting in Early Childhood: Contextual Influence of Marital Quality and Social Support in Two Samples

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taraban, Lindsay; Shaw, Daniel S.; Leve, Leslie D.; Wilson, Melvin N.; Dishion, Thomas J.; Natsuaki, Misaki N.; Neiderhiser, Jenae M.; Reiss, David

2017-01-01

Marital quality and social support satisfaction were tested as moderators of the association between maternal depressive symptoms and parenting during early childhood (18--36 months) among 2 large, divergent, longitudinal samples (n = 526; n = 570). Unexpectedly, in both samples the association between maternal depressive symptoms and reduced…

Nga Kaitaunaki Kohungahunga (Early Childhood Development Unit). Annual Report for July 1, 1991-June 30, 1992.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Early Childhood Development Unit, Wellington (New Zealand).

The Early Childhood Development Unit, a government agency located in Aotearoa, New Zealand, promotes and encourages the development and provision of quality, accessible, and culturally appropriate early childhood services. The Unit operates in six activity or output areas. First, to increase access to early childhood education, in 1991-92 the unit…

Where We Stand: Early Childhood Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

American Federation of Teachers, Washington, DC.

This document details the position of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) regarding universal access to early childhood education as represented in a resolution of the AFT convention in 2003. The document points out that the lack of access to high-quality preschool programs is a major problem affecting nearly every working family, and as the…

Eco-Early Childhood Education: A New Paradigm of Early Childhood Education in South Korea

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, Eunju; Lim, Jaetack

2007-01-01

In the early 1990s, university faculty members, early childhood educators, and preschool teachers in South Korea created a new paradigm for education. Eco-early childhood education uses an ecological point of view to reform existing child-centered education. This perspective proposes moving from child- to life-centered, individual- to…

Innovations for High Quality, Aligned Early Childhood Educator Preparation. IERC 2016-3. Executive Summary

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

White, Bradford R.; Baron, Debra Mayconich; Klostermann, Brenda K.; Duffy, Daniel Q.

2016-01-01

The Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE) provided Early Childhood Educator Preparation Program Innovation (EPPI) grants to 20 partnerships comprised of two- and four-year institutions to further develop models for early childhood educator preparation and build capacity in key areas of need. Recipients used grant funds to design and implement…

Innovations for High Quality, Aligned Early Childhood Educator Preparation. IERC 2016-3. Research Highlights

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

White, Bradford R.; Baron, Debra Mayconich; Klostermann, Brenda K.; Duffy, Daniel Q.

2016-01-01

The Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE) provided Early Childhood Educator Preparation Program Innovation (EPPI) grants to 20 partnerships comprised of two- and four-year institutions to further develop models for early childhood educator preparation and build capacity in key areas of need. Recipients used grant funds to design and implement…

Early Childhood Special Education and Early Intervention Personnel Preparation Standards of the Division for Early Childhood: Field Validation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cochran, Deborah C.; Gallagher, Peggy A.; Stayton, Vicki D.; Dinnebeil, Laurie A.; Lifter, Karin; Chandler, Lynette K.; Christensen, Kimberly A.

2012-01-01

Results of the field validation survey of the revised initial and new advanced Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) Division for Early Childhood (DEC) early childhood special education (ECSE)/early intervention (EI) personnel standards are presented. Personnel standards are used as part of educational accountability systems and in teacher…

Early Childhood Predictors of Low-Income Boys’ Pathways to Antisocial Behavior in Childhood, Adolescence, and Early Adulthood

PubMed Central

Shaw, Daniel S.; Gilliam, Mary

2016-01-01

Guided by a bridging model of pathways leading to low-income boys’ early-starting and persistent trajectories of antisocial behavior, the current paper reviews evidence supporting the model from early childhood through early adulthood. Using primarily a cohort of 310 low-income boys of families recruited from WIC centers in a large metropolitan area followed from infancy to early adulthood, and smaller cohorts of boys and girls followed through early childhood, we provide evidence supporting the critical role of parenting, maternal depression, and other proximal family risk factors in early childhood that are prospectively linked to trajectories of parent-reported conduct problems in early and middle childhood, youth-reported antisocial behavior during adolescence and early adulthood, as well as court-reported violent offending in adolescence. The findings are discussed in terms of the need to identify at-risk boys in early childhood and methods and platforms for engaging families in health care settings not previously used to implement preventive mental health services. PMID:28026042

Quality Matters in Early Childhood Education and Care: Finland

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taguma, Miho; Litjens, Ineke; Makowiecki, Kelly

2012-01-01

Early childhood education and care (ECEC) has become a policy priority in many countries. A growing body of research recognises that it provides a wide range of benefits, including social and economic benefits, better child well-being and learning outcomes as a foundation for lifelong learning, more equitable outcomes and reduction of poverty, and…

School-Based Early Childhood Centers: Secrets of Success from Early Innovators.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jewett, Janet L.; Katzev, Aphra

School-based early childhood centers have the potential for responding effectively to a broad range of child and family needs and to society's demands for more effective schools. They have four defining features: (1) implementation of quality programs and developmentally appropriate practices for young children through age eight; (2) families as…

Beyond Developmentalism? Early Childhood Teachers' Understandings of Multiage Grouping in Early Childhood Education and Care

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Edwards, Susan; Blaise, Mindy; Hammer, Marie

2009-01-01

Postdevelopmental perspectives in early childhood education and care increasingly reference alternative ways of understanding learning, growth and development in early learning. Drawing on these ideas, this paper examines research findings which focused on early childhood teachers' understandings of multiage grouping. The findings suggested that…

A Mixed-Methods Investigation of Early Childhood Professional Development for Providers and Recipients in the United States

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Linder, Sandra M.; Rembert, Kellye; Simpson, Amber; Ramey, M. Deanna

2016-01-01

This multi-phase mixed-methods study explores provider and recipient perceptions of the current state of early childhood professional development in a southeastern area of the United States. Professional development for the early childhood workforce has been shown to positively influence the quality of early childhood classrooms. This study…

Digital Discourses in Early Childhood Educator Online Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hoffman, Emily Brown

2017-01-01

Active, dialogic participation is a necessary component of high quality teacher professional learning (Dunst, Bruder, & Hamby, 2015). However, logistical problems arise when implementing cooperative learning opportunities for early childhood educators, as preschool teachers are habitually separated from peers both institutionally and…

EARLY CHILDHOOD PREDICTORS OF LOW-INCOME BOYS' PATHWAYS TO ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOR IN CHILDHOOD, ADOLESCENCE, AND EARLY ADULTHOOD.

PubMed

Shaw, Daniel S; Gilliam, Mary

2017-01-01

Guided by a bridging model of pathways leading to low-income boys' early starting and persistent trajectories of antisocial behavior, the current article reviews evidence supporting the model from early childhood through early adulthood. Using primarily a cohort of 310 low-income boys of families recruited from Women, Infants, and Children Nutrition Supplement centers in a large metropolitan area followed from infancy to early adulthood and a smaller cohort of boys and girls followed through early childhood, we provide evidence supporting the critical role of parenting, maternal depression, and other proximal family risk factors in early childhood that are prospectively linked to trajectories of parent-reported conduct problems in early and middle childhood, youth-reported antisocial behavior during adolescence and early adulthood, and court-reported violent offending in adolescence. The findings are discussed in terms of the need to identify at-risk boys in early childhood and methods and platforms for engaging families in healthcare settings not previously used to implement preventive mental health services. © 2016 Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health.

A Consumer's Guide To Outcomes in Early Childhood Intervention.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Accreditation Council on Services for People with Disabilities, Landover, MD.

This collection of 21 suggested outcome measures for early childhood intervention services is designed to assist families in evaluating the quality of early intervention services they receive. The measures apply to all types of service and support program models for children with various developmental delays and/or disabilities and their families.…

The Leading Edge of Early Childhood Education: Linking Science to Policy for a New Generation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lesaux, Nonie K., Ed.; Jones, Stephanie M., Ed.

2016-01-01

"The Leading Edge of Early Childhood Education" aims to support the effort to simultaneously scale up and improve the quality of early childhood education by bringing together relevant insights from emerging research to provide guidance for this critical, fledgling field. It reflects the growing recognition that early childhood…

Preparing Early Childhood Practitioners for Work in Multiple Settings.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roderick, Jessie A.

A number of professional qualities might be developed in a program designed to prepare early childhood teachers to function in multiple settings. Solving problems, assessing situations, communicating with a range of people, and being flexible and innovative are such qualities. But one can also view prepararing educators to function in multiple…

Early Childhood Workforce Index, 2016

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Whitebook, Marcy; McLean, Caitlin; Austin, Lea J. E.

2016-01-01

The State of the Early Childhood Workforce (SECW) Initiative is a groundbreaking multi-year project to shine a steady spotlight on the nation's early childhood workforce. The SECW Initiative is designed to challenge entrenched ideas and policies that maintain an inequitable and inadequate status quo for early educators and for the children and…

Early Childhood Care and Education in Kenya

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mbugua, Tata J.

2004-01-01

Recent years have seen a global endeavor to prioritize early childhood care and education as a foundation for later learning and development, as evidenced by the Global Guidelines for Early Childhood Education and Care in the 21st Century (Association for Childhood Education International/World Organization for Early Childhood, 1999). Such efforts…

Children with Special Needs: Lessons for Early Childhood Professionals. Early Childhood Education Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kostelnik, Marjorie J.; Onaga, Esther; Rohde, Barbara; Whiren, Alice

Bridging the gap between child development and strategies for inclusion, this book is intended to help early childhood practitioners and pre-service teachers feel better equipped to meet the needs of all the children in their early childhood setting. Each chapter of the book is a case study introducing a child (ages birth to 8 years) with one or…

In Search of the Rainbow: Pathways to Quality in Large-Scale Programmes for Young Disadvantaged Children. Early Childhood Development: Practice and Reflections Number 10.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Woodhead, Martin

Those involved in early childhood development must recognize that many of their most cherished beliefs about what is best for children are cultural constructions. This book focuses on quality in large-scale programs for disadvantaged young children in a variety of cultural settings. Chapter 1, "Changing Childhoods," discusses issues…

Planning in Middle Childhood: Early Predictors and Later Outcomes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Friedman, Sarah L.; Scholnick, Ellin K.; Bender, Randall H.; Vandergrift, Nathan; Spieker, Susan; Pasek, Kathy Hirsh; Keating, Daniel P.; Park, Yoonjung

2014-01-01

Data from 1,364 children and families who participated in the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development's Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development were analyzed to track the early correlates and later academic outcomes of planning during middle childhood. Maternal education, through its effect on parenting quality when…

Early Childhood Care and Education: A Child Perspective Paradigm

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sommer, Dion; Pramling Samuelsson, Ingrid; Hundeide, Karsten

2013-01-01

From research we know that there is no specific early childhood education programme that is superior to other approaches (National Research Council. 2001). At the same time, historically it looks like people think there is a specific programme that will solve all problems and guarantee a high quality in early years education, since different…

Colorado Early Childhood Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Colorado State Dept. of Education, Denver. Planning and Evaluation Unit.

The Colorado State Board of Education allocated Title IV-V funds in 1975 for a study of the status of early childhood education in Colorado. The purposes of the study were to: (1) gather data relevant to early childhood education on the status of all children from birth through age 5; (2) identify needs of children of this age within the state;…

Roadmap for Early Childhood and K-12 Data Linkages: Key Focus Areas to Ensure Quality Implementation. Quality Implementation Roadmaps

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Data Quality Campaign, 2016

2016-01-01

Every state can create secure, robust linkages between early childhood and K-12 data systems, and effectively use the information from these linkages to implement initiatives to support programs and children, answer key policy questions, and be transparent about how the state's early childhood investments prepare students for success in school and…

Vermont Core Standards and Self-Assessment Tool for Center-Based Early Childhood Programs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vermont State Agency of Human Services, Waterbury.

In response to the desire to create for child development services a unified system which shares common standards for quality and respects the diversity and uniqueness of individuals and of programs, a committee of the Early Childhood Work Group collected and compared all the different standards now in force for the early childhood programs in the…

Integrating Computer Technology in Early Childhood Education Environments: Issues Raised by Early Childhood Educators

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wood, Eileen; Specht, Jacqueline; Willoughby, Teena; Mueller, Julie

2008-01-01

The purpose of this study was to assess the educators' perspectives on the introduction of computer technology in the early childhood education environment. Fifty early childhood educators completed a survey and participated in focus groups. Parallels existed between the individually completed survey data and the focus group discussions. The…

Infusing Early Childhood Mental Health into Early Intervention Services

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grabert, John C.

2009-01-01

This article describes the process of enhancing early childhood mental health awareness and skills in non-mental health staff. The author describes a pilot training model, conducted the U.S. Army's Early Intervention Services, that involved: (a) increasing early childhood mental health knowledge through reflective readings, (b) enhancing…

Family Income Dynamics, Early Childhood Education and Care, and Early Child Behavior Problems in Norway

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zachrisson, Henrik D.; Dearing, Eric

2015-01-01

The sociopolitical context of Norway includes low poverty rates and universal access to subsidized and regulated Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC). In this context, the association between family income dynamics and changes in early child behavior problems was investigated, as well as whether high-quality ECEC buffers children from the…

Providing a Head Start: Improving Access to Early Childhood Education for Refugees

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morland, Lyn; Ives, Nicole; McNeely, Clea; Allen, Chenoa

2016-01-01

The current research on the benefits of high-quality early childhood education and care (ECEC) leaves little doubt that early interventions have both short- and long-term advantages. Quality ECEC can have substantial positive impacts on young children's social, emotional, cognitive, and language development, with long-term effects on educational…

High-Quality Interactions with Infants: Relationships with Early-Childhood Practitioners' Interpretations and Qualification Levels in Play and Routine Contexts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Degotardi, Sheila

2010-01-01

This study investigated factors related to the quality of early-childhood practitioners' interactions with infants in play and routine contexts. Participants were 24 practitioners working with 9-20-month-old infants in long day-care infant programmes. Video-recordings of their interactions with a nominated infant during play and in routine…

What Are the Benefits from Early Childhood Education? Education Indicators in Focus. No. 42

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

OECD Publishing, 2016

2016-01-01

Evidence shows that early childhood education leads to the development of cognitive, social and emotional skills at a young age as well as to better school performance later on. It also creates conditions for lifelong learning and better future professional achievement. Furthermore, efforts to ensure quality early childhood education programmes…

Using the Scientific Method to Guide Learning: An Integrated Approach to Early Childhood Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gerde, Hope K.; Schachter, Rachel E.; Wasik, Barbara A.

2013-01-01

Researchers and practitioners have become increasingly interested in how early childhood programs prepare young children for science. Due to a number of factors, including educators' low self-efficacy for teaching science and lack of educational resources, many early childhood classrooms do not offer high-quality science experiences for young…

Early Childhood Diplomacy: Policy Planning for Early Childhood Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vargas-Barón, Emily; Diehl, Kristel

2018-01-01

Children who are well nurtured, appropriately cared for, and provided with positive learning opportunities in their early years have a better chance of becoming healthy and productive citizens of nations and of the world. This article reviews the art and science of policy planning for early childhood development (ECD) from a diplomacy perspective.…

Childhood Immunization: A Key Component of Early Childhood Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Messonnier, Nancy

2017-01-01

Physical health is a key component of early childhood development and school readiness. By keeping children healthy and decreasing the chances of disease outbreaks, immunizations help early childhood programs create a safe environment for children. While overall vaccination rates are high nationally for most vaccines routinely recommended for…

Early Childhood Intervention and Early Childhood Special Education in Turkey within the Scope of the Developmental System Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Diken, Ibrahim H.; Bayhan, Pinar; Turan, Figen; Sipal, R. Firat; Sucuoglu, Bulbin; Ceber-Bakkaloglu, Hatice; Gunel, Mintaze Kerem; Kara, Ozgun Kaya

2012-01-01

The purpose of this article was to provide an overview of early childhood intervention and early childhood special education (ECI/ECSE) services and practices in Turkey by using the Developmental System Approach (M. J. Guralnick, 2001). After pointing out the history of early childhood and ECI/ECSE services and current legislations with regard to…

Validation of the Early Childhood Ecology Scale-Revised: A Reflective Tool for Teacher Candidates

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Flores, Belinda Bustos; Casebeer, Cindy M.; Riojas-Cortez, Mari

2011-01-01

Given increasing numbers of young culturally and/or linguistically diverse (CLD) children across the United States, it is crucial to prepare early childhood teachers to create high-quality environments that facilitate the development of all children. The Early Childhood Ecology Scale-Revised (ECES-R) has been developed as a reflective tool to help…

Early Childhood Home Visiting.

PubMed

Duffee, James H; Mendelsohn, Alan L; Kuo, Alice A; Legano, Lori A; Earls, Marian F

2017-09-01

High-quality home-visiting services for infants and young children can improve family relationships, advance school readiness, reduce child maltreatment, improve maternal-infant health outcomes, and increase family economic self-sufficiency. The American Academy of Pediatrics supports unwavering federal funding of state home-visiting initiatives, the expansion of evidence-based programs, and a robust, coordinated national evaluation designed to confirm best practices and cost-efficiency. Community home visiting is most effective as a component of a comprehensive early childhood system that actively includes and enhances a family-centered medical home. Copyright © 2017 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Conceptions of Early Childhood Leadership: Driving New Professionalism?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sims, Margaret; Forrest, Rhonda; Semann, Anthony; Slattery, Colin

2015-01-01

This study reports the understandings of leadership held by 351 Victorian early childhood leaders (ECLs). Internationally, ECLs are expected to drive quality improvement through mentoring and modelling: a concept associated with distributive leadership. However, ECLs often move into leadership positions by accident and are ill-prepared for their…

Early Childhood Education in Taiwan.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barclay, Lisa K.

1989-01-01

Describes early childhood education in Taiwan, focusing on living patterns and child care arrangements, the position of the individual within the family and community, and the application of cultural norms to early childhood education. Compares the behavior of Chinese preschool children to that of American preschool children. (RJC)

Tablet Nuff but Life Still Rough: Technology for Early Childhood Sustainable Development in Jamaica

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kelly-Williams, Suzette; Berson, Ilene R.; Berson, Michael J.

2017-01-01

Early childhood education has a role to play in constructing a sustainable society. In particular, increasing global attention has focused on how early childhood may help alleviate poverty among children and their families and promote economic growth. Part of this discourse involves the use of technology as a means to improve the quality of early…

Early Childhood Education: A Workbook for Administrators.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hewes, Dorothy; Hartman, Barbara

Business management theory and principles as applied to the administration of early childhood programs are presented in this workbook. Following a brief survey of the historical background of early childhood education and current early childhood programs, information and guidance to help plan, operate, and evaluate program facilities are provided.…

Dispersing Waves: Innovation in Early Childhood Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Meade, Anne, Ed.

2010-01-01

Early childhood education Centres of Innovation (COI) were established in 2002 as part of the 10-year plan for early childhood education, "Pathways to the Future/Nga Huarahi Arataki." In COI projects, innovative early childhood teaching teams reflect on and investigate their practices through action research, and share their findings…

Taiwanese Early Childhood Educators' Professional Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hsu, Ching-Yun

2008-01-01

This study was designed based on a qualitative paradigm to explore the professional development of Taiwanese early childhood educators. The method of phenomenology was employed. The main research question addressed was "How do early childhood educators construe their professional development experience?" Seven Taiwanese early childhood…

Equity and Quality? Challenges for Early Childhood and Primary Education in Ethiopia, India and Peru. Working Papers in Early Childhood Development, No. 55. Studies in Early Childhood Transitions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Woodhead, Martin; Ames, Patricia; Vennam, Uma; Abebe, Workneh; Streuli, Natalia

2009-01-01

Part of the "Studies in Early Transitions" series, this Working Paper draws on interviews and observations carried out as part of "Young Lives", a 15-year longitudinal study of childhood poverty in Ethiopia, India, Peru and Vietnam based at the University of Oxford's Department of International Development. This paper focuses…

Wyoming Early Childhood Readiness Standards.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wyoming State Dept. of Education, Cheyenne.

Because children entering kindergarten come with a variety of preschool and home experiences, and accordingly, with varying levels of school readiness, the Wyoming Early Childhood Readiness Standards have been developed to provide a more consistent definition of school readiness. The goal for the Standards is to provide early childhood educators…

Early Childhood Inclusion in Spain

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Giné, Climent; Balcells-Balcells, Anna; Cañadas, Margarita; Paniagua, Gema

2016-01-01

This article describes early childhood inclusion in educational settings in Spain. First, we address the legislative framework of preschool education in Spain and offer a brief analysis of some relevant issues, including the current situation of early childhood education and inclusion at this stage. Second, current policies and practices relating…

Teachers in Early Childhood Policy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kilderry, Anna

2014-01-01

This paper examines teacher accountability and authority in early childhood policy. It reports on data from a study that investigated the influences affecting early childhood teacher decision-making at the preschool level in Victoria, Australia. Using a question raised by Ball "Where are the teachers in all this [policy]?" provided a…

Maternal Depression and Parenting in Early Childhood: Contextual Influence of Marital Quality and Social Support in Two Samples

PubMed Central

Taraban, Lindsay; Shaw, Daniel S.; Leve, Leslie D.; Wilson, Melvin N.; Dishion, Thomas J.; Natsuaki, Misaki N.; Neiderhiser, Jenae M.; Reiss, David

2016-01-01

Marital quality and social support satisfaction were tested as moderators of the association between maternal depressive symptoms and parenting during early childhood (18-36 months) among two large, divergent, longitudinal samples (n = 526; n = 570). Unexpectedly, in both samples the association between maternal depressive symptoms and reduced parenting quality was strongest in the context of high marital quality and high social support, and largely non-significant in the context of low marital quality and low social support. Possible explanations for these surprising findings are discussed. Results point to the importance of accounting for factors in the broader family context in predicting the association between depressive symptoms and maternal parenting. PMID:28230401

State Early Childhood Advisory Councils: An Overview of Implementation across the States. Issue Brief

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

NGA Center for Best Practices, 2011

2011-01-01

Nearly all governors have designated a state early childhood advisory council to advise policymakers in the state on how to best meet the needs of children from birth to school entry. Early childhood advisory councils in the states vary in their structure and scope, but all of them provide recommendations on improving the quality, availability,…

Pyrosequencing analysis of oral microbiota in children with severe early childhood dental caries.

PubMed

Jiang, Wen; Zhang, Jie; Chen, Hui

2013-11-01

Severe early childhood caries are a prevalent public health problem among preschool children throughout the world. However, little is known about the microbiota found in association with severe early childhood caries. Our study aimed to explore the bacterial microbiota of dental plaques to study the etiology of severe early childhood caries through pyrosequencing analysis based on 16S rRNA gene V1-V3 hypervariable regions. Forty participants were enrolled in the study, and we obtained twenty samples of supragingival plaque from caries-free subjects and twenty samples from subjects with severe early childhood caries. A total of 175,918 reads met the quality control standards, and the bacteria found belonged to fourteen phyla and sixty-three genera. Our results show the overall structure and microbial composition of oral bacterial communities, and they suggest that these bacteria may present a core microbiome in the dental plaque microbiota. Three genera, Streptococcus, Granulicatella, and Actinomyces, were increased significantly in children with severe dental cavities. These data may facilitate improvements in the prevention and treatment of severe early childhood caries.

Quality Support Infrastructure in Early Childhood: Still (Mostly) Missing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Azzi-Lessing, Lenette

2009-01-01

Support for early care and education among policy makers and the public is at an unprecedented high. As investments in early care and education programs in the United States continue to rise, the issue of quality becomes increasingly critical. This article addresses the need for adequate infrastructure to support high-quality early care and…

A Systems Perspective on Practicum Experiences in Early Childhood Teacher Education: Focus on Interprofessional Relationships

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

La Paro, Karen M.; Van Schagen, Amy; King, Elizabeth; Lippard, Christine

2018-01-01

High quality early childhood teachers have a wealth of knowledge and use a range of skills in their daily classroom practices, and research has consistently demonstrated the positive influence effective early childhood teachers have on children's development and long-term outcomes. Given the importance of practicum experiences in the development…

Early Childhood Services in New Zealand.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oborn, Glennie

2002-01-01

Describes the types and characteristics of New Zealand early childhood education services. Specific areas addressed include: (1) Te Whaariki, the New Zealand early childhood curriculum; (2) great outdoors as a feature of early education; (3) education and care centers; (4) kindergartens and playcenters; and (5) Te Kohanga Reo, Maori language and…

Actionable Intelligence about Early Childhood Risks in Philadelphia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

LeBoeuf, Whitney A.; Barghaus, Katherine; Fantuzzo, John; Coe, Kristen; Brumley, Benjamin

2016-01-01

"Early childhood risks" are markers of early childhood experiences that extensive research has shown to be detrimental to later academic and behavioral outcomes. In Philadelphia, evidence indicates that seven early childhood risks tracked by public agencies have negative effects on early school outcomes. These risks include low…

Early Childhood Review: Papers from GAEC, 1996-1997.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cartwright, Penny, Ed.; Kelly, Clare, Ed.; McLean, Kathy, Ed.; Mellor, Nikki, Ed.; Pidgeon, Sue, Ed.; Stevens, Judith, Ed.; Stables, Kay, Ed.

1996-01-01

This periodical, from Goldsmiths Association for Early Childhood (GAEC), addresses a variety of issues related to early childhood education in Great Britain. Articles included in the Spring 1996 issue are: (1) "Traditional Story Telling in the Early Years" (Fiona Collins); (2) "International Focus--Early Childhood Education…

Early Childhood Educator and Administrator Surveys on the Use of Assessments and Standards in Early Childhood Settings. REL 2014-019

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Irwin, Clare W.; O'Dwyer, Laura; Cook, Kyle DeMeo

2014-01-01

The Early Childhood Educator Survey and the Early Childhood Administrator Survey allow users to collect consistent data on the use of child assessments and learning standards in early childhood learning settings. Each survey includes modules on educator/administrator background information, assessment use, and learning standards implementation.…

Healthy Eating Index Is a Predictor of Early Childhood Caries

PubMed Central

Nunn, M.E.; Braunstein, N.S.; Krall Kaye, E.A.; Dietrich, T.; Garcia, R.I.; Henshaw, M.M.

2009-01-01

Early childhood caries (ECC) is a preventable form of dental caries that affects very young children, particularly among low-income families and certain racial/ethnic minorities. The current study examined the relationship of dietary quality, as measured by the Healthy Eating Index (HEI), to the prevalence of ECC in 2- to 5-year-old children. Data from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III) were used for the study. We used logistic regression to compute adjusted odds ratios (OR) for ECC and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Children with the best dietary practices (uppermost tertile of the HEI) were 44% less likely to exhibit severe ECC compared with children with the worst dietary practices (lowest tertile of the HEI). A healthy eating pattern geared for promotion of optimal child development and prevention of chronic disease in later life may also reduce the risk of early childhood caries, particularly severe early childhood caries. PMID:19407158

Exploring the Definitions of Quality Early Childhood Programmes in a Market-Driven Context: Case Studies of Two Hong Kong Preschools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ho, Choi Wa Dora

2008-01-01

Set within the market-driven context in educare for young children in Hong Kong, a Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China, this paper points to the importance of exploring the definitions of quality in early childhood programmes from the multiple perspectives of school stakeholders. This study describes two preschools that…

Mathematics-Related Competence of Early Childhood Teachers Visiting a Continuous Professional Development Course: An Intervention Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bruns, Julia; Eichen, Lars; Gasteiger, Hedwig

2017-01-01

Recent studies highlight early childhood teachers' mathematics-related competence. Developing this competence should be a main aspect of early childhood teachers' education. This is, however, not the case in all countries. Consequently, high-quality professional development courses are needed. Based on research results, we developed a…

Assessing Thai Early Childhood Teachers' Knowledge of Inclusive Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Agbenyega, Joseph S.; Klibthong, Sunanta

2014-01-01

An ever-increasing number of children with and without disabilities are attending early childhood programmes and learning together. Early childhood inclusion considers all children with and without disabilities, and their families as full members of the early childhood community. Although many early childhood teachers accept the educational rights…

Processes of Early Childhood Interventions to Adult Well-Being

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reynolds, Arthur J.; Ou, Suh-Ruu; Mondi, Christina F.; Hayakawa, Momoko

2017-01-01

This article describes the contributions of cognitive-scholastic advantage, family support behavior, and school quality and support as processes through which early childhood interventions promote well-being. Evidence in support of these processes is from longitudinal cohort studies of the Child-Parent Centers and other preventive interventions…

Maternal depression and parenting in early childhood: Contextual influence of marital quality and social support in two samples.

PubMed

Taraban, Lindsay; Shaw, Daniel S; Leve, Leslie D; Wilson, Melvin N; Dishion, Thomas J; Natsuaki, Misaki N; Neiderhiser, Jenae M; Reiss, David

2017-03-01

Marital quality and social support satisfaction were tested as moderators of the association between maternal depressive symptoms and parenting during early childhood (18-36 months) among 2 large, divergent, longitudinal samples (n = 526; n = 570). Unexpectedly, in both samples the association between maternal depressive symptoms and reduced parenting quality was strongest in the context of high marital quality and high social support, and largely nonsignificant in the context of low marital quality and low social support. Possible explanations for these surprising findings are discussed. Results point to the importance of accounting for factors in the broader family context in predicting the association between depressive symptoms and maternal parenting. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Investigating Early Childhood Teachers' Views on Science Teaching Practices: The Integration of Science with Visual Art in Early Childhood Settings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Öztürk Yilmaztekin, Elif; Erden, Feyza Tantekin

2017-01-01

This study investigates early childhood teachers' views about science teaching practices in an early childhood settings. It was conducted in a preschool located in Ankara, Turkey. The data of the study were collected through multiple sources of information such as interviews with early childhood teachers and observations of their practices in the…

Effects of Early Childhood Education on Kindergarten Readiness Scores

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Modeste, Janis Monrose

2016-01-01

The purpose of this correlational study, which took place in a Central Florida school district, was to investigate the relationship between the quality of the early childhood education (ECE) programs and students' kindergarten readiness scores. Vygotsky's sociocultural theory, which states that a child's environment, culture, and language are…

Enhancing early child care quality and learning for toddlers at risk: the responsive early childhood program.

PubMed

Landry, Susan H; Zucker, Tricia A; Taylor, Heather B; Swank, Paul R; Williams, Jeffrey M; Assel, Michael; Crawford, April; Huang, Weihua; Clancy-Menchetti, Jeanine; Lonigan, Christopher J; Phillips, Beth M; Eisenberg, Nancy; Spinrad, Tracy L; de Villiers, Jill; de Villiers, Peter; Barnes, Marcia; Starkey, Prentice; Klein, Alice

2014-02-01

Despite reports of positive effects of high-quality child care, few experimental studies have examined the process of improving low-quality center-based care for toddler-age children. In this article, we report intervention effects on child care teachers' behaviors and children's social, emotional, behavioral, early literacy, language, and math outcomes as well as the teacher-child relationship. The intervention targeted the use of a set of responsive teacher practices, derived from attachment and sociocultural theories, and a comprehensive curriculum. Sixty-five childcare classrooms serving low-income 2- and 3-year-old children were randomized into 3 conditions: business-as-usual control, Responsive Early Childhood Curriculum (RECC), and RECC plus explicit social-emotional classroom activities (RECC+). Classroom observations showed greater gains for RECC and RECC+ teachers' responsive practices including helping children manage their behavior, establishing a predictable schedule, and use of cognitively stimulating activities (e.g., shared book reading) compared with controls; however, teacher behaviors did not differ for focal areas such as sensitivity and positive discipline supports. Child assessments demonstrated that children in the interventions outperformed controls in areas of social and emotional development, although children's performance in control and intervention groups was similar for cognitive skills (language, literacy, and math). Results support the positive impact of responsive teachers and environments providing appropriate support for toddlers' social and emotional development. Possible explanations for the absence of systematic differences in children's cognitive skills are considered, including implications for practice and future research targeting low-income toddlers.

Sustaining the Benefits of Early Childhood Education Experiences: A Research Overview

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gomez, Rebecca E.

2016-01-01

Over the past decade, there has been increased recognition of the short- and long-term benefits of high-quality early childhood education programs, but the systems needed to sustain these benefits throughout early learning transitions (and beyond) have not yet been fully implemented. In this article, the author discusses the importance of early…

Exploring Options in Early Childhood Care in Singapore: Programs and Roles

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhang, Kaili C.

2016-01-01

Early childhood care options and practices differ around the world, as influenced by societal perspectives and needs. As early educators and policymakers around the world work to improve education and care services to better serve young children and their families, we must consider context-specific values and standards of quality to ensure early…

Early Childhood Development Unit (Nga Kaitaunaki Kohungahunga) Right from the Start: Early Childhood Development 1 July 2001 to 30 June 2002, Annual Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Early Childhood Development Unit, Wellington (New Zealand).

This annual report outlines the mission, values, and goals of New Zealand's Early Childhood Development board (ECD), established in 1989 to promote the development and provision of high quality, accessible, and culturally appropriate educational and developmental facilities/services for families and young children. The report contains a directory…

Breaking Bread: Spirituality, Food and Early Childhood Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bone, Jane

2005-01-01

The spiritual aspect of early childhood education is supported by the early childhood curriculum in Aotearoa New Zealand, "Te Whariki". Research in three different early childhood settings presents new perspectives on the everyday experiences of children in terms of spirituality. Each setting formed a case study that included the voices…

Preparing Early Childhood Educators for Blending Practices in Inclusive Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Donegan-Ritter, Mary; Kohler, Frank W.

2017-01-01

Preparing early childhood teachers for inclusion requires the blending of high quality developmentally appropriate practices with environmental adaptations and individualized instructional practices. This article describes how a field experience was redesigned to incorporate evidence based practices in teaming and collaboration, environment and…

Identifying Online Preferences and Needs of Early Childhood Professionals

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weigel, Daniel J.; Weiser, Dana A.; Bales, Diane W.; Moyses, Kendra J.

2012-01-01

A growing number of early childhood professionals use the Internet to improve their skills, knowledge, and practice. The Internet may be a practical alternative for providing high-quality, research-based training, information, and resources to these professionals. When designing online materials and Web sites, however, it is important to first…

Quality Programs for Children and Families: Multiple Perspectives. Proceedings of the Annual Conference on Early Childhood Education (6th, Duluth, Minnesota, October 3-4, 1986).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sword, Jeane, Ed.

Presented are the keynote address and sectional presentations made at a conference on early childhood education. Speakers offered various perspectives on high quality programs for children and families. The keynote address, given by Bettye Caldwell, concerned marketing quality programs for children, exploring internal and external deterrents,…

Early Childhood Training Workbook [and Videos].

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Magna Systems, Inc., Barrington, IL.

This early childhood training workbook and three accompanying video series provide instruction for early childhood caregivers and teachers in the areas of guidance and discipline, math, and diversity. The video series "Guidance and Discipline" demonstrates the ways in which teachers help children become self disciplined. The three videos…

Publication Opportunities for Early Childhood Academics.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sumsion, Jennifer

Recognizing the increasing pressure for publication for early childhood academics and the lack of current information about journals' publication practices, this study surveyed editors of Australian and international journals. The journals were selected through a survey of 43 academic staff of an institute of early childhood education and through…

In-Service and Pre-Service Early Childhood Teachers' Views and Intentions about ICT Use in Early Childhood Settings: A Comparative Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gialamas, Vasilis; Nikolopoulou, Kleopatra

2010-01-01

This paper regards a comparative study which investigates in-service and pre-service Greek early childhood teachers' views and intentions about integrating and using computers in early childhood settings. Views and intentions were investigated via a questionnaire administered to 240 in-service and 428 pre-service early childhood teachers.…

Early Childhood Caries: A Review.

PubMed

Alazmah, Abdulfatah

2017-08-01

To review and update the current knowledge about early childhood caries (ECC) and its etiology, prevalence, risk factors, management, and preventive strategies. Early childhood caries is a disease affecting significantly both well-developed and industrial nations. The ECC can significantly affect the child's quality of life, as it may lead to infection, swelling, pain, and other symptoms. The ECC affects children after eruption of primary teeth until age of around 5 years. The ECC affects all parts of the tooth including the smooth surface. Upper anterior teeth and primary molars are usually affected. The lower anterior teeth are less likely affected. The risk factors for ECC are diet, bacteria, and host susceptibility. The additional factors, such as presence of enamel defect and the feeding practices also contribute to the initiation and progress of ECC. Dentists must focus on utilizing existing techniques to distinguish indications of right on time and propelled caries and give guidance on the best way to counteract and control caries in children. Approaches should be directed to preventive caries control strategies among children. Preventing and controlling the development of ECC among children is important to maintain effective eating, speech development, and formation of a positive self-image.

Workforce Issues in Early Childhood Education and Care.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moss, Peter

This paper addresses, in two parts, some issues in the staffing of early childhood services. Taking an international perspective, the first part of the paper discusses: (1) the structure of the early childhood workforce; (2) the social construction of the early childhood worker; (3) gender; (4) staff to child ratios; (5) processes of transition in…

Computer Training for Early Childhood Educators.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Specht, Jacqueline; Wood, Eileen; Willoughby, Teena

Recent research in early childhood education (ECE) centers suggests that some teacher characteristics are not at a level that would support computer learning opportunities for children. This study identified areas of support required by teachers to provide a smooth introduction of the computer into the early childhood education classroom.…

Interplay between childhood maltreatment, parental bonding, and gender effects: Impact on quality of life☆

PubMed Central

Rikhye, Kobita; Tyrka, Audrey R.; Kelly, Megan M.; Gagne, Gerard G.; Mello, Andrea F.; Mello, Marcelo F.; Price, Lawrence H.

2015-01-01

Objective The aim of this study was to examine associations between childhood adversity, parental bonding, gender, depressive symptoms, and quality of life in non-treatment-seeking adults from the community. Method Effects of differential parental rearing were compared in adults who reported a high degree of childhood maltreatment (n = 72) and those who reported no significant adverse events in childhood (n = 69). Subjects completed retrospective measures of childhood maltreatment and perceived parenting style, as well as measures of current depressive symptoms and quality of life. Results The subjects without childhood maltreatment were younger and endorsed less current depressive symptomatology than did subjects with childhood maltreatment. While the subjects without a history of maltreatment reported more “optimal” bonding experiences with their parents, the maltreatment group members were more likely to characterize their early parental bonding experiences in terms of “affectionless control” (p < .001 for both maternal and paternal parenting), “affectionate constraint” (p = .025 for maternal parenting and p = .004 for paternal parenting), or “weak or absent” bonding (p < .001 for both maternal and paternal parenting). Results of a multiple regression analysis revealed that overall quality of paternal care (p = .015) and current level of depressive symptoms (p < .001) were significant independent predictors of adult quality of life. Gender effects between subjects providing parental bonding data were limited to the group with childhood maltreatment. Conclusion These findings extend previous work documenting a relationship between early life maltreatment and suboptimal parental bonding, suggesting gender-specific effects of maternal and paternal care. Effects of childhood maltreatment on quality of life in adulthood appear to be linked with the quality of childhood paternal care and the occurrence of depressive symptomatology in adulthood

Interplay between childhood maltreatment, parental bonding, and gender effects: impact on quality of life.

PubMed

Rikhye, Kobita; Tyrka, Audrey R; Kelly, Megan M; Gagne, Gerard G; Mello, Andrea F; Mello, Marcelo F; Price, Lawrence H; Carpenter, Linda L

2008-01-01

The aim of this study was to examine associations between childhood adversity, parental bonding, gender, depressive symptoms, and quality of life in non-treatment-seeking adults from the community. Effects of differential parental rearing were compared in adults who reported a high degree of childhood maltreatment (n=72) and those who reported no significant adverse events in childhood (n=69). Subjects completed retrospective measures of childhood maltreatment and perceived parenting style, as well as measures of current depressive symptoms and quality of life. The subjects without childhood maltreatment were younger and endorsed less current depressive symptomatology than did subjects with childhood maltreatment. While the subjects without a history of maltreatment reported more "optimal" bonding experiences with their parents, the maltreatment group members were more likely to characterize their early parental bonding experiences in terms of "affectionless control" (p<.001 for both maternal and paternal parenting), "affectionate constraint" (p=.025 for maternal parenting and p=.004 for paternal parenting), or "weak or absent" bonding (p<.001 for both maternal and paternal parenting). Results of a multiple regression analysis revealed that overall quality of paternal care (p=.015) and current level of depressive symptoms (p<.001) were significant independent predictors of adult quality of life. Gender effects between subjects providing parental bonding data were limited to the group with childhood maltreatment. These findings extend previous work documenting a relationship between early life maltreatment and suboptimal parental bonding, suggesting gender-specific effects of maternal and paternal care. Effects of childhood maltreatment on quality of life in adulthood appear to be linked with the quality of childhood paternal care and the occurrence of depressive symptomatology in adulthood, suggesting possible targets for primary or secondary prevention.

Early Childhood.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Peters, Donald L.; Willis, Sherry L.

This book summarizes theory and discusses major issues pertaining to child development in the early childhood years. Chapter I provides an introduction to the conceptual framework and major theories of child development. Chapter II deals with motor, sensory, and perceptual development. Chapter III focuses on the cognitive-developmental theory of…

Frequency of Six Early Childhood Education Approaches: A 10-Year Content Analysis of Early Childhood Education Journal

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walsh, Bridget A.; Petty, Karen

2007-01-01

The frequency of early childhood education approaches spanning 10 years of publications was investigated. A content analysis of publications (N = 492) from "Early Childhood Education Journal" was conducted. From a previous content analysis six approaches or search words were identified: Bank Street, Head Start, High/Scope, Montessori, Reggio…

Free Play in Early Childhood Education: A Phenomenological Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aras, Selda

2016-01-01

It is aimed to investigate perceptions and implementations of early childhood teachers on free play and their involvement in children's free play. Recent studies focused on that, although there is an increase in the amount of teacher involvement, the quality of this involvement should be clearly examined. Lev Vygotsky examined play as an…

Visits to Cultural Learning Places in the Early Childhood

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mudiappa, Michael; Kluczniok, Katharina

2015-01-01

Studies show the important role of the home learning environment in early childhood for later school success. This article focuses on a particular aspect of the home learning environment: visits to cultural learning places (e.g. museums) as a component of the quality of the home learning environment. Therefore the educational concept of…

Evaluating the Adequacy of Social-Emotional Measures in Early Childhood

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gokiert, Rebecca J.; Georgis, Rebecca; Tremblay, Melissa; Krishnan, Vijaya; Vandenberghe, Christine; Lee, Clara

2014-01-01

Technical adequacy and usability are important considerations in selecting early childhood social-emotional (SE) screening and assessment measures. As identification of difficulties can be tied to programming, intervention, accountability, and funding, it is imperative that practitioners and decision makers select appropriate and quality measures…

The Making of Global Citizens: Traces of Cosmopolitanism in the New Zealand Early Childhood Curriculum, "Te Whariki"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Duhn, Iris

2006-01-01

The first New Zealand early childhood curriculum framework, "Te Whariki", was published in 1996. "Te Whariki" presents quality in early childhood education as productive of a particular type of child. In this article the author argues that "Te Whariki" is not about "best practice" but about producing the…

Early Childhood Inclusion in the United Kingdom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blackburn, Carolyn

2016-01-01

A policy-to-practice paper is presented of early childhood inclusion in England. The article aims to report the benefits of early intervention services and early childhood inclusion for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), document the chronology of policy development, and discuss research evidence about…

Overview of Play: Its Uses and Importance in Early Intervention/Early Childhood Special Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lifter, Karin; Foster-Sanda, Suzanne; Arzamarski, Caley; Briesch, Jacquelyn; McClure, Ellen

2011-01-01

Play is a natural activity of early childhood, which has great relevance to the fields of early intervention, early childhood special education, and early childhood education. Within these fields, ongoing tensions persist in how play is described and used. These tensions compromise activities of assessment, intervention, and curriculum development…

Early Childhood Education: Society and Culture

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anning, Angela, Ed.; Cullen, Joy, Ed.; Fleer, Marilyn, Ed.

2004-01-01

This book aims to provide research-based evidence that links theory and research to practice in early childhood settings. Different ways of constructing learning in contrasting settings are explored through the analysis of research in early childhood contexts in the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand. The cross-national focus extends the…

Sibling Influences on Gender Development in Middle Childhood and Early Adolescence: A Longitudinal Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McHale, Susan M.; Updegraff, Kimberly A.; Helms- Erikson, Heather; Crouter, Ann C.

2001-01-01

Examined development of gender role qualities from middle childhood to early adolescence to determine whether children's gender role qualities predicted siblings'. Found that firstborn children's qualities in Year 1 predicted second-born children's qualities in Year 3 when Year 1 parent and child qualities were controlled. Parental influence was…

Generating Visionary Policy for Early Childhood Education and Care: Politicians' and Early Childhood Sector Advocate/Activists' Perspectives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bown, Kathryn; Sumsion, Jennifer

2016-01-01

This article contributes to the global conversation about generating a "vision" in early childhood education and care policy by reporting on an investigation of influences on politicians' policy decisions in early childhood education and care in Australia. This article is inspired by the provocations of social and political theorists who…

Comparing Quality of Childcare and Kindergarten Centres: The Need for a Strong and Equal Partnership in the Greek Early Childhood Education System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gregoriadis, A.; Tsigilis, N.; Grammatikopoulos, V.; Kouli, O.

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine whether kindergartens and childcare centres differ in terms of educational and caregiving components. More specifically, two aspects of the process quality of the early childhood education and care were examined regarding the "Activities" and the "Programme Structure." A multi-stage…

Training for Quality: Improving Early Childhood Programs through Systematic Inservice Training. Monographs of the High/Scope Educational Research Foundation, Number Nine.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Epstein, Ann S.

The Training of Trainers (ToT) Evaluation investigated the efficacy of the High/Scope model for improving the quality of early childhood programs on a national scale. To address this question, the High/Scope Foundation undertook a multimethod evaluation that collected anecdotal records from the consultants and 793 participants in 40 ToT projects,…

The Silencing of the Knowledge-Base in Early Childhood Education and Care Professionalism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Campbell-Barr, Verity

2018-01-01

It is widely accepted that the early childhood education and care (ECEC) workforce is central to the quality of services. Modernist constructs of quality signal the importance of qualifications for quality, but the preoccupation with qualification levels silences questions about the knowledge required of ECEC professionals. Postmodern perspectives…

Achieving Quality Early Childhood Education for All: Insights from the Policy Innovation Diffusion Research. Working Paper Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mintrom, Michael

Based on the view that major changes in the social and economic context in the United States require major policy changes related to early childhood education, this paper examines the factors supporting public policy changes and how advocates for change in early childhood education might incorporate effective strategies. The paper is presented in…

Making Sense of a Day in the Woods: Outdoor Adventure Experiences and Early Childhood Teacher Education Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lamorey, Suzanne

2013-01-01

Less than one third of early childhood educators have a bachelor's degree, yet national indicators of high-quality early childhood program standards emphasize the importance of higher education for these practitioners. In order to adequately serve and retain these nontraditional learners as they strive to earn their degrees, teacher education…

Is Music an Active Developmental Tool or Simply a Supplement? Early Childhood Preservice Teachers' Beliefs about Music

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, Hae Kyoung; Kemple, Kristen M.

2011-01-01

This study examines early childhood preservice teachers' beliefs about the importance of music in early childhood and explores factors influencing those beliefs. The study found that preservice teachers in this study held relatively strong beliefs about the importance of music, including aesthetic, quality-of-life, and social-emotional benefits.…

Preparing Early Childhood Teachers to Work With Young Dual Language Learners

PubMed Central

Zepeda, Marlene; Castro, Dina C.; Cronin, Sharon

2015-01-01

Teacher preparation is clearly linked to the quality of early childhood programs. In order for young dual language learners (DLLs) to be academically successful, teacher preparation should focus on those skills and abilities relevant to students’ particular needs. This article reviews the content of professional preparation for early educators working with young DLLs and briefly discusses the importance of developing the cultural and linguistic diversity of the early childhood workforce. It identifies 6 content areas: (a) understanding language development, (b) understanding the relationship between language and culture, (c) developing skills and abilities to effectively teach DLLs, (d) developing abilities to use assessment in meaningful ways for DLLs, (e) developing a sense of professionalism, and (f) understanding how to work with families. PMID:26500692

Preparing Early Childhood Teachers to Work With Young Dual Language Learners.

PubMed

Zepeda, Marlene; Castro, Dina C; Cronin, Sharon

2011-03-01

Teacher preparation is clearly linked to the quality of early childhood programs. In order for young dual language learners (DLLs) to be academically successful, teacher preparation should focus on those skills and abilities relevant to students' particular needs. This article reviews the content of professional preparation for early educators working with young DLLs and briefly discusses the importance of developing the cultural and linguistic diversity of the early childhood workforce. It identifies 6 content areas: (a) understanding language development, (b) understanding the relationship between language and culture, (c) developing skills and abilities to effectively teach DLLs, (d) developing abilities to use assessment in meaningful ways for DLLs, (e) developing a sense of professionalism, and (f) understanding how to work with families.

Building Leadership Capacity in Early Childhood Pre-Service Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Campbell-Evans, Glenda; Stamopoulos, Elizabeth; Maloney, Carmel

2014-01-01

Building leadership capacity has emerged as a key concern within the early childhood profession in Australia as the sector responds to recent national reforms focusing on raising standards and improving quality provision of services. The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the discussion around these reforms and to make a case for changes…

Guiding Principles for the New Early Childhood Professional: Building on Strength and Competence. Early Childhood Education Series

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Washington, Valora; Gadson, Brenda

2017-01-01

With growing evidence about the critical period of birth to age 5 for child development and learning, the imperative to professionalize the early childhood education workforce has never been greater. In this follow-up to "The New Early Childhood Professional: A Step-By-Step Guide to Overcoming Goliath", the authors share lessons learned…

Men in Early Childhood: What Do Women Think about It?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clyde, Margaret

This study sought to determine Australian attitudes toward men working in the early childhood profession. Subjects were 100 first-year and 100 third-year female early childhood undergraduates and 22 practicing early childhood teachers and caregivers. Survey respondents were asked to describe how three imaginary early childhood teachers named Mary,…

Economic Evaluation of Obesity Prevention in Early Childhood: Methods, Limitations and Recommendations.

PubMed

Döring, Nora; Mayer, Susanne; Rasmussen, Finn; Sonntag, Diana

2016-09-13

Despite methodological advances in the field of economic evaluations of interventions, economic evaluations of obesity prevention programmes in early childhood are seldom conducted. The aim of the present study was to explore existing methods and applications of economic evaluations, examining their limitations and making recommendations for future cost-effectiveness assessments. A systematic literature search was conducted using PubMed, Cochrane Library, the British National Health Service Economic Evaluation Databases and EconLit. Eligible studies included trial-based or simulation-based cost-effectiveness analyses of obesity prevention programmes targeting preschool children and/or their parents. The quality of included studies was assessed. Of the six studies included, five were intervention studies and one was based on a simulation approach conducted on secondary data. We identified three main conceptual and methodological limitations of their economic evaluations: Insufficient conceptual approach considering the complexity of childhood obesity, inadequate measurement of effects of interventions, and lack of valid instruments to measure child-related quality of life and costs. Despite the need for economic evaluations of obesity prevention programmes in early childhood, only a few studies of varying quality have been conducted. Moreover, due to methodological and conceptual weaknesses, they offer only limited information for policy makers and intervention providers. We elaborate reasons for the limitations of these studies and offer guidance for designing better economic evaluations of early obesity prevention.

Economic Evaluation of Obesity Prevention in Early Childhood: Methods, Limitations and Recommendations

PubMed Central

Döring, Nora; Mayer, Susanne; Rasmussen, Finn; Sonntag, Diana

2016-01-01

Despite methodological advances in the field of economic evaluations of interventions, economic evaluations of obesity prevention programmes in early childhood are seldom conducted. The aim of the present study was to explore existing methods and applications of economic evaluations, examining their limitations and making recommendations for future cost-effectiveness assessments. A systematic literature search was conducted using PubMed, Cochrane Library, the British National Health Service Economic Evaluation Databases and EconLit. Eligible studies included trial-based or simulation-based cost-effectiveness analyses of obesity prevention programmes targeting preschool children and/or their parents. The quality of included studies was assessed. Of the six studies included, five were intervention studies and one was based on a simulation approach conducted on secondary data. We identified three main conceptual and methodological limitations of their economic evaluations: Insufficient conceptual approach considering the complexity of childhood obesity, inadequate measurement of effects of interventions, and lack of valid instruments to measure child-related quality of life and costs. Despite the need for economic evaluations of obesity prevention programmes in early childhood, only a few studies of varying quality have been conducted. Moreover, due to methodological and conceptual weaknesses, they offer only limited information for policy makers and intervention providers. We elaborate reasons for the limitations of these studies and offer guidance for designing better economic evaluations of early obesity prevention. PMID:27649218

Ethical Behavior in Early Childhood Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Katz, Lilian G.; Ward, Evangeline H.

This booklet contains two essays on ethics for early childhood educators. The first essay discusses the meaning of a code of ethics, the importance of a code of ethics for working with preschool children, ethical conflicts in day care and preschool work, and steps which may be taken to help early childhood workers resolve these conflicts. Ethical…

Critical Issues in Early Childhood Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yelland, Nicola, Ed.

2005-01-01

This book examines critical issues in early childhood education across a broad range of contexts. The issues explored are not only critical in terms of being fundamental to early childhood education but they are also critical in that they present ideas and utilize frameworks which are not traditional to the field. The topics under review include…

What Discourses Relating to the Purpose of Early Childhood Are Shaping the Work of Early Childhood Practitioners in Three Different Contexts: UK, Bhutan and Fiji?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sims, Margaret; Alexander, Elise; Pedey, Karma; Tausere-Tiko, Lavinia

2018-01-01

We explore the way dominant political discourses are perceived to influence developing professionalisation of early childhood in three contexts. The UK is strongly influenced by the neoliberal agenda which positions managerialism, bureaucracy, accountability and control as necessary to drive quality improvement. Bhutan has been exposed to western…

Early childhood risk and resilience factors for behavioural and emotional problems in middle childhood.

PubMed

Cabaj, Jason L; McDonald, Sheila W; Tough, Suzanne C

2014-07-01

Mental disorders in childhood have a considerable health and societal impact but the associated negative consequences may be ameliorated through early identification of risk and protective factors that can guide health promoting and preventive interventions. The objective of this study was to inform health policy and practice through identification of demographic, familial and environmental factors associated with emotional or behavioural problems in middle childhood, and the predictors of resilience in the presence of identified risk factors. A cohort of 706 mothers followed from early pregnancy was surveyed at six to eight years post-partum by a mail-out questionnaire, which included questions on demographics, children's health, development, activities, media and technology, family, friends, community, school life, and mother's health. Although most children do well in middle childhood, of 450 respondents (64% response rate), 29.5% and 25.6% of children were found to have internalising and externalising behaviour problem scores in the lowest quintile on the NSCLY Child Behaviour Scales. Independent predictors for problem behaviours identified through multivariable logistic regression modelling included being male, demographic risk, maternal mental health risk, poor parenting interactions, and low parenting morale. Among children at high risk for behaviour problems, protective factors included high maternal and child self-esteem, good maternal emotional health, adequate social support, good academic performance, and adequate quality parenting time. These findings demonstrate that several individual and social resilience factors can counter the influence of early adversities on the likelihood of developing problem behaviours in middle childhood, thus informing enhanced public health interventions for this understudied life course phase.

Investigating Pre-Service Early Childhood Teachers' Views and Intentions about Integrating and Using Computers in Early Childhood Settings: Compilation of an Instrument

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nikolopoulou, Kleopatra; Gialamas, Vasilis

2009-01-01

This paper discusses the compilation of an instrument in order to investigate pre-service early childhood teachers' views and intentions about integrating and using computers in early childhood settings. For the purpose of this study a questionnaire was compiled and administered to 258 pre-service early childhood teachers (PECTs), in Greece. A…

Global Initiatives for Early Childhood Care and Education: Global Guidelines and Global Guidelines Assessment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Trube, Mary Barbara

2015-01-01

This report focuses on the Association for Childhood Education International's (ACEI) Global Guidelines (GG) and Global Guidelines Assessment (GGA), which were developed in response to and in keeping with the prominence that the issue of quality early childhood care, development, and education has reached globally. Further, the paper positions the…

Global Trends in Early Childhood Education: 2009

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Neugebauer, Roger; Goodeve, Emily

2009-01-01

As early childhood professionals from 78 countries prepare to travel to Belfast for the 2009 World Forum on Early Care and Education, these authors surveyed a sampling of those who will be attending on the current trends in early childhood education in their country. Delegates from over 40 countries responded, and in reviewing the reports from…

Rethinking Early Childhood Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pelo, Ann, Ed.

2008-01-01

"Rethinking Early Childhood Education" is alive with the conviction that teaching young children involves values and vision. This anthology collects inspiring stories about social justice teaching with young children. Included here is outstanding writing from childcare teachers, early-grade public school teachers, scholars, and parents.…

Development and validation of oral health-related early childhood quality of life tool for North Indian preschool children.

PubMed

Mathur, Vijay Prakash; Dhillon, Jatinder Kaur; Logani, Ajay; Agarwal, Ramesh

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study was to develop a reliable instrument [Oral Health related Early Childhood Quality of Life (OH- ECQOL) scale] for measuring oral health related quality of life (OHrQoL) in preschool children in North Indian population. Four pediatric dentists evaluated a pool of 65 items from various QoL questionnaires to assess their relevance to Indian population. These items were discussed with eight independent pediatric dentists and two community dentists who were not a part of this study to assess relevance of these items to preschool age children based on their comprehensiveness and clarity. Based on their responses and feedback a modified pool of items was developed and administered to a convenience sample of 20 parents who rated these items according to their relevance. The test retest reliability was evaluated on another sample of 20 parents of 2-5 year old children. The final questionnaire comprised of 16 items (12 child and 4 family). This was administered to 300 parents of 24-71 months old children divided on the basis of early childhood caries to assess its reliability and validity. OH-ECQOL scores were significantly associated with parental ratings of their child's general and oral health, and the presence of dental disease in the child. Cronbach's alpha was 0.862, and the ICC for test-retest reliability was 0.94. The OH-ECQOL proved reliable and valid tool for assessing the impact of oral disorders on the quality of life of preschool children in Northern India.

Documenting with Early Childhood Education Teachers: Pedagogical Documentation as a Tool for Developing Early Childhood Pedagogy and Practises

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rintakorpi, Kati

2016-01-01

The Finnish social pedagogical curriculum for early childhood education directs early childhood teachers to use documentation to assess and develop pedagogy and practise. This empirical study examines the challenges and benefits a group of Finnish preschool teachers experienced when they learned to document their work. Although the idea of…

Early Childhood Education: Training for the Future.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Honig, Alice S.

1996-01-01

Discusses the future training of early childhood educators, focusing on techniques for teachers to build prosocial skills, develop aesthetic appreciation, inculcate acceptance and inclusion, and develop a curiosity for learning among children. Also discusses the political status of early childhood education. (MDM)

Early Childhood Teachers' Sustainment in the Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kilgallon, Pam; Maloney, Carmel; Lock, Graeme

2008-01-01

This paper describes an investigation of Australian early childhood teachers' sustainment in their profession, focussing on those factors which enhance professional commitment, job satisfaction and occupational motivation. Utilizing qualitative methodology this study also identified key factors early childhood teachers consider crucial to…

Trajectories of Physical Discipline: Early Childhood Antecedents and Developmental Outcomes

PubMed Central

Lansford, Jennifer E.; Criss, Michael M.; Dodge, Kenneth A.; Shaw, Daniel S.; Pettit, Gregory S.; Bates, John E.

2009-01-01

This study examined childhood antecedents and developmental outcomes associated with trajectories of mild and harsh parental physical discipline. Interview, questionnaire, and observational data were available from 499 children followed from age 5 to 16 and from 258 children in an independent sample followed from age 5 to 15. Analyses indicated distinct physical discipline trajectory groups that varied in frequency of physical discipline and rate of change. In both samples, family ecological disadvantage differentiated the trajectory groups; in the first sample, early child externalizing also differentiated the groups. Controlling for early childhood externalizing, the minimal/ceasing trajectory groups were associated with the lowest levels of subsequent adolescent antisocial behavior in both samples and with parent-adolescent positive relationship quality in the second sample. PMID:19765007

Trajectories of physical discipline: early childhood antecedents and developmental outcomes.

PubMed

Lansford, Jennifer E; Criss, Michael M; Dodge, Kenneth A; Shaw, Daniel S; Pettit, Gregory S; Bates, John E

2009-01-01

This study examined childhood antecedents and developmental outcomes associated with trajectories of mild and harsh parental physical discipline. Interview, questionnaire, and observational data were available from 499 children followed from ages 5 to 16 and from 258 children in an independent sample followed from ages 5 to 15. Analyses indicated distinct physical discipline trajectory groups that varied in frequency of physical discipline and rate of change. In both samples, family ecological disadvantage differentiated the trajectory groups; in the first sample, early child externalizing also differentiated the groups. Controlling for early childhood externalizing, the minimal/ceasing trajectory groups were associated with the lowest levels of subsequent adolescent antisocial behavior in both samples and with parent-adolescent positive relationship quality in the second sample.

Enhancing the Early Childhood Development System in Yakutia (Russia): Meeting the Challenges

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kotnik, Jure; Shmis, Tigran

2011-01-01

The Yakutia Republic is currently working to update its early childhood development (ECD) system. Its goal is to ensure a high quality environment for early learning and child care and to enable higher enrolment levels. Currently, a high priority for the Government of Yakutia is to increase access to pre-school education, given the significant…

Formal Education, Credential, or Both: Early Childhood Program Classroom Practices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vu, Jennifer A.; Jeon, Hyun-Joo; Howes, Carollee

2008-01-01

Research Findings: This study is intended to widen the debate around the bachelor's degree (BA) as preparation for early childhood teaching when head teachers possess various levels of credentials and education. We examined classroom quality and teacher involvement in 231 classrooms sponsored by 122 different agencies, staffed and supervised by…

Overview: Measuring Early Learning Quality and Outcomes (MELQO)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brookings Institution, 2017

2017-01-01

The Measuring Early Learning Quality and Outcomes (MELQO) initiative began in 2014 in anticipation of a new global emphasis on early childhood development (ECD). Led by UNESCO, the World Bank, the Center for Universal Education at the Brookings Institution, and UNICEF, the initiative aims to promote feasible, accurate and useful measurement of…

Kaupapa Kaimahi, Nga Kaitaunaki Kohungahunga = Corporate Plan, Early Childhood Development Unit, 1 July 1992 to 30 June 1993.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Early Childhood Development Unit, Wellington (New Zealand).

This report outlines the 1992-93 objectives for the Early Childhood Development Unit (ECDU), an organization that promotes high quality early childhood education, and parent and family involvement in education, in New Zealand. The report includes: (1) a statement of purpose; (2) guiding principles; (3) a statement concerning the responsibilities…

The Best of Times, the Worst of Times: Rising Standards and Declining Staff Qualifications in Early Childhood Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

French, Robert

2010-01-01

Low pay, meager benefits, poor morale, and high turnover impact the daily experience of many early childhood educators in the United States. While public spending in early childhood education has substantially increased in recent years, it has mainly fueled expansion, not quality enhancement to help programs attract, compensate, and retain…

Changing Faces: The Early Childhood Profession in Australia.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lambert, Beverley, Ed.

This collection of 14 essays addresses the changes and challenges that the early childhood education profession in Australia has faced in recent years, and covers a wide range of important issues of particular relevance to the preparation of early childhood professionals. The essays are: (1) "The Changing Ecology of Australian Childhood"…

EARLY CHILDHOOD INVESTMENTS SUBSTANTIALLY BOOST ADULT HEALTH

PubMed Central

Campbell, Frances; Conti, Gabriella; Heckman, James J.; Moon, Seong Hyeok; Pinto, Rodrigo; Pungello, Elizabeth; Pan, Yi

2014-01-01

High-quality early childhood programs have been shown to have substantial benefits in reducing crime, raising earnings, and promoting education. Much less is known about their benefits for adult health. We report the long-term health impacts of one of the oldest and most heavily cited early childhood interventions with long-term follow-up evaluated by the method of randomization: the Carolina Abecedarian Project (ABC). Using recently collected biomedical data, we find that disadvantaged children randomly assigned to treatment have significantly lower prevalence of risk factors for cardiovascular and metabolic diseases in their mid-30s. The evidence is especially strong for males. The mean systolic blood pressure among the control males is 143, while only 126 among the treated. One in four males in the control group is affected by metabolic syndrome, while none in the treatment group is. To reach these conclusions, we address several statistical challenges. We use exact permutation tests to account for small sample sizes and conduct a parallel bootstrap confidence interval analysis to confirm the permutation analysis. We adjust inference to account for the multiple hypotheses tested and for nonrandom attrition. Our evidence shows the potential of early life interventions for preventing disease and promoting health. PMID:24675955

Learning Partnerships in Rural Early Childhood Settings.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Coombe, Kennece; Lubawy, Joy

A study examined six aspects of learning communities in early childhood settings in rural New South Wales (Australia). These aspects are reflection, individual development, diversity, conversation, caring, and shared responsibility. Surveys of 15 directors of early childhood programs indicated that the reflective component of the learning…

Early Childhood Caries

PubMed Central

Kawashita, Yumiko; Kitamura, Masayasu; Saito, Toshiyuki

2011-01-01

Dental caries is one of the most common childhood diseases, and people continue to be susceptible to it throughout their lives. Although dental caries can be arrested and potentially even reversed in its early stages, it is often not self-limiting and progresses without proper care until the tooth is destroyed. Early childhood caries (ECC) is often complicated by inappropriate feeding practices and heavy infection with mutans streptococci. Such children should be targeted with a professional preventive program that includes oral hygiene instructions for mothers or caregivers, along with fluoride and diet counseling. However, these strategies alone are not sufficient to prevent dental caries in high-risk children; prevention of ECC also requires addressing the socioeconomic factors that face many families in which ECC is endemic. The aim of this paper is to systematically review information about ECC and to describe why many children are suffering from dental caries. PMID:22007218

Individual Differences in Sibling Teaching in Early and Middle Childhood

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Howe, Nina; Recchia, Holly

2009-01-01

Research Findings: Sibling teaching and learning behaviors were investigated in 2 studies of children in early and middle childhood. Study 1 addressed individual differences in teaching/learning and associations with dyadic age, age gap, gender, birth order, and relationship quality in 71 middle-class dyads (firstborns M age = 81.54 months;…

101 Ways To Build Enrollment in Your Early Childhood Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Montanari, Ellen Orton

Written for administrators of early childhood program centers, this book offers tips on how to increase enrollment. The book offers suggestions rather than a theoretical overview or a comprehensive marketing strategy. Suggestions offered include: (1) Offer a quality program; (2) be aware of your target market; (3) make your program unique; (4)…

Early Childhood Education and Care: An Issue for All Canadians.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Friendly, Martha

Arguing that quality early childhood education and care (ECEC) contributes to meeting goals that strengthen Canadians and Canadian society, this paper discusses the support found for ECEC within the nation; maintains that ECEC is a broad issue that bridges socioeconomic, ethnic, and regional divisions; and addresses the main problems and issues in…

Building Competency for Providers in the Early Childhood Mental Health Field: An Early Childhood Mental Health Endorsement®

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Paradis, Nichole; Eidson, Faith; Weatherston, Deborah J.

2017-01-01

Early Childhood Mental Health Endorsement® (ECMH-E®) offers a credential for those whose work with or on behalf of children 3-6 years old and their families is informed by infant and early childhood mental health principles. Those who have earned ECMH-E demonstrate completion of specialized education, work, in-service training, and reflective…

Community and Connection in Inclusive Early-Childhood Education: A Participatory Action Research Investigation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Erwin, Elizabeth J.; Puig, Victoria I.; Evenson, Tara L.; Beresford, Madeleine

2012-01-01

There are many resources that describe high-quality inclusive practices in early education as well as the necessary competencies for early-childhood practitioners working in inclusive settings. Yet, despite important initiatives in the field, a discrepancy between research and practice remains. In an effort to narrow this research-to-practice gap…

Moving beyond Colorblindness in Early Childhood Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boutte, Gloria Swindler; Lopez-Robertson, Julia; Powers-Costello, Elizabeth

2011-01-01

Countering the position that colorblindness is desirable for teachers and children, this article encourages early childhood education teachers to engage in conversations about race and racism with young children. We discuss why the early childhood years are important for interrupting racism and make suggestions for helping children develop tools…

An Introduction to Early Childhood Studies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maynard, Trlsha, Ed.; Thomas, Nigel, Ed.

2004-01-01

The primary purpose of this book is to provide a core introductory text for the many undergraduate students who are now studying early childhood. Four key themes are emphasised throughout this book: The first is the social construction of childhood. This is the idea that childhood is not a naturally given phenomenon, but the result of social…

Childhood abuse is associated with stress-related sleep disturbance and poor sleep quality in pregnancy

PubMed Central

Gelaye, Bizu; Kajeepeta, Sandhya; Zhong, Qiu-Yue; Borba, Christina P.C.; Rondon, Marta B.; Sánchez, Sixto E.; Henderson, David C.; Williams, Michelle A.

2015-01-01

Objectives Childhood abuse is associated with increased risks of adult psychiatric disorders and physical health conditions. Accumulating evidence documents associations of childhood abuse with sleep disturbances in adulthood. However, to date, no study has evaluated associations of childhood abuse and sleep disturbances among pregnant women. Methods This cross-sectional study included 634 pregnant Peruvian women. In-person interviews were conducted in early pregnancy to collect information regarding socio-demographic characteristics, history of childhood abuse, and complaints of sleep disturbances. Spanish language version of the Ford Insomnia Response to Stress Test (FIRST-S) and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI-S) were used to assess stress-related sleep disturbance and sleep quality, respectively. Logistic regression was used to estimate adjusted odds ratios (aOR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs). Results Women who experienced any childhood abuse had a 1.65-fold increased odds of stress-related sleep disturbance (aOR=1.65; 95% CI: 1.15–2.38) and 2.11-fold increased odds of poor sleep quality during early pregnancy (aOR=2.11; 95% CI: 1.35–3.30) as compared with women who reported no abuse. Compared with women who reported no childhood abuse, those who reported both physical and sexual abuse during childhood were more than twice as likely to suffer from stress-related sleep disturbance (aOR=2.26; 95% CI:1.44–3.53) and poor sleep quality (aOR=2.43; 95% CI:1.45–4.09). Conclusions A history of childhood abuse is associated with increased odds of stress-related sleep disturbance and poor sleep quality during pregnancy. These findings, if replicated, should be used to inform the development of trauma-informed care for such sleep disturbances induced by childhood trauma. PMID:26429757

Interdisciplinary Early Childhood Handicapped Personnel Training Project.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Swartz, Stanley L.

The report describes the Western Illinois University 0-6 Interdisciplinary Early Childhood Handicapped Personnel Training Project (WIU 0-6 Project)--a model project designed to demonstrate innovative methods to fill personnel needs for early childhood handicapped programs. The project is a 2 semester program to train professional educators in the…

Instruction via Web-Based Modules in Early Childhood Personnel Preparation: A Mixed-Methods Study of Effectiveness and Learner Perspectives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hollingsworth, Heidi L.; Lim, Chih-Ing

2015-01-01

Effective personnel preparation is critical to the development of a high quality early childhood workforce that provides optimal care and education for young children. This mixed-methods study examined the effectiveness of, and learner perspectives on, instruction via web-based modules within face-to-face early childhood personnel preparation…

Power and Resistance in Early Childhood Education: From Dominant Discourse to Democratic Experimentalism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moss, Peter

2017-01-01

The field of early childhood education is increasingly dominated by a strongly positivistic and regulatory discourse, the story of quality and high returns, which has spread from its local origins in the favourable environment provided by a global regime of neoliberalism. But though dominant, this is not the only discourse in early childhood…

Implementing the Early Childhood Development Teacher Training Framework in Uganda: Gains and Challenges

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ejuu, Godfrey

2012-01-01

Training of quality early childhood development (ECD) teachers is paramount in ensuring quality ECD service provision. This exploratory study focuses on the gains and challenges met in the implementation of the Uganda ECD teacher training framework. Data were obtained using questionnaires and interviews from principals and tutors of ECD teacher…

The Effects of Early Childhood Classroom Size and Duration on Development of Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Canbeldek, Merve; Isikoglu Erdogan, Nesrin

2017-01-01

Purpose: The numbers of early childhood education programs are dramatically increasing throughout Turkey, and the regulations to ensure quality are frequently changing. A very limited number of studies have examined the quality of Turkish ECE programs on children's development. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to identify the effects of…

Early Childhood Development.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Koh, Edgar, Ed.

1989-01-01

Focused on early childhood development, this "UNICEF Intercom" asserts that developmental programs should aim to give children a fair chance at growth beyond survival. First presented are moral, scientific, social equity, economic, population, and programatic arguments for looking beyond the fundamental objective of saving young lives.…

Repositioning Early Childhood Leadership as Action and Activism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Woodrow, Christine; Busch, Gillian

2008-01-01

Robust leadership is increasingly recognised as a critical element of healthy professions, yet some research suggests that early childhood practitioners do not readily identify with the concept of leadership. This article explores some dimensions of leadership in early childhood and how it is understood and practised in Australian early childhood…

Early Childhood Education: History, Theory, and Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morgan, Harry

2006-01-01

In this book, the author covers the history, theory, and practices that influence early childhood education along with an emphasis on infant and toddler care and education. He also presents a comparison of the conflict between education planners who support early childhood studies and state school systems whose cost-saving measures are dismantling…

Nutrition Education Needs of Early Childhood Teachers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Forsythe, Hazel; Wesley, Myrna

This study sought to determine the needs of early childhood teachers in Kentucky for education to help them manage children's nutrition in early childhood programs. The study also sought to determine whether formal classes, self-study via computer, or site-based inservice workshops is the most desirable format for teacher nutrition education. A…

Critical Issues in Early Childhood Professional Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zaslow, Martha, Ed.; Martinez-Beck, Ivelisse, Ed.

2005-01-01

Effective teaching leads to positive student outcomes, and professional development for early childhood teachers is key to improving both. But what exactly is meant by "professional development"? What effect does it have on school readiness? Which models and approaches really work? This is the book the early childhood field needs to take the…

Early Childhood Education: A Workbook for Administrators.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hewes, Dorothy; Hartman, Barbara

This text-workbook is designed to present management theories and principles as they apply to the administration of early childhood programs, and serve as a resource and discussion guide applicable to a wide range of child care situations. Following a brief historical consideration of early childhood education in the United States, information to…

Early Childhood Special Music Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Darrow, Alice-Ann

2011-01-01

The process of early intervention is a critical component of Early Childhood Special Music Education. Early intervention is the process of providing services, education, and support to young children who have disabilities or to children who are at-risk of developing needs that may affect their physical, cognitive, or emotional development. The…

Early Childhood Reform in Seven Communities: Front-Line Practice, Agency Management, and Public Policy. [Volume I: Final Technical Report.] Studies of Education Reform.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schultz, Tom; And Others

An era of substantial growth in investment of resources, program development, and research has led to tangible gains in the scope and quality of early childhood education programs. However, the system of early childhood education programs is plagued by unequal access and inconsistent, inadequate levels of quality. Additionally, the focus of…

Early Childhood Education Students' Perceptions of Community College Distance Education Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crump, Tracy Lynn

2010-01-01

In order for children to receive the best in quality care, early childhood teachers must have a deep understanding of child development and developmentally appropriate teaching methodologies that can only be acquired through accessible and sustainable professional development. This type of professional development for many students comes in the…

Early Childhood Practice and Refrains of Complexity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cumming, Tamara; Sumsion, Jennifer; Wong, Sandie

2015-01-01

Early childhood practice has often been described as complex in both policy documents and research literature; however, less attention has been given to exploring the nature and consequences of complexity in early childhood practice. At a time of intense policy attention in many national contexts, there is the potential for closing down, as well…

Democratic Group Process in Early Childhood Curriculum.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wolf, Lois C.

This paper examines ways in which early childhood education can provide the vital foundation for lifelong attitudes and values toward the democratic process. One goal of early childhood education is to empower the social bonding which brings collaborative relationships to their full potential and gives the child a sense of connectedness to others.…

Payment in Heaven: Can Early Childhood Education Policies Help Women Too?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Newberry, Jan; Marpinjun, Sri

2018-01-01

Based on research and activism on early childhood education and care in the area of Yogyakarta, Indonesia, we argue that the Indonesian government's focus on early childhood has come at a cost to local women. Community-based early childhood programs are delivered by women whose work is unpaid or underpaid. Although early childhood education in the…

Defining Quality in Visual Art Education for Young Children: Building on the Position Statement of the Early Childhood Art Educators

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McClure, Marissa; Tarr, Patricia; Thompson, Christine Marmé; Eckhoff, Angela

2017-01-01

This article reflects the collective voices of four early childhood visual arts educators, each of whom is a member of the Early Childhood Art Educators (ECAE) Issues Group of the National Arts Educators Association. The authors frame the article around the ECAE position statement, "Art: Essential for Early Learning" (2016), which…

Early Attachment Relationships and the Early Childhood Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cortazar, Alejandra; Herreros, Francisca

2010-01-01

This article explores the relationship between attachment theory and the early childhood curriculum. During the first years of life children develop early attachment relationships with their primary caregivers. These attachment relationships, either secure or insecure, will shape children's socio-emotional development. In the USA, the predominant…

Gender and Boys' Singing in Early Childhood

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hall, Clare

2005-01-01

This article derives from a research project investigating the singing behaviour of a group of Australian boys in their first year of school. The project showed that the genesis of the "missing male" trend in singing at school may be occurring in early childhood. The impact of hegemonic masculinity in early childhood is explored here by…

Connecting Emergent Curriculum and Standards in the Early Childhood Classroom: Strengthening Content and Teaching Practice. Early Childhood Education Series

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schwartz, Sydney L.; Copeland, Sherry M.

2010-01-01

The most pressing challenge in early childhood education today is to find a way to meet the standards within a developmentally appropriate approach. In this book, two active early childhood educators provide teachers with resources to bring content alive and document it in every-day, action-based pre-K and Kindergarten classrooms. The book…

Learning History in Early Childhood: Teaching Methods and Children's Understanding

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Skjaeveland, Yngve

2017-01-01

This article discusses the teaching of history in early childhood education and care centres and children's understanding of history. Based on interviews with eight Norwegian early childhood education and care teachers and on interpretative phenomenological analysis, the article shows how the early childhood education and care centres teach…

Early Childhood Indicators.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bartlett, Kathy; Zimanyi, Louise

2001-01-01

Recognizing the need to identify the level, nature, and impact of Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) programs on children and their families, this theme issue of "Coordinators' Notebook" seeks to complement and further the international efforts at collecting information on ECCD for use at national and international levels.…

Disease management of early childhood caries: results of a pilot quality improvement project.

PubMed

Ng, Man Wai; Torresyap, Gay; White, Alex; Melvin, Patrice; Graham, Dionne; Kane, Daniel; Scoville, Richard; Ohiomoba, Henry

2012-08-01

The purpose is to report findings of a quality improvement (QI) project implemented at two hospital-based dental clinics that care for children with early childhood caries (ECC). We tested a disease management (DM) approach in children younger than age 60 months with ECC. After 30 months, for the 403 and 234 DM patients at Children's Hospital Boston (CHB) and Saint Joseph Hospital (SJH) who returned for at least two visits, rates of new cavitation, pain, and referrals to the OR were 26.1, 13.4 and 10.9% for CHB and 41.0, 7.3 and 14.9% for SJH. Rates of new cavitation, pain, and referrals to the OR for historical controls were 75.2, 21.7, and 20.9% for CHB and 71.3, 31.3, and 25.0% for SJH. A risk-based DM approach utilizing QI strategies to address ECC can be implemented into practice and has the potential to improve care and health outcomes.

"Doing" Social Justice in Early Childhood: The Potential of Leadership

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hard, Louise; Press, Frances; Gibson, Megan

2013-01-01

Early childhood education has long been connected with objectives related to social justice. Australian early childhood education and care (ECEC) has its roots in philanthropic and educational reform movements prevalent at the turn of the twentieth century. More recently, with the introduction of the National Early Childhood Reform Agenda, early…

Early Childhood Special Education. Yearbook in Early Childhood Education. Volume 5.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Safford, Philip L., Ed.; And Others

This collection of papers recognizes ways in which the context of educational policy and its implications for practice have, in combination with other influences, defined early childhood special education and influenced its development. An introduction by Philip L. Safford is presented. Subsequent papers have the following titles and authors:…

The Effects of Accountability Incentives in Early Childhood Education. CEPA Working Paper No. 17-10

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bassok, Daphna; Dee, Thomas S.; Latham, Scott

2017-01-01

In an effort to enhance the quality of early childhood education (ECE) at scale, nearly all U.S. states have recently adopted Quality Rating and Improvement Systems (QRIS). These accountability systems give providers and parents information on program quality and create both reputational and financial incentives for program improvement. However,…

A Mixed Methods Study of Early Childhood Preservice Teachers: Beliefs about Poverty, Perceived Learning from Specific Instructional Strategies, and Preparedness to Serve Children and Families in Poverty

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

van Schagen Johnson, Amy

2016-01-01

A large number of young children experiencing poverty are receiving some type of formal early care and education. Effective early childhood teachers are an important component to providing high quality early childhood education. Yet, limited research has examined from the preservice teacher perspective how early childhood teacher preparation…

Meeting the Challenge of Linguistic and Cultural Diversity in Early Childhood Education. Yearbook in Early Childhood Education Series, Volume 6.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garcia, Eugene E., Ed.; And Others

Geared toward early childhood educators, reading and writing teachers, bilingual and English as a Second Language teachers, and to courses in these fields, this yearbook examines the issues of linguistic and cultural diversity in early childhood programs. Following an introduction (Eugene Garcia and Barry McLaughlin) on the cultural context…

Are Early Childhood Disparities Narrowing? The Changing Nature of Early Childhood and Its Link to Narrowing School-Entry Achievement Gaps

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bassok, Daphna; Finch, Jenna; Lee, RaeHyuck; Reardon, Sean F.; Waldfogel, Jane

2016-01-01

To date, no studies have documented how much early childhood experiences have changed over time. In the current study, researchers use two large, nationally representative datasets of kindergarten entrants to document the following: (1) How have children's early childhood experiences changed between 1998 and 2010?; (2) To what extent have…

Multicultural Teaching Competence of Korean Early Childhood Educators

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Park, Sungok R.

2016-01-01

Discourse among early childhood education researchers increasingly emphasizes the need for teachers to better understand and support diversity in their classrooms. As part of a larger mixed-method study, this qualitative research illuminates Korean early childhood educators' multicultural teaching competence. While Korean classrooms are in…

Early Childhood Teachers' Integration of ICTs: Intrinsic and Extrinsic Barriers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fox, Jillian; Diezmann, Carmel; Lamb, Janeen

2016-01-01

The aim of this paper is to report on barriers to ICT integration in teaching practices from the perspective of early childhood teachers. Six early childhood teachers from a combined private school in Queensland participated in this study. Individual interviews explored the ICT tools used in early childhood programs and the barriers to integration…

Using Action Research to Support Quality Early Years Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bleach, Josephine

2013-01-01

This article examines the effectiveness of action research as a continuous professional development (CPD) tool. The aim of the CPD programme was to support 14 community-based Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) centres in Ireland to improve quality in their settings through the implementation of the national quality and curriculum frameworks…

Early Childhood Trauma

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Child Traumatic Stress Network, 2010

2010-01-01

Early childhood trauma generally refers to the traumatic experiences that occur to children aged 0-6. Because infants' and young children's reactions may be different from older children's, and because they may not be able to verbalize their reactions to threatening or dangerous events, many people assume that young age protects children from the…

Quality Early Childhood Education for Disadvantaged Children: An Investigation in the MCD Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chopra, Neelima

2016-01-01

Schools run by Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) play a pivotal role in providing early childhood education to young children belonging to marginalized sections of Delhi. However, literature review reveals that low learning outcomes are common among children attending these schools. Low levels of learning are often associated with poor quality…

Impact of Culture Context on Perceptions of Arab and Jewish Early Childhood Education Students Regarding Early Childhood Education and Care

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zimet, Gila Russo; Gilat, Itzhak

2017-01-01

The study examined intuitive perceptions of early childhood education students regarding education and care of children from birth to age 3 in Jewish and Arab societies. Research included 182 education students majoring in early childhood at three Israeli colleges. Data were collected via a questionnaire covering five topics: What is the most…

Starting Strong II: Early Childhood Education and Care

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

OECD Publishing (NJ3), 2006

2006-01-01

This review of early childhood education and care (ECEC) in twenty OECD countries describes the social, economic, conceptual and research factors that influence early childhood policy. These include increasing women's labour market participation; reconciling work and family responsibilities on a more equitable basis for women; confronting the…

Oral health-related quality of life following dental treatment under general anaesthesia for early childhood caries - a UK-based study.

PubMed

de Souza, Michelle C; Harrison, Mike; Marshman, Zoe

2017-01-01

To assess parental reports of changes in oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) of young children in the UK with early childhood caries (ECC) following dental treatment under general anaesthesia (DGA). To compare the impact of oral rehabilitation (OR) and extraction-only (Exo) treatment approaches on this. Data were collected using the proxy reported components of the Child Oral Health-Related Quality of Life (COHRQoL ® ) questionnaire: the Parent-Caregivers Perceptions questionnaire (P-CPQ) and Family Impact Scale (FIS), from a convenience sample of parents of children receiving DGA at a UK Paediatric Dental Department. Mean scores and prevalence impacts were compared pre- and postoperatively with mean change score and effect sizes calculations. Seventy-eight parents were recruited (51 children undergoing OR, 27 Exo) with 6 lost to follow-up (92.3%). Following treatment, changes in mean P-CPQ and FIS scores were statistically significant (P < 0.0001) with medium to large effect sizes (0.45-1.39). The differences in change scores between the two treatment approaches were not statistically different. DGA for young children with early childhood caries resulted in substantial improvements in parent's ratings of their child's OHRQoL and of the impact on their families. Larger cohort studies are needed to validate these preliminary findings. © 2016 BSPD, IAPD and John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Integrating Vygotsky's theory of relational ontology into early childhood science education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kirch, Susan A.

2014-03-01

In Science Education during Early Childhood: A Cultural- Historical Perspective, Wolff-Michael Roth, Maria Inês Mafra Goulart and Katerina Plakitsi explore the practical application of Vygotsky's relational ontological theory of human development to early childhood science teaching and teacher development. In this review, I interrogate how Roth et al. conceptualize "emergent curriculum" within the Eurocentric cultural-historical traditions of early childhood education that evolved primarily from the works of Vygotsky and Piaget and compare it to the conceptualizations from other prominent early childhood researchers and curriculum developers. I examine the implications of the authors' interpretation of emergence for early childhood science education and teacher preparation.

Accessibility of Early Childhood Education and Care: A State of Affairs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vandenbroeck, Michel; Lazzari, Arianna

2014-01-01

We analyse both academic literature and practice reports to discover the main causes for unequal accessibility of high quality early childhood care and education (ECEC). In order to understand and to remedy this inequality we need to consider the interplay between elements of governance, of the management of services and elements on the level of…

An Epistemological and Ethical Categorization of Perspectives on Early Childhood Curriculum.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yang, Ok Seung

2001-01-01

Reviews the literature on contemporary early childhood education, categorizing perspectives on early childhood curriculum according to their core epistemological and ethical views about the mission of institutions of early childhood education. Identifies four perspectives guiding the curricula: idealism, empiricism, developmentalism, and…

Mathematics at the Early Childhood Level: The Impact of Staff Development on Teachers' Self-Efficacy and Student Learning Outcomes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Molinare, Dee

2017-01-01

Early childhood education has become of national and local interest based upon the Preschool for All agenda. Children need to attend preschools with programs that are high quality with a curriculum that is age appropriate and prepares them for continued school success. Early childhood educators should be trained to implement the curriculum. This…

Historical and Contemporary Evaluations of Early Childhood Programmes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saracho, Olivia N.

2015-01-01

Researchers continue to be interested in the evaluation of early childhood education programmes, their interventions, and the implementation of different types of evaluation. Their interest continues to increase and attract other researchers. In understanding the nature and appropriate use of evaluation in early childhood education and the basis…

Activities for Career Development in Early Childhood Curriculum.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yawkey, Thomas Daniels; Aronin, Eugene L.

The book presents career education activities and approaches for use by teachers, administrators, counselors, and students involved in early childhood education (ages three through eight). Part One stresses the importance of and rationale for career development in the early childhood curriculum. Research support for the approach to career…

Dominant Discourses of Teachers in Early Childhood Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ebrahim, H. B.

2010-01-01

This article examines the dominant discourses teachers in early childhood education (ECE) used to produce understandings of children and educational practice for them. Seven teachers from two early childhood centres in urban KwaZulu-Natal participated in this qualitative study. Data were produced through semi-structured interviews and…

Early Childhood Depression and Alterations in the Trajectory of Gray Matter Maturation in Middle Childhood and Early Adolescence.

PubMed

Luby, Joan L; Belden, Andy C; Jackson, Joshua J; Lessov-Schlaggar, Christina N; Harms, Michael P; Tillman, Rebecca; Botteron, Kelly; Whalen, Diana; Barch, Deanna M

2016-01-01

The trajectory of cortical gray matter development in childhood has been characterized by early neurogenesis and volume increase, peaking at puberty followed by selective elimination and myelination, resulting in volume loss and thinning. This inverted U-shaped trajectory, as well as cortical thickness, has been associated with cognitive and emotional function. Synaptic pruning-based volume decline has been related to experience-dependent plasticity in animals. To date, there have been no data to inform whether and how childhood depression might be associated with this trajectory. To examine the effects of early childhood depression, from the preschool age to the school age period, on cortical gray matter development measured across 3 waves of neuroimaging from late school age to early adolescence. Data were collected in an academic research setting from September 22, 2003, to December 13, 2014, on 193 children aged 3 to 6 years from the St Louis, Missouri, metropolitan area who were observed for up to 11 years in a longitudinal behavioral and neuroimaging study of childhood depression. Multilevel modeling was applied to explore the association between the number of childhood depression symptoms and prior diagnosis of major depressive disorder and the trajectory of gray matter change across 3 scan waves. Data analysis was conducted from October 29, 2014, to September 28, 2015. Volume, thickness, and surface area of cortical gray matter measured using structural magnetic resonance imaging at 3 scan waves. Of the 193 children, 90 had a diagnosis of major depressive disorder; 116 children had 3 full waves of neuroimaging scans. Findings demonstrated marked alterations in cortical gray matter volume loss (slope estimate, -0.93 cm³; 95% CI, -1.75 to -0.10 cm³ per scan wave) and thinning (slope estimate, -0.0044 mm; 95% CI, -0.0077 to -0.0012 mm per scan wave) associated with experiencing an episode of major depressive disorder before the first magnetic resonance

Beyond Bachelor's: The Case for Charter Colleges of Early Childhood Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mead, Sara; Carey, Kevin

2011-01-01

There is a growing movement in the early childhood advocacy community to address the dual problems of quality and compensation by turning to a credential with a much different track record: the bachelor's degree. The B.A. is already the foundational degree for K-12 educators, after all, and people who have bachelor's degrees earn much more than…

Behind the Starting Line: School Capacity Building in Early Childhood Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ho, Dora; Chen, Shu-Chin Susan

2013-01-01

This paper describes the process of school capacity building in Hong Kong's early childhood education at a time when there was a quest for quality education. A local preschool was selected for the study, which took part in a university-school support programme through which consultancy was hired from a university to provide school-based support.…

Parent-Child Interaction, Self-Regulation, and Obesity Prevention in Early Childhood.

PubMed

Anderson, Sarah E; Keim, Sarah A

2016-06-01

This paper describes the epidemiologic evidence linking parent-child relationships, self-regulation, and weight status with a focus on early childhood. The emotional quality of parent-child interactions may influence children's risk for obesity through multiple pathways. Prospective studies linking observer ratings of young children's self-regulation, particularly inhibitory control, to future weight status are discussed. Although findings are preliminary, promoting positive relationships between parents/caregivers and young children holds promise as a component of efforts to prevent childhood obesity. Multi-disciplinary collaborations between researchers with training in developmental science and child health should be encouraged.

Family Support: Fostering Leadership and Partnership to Improve Access and Quality. Building State Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems Series, Number 14

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thompson, Lisa; Uyeda, Kimberly

2004-01-01

The federal Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) has launched a five-year initiative that will support state efforts to build comprehensive early childhood service systems. This initiative--the State Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems (SECCS) Initiative--provides planning and implementation grants to the state and territory Maternal and…

Negotiating "Otherness": A Male Early Childhood Educator's Gender Positioning.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sumsion, Jennifer

2000-01-01

Describes the gender positioning strategies adopted by a male Australian preschool teacher-director as he faces attitudes that early childhood education is "women's work." Discusses implications of a greater male presence in early childhood education. (JPB)

Building on People's Strengths: Early Childhood in Africa.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cohen, Ruth; And Others

This report describes early childhood development (ECD) in Africa and the Bernard van Leer Foundation's strategies for early childhood programs in African nations. Chapter 1 examines the context in which Africa's children are growing up, focusing on the hardships that many children face, as well as the efforts made by families, communities, and…

The Early Childhood Professional Mentoring Group: A Forum for Parallel Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Puig, Victoria I.; Recchia, Susan L.

2008-01-01

Novice professionals entering the fields of early childhood education and early childhood special education face many challenges and often feel disconnected from the support system that nurtured them during their teacher education programs (Brindle, Fleege, & Graves, 2000). The Early Childhood Professional Mentoring Group (ECPMG) was established…

Test Review: C. K. Conners. Conners Early Childhood Manual

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wiley, Colby P.; Wedeking, Travis; Galindo, Addy M.

2013-01-01

This article reviews the Conners Early Childhood (Conners EC; Conners, 2009), a behavior and development rating scale intended to assess children in early childhood, specifically defined as ages 2 to 6 years. Using multiple informants across multiple settings, the Conners EC is administered for the purpose of early identification of disorders or…

Nurturing care: promoting early childhood development.

PubMed

Britto, Pia R; Lye, Stephen J; Proulx, Kerrie; Yousafzai, Aisha K; Matthews, Stephen G; Vaivada, Tyler; Perez-Escamilla, Rafael; Rao, Nirmala; Ip, Patrick; Fernald, Lia C H; MacMillan, Harriet; Hanson, Mark; Wachs, Theodore D; Yao, Haogen; Yoshikawa, Hirokazu; Cerezo, Adrian; Leckman, James F; Bhutta, Zulfiqar A

2017-01-07

The UN Sustainable Development Goals provide a historic opportunity to implement interventions, at scale, to promote early childhood development. Although the evidence base for the importance of early childhood development has grown, the research is distributed across sectors, populations, and settings, with diversity noted in both scope and focus. We provide a comprehensive updated analysis of early childhood development interventions across the five sectors of health, nutrition, education, child protection, and social protection. Our review concludes that to make interventions successful, smart, and sustainable, they need to be implemented as multi-sectoral intervention packages anchored in nurturing care. The recommendations emphasise that intervention packages should be applied at developmentally appropriate times during the life course, target multiple risks, and build on existing delivery platforms for feasibility of scale-up. While interventions will continue to improve with the growth of developmental science, the evidence now strongly suggests that parents, caregivers, and families need to be supported in providing nurturing care and protection in order for young children to achieve their developmental potential. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

State Department Early Childhood Education Program Specialists' Review of the Content and Technical Quality of AEL's "Around the Bend" Pilot Tapes. Technical Report No. 30.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shively, Joe E.

In order to determine whether Appalachia Educational Laboratory (AEL) had the capacity to produce a TV series of technical quality and whose content meets criteria designed for the selection of children's television programs, two pilot tapes were produced by AEL and submitted for rating to seven early childhood education specialists from seven…

Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Early Childhood Obesity.

PubMed

Isong, Inyang A; Rao, Sowmya R; Bind, Marie-Abèle; Avendaño, Mauricio; Kawachi, Ichiro; Richmond, Tracy K

2018-01-01

The prevalence of childhood obesity is significantly higher among racial and/or ethnic minority children in the United States. It is unclear to what extent well-established obesity risk factors in infancy and preschool explain these disparities. Our objective was to decompose racial and/or ethnic disparities in children's weight status according to contributing socioeconomic and behavioral risk factors. We used nationally representative data from ∼10 700 children in the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study Birth Cohort who were followed from age 9 months through kindergarten entry. We assessed the contribution of socioeconomic factors and maternal, infancy, and early childhood obesity risk factors to racial and/or ethnic disparities in children's BMI z scores by using Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition analyses. The prevalence of risk factors varied significantly by race and/or ethnicity. African American children had the highest prevalence of risk factors, whereas Asian children had the lowest prevalence. The major contributor to the BMI z score gap was the rate of infant weight gain during the first 9 months of life, which was a strong predictor of BMI z score at kindergarten entry. The rate of infant weight gain accounted for between 14.9% and 70.5% of explained disparities between white children and their racial and/or ethnic minority peers. Gaps in socioeconomic status were another important contributor that explained disparities, especially those between white and Hispanic children. Early childhood risk factors, such as fruit and vegetable consumption and television viewing, played less important roles in explaining racial and/or ethnic differences in children's BMI z scores. Differences in rapid infant weight gain contribute substantially to racial and/or ethnic disparities in obesity during early childhood. Interventions implemented early in life to target this risk factor could help curb widening racial and/or ethnic disparities in early childhood obesity

Fostering Connections to Nature -- Strategies for Community College Early Childhood Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Murphy, Debra

2017-01-01

How can early childhood teacher educators at the community college level create opportunities for their students to explore and relate to the natural world? This article discusses three learning opportunities in an early childhood associate-degree program that foster connections between preservice and inservice early childhood teachers and nature…

Getting Men Involved: Strategies for Early Childhood Programs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Levine, James A.; And Others

Designed as a guide for early childhood professionals, this book outlines specific success strategies for getting men--fathers or any significant male in a child's life--involved in early childhood education and child care, moving away from the traditional view of these fields as women's domains. The first section of the guide focuses on…

Arizona Early Childhood Education Standards.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arizona State Dept. of Education, Phoenix.

In an effort to provide a sound basis for educational accountability for preschool programs, the Arizona Early Childhood Education (ECE) Standards were developed as a framework for literacy-based programs for 3- and 4-year-olds and to provide parents with a basic understanding of indicators of early learning. These standards, to be adopted by…

Early Childhood Risk Factors for Mealtime TV Exposure and Engagement in Low-Income Families.

PubMed

Domoff, Sarah E; Lumeng, Julie C; Kaciroti, Niko; Miller, Alison L

To identify whether child and mother characteristics in early childhood predict TV exposure and engagement during mealtime in middle childhood. A total of 220 low-income mother-child dyads participated. Children were 4.26 years old (SD = 0.51) at baseline and 5.94 years (SD = 0.68) at 2-year follow-up. Mothers completed baseline measures of child negative emotionality and parenting practices. Family mealtimes were video recorded and coded for background TV exposure and child TV engagement. Multinomial logistic regression tested whether child emotionality and parenting practices during early childhood predicted risk of child TV exposure or engagement during mealtime, relative to no TV use, 2 years later. Children with greater negative emotionality in early childhood were more likely to engage with TV during mealtime than to have no TV. Similarly, early parenting disciplinary practices characterized by over-reactivity and laxness increased the risk for child TV engagement versus no TV during mealtime approximately 2 years later. We identified 2 factors that associated with an increased risk for TV viewing during meals. Helping parents manage child negative emotionality using positive parenting strategies might reduce later child TV engagement and improve the quality of family mealtimes. Copyright © 2016 Academic Pediatric Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Early Childhood Risk Factors for Mealtime TV Exposure and Engagement in Low-Income Families

PubMed Central

Domoff, Sarah E.; Lumeng, Julie C.; Kaciroti, Niko; Miller, Alison L.

2016-01-01

OBJECTIVE To identify whether child and mother characteristics in early childhood predict TV exposure and engagement during mealtime in middle childhood. METHODS A total of 220 low-income mother-child dyads participated. Children were 4.26 years old (SD = 0.51) at baseline and 5.94 years (SD = 0.68) at two-year follow-up. Mothers completed baseline measures of child negative emotionality and parenting practices. Family mealtimes were video-recorded and coded for background TV exposure and child TV engagement. Multinomial logistic regression tested whether child emotionality and parenting practices during early childhood predicted risk of child TV exposure or engagement during mealtime, relative to no TV use, two years later. RESULTS Children with greater negative emotionality in early childhood were more likely to engage with TV during mealtime than to have no TV. Similarly, early parenting disciplinary practices characterized by over-reactivity and laxness increased the risk for child TV engagement versus no TV during mealtime approximately two years later. CONCLUSIONS We identified two factors that associated with an increased risk for TV viewing during meals. Helping parents manage child negative emotionality using positive parenting strategies may reduce later child TV engagement and improve the quality of family mealtimes. PMID:27979749

Early Childhood Teacher Research: From Questions to Results

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Castle, Kathryn

2011-01-01

What is early childhood teacher research and why is it important? How does a teacher researcher formulate a research question and a plan for doing research? How do teachers apply research results to effect change? "Early Childhood Teacher Research" is an exciting new resource that will address the sorts of questions and concerns that pre- and…

Promoting Health in Early Childhood

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rossin-Slater, Maya

2015-01-01

Children who are healthy early in life--from conception to age five--not only grow up to be healthier adults, they are also better educated, earn more, and contribute more to the economy. The United States lags behind other advanced countries in early childhood health, threatening both the health of future generations and the nation's long-term…

Invest in Early Childhood Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kagan, Sharon Lynn; Reid, Jeanne L.

2009-01-01

The history of American early education is one of changing roles and goals. As federal engagement in early childhood has shifted in response to social, political, and economic needs, few policy efforts have focused on long-term planning or coordination. The authors identify the appropriate roles of federal, state, and local governments and make 13…

Arab Republic of Egypt: An Economic Analysis of Early Childhood Education/Development.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Janssens, Wendy; Van Der Gaag, Jacques; Tanaka, Shinichiro

Within Egypt's national framework for improving access to and quality of education, the government has announced the intention of enlarging compulsory basic education with 1 or 2 years of preschool. This report to the World Bank examines early childhood development (ECD) in Egypt from an economic and financial perspective. Following an executive…

Impacts of Early Childhood Education on Medium- and Long-Term Educational Outcomes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCoy, Dana Charles; Yoshikawa, Hirokazu; Ziol-Guest, Kathleen M.; Duncan, Greg J.; Schindler, Holly S.; Magnuson, Katherine; Yang, Rui; Koepp, Andrew; Shonkoff, Jack P.

2017-01-01

Despite calls to expand early childhood education (ECE) in the United States, questions remain regarding its medium- and long-term impacts on educational outcomes. We use meta-analysis of 22 high-quality experimental and quasi-experimental studies conducted between 1960 and 2016 to find that on average, participation in ECE leads to statistically…

A Fourth Dimension: Tapping the Artist within the Early Childhood Educator

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dehouske, Ellen J.

2006-01-01

This article examines the concept of an early childhood teacher learning, in stages, a new method for integrating the arts into the early childhood curriculum. An early childhood graduate course, Aesthetics as Learning, is the learning ground. In this course, the graduate students discover the "Adult Within," the "Child Within," the "Teacher…

Early childhood poverty, immune-mediated disease processes, and adult productivity.

PubMed

Ziol-Guest, Kathleen M; Duncan, Greg J; Kalil, Ariel; Boyce, W Thomas

2012-10-16

This study seeks to understand whether poverty very early in life is associated with early-onset adult conditions related to immune-mediated chronic diseases. It also tests the role that these immune-mediated chronic diseases may play in accounting for the associations between early poverty and adult productivity. Data (n = 1,070) come from the US Panel Study of Income Dynamics and include economic conditions in utero and throughout childhood and adolescence coupled with adult (age 30-41 y) self-reports of health and economic productivity. Results show that low income, particularly in very early childhood (between the prenatal and second year of life), is associated with increases in early-adult hypertension, arthritis, and limitations on activities of daily living. Moreover, these relationships and particularly arthritis partially account for the associations between early childhood poverty and adult productivity as measured by adult work hours and earnings. The results suggest that the associations between early childhood poverty and these adult disease states may be immune-mediated.

It's Not Rocket Science: The Perspectives of Indigenous Early Childhood Workers on Supporting the Engagement of Indigenous Families in Early Childhood Settings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grace, Rebekah; Trudgett, Michelle

2012-01-01

This paper presents the findings from semi-structured interviews with six Indigenous Australian early childhood workers who were asked about how Indigenous families might be better supported to engage with early childhood education and care services. The workers identified three key barriers to family participation: transport difficulties, family…

Child oral health-related quality of life and early childhood caries: a non-inferiority randomized control trial.

PubMed

Arrow, P; Klobas, E

2016-06-01

The aim of this study was to compare changes in child oral health-related quality of life (COHRQoL) after treatment for early childhood caries (ECC) using two alternative treatment approaches. A randomized control trial with random allocation of parent/child dyads with ECC to test (minimum intervention) or control (standard care). Participating parents completed the Early Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale (ECOHIS) at baseline and follow-up. Changes in ECOHIS scores and extent of COHRQoL impacts between and within groups were tested using the chi-squared statistic for groups, Wilcoxon's rank-sum test, and matched-pairs signed-rank test. Two hundred and fifty-four children were randomized (test = 127; control = 127). At baseline, mean ECOHIS score 11.1, sd 8.2; mean age = 3.8 years, sd 0.90; mean dmft = 4.9, sd 4.0; and 59% male. After a mean interval of 11.4 months, 210 children were followed-up and returned a completed questionnaire (test = 111; control = 99). There was no significant difference in COHRQoL changes between test and control. For all the children combined, there were significantly fewer impacts at follow-up in the child and family domains and the total ECOHIS, Wilcoxon signed-rank test, p < 0.05. COHRQoL improved with primary dental care for ECC, and there was no statistically significant difference between test and control in the extent of the improvement. © 2016 Australian Dental Association.

African ancestry, early life exposures, and respiratory morbidity in early childhood.

PubMed

Kumar, R; Tsai, H-J; Hong, X; Gignoux, C; Pearson, C; Ortiz, K; Fu, M; Pongracic, J A; Burchard, E G; Bauchner, H; Wang, X

2012-02-01

Racial disparities persist in early childhood wheezing and cannot be completely explained by known risk factors. To evaluate the associations of genetic ancestry and self-identified race with early childhood recurrent wheezing, accounting for socio-economic status (SES) and early life exposures. We studied 1034 children in an urban, multi-racial, prospective birth cohort. Multivariate logistic regression was used to evaluate the association of genetic ancestry as opposed to self-identified race with recurrent wheezing (>3 episodes). Sequential models accounted for demographic, socio-economic factors and early life risk factors. Genetic ancestry, estimated using 150 ancestry informative markers, was expressed in deciles. Approximately 6.1% of subjects (mean age 3.1 years) experienced recurrent wheezing. After accounting for SES and demographic factors, African ancestry (OR: 1.16, 95% CI: 1.02-1.31) was significantly associated with recurrent wheezing. By self-reported race, hispanic subjects had a borderline decrease in risk of wheeze compared with African Americans (OR: 0.44, 95% CI: 0.19-1.00), whereas white subjects (OR: 0.46, 95% CI: 0.14-1.57) did not have. After further adjustment for known confounders and early life exposures, both African (OR: 1.19, 95% CI: 1.05-1.34) and European ancestry (OR: 0.84, 95% CI: 0.74-0.94) retained a significant association with recurrent wheezing, as compared with self-identified race (OR(whites) : 0.31, 95% CI: 0.09-1.14; OR(hispanic) : 0.47, 95% CI: 0.20-1.08). There were no significant interactions between ancestry and early life factors on recurrent wheezing. In contrast to self-identified race, African ancestry remained a significant, independent predictor of early childhood wheezing after accounting for early life and other known risk factors associated with lung function changes and asthma. Genetic ancestry may be a powerful way to evaluate wheezing disparities and a proxy for differentially distributed genetic and

African ancestry, early life exposures, and respiratory morbidity in early childhood

PubMed Central

Kumar, R.; Tsai, H.-J.; Hong, X.; Gignoux, C.; Pearson, C.; Ortiz, K.; Fu, M.; Pongracic, J. A.; Burchard, E. G.; Bauchner, H.; Wang, X.

2012-01-01

Summary Background Racial disparities persist in early childhood wheezing and cannot be completely explained by known risk factors. Objective To evaluate the associations of genetic ancestry and self-identified race with early childhood recurrent wheezing, accounting for socio-economic status (SES) and early life exposures. Methods We studied 1034 children in an urban, multi-racial, prospective birth cohort. Multivariate logistic regression was used to evaluate the association of genetic ancestry as opposed to self-identified race with recurrent wheezing (>3 episodes). Sequential models accounted for demographic, socio-economic factors and early life risk factors. Genetic ancestry, estimated using 150 ancestry informative markers, was expressed in deciles. Results Approximately 6.1% of subjects (mean age 3.1 years) experienced recurrent wheezing. After accounting for SES and demographic factors, African ancestry (OR: 1.16, 95% CI: 1.02–1.31) was significantly associated with recurrent wheezing. By self-reported race, hispanic subjects had a borderline decrease in risk of wheeze compared with African Americans (OR: 0.44, 95% CI: 0.19–1.00), whereas white subjects (OR: 0.46, 95% CI: 0.14–1.57) did not have. After further adjustment for known confounders and early life exposures, both African (OR: 1.19, 95% CI: 1.05–1.34) and European ancestry (OR: 0.84, 95% CI: 0.74–0.94) retained a significant association with recurrent wheezing, as compared with self-identified race (ORwhites: 0.31, 95% CI: 0.09–1.14; ORhispanic: 0.47, 95% CI: 0.20–1.08). There were no significant interactions between ancestry and early life factors on recurrent wheezing. Conclusions and Clinical Relevance In contrast to self-identified race, African ancestry remained a significant, independent predictor of early childhood wheezing after accounting for early life and other known risk factors associated with lung function changes and asthma. Genetic ancestry may be a powerful way to

Parents, Participation, Partnership: Problematising New Zealand Early Childhood Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chan, Angel; Ritchie, Jenny

2016-01-01

This article interrogates notions of teacher "partnership with parents" within early childhood care and education settings in the context of Aotearoa (New Zealand). "Te Whariki," the New Zealand early childhood curriculum, clearly positions children's learning and development as being fostered when their families' cultures and…

An Evaluation of Partnerships for Early Childhood Mental Health

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shamblin, Sherry R.

2013-01-01

Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (ECMHC) has been linked to increased teacher competence and efficacy, as well as increased social skills and decreased challenging behaviors for participating children (Green, 2009). Partnerships for Early Childhood Mental Health ("Partnerships") is an ECMHC program in Southeastern Ohio. This…

The Role of Motive Objects in Early Childhood Teacher Development Concerning Children's Digital Play and Play-Based Learning in Early Childhood Curricula

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nuttall, Joce; Edwards, Susan; Mantilla, Ana; Grieshaber, Sue; Wood, Elizabeth

2015-01-01

Digital technologies are increasingly accepted as a viable aspect of early childhood curriculum. However, teacher uptake of digital technologies in early childhood education and their use with young children in play-based approaches to learning have not been strong. Traditional approaches to the problem of teacher uptake of digital technologies in…

Quality of care after early childhood trauma and well-being in later life: child Holocaust survivors reaching old age.

PubMed

van der Hal-Van Raalte, Elisheva; Van Ijzendoorn, Marinus H; Bakermans-Kranenburg, Marian J

2007-10-01

The link between deprivation and trauma during earliest childhood and psychosocial functioning and health in later life was investigated in a group of child Holocaust survivors. In a nonconvenience sample 203 survivors, born between 1935 and 1944, completed questionnaires on Holocaust survival experience and several inventories on current health, depression, posttraumatic stress, loneliness, and attachment style. Quality of postwar care arrangements and current physical health independently predicted lack of well-being in old age. Loss of parents during the persecution, year of birth of the survivors (being born before or during the war), and memories of the Holocaust did not significantly affect present well-being. Lack of adequate care after the end of World War II is associated with lower well-being of the youngest Holocaust child survivors, even after an intervening period of 60 years. Our study validates Keilson's (1992) concept of "sequential traumatization," and points to the importance of aftertrauma care in decreasing the impact of early childhood trauma.

Early Childhood Pedagog"ies": Spaces for Young Children to Flourish

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Murray, Jane

2015-01-01

This paper introduces the Special Issue of "Early Child Development and Care" focused on "Early Childhood Pedagogy." It opens by considering past and present discourses concerning early childhood pedagogy, and focus is given to established philosophical underpinnings in the field and their translation to contemporary guidance,…

Evidence-Based Practices: Providing Guidance for Early Childhood Practitioners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Farley, Kristin S.; Brock, Matthew E.; Winterbottom, Christian

2018-01-01

Early childhood education represents a pivotal opportunity to improve the developmental trajectories of young children, and evidence-based practices (EBPs) are scientifically proven to improve these outcomes. Furthermore, federal law mandates that early childhood practitioners implement EBPs. However, because EBP has not been clearly defined in…

Writing Research Articles for Publication in Early Childhood Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saracho, Olivia N.

2013-01-01

Published research results in early childhood education contribute to the field's knowledge, theory, and practice. They also guide future early childhood education research studies. The publication of research articles is an essential requirement for academics. For some researchers, however, writing may be a difficult activity, particularly the…

Sustainable Professional Learning for Early Childhood Educators: Lessons from an Australia-Wide Mental Health Promotion Initiative

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Askell-Williams, Helen; Murray-Harvey, Rosalind

2016-01-01

New policy initiatives, such as those concerned with promoting young children's positive mental health, highlight the need for good quality professional education in the early childhood education and care sector. However, although a wealth of literature exists from the school sector, little is known about professional education in early childhood…

Mental Health Consultation in Early Childhood Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bernzweig, Jane; Ramler, Malia; Alkon, Abbey

2009-01-01

Early childhood mental health consultation is a relationship-based intervention that promotes children's social and emotional development. Benefits include improved childhood behaviors, improved staff self-efficacy, and lowered parental stress. Child care center directors are more likely to be satisfied with consultation when they are involved in…

The Development of Early Childhood Teachers' Language Knowledge in Different Educational Tracks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Strohmer, Janina; Mischo, Christoph

2015-01-01

Early childhood teachers should have extensive knowledge about language and language development, because these facets of professional knowledge are considered as important requirements for fostering language development in early childhood education settings. It is assumed that early childhood teachers acquire this knowledge during pre-service…

Delegation: Win-Win Strategies for Managing Early Childhood Settings.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hayden, Jacqueline

1999-01-01

This issue of the Australian Early Childhood Association Research in Practice Series provides staff management strategies for directors and others involved with the management of early childhood settings and suggests ways to effectively delegate authority and tasks in order to reduce administrative pressures and workload. The booklet presents…

Teachers' Pedagogical Mathematical Awareness in Swedish Early Childhood Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Björklund, Camilla; Barendregt, Wolmet

2016-01-01

Revised guidelines for Swedish early childhood education that emphasize mathematics content and competencies in more detail than before raise the question of the status of pedagogical mathematical awareness among Swedish early childhood teachers. The purpose of this study is to give an overview of teachers' current pedagogical mathematical…

First Steps: Stories on Inclusion in Early Childhood Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, Paris (France).

This publication presents papers from 13 nations that describe the integration of children with disabilities into early childhood education programs. The compilation of case studies will serve as a reference document for the International Consultation on Early Childhood Education and Special Educational Needs, organized by UNESCO in collaboration…

Learning with Technology for Pre-Service Early Childhood Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Campbell, Anne; Scotellaro, Grazia

2009-01-01

This paper describes an innovative pilot project at the University of Canberra aimed at providing pre-service early childhood teachers with the skills, confidence and ideological change required to include technology-enhanced learning as part of the early childhood curriculum. The impact of the project was evaluated through participant…

Today and Yesterday in Early Childhood Education in Korea.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Guang-Lea

Early childhood education has always been considered important in Korea, with the education of the child valued highly, regardless of the parent's educational background or socioeconomic status. The main social facility for early childhood education outside home in Korea is called "Yoo Chee Won," which means kindergarten. This paper…

Childhood adversity, early-onset depressive/anxiety disorders, and adult-onset asthma.

PubMed

Scott, Kate M; Von Korff, Michael; Alonso, Jordi; Angermeyer, Matthias C; Benjet, Corina; Bruffaerts, Ronny; de Girolamo, Giovanni; Haro, Josep Maria; Kessler, Ronald C; Kovess, Viviane; Ono, Yutaka; Ormel, Johan; Posada-Villa, José

2008-11-01

To investigate a) whether childhood adversity predicts adult-onset asthma; b) whether early-onset depressive/anxiety disorders predict adult-onset asthma; and c) whether childhood adversity and early-onset depressive/anxiety disorders predict adult-onset asthma independently of each other. Previous research has suggested, but not established, that childhood adversity may predict adult-onset asthma and, moreover, that the association between mental disorders and asthma may be a function of shared risk factors, such as childhood adversity. Ten cross-sectional population surveys of household-residing adults (>18 years, n = 18,303) assessed mental disorders with the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI 3.0) as part of the World Mental Health surveys. Assessment of a range of childhood family adversities was included. Asthma was ascertained by self-report of lifetime diagnosis and age of diagnosis. Survival analyses calculated hazard ratios (HRs) for risk of adult-onset (>age 20 years) asthma as a function of number and type of childhood adversities and early-onset (Childhood adversities predicted adult-onset asthma with risk increasing with the number of adversities experienced (HRs = 1.49-1.71). Early-onset depressive and anxiety disorders also predicted adult-onset asthma (HRs = 1.67-2.11). Childhood adversities and early-onset depressive and anxiety disorders both predicted adult-onset asthma after mutual adjustment (HRs = 1.43-1.91). Childhood adversities and early-onset depressive/anxiety disorders independently predict adult-onset asthma, suggesting that the mental disorder-asthma relationship is not a function of a shared background of childhood adversity.

Developmental Origins of Rumination in Middle Childhood: The Roles of Early Temperament and Positive Parenting.

PubMed

Schweizer, Tina H; Olino, Thomas M; Dyson, Margaret W; Laptook, Rebecca S; Klein, Daniel N

2017-09-08

Rumination, a thinking style characterized by a repetitive inward focus on negative cognitions, has been linked to internalizing disorders, particularly depression. Moreover, research suggests that rumination may be a cognitive vulnerability that predisposes individuals to psychopathology. Surprisingly little is known, however, about the etiology and development of rumination. The present study examined the role of specific components of child temperamental negative emotionality (sadness, fear, anger) and effortful control (inhibition), as well as parenting behaviors during early childhood on the development of rumination in middle childhood. Early childhood (age 3) temperament and parenting behaviors were assessed observationally and rumination was self-reported in middle childhood (age 9) in a large community sample (N = 425; 47.1% female). Two significant interactions emerged. First, temperamental anger interacted with inhibitory control (IC) such that high anger and low IC predicted higher levels of rumination, whereas low anger and low IC predicted lower levels of rumination. Second, IC interacted with parenting such that children with low IC and positive parenting had lower levels of rumination. In contrast, children with high IC reported similar levels of rumination regardless of parenting quality. Overall, these findings highlight the interplay of early IC with temperamental anger and positive parenting in the development of ruminative tendencies in middle childhood.

Conceptions of and Early Childhood Educators' Experiences in Early Childhood Professional Development Programs: A Qualitative Metasynthesis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Christopher P.; Englehardt, Joanna

2016-01-01

Policy makers and early childhood stakeholders across the United States continue to seek policy solutions that improve early educators' instruction of young children. A primary vehicle for attaining this goal is professional development. This has led to an influx of empirical studies that seek to develop a set of best practices for professional…

Highlighting High Performance: Michael E. Capuano Early Childhood Center; Somerville, Massachusetts

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

2006-03-01

This brochure describes the key high-performance building features of the Michael E. Capuano Early Childhood Center. The brochure was paid for by the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative as part of their Green Schools Initiative. High-performance features described are daylighting and energy-efficient lighting, indoor air quality, solar and wind energy, building envelope, heating and cooling systems, water conservation, and acoustics. Energy cost savings are also discussed.

Culture and Child Development in Early Childhood Programs: Practices for Quality Education and Care

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Howes, Carollee

2009-01-01

Early childhood education programs are expected to provide exemplary care for all children--poor and affluent; children of color and White children--while also adapting care to include children's families and cultures. These two sets of expectations are often difficult for teachers and programs to meet. In this book, Carollee Howes shows how…

Transitions for Young Children: Creating Connections across Early Childhood Systems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kagan, Sharon Lynn, Ed.; Tarrant, Kate, Ed.

2010-01-01

Smooth early childhood transitions are key to ensuring positive outcomes for young children the world over--but in today's fragmented early education systems, it's difficult to ensure continuity among programs and services. Early childhood professionals will help change that with this book, the first to propose a comprehensive, practical framework…

Countering the Politics of Class, Race, Gender, and Geography in Early Childhood Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wright, Travis S.

2011-01-01

Mirroring many of the same social and geographic inequities present in the K-12 educational system, the promise of early childhood education has been unfulfilled for many young children and their families. Social norms and funding structures, including the lack of universal, publicly funded high-quality preschool offerings, have served to…

Early Childhood: Years of Promise, Parts 1 & 2. Profiles in Education Series. [Videotape].

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

1998

Noting a Carnegie report pointing out changes in children's lives, including working mothers and poor quality care, this videotape provides educators, librarians, and parents information to help children grow to their fullest potential. The 45-minute video highlights a collaborative early childhood care model in place in Stamford, Connecticut to…

Implementation of Early Childhood Development Education Service Standard Guidelines on Physical Facilities in Public and Private Early Childhood Education Centres Kakamega County, Kenya

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sitati, Emmily M.; Ndirangu, Mwangi; Kennedy, Bota; Rapongo, George S.

2016-01-01

In 2006, the Kenyan Ministry of Education (MoE) developed an early childhood development education (ECDE) service standard guidelines to guide the ECDE stakeholders in provision of early childhood education (ECE) programmes. The study sought to investigate the implementation of the ECDE service standard guidelines on provision of physical…

Culturally Responsive Literacy Practices in an Early Childhood Community

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bennett, Susan V.; Gunn, AnnMarie Alberton; Gayle-Evans, Guda; Barrera, Estanislado S.; Leung, Cynthia B.

2018-01-01

Early childhood educators continue to see an increase in their culturally diverse student population. As our country continues to grow as a multicultural nation, it is imperative that our early childhood classrooms embrace this rich diversity and provide experiences that affirm all students, families and communities. We (teacher educators)…

A Politics of Imperceptibilities, Possibilities and Early Childhood Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cumming, Tamara; Sumsion, Jennifer

2014-01-01

A growing body of research suggests that a range of "hidden" or "less tangible" aspects of early childhood practice play an important part in early childhood practice. The purpose of this article is to contribute to this existing research literature by identifying some of the complex ways that less tangible aspects…

Child Abuse and Its Implications for Early Childhood Educators.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gootman, Marilyn E.

1996-01-01

This article discusses how schools can facilitate the normal development of young abused/neglected children; examines how research can provide schools with the sensitivity and tools for accomplishing this task; and addresses the early childhood curriculum, the treatment of dysfunctional behavior, and the role of the early childhood teacher. (CR)

Impact of early childhood caries and its treatment under general anesthesia on orofacial function and quality of life : A prospective comparative study.

PubMed

Collado, V; Pichot, H; Delfosse, C; Eschevins, C; Nicolas, E; Hennequin, M

2017-05-01

Early Childhood Caries (ECC) has become a major public health concern worldwide, mostly affecting children from disadvantaged families in increasingly severe forms. This condition has been frequently reported to alter children's nutrition, growth and general development. It negatively impacts their quality of life, through painful episodes and severe eating difficulties. While this period is crucial for oral praxes development, the impact of dental state on oro-facial functions is poorly documented. This study evaluated the impact of ECC and its treatment under general anesthesia on oro-facial functions and quality of life in pre-school children. The dysfunction and quality of life scores from 25 children with ECC were evaluated before treatment (T0), one month (T1) and three months after treatment (T2), using the Nordic Orofacial Test-Screening (NOT-S) and the Early Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale (ECOHIS), respectively, in comparison with 16 caries-free children. The number and extent of inter-arch dental contacts were also observed. The pre-operative higher NOT-S score observed in children with ECC decreased to reach the control level at T2. The mastication item was the most affected in the ECC group throughout the study. Their mean ECOHIS score also significantly decreased post-operatively and differences remaining between both groups were no longer clinically relevant. In addition, in children with ECC, values of functional inter-arch surfaces tended to increase over the follow-up period. Oro-facial functions and quality of life, altered by ECC, could be restored through a conservative treatment approach. Relations between dental state, orofacial functions and particularly chewing, and nutrition should be investigated further.

The Indirect Effects of Maternal Emotion Socialization on Friendship Quality in Middle Childhood

PubMed Central

Blair, Bethany L.; Perry, Nicole B.; O’Brien, Marion; Calkins, Susan D.; Keane, Susan P.; Shanahan, Lilly

2014-01-01

Emotion development processes have long been linked to social competence in early childhood but rarely have these associations been examined in middle childhood or with relational outcomes. Guided by theories of interpersonal relationships and emotion socialization, the current study was designed to fill these gaps by examining a longitudinal process model indirectly linking emotion development to friendship quality. Data were drawn from 336 children (179 girls, 65% White), their mothers, and their teachers across 3 time points spanning the ages of 5–10 years. A path analysis model was utilized to examine the way in which maternal emotion socialization indirectly affects children’s friendship quality. Results supported the hypothesized model in which maternal emotion socialization strategies used when children were age 5 were associated with changes in friendship quality from ages 7 to 10 via changes in children’s emotion regulation. Findings highlight the importance of emotional processes for relational outcomes in middle childhood. PMID:23795555

Sleep Disordered Breathing in Early Childhood: Quality of Life for Children and Families

PubMed Central

Jackman, Angela R.; Biggs, Sarah N.; Walter, Lisa M.; Embuldeniya, Upeka S.; Davey, Margot J.; Nixon, Gillian M.; Anderson, Vicki; Trinder, John; Horne, Rosemary S. C.

2013-01-01

Objectives: To characterize health-related quality of life (QOL) in preschool children with sleep disordered breathing (SDB) and their families compared with nonsnoring control patients in the community. It was hypothesized that children with SDB and their families would have poorer QOL than control children, that a relationship would be found between SDB severity and QOL, and that even children with mild SDB and their families would have reduced QOL. Participants and Methods: A clinical sample of preschool children (3-5 y) with SDB diagnosed by gold standard polysomnography (primary snoring, PS = 56, mild obstructive sleep apnea, OSA = 35, moderate/severe OSA = 24) and control children recruited from the community (n = 38) were studied. Parents completed health-related QOL and parenting stress questionnaires. Results: Children and families in the PS and mild OSA groups had consistently poorer QOL than control children (both P < 0.05-0.001), based on parent ratings, and parents of children with PS had elevated stress ratings relative to control children (P < 0.05-0.001). The moderate/severe OSA group differed from the control group on select measures of parent and family QOL (worry, P < 0.001 and total family impact, P < 0.05). Conclusions: Our findings demonstrate that sleep disordered breathing is associated with reduced quality of life in preschool children and their families. These results support previous quality of life findings in older children and in samples with broader age ranges. Furthermore, clinically referred preschool children with mild forms of sleep disordered breathing may be at greatest risk. Citation: Jackman AR; Biggs SN; Walter LM; Embuldeniya US; Davey MJ; Nixon GM; Anderson V; Trinder J; Horne RSC. Sleep disordered breathing in early childhood: quality of life for children and families. SLEEP 2013;36(11):1639-1646. PMID:24179296

The hierarchical structure of childhood personality in five countries: continuity from early childhood to early adolescence.

PubMed

Tackett, Jennifer L; Slobodskaya, Helena R; Mar, Raymond A; Deal, James; Halverson, Charles F; Baker, Spencer R; Pavlopoulos, Vassilis; Besevegis, Elias

2012-08-01

Childhood personality is a rapidly growing area of investigation within individual differences research. One understudied topic is the universality of the hierarchical structure of childhood personality. In the present investigation, parents rated the personality characteristics of 3,751 children from 5 countries and 4 age groups. The hierarchical structure of childhood personality was examined for 1-, 2-, 3-, 4-, and 5-factor models across country (Canada, China, Greece, Russia, and the United States) and age group (3-5, 6-8, 9-11, and 12-14 years of age). Many similarities were noted across both country and age. The Five-Factor Model was salient beginning in early childhood (ages 3-5). Deviations across groups and from adult findings are noted, including the prominent role of antagonism in childhood personality and the high covariation between Conscientiousness and intellect. Future directions, including the need for more explicit attempts to merge temperament and personality models, are discussed. © 2011 The Authors. Journal of Personality © 2011, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

[Early childhood growth and development].

PubMed

Arce, Melitón

2015-01-01

This article describes and discusses issues related to the process of childhood growth and development, with emphasis on the early years, a period in which this process reaches critical speed on major structures and functions of the human economy. We reaffirm that this can contribute to the social availability of a generation of increasingly better adults, which in turn will be able to contribute to building a better world and within it a society that enjoys greater prosperity. In the first chapter, we discuss the general considerations on the favorable evolution of human society based on quality of future adults, meaning the accomplishments that today’s children will gain. A second chapter mentions the basics of growth and development in the different fields and the various phenomena that occur in it. In the third we refer to lost opportunities and negative factors that can affect delaying the process and thereby result in not obtaining the expected accomplishments. In the fourth, conclusions and recommendations are presented confirming the initial conception that good early child care serves to build a better society and some recommendations are formulated to make it a good practice.

Making the Case for Early Childhood Investments: Three Arguments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Neugebauer, Roger

2011-01-01

Tamar Manuelyan Atinc, vice president of The World Bank, introduces a World Bank report, "Investing in Young Children: An Early Childhood Development Guide for Policy Dialogue and Project Preparation". This report, which is a must for inclusion in every advocate's make the case for investing in early childhood services. It defines three arguments…

Stress in Early Childhood: Helping Children and Their Carers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thomas, Patrice

2006-01-01

This book offers practical and effective strategies for stress management for both early childhood staff and the children in their care. Here, the author uncovers valuable insights into the causes of stress and outlines a range of activities to counteract it. Early childhood practitioners know that theirs is both a stressful and rewarding…

Praxis in Early Childhood Research with Infants and Educators

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Salamon, Andi

2017-01-01

As emerging literature reflects, "praxis" is an important and useful concept for thinking about the many aspects of early childhood education (ECE) and early childhood research. In this article, I seek to contribute to discussions about praxis in ECE as a valuable concept for meeting the ethical challenges that arise in participatory…

Writing and Publishing Qualitative Studies in Early Childhood Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saracho, Olivia N.

2017-01-01

When a study is published in a respected professional journal, it not only verifies that the research has been completed but also that it has been subjected to anonymous peer review. Published results from studies in early childhood education contribute to the field's knowledge and provide direction to guide future early childhood education…

Teacher Preparation for Early Childhood: Special Education in Taiwan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ho, Hua-Kuo

2014-01-01

The purpose of this paper is intended to present the current model of teacher preparation for early childhood special education in Taiwan. Documentary analysis was conducted in the study to collect and analyze the obtained data. The main features of teacher preparation policies for early childhood special education in Taiwan could be summarized…

Shared-Reading Volume in Early Childhood Special Education Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dynia, Jaclyn M.; Justice, Laura M.

2015-01-01

This study describes book reading practices occurring in early childhood special education (ECSE) classrooms in comparison to early childhood education (ECE) classrooms. Reading logs submitted by 19 ECSE teachers and 13 ECE teachers over one academic year included all books read in whole class settings; these logs were analyzed to assess the…

Issues and Realities in Early Childhood Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Spodek, Bernard

This paper investigates three issues vital to early childhood education: (1) sources of curriculum, (2) sources of financial support, and (3) the relationship between racism and compensatory education. "Natural" childhood and child development theories are discussed, and their use as a source of curriculum for young children is questioned, as is…

Developing and Validating a Survey of Korean Early Childhood English Teachers' Knowledge

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, Jung In

2015-01-01

The main purpose of this study is to develop and validate a valid measure of the early childhood (EC) English teacher knowledge. Through extensive literature review on second/foreign language (L2/FL) teacher knowledge, early childhood teacher knowledge and early childhood language teacher knowledge, and semi-structured interviews from current…

Partial and Incomplete Voices: The Political and Three Early Childhood Teachers' Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Henderson, Linda

2014-01-01

The early childhood-school relationship is reported as having points of separation and difference. In particular, early childhood teachers located in a school setting report experiencing a push-down effect. This paper reports on a participatory action research project involving three early childhood teachers working within an independent school.…

Using Early Learning Standards to Provide High-Quality Education for All Children: The Early Learning Guidelines Toolkit

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Flores, Roseanne L.; Curby, Timothy W.; Coleman, Hardin; Melo, Kristan

2016-01-01

Today with the rise in the number of 3- to 6-year-old children enrolled in center-based early childhood programs, and a focus on program quality, it becomes imperative for educators to have a better understanding of the role research plays in establishing high-quality programs as these programs provide much of the foundation that supports early…

Multiple Perspectives on Play in Early Childhood Education. SUNY Series, Early Childhood Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saracho, Olivia N., Ed.; Spodek, Bernard, Ed.

This book provides research in the area of educational play for early childhood teachers and teacher educators. Following an introduction by the editors, the chapters of the book are: (1) "A Historical Overview of Theories of Play" (Olivia Saracho and Bernard Spodek); (2) "Playing with a Theory of Mind" (Angeline Lillard); (3)…

Boston Public Schools K1 and K2 Programs Needs Assessment. Internal Report to the Department of Early Childhood, Boston Public Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marshall, Nancy L.; Roberts, Joanne; Mills, Linda

2006-01-01

The Boston Public Schools (BPS) Department of Early Childhood commissioned a needs assessment of current kindergarten (K2) and preschool (K1) programs (1) to inform the BPS Department of Early Childhood about professional development needs to improve the quality of existing K1 and K2 programs; and (2) to inform the Department of additional…

The Literacy Environment of Early Childhood Special Education Classrooms: Predictors of Print Knowledge

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dynia, Jaclyn M.

2012-01-01

The present study aimed to examine the quality of the classroom literacy environment in early childhood special education (ECSE) classrooms, as well as the relations between the classroom literacy environment and children's gains in print knowledge. To address these aims, the present study described the classroom literacy environments of 28…

Nature and the Outdoor Learning Environment: The Forgotten Resource in Early Childhood Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cooper, Allen

2015-01-01

Longitudinal studies now confirm the economic, academic, and social importance of high-quality early childhood education. At the same time, a substantial body of research indicates that an outdoor learning and play environment with diverse natural elements advances and enriches all of the domains relevant to the development, health, and well-being…

Differentiating early-onset persistent versus childhood-limited conduct problem youth.

PubMed

Barker, Edward D; Maughan, Barbara

2009-08-01

Among young children who demonstrate high levels of conduct problems, less than 50% will continue to exhibit these problems into adolescence. Such developmental heterogeneity presents a serious challenge for intervention and diagnostic screening in early childhood. The purpose of the present study was to inform diagnostic screening and preventive intervention efforts by identifying youths whose conduct problems persist. The authors examined 1) the extent to which early-onset persistent versus childhood-limited trajectories can be identified from repeated assessments of childhood and early-adolescent conduct problems and 2) how prenatal and early postnatal risks differentiate these two groups. To identify heterogeneity in early-onset conduct problems, the authors used data from a large longitudinal population-based cohort of children followed from the prenatal period to age 13. Predictive risk factors examined were prenatal and postnatal measures of maternal distress (anxiety, depression), emotional and practical support, and family and child characteristics (from birth to 4 years of age). Findings revealed a distinction between early-onset persistent versus childhood-limited conduct problems in youths. Robust predictors of the early-onset persistent trajectory were maternal anxiety during pregnancy (32 weeks gestation), partner cruelty to the mother (from age 0 to 4 years), harsh parenting, and higher levels of child undercontrolled temperament. Sex differences in these risks were not identified. Interventions aiming to reduce childhood conduct problems should address prenatal risks in mothers and early postnatal risks in both mothers and their young children.

The Gentle Art of Listening: Skills for Developing Family-Administrator Relationships in Early Childhood.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lam, Mei Seung

2000-01-01

Notes that relationships between parents, administrators, and teachers are essential to quality early childhood education. Examines the role of good communication skills in building positive home-school relationships. Discusses the importance of developing effective listening skills in order to understand parents' needs and concerns, and how the…

2005 Workforce Study: Ohio Early Childhood Centers. General Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stoneburner, Chris

2006-01-01

The purpose of this study was to understand the characteristics of the current workforce in early childhood. This report highlights key characteristics of the 2005 early childhood center workforce in Ohio. Survey packets were sent to 3.600 randomly selected centers in April 2005, representing centers licensed by the Ohio Department of Job and…

Early Childhood Education: History, Theory, and Practice. Second Edition

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morgan, Harry

2010-01-01

Harry Morgan lays the foundations of what early childhood education is by integrating the history of the field with the philosophy and theories behind this discipline. From birth to age eight, when children become integrated into society through their education at school and at home, "Early Childhood Education" examines the education of this age…

Perspectives on Early Childhood Education in Egypt and Kuwait.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

El-Beblawi, Viola F.

Early childhood education is rooted in the Arab culture. Of particular importance for the implementation of early childhood education is the academic psycho-educational movement in the Arab world (initiated by Tsmail El Kabani and Dr. Abel Aziz El Koussy), which began in the 1920s. This movement, combined with rapid social change (including the…

Researching Early Childhood Policy and Practice. A Critical Ecology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Urban, Mathias

2012-01-01

This article examines the renewed interest in early childhood education and care in European politics, and the implications for research in changing policy contexts. Based on the policy analysis, it argues for a radical reconceptualisation of how, with and for whom, and to what end we design, conduct and interpret research in early childhood in…

Taiwanese Model of Teacher Preparation for Early Childhood Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ho, Hua-Kuo

2012-01-01

The purpose of this paper is intended to present the current model of teacher preparation for early childhood education in Taiwan. Documentary analysis was employed in the study to collect and analyze the obtained data. The main features of teacher preparation policies for early childhood education in Taiwan could be summarized as: (1) The…

Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation: Common Questions and Answers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hughes, Mary-alayne; Spence, Christine M.; Ostrosky, Michaelene M.

2015-01-01

As the field of early childhood mental health continues to expand and evolve, the evidence base is growing, and early childhood mental health consultation is viewed as a promising practice. However, there continues to be a need for further research, with particular attention given to the utility and effectiveness of this approach with infants and…

A Global Perspective on Early Childhood Care and Education: A Proposed Model. Action Research in Family and Early Childhood. UNESCO Education Sector Monograph.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lillemyr, Ole Fredrik; Fagerli, Oddvar; Sobstad, Frode

This monograph describes an alternative model for early childhood care and education involving a complex and integrated system that allows for more collaboration among early childhood care and education activities. The model, with its emphasis on values in all educational practices, is intended to promote a more global and total approach to…

What's Happening with Computer Technology in Early Childhood Education Settings?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wood, Eileen; Willoughby, Teena; Specht, Jacqueline

1998-01-01

This in-depth survey of 75 early-childhood-education directors examined the current status of computer use in early childhood education (ECE). Results suggest that training may be necessary to facilitate the introduction of computers in ECE environments. (Author/LRW)

Early Childhood Educators' Perceived and Actual Metalinguistic Knowledge, Beliefs and Enacted Practice about Teaching Early Reading

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hammond, Lorraine

2015-01-01

Results of influential reports on early literacy have drawn attention to the need for early childhood educators to take up a more explicit, teacher-directed approach to beginning reading. Positive classroom results however are in part dependent upon teacher knowledge and this study investigated the relationship between early childhood educators'…

Quality Early Education and Child Care From Birth to Kindergarten.

PubMed

Donoghue, Elaine A

2017-08-01

High-quality early education and child care for young children improves physical and cognitive outcomes for the children and can result in enhanced school readiness. Preschool education can be viewed as an investment (especially for at-risk children), and studies show a positive return on that investment. Barriers to high-quality early childhood education include inadequate funding and staff education as well as variable regulation and enforcement. Steps that have been taken to improve the quality of early education and child care include creating multidisciplinary, evidence-based child care practice standards; establishing state quality rating and improvement systems; improving federal and state regulations; providing child care health consultation; as well as initiating other innovative partnerships. Pediatricians have a role in promoting quality early education and child care for all children not only in the medical home but also at the community, state, and national levels. Copyright © 2017 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Greek In-Service and Preservice Teachers' Views about Bullying in Early Childhood Settings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Psalti, Anastasia

2017-01-01

Despite the plethora of studies regarding bullying worldwide, there are limited studies at the early childhood level. This article presents the results of a pilot study aiming at exploring preservice and in-service early childhood teachers' views on bullying in Greek early childhood settings. A total of 192 early childhood teachers completed a…

"I Have a Hippopotamus!": Preparing Effective Early Childhood Environmental Educators

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Torquati, Julia; Leeper-Miller, Jennifer; Hamel, Erin; Hong, Soo-Young; Sarver, Susan; Rupiper, Michelle

2017-01-01

This article describes an early childhood teacher-preparation program that infuses environmental education and nature experiences into courses, practicum, and student-teaching experiences. Program philosophy, pedagogy, materials, and methods are described and linked to the Early Childhood Environmental Education Programs: Guidelines for…

Structural Indicators on Early Childhood Education and Care in Europe--2016. Eurydice Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Motiejunaite-Schulmeister, Akvile

2017-01-01

This publication presents the main structural aspects regarding access to Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) services and their quality in 40 European education and training systems. It examines whether and from what age countries provide a guarantee to a place in ECEC -- the main means to ensure access. It also covers several essential…

Starting Strong V: Transitions from Early Childhood Education and Care to Primary Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

OECD Publishing, 2017

2017-01-01

The transition from early childhood education to primary school is a big step for all children, and a step which more and more children are having to take. Quality transitions should be well-prepared and child-centred, managed by trained staff collaborating with one another, and guided by an appropriate and aligned curriculum. Transitions like…

Emotional Self-Regulation, Peer Rejection, and Antisocial Behavior: Developmental Associations from Early Childhood to Early Adolescence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Trentacosta, Christopher J.; Shaw, Daniel S.

2009-01-01

This study examined relations among emotional self-regulation, peer rejection, and antisocial behavior in a sample of 122 boys from low-income families who participated in a summer camp and were followed longitudinally from early childhood to early adolescence. Emotional self-regulation strategies were coded in early childhood from a waiting task,…

Ecological influences of early childhood obesity: a multilevel analysis.

PubMed

Boonpleng, Wannaporn; Park, Chang Gi; Gallo, Agatha M; Corte, Colleen; McCreary, Linda; Bergren, Martha Dewey

2013-07-01

This study aims to determine the contributing factors for early childhood overweight/obesity within the contexts of the child's home, school, and community, and to determine how much each of the ecological contexts contributes to childhood overweight/obesity. The framework was developed from Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory. Data for 2,100 children from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Birth Cohort, were used in a series of multilevel modeling analyses. There was significant variation in childhood overweight/obesity by school and community. The majority of variation in childhood overweight/obesity was explained by the child and family factors in addition to school and community factors. Explained variance of childhood overweight/obesity at the school level was 27% and at the community level, 2%. The variance composition at children's family level alone was 71%. Therefore, overweight/obesity prevention efforts should focus primarily on child, family, and school factors and then community factors, to be more effective.

Building Partnerships: The Role of Nonprofit Organizations in Supporting Education Diplomacy in Early Childhood

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tilhou, Rebecca; Rose, Brittney; Eckhoff, Angela; Glasgow, Jane

2018-01-01

Nonprofit organizations providing early childhood services that support the healthy growth, development, and education of young children and their families have a unique relationship with communities. In order to have significant impact on quality of life, these programs must be sustainable and committed to meeting local needs. This article…

Does early childhood callous-unemotional behavior uniquely predict behavior problems or callous-unemotional behavior in late childhood?

PubMed Central

Waller, Rebecca; Dishion, Thomas J.; Shaw, Daniel S.; Gardner, Frances; Wilson, Melvin N.; Hyde, Luke W.

2016-01-01

Callous unemotional (CU) behavior has been linked to behavior problems in children and adolescents. However, few studies have examined whether CU behavior in early childhood predicts behavior problems or CU behavior in late childhood. This study examined whether indicators of CU behavior at ages 2–4 predicted aggression, rule-breaking, and CU behavior across informants at age 9.5. To test the unique predictive and convergent validity of CU behavior in early childhood, we accounted for stability in behavior problems and method effects to rule out the possibility that rater biases inflated the magnitude of any associations found. Cross-informant data were collected from a multi-ethnic, high-risk sample (N = 731; female = 49%) at ages 2–4 and again at age 9.5. From age 3, CU behavior uniquely predicted aggression and rule-breaking across informants. There were also unique associations between CU behavior assessed at ages 3 and 4 and CU behavior assessed at age 9.5. Findings demonstrate that early-childhood indicators of CU behavior account for unique variance in later childhood behavior problems and CU behavior, taking into account stability in behavior problems over time and method effects. Convergence with a traditional measure of CU behavior in late childhood provides support for the construct validity of a brief early childhood measure of CU behavior. PMID:27598253

Who Has Rights to What? Inclusion in Australian Early Childhood Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Petriwskyj, Anne

2010-01-01

In early childhood settings prior to school and in the early years of primary school, debate continues over the meaning of inclusion and its scope in terms of the groups under consideration. The genealogies of early childhood education and care, early primary school, special education and cultural education were examined to identify recurring and…

Managing Asthma in the Early Childhood Setting

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Graville, Iris

2011-01-01

Asthma, one of the most common chronic disorders in childhood, affects more than seven million children in the United States, and is the third leading cause of hospitalization for children. Statistics like these make planning and preparing for asthma in the early childhood setting a high priority. With the high rates of asthma in the U.S. today,…

Family Income Dynamics, Early Childhood Education and Care, and Early Child Behavior Problems in Norway

PubMed Central

Zachrisson, Henrik Daae; Dearing, Eric

2014-01-01

The sociopolitical context of Norway includes low poverty rates and universal access to subsidized and regulated Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC). In this context, the association between family income dynamics and changes in early child behavior problems was investigated, as well as whether high quality ECEC buffers children from the effects of income dynamics. In a population-based sample (N = 75,296), within-family changes in income-to-needs predicted changes in externalizing and internalizing problems (from age 18 to 36 months), particularly for lower-income children. For internalizing problems, ECEC buffered the effect of income-to-needs changes. These findings lend further support to the potential benefits of ECEC for children from lower-income families. PMID:25345342

Early Childhood Inclusion in Israel

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Al-Yagon, Michal; Aram, Dorit; Margalit, Malka

2016-01-01

This article describes conceptual aspects, current policies and practices, and research representing the Israeli perspective regarding early childhood inclusion (ECI) at preschool ages (3-6 years). We review legislative, historical, attitudinal, philosophical, practical, empirical, and cultural issues regarding ECI in Israel. Finally, we focus on…

Current Issues in Early Childhood Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Katz, Lilian G.

If present trends in family life and education continue into the next decade, most children under five will spend substantial proportions of their early years in various types of early childhood programs, most five- to six-year-olds will attend all-day kindergarten, and during their elementary school years they will spend much of their time before…

Assessment and Decision-Making in Early Childhood Education and Intervention

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Strand, Paul S.; Cerna, Sandra; Skucy, Jim

2007-01-01

Assessment within the fields of early childhood education and early childhood intervention is guided by the "deductive-psychometric model", which is a framework for legitimizing constructs that arise from theories. An alternative approach, termed the "inductive-experimental model", places significantly more restrictions on what constitutes a…

Language and Literacy in Early Childhood Education. Yearbook in Early Childhood Education, Volume 4.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Spodek, Bernard, Ed.; Saracho, Olivia N., Ed.

As classrooms have become more culturally and linguistically diversified, the theories and methods of teaching reading to young children have changed. Early childhood educators must explore new methods of instruction in order to involve and expand the language abilities of young children and must provide engaging activities that will create more…

Abusive early child rearing and early childhood aggression.

PubMed

Herrenkohl, R C; Russo, M J

2001-02-01

Childhood aggression is significant for children, their families, and the society because aggressive children often become violent adolescents. This article examines the relationship between maltreatment and early childhood aggression. Data are from a longitudinal study of maltreated and nonmaltreated children assessed as preschoolers and again at school age. The dependent variable is the child's teacher's rating of aggression at school age. The independent variables are from preschool and school age observations of the mother-child interaction and the mother's report of physical discipline practices. Using structural equation modeling, harshness of interaction at preschool age but not school age and severity of physical discipline at school age but not preschool age, relate to aggression at school age. Results suggest a difference in the developmental stage at which different features of harsh child rearing exert their influence. Strategies for intervening to prevent the development of childhood aggression are suggested.

Impact of childhood trauma on functionality and quality of life in HIV-infected women.

PubMed

Troeman, Zyrhea C E; Spies, Georgina; Cherner, Mariana; Archibald, Sarah L; Fennema-Notestine, Christine; Theilmann, Rebecca J; Spottiswoode, Bruce; Stein, Dan J; Seedat, Soraya

2011-09-30

While there are many published studies on HIV and functional limitations, there are few in the context of early abuse and its impact on functionality and Quality of Life (QoL) in HIV. The present study focused on HIV in the context of childhood trauma and its impact on functionality and Quality of Life (QoL) by evaluating 85 HIV-positive (48 with childhood trauma and 37 without) and 52 HIV-negative (21 with childhood trauma and 31 without) South African women infected with Clade C HIV. QoL was assessed using the Quality of Life Enjoyment and Satisfaction Questionnaire (Q-LES-Q), the Patient's Assessment of Own Functioning Inventory (PAOFI), the Activities of Daily Living (ADL) scale and the Sheehan Disability Scale (SDS). Furthermore, participants were assessed using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) and the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ). Subjects had a mean age of 30.1 years. After controlling for age, level of education and CES-D scores, analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) demonstrated significant individual effects of HIV status and childhood trauma on self-reported QoL. No significant interactional effects were evident. Functional limitation was, however, negatively correlated with CD4 lymphocyte count. In assessing QoL in HIV-infected women, we were able to demonstrate the impact of childhood trauma on functional limitations in HIV.

Limited Representation of Individuals with Disabilities in Early Childhood Classes: Alarming or Status Quo?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Favazza, Paddy C.; Ostrosky, Michaelene M.; Meyer, Lori E.; Yu, SeonYeong; Mouzourou, Chryso

2017-01-01

UNICEF's new Millennium Development Goals and Beyond (2015. http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/) focus on the needs of the largest marginalised minority, individuals with disabilities, challenging us to examine issues related to exclusion and develop strategies for making an authentic sense of belonging and high-quality early childhood education a…

The Prospective Contribution of Childhood Maltreatment to Low Self-Worth, Low Relationship Quality, and Symptomatology Across Adolescence: A Developmental-Organizational Perspective

PubMed Central

Flynn, Megan; Cicchetti, Dante; Rogosch, Fred

2014-01-01

This research investigated the prospective contribution of childhood maltreatment to low self-worth, low relationship quality, and symptoms during adolescence. Further, the stability and cross-lagged effects of these sequelae of maltreatment were examined over time. History of maltreatment during childhood was obtained, and youth (407 maltreated, 228 nonmaltreated; 376 males, 259 females) completed two subsequent assessments spaced approximately two years apart during early-mid and mid-late adolescence. As anticipated, childhood maltreatment experiences predicted low self-worth, low relationship quality, and both internalizing and externalizing symptoms in early-mid adolescence. Beyond the stability paths of each outcome variable, significant cross-lagged effects were observed among low self-worth, low relationship quality, and internalizing symptoms across adolescence. In contrast, cross-lagged effects were not observed among adolescent externalizing symptoms. These findings support a developmental-organizational model in which childhood maltreatment creates multiple vulnerabilities that evince continuity and generate mutually influencing effects across adolescence. PMID:25046123

Teacher Understandings of and Commitment to Gender Equity in the Early Childhood Setting

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee-Thomas, Kerrin; Sumsion, Jennifer; Roberts, Susan

2005-01-01

Despite considerable examination of gender and gender equity within early childhood education, gender inequity remains problematic in many early childhood settings. Using qualitative methods, the study reported in this article investigated four early childhood teachers' understandings about gender and their commitment to promoting gender equity.…

Early menarche and childhood adversities in a nationally representative sample.

PubMed

Henrichs, Kimberly L; McCauley, Heather L; Miller, Elizabeth; Styne, Dennis M; Saito, Naomi; Breslau, Joshua

2014-01-01

Epidemiological evidence suggests that early menarche, defined as onset of menses at age 11 or earlier, has increased in prevalence in recent birth cohorts and is associated with multiple poor medical and mental health outcomes in adulthood. There is evidence that childhood adversities occurring prior to menarche contribute to early menarche. Data collected in face-to-face interviews with a nationally representative sample of women age 18 and over (N = 3288), as part of the National Comorbidity Survey-Replication, were analyzed. Associations between pre-menarchal childhood adversities and menarche at age 11 or earlier were estimated in discrete time survival models with statistical adjustment for age at interview, ethnicity, and body mass index. Adversities investigated included physical abuse, sexual abuse, neglect, biological father absence from the home, other parent loss, parent mental illness, parent substance abuse, parent criminality, inter-parental violence, serious physical illness in childhood, and family economic adversity. Mean age at menarche varied across decadal birth cohorts (χ(2)₍₄₎ = 21.41, p < .001) ranging from a high of 12.9 years in the oldest cohort (age 59 or older at the time of interview) to a low of 12.4 in the second youngest cohort (age 28-37). Childhood adversities were also more common in younger than older cohorts. Of the 11 childhood adversities, 5 were associated with menarche at age 11 or earlier, with OR of 1.3 or greater. Each of these five adversities is associated with a 26% increase in the odds of early menarche (OR = 1.26, 95% CI 1.14-1.39). The relationship between childhood sexual abuse and early menarche was sustained after adjustment for co-occurring adversities. (OR = 1.77, 95% CI 1.21-2.6). Evidence from this study is consistent with hypothesized physiological effects of early childhood family environment on endocrine development. Childhood sexual abuse is the adversity most strongly

Aesthetic Discourses in Early Childhood Settings: Dewey, Steiner, and Vygotsky

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lim, Booyeun

2004-01-01

Early childhood, when young children are already capable of undergoing aesthetic experience, must be the starting point for aesthetic education. Despite increasing attention to the significant values of the arts in early childhood classrooms, no theoretical framework to support aesthetic education has been established. This article introduces the…

Literacy in Early Childhood and Primary Education: Issues, Challenges, Solutions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McLachlan, Claire; Nicholson, Tom; Fielding-Barnsley, Ruth; Mercer, Louise; Ohi, Sarah

2012-01-01

Literacy in Early Childhood and Primary Education provides a comprehensive introduction to literacy teaching and learning. The book explores the continuum of literacy learning and children's transitions from early childhood settings to junior primary classrooms and then to senior primary and beyond. Reader-friendly and accessible, this book equips…

Effects of Critical Thinking Intervention for Early Childhood Teacher Candidates

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Han, Heejeong Sophia; Brown, E. Todd

2013-01-01

This study is based on an intervention designed to enhance early childhood teacher candidates' critical thinking abilities. The concept, elements, standards, and traits of critical thinking were integrated into the main course contents, and the effects of the intervention were examined. The results indicated that early childhood teacher…

Recent Trends and Innovations in the Early Childhood Education Curriculum.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saracho, Olivia N.; Spodek, Bernard

2003-01-01

Examines recent trends in early childhood education practice: the education of all children in inclusive classes, the management of vertical and horizontal transitions, the emergence of early childhood education and care programs, the development of school-family-community partnerships, the emphasis on language learning and emergent literacy, the…

Second-Language Learning in Early Childhood: Some Thoughts for Practitioners.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McLaughlin, Barry

There is much that can be done in early childhood education programs to foster second language learning in young children. The research literature on early childhood bilingualism clearly indicates that children can learn two languages simultaneously without apparent effort, without cognitive strain or interference in learning either language…

Promoting Health in Early Childhood Environments: A Health-Promotion Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Minniss, Fiona Rowe; Wardrope, Cheryl; Johnston, Donni; Kendall, Elizabeth

2013-01-01

This paper investigates the mechanisms by which a health-promotion intervention might influence the health-promoting behaviours of staff members working in early childhood centres. The intervention was an ecological health-promotion initiative that was implemented within four early childhood centres in South-East Queensland, Australia. In-depth,…

The Role of Access to Head Start and Quality Ratings for Spanish-Speaking Dual Language Learners’ (DLLs) Participation in Early Childhood Education

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Data from the Head Start Impact Study (N = 4,442) were used to test for differences between Spanish-speaking Dual Language Learners (DLLs) and monolingual English-speaking children in: (1) Head Start attendance rates when randomly assigned admission; and (2) quality ratings of other early childhood education (ECE) programs attended when not randomly assigned admission to Head Start. Logistic regressions showed that Spanish-speaking DLL children randomly assigned a spot in Head Start were more likely than monolingual-English learners to attend. Further, Spanish-speaking DLLs not randomly assigned a spot in Head Start were more likely to attend higher-quality ECE centers than non-DLL children. Policy implications are discussed, suggesting that, if given access, Spanish-speaking DLL families will take advantage of quality ECE programs. PMID:25018585

Remembering Childhood: Do Our Memories and Experiences Influence Our Understanding of Early Childhood and Our Practice with Young Children?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Horsley, Karen; Penn, Helen

2014-01-01

Students on the Early Childhood Studies degree programme at the University of East London were asked to reflect on their childhood memories and how these have shaped their understandings of early childhood and practices with young children. Students' rich and varied accounts reflect the diversity of largely non-traditional students from countries…

Towards a Framework for the Validation of Early Childhood Assessment Systems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goldstein, Jessica; Flake, Jessica Kay

2016-01-01

American early childhood education is in the midst of drastic change. In recent years, states have begun the process of overhauling early childhood education systems in response to federal grant competitions, bringing an increased focus on assessment and accountability for early learning programs. The assessment of young children is fraught with…

How Do We Educate Teachers for Early Childhood Education: Early Childhood Educators in Japan.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ishigaki, Emiko

This paper discusses the organization of early childhood education and preschool education in Japan and describes how teachers are trained for positions in these schools. It is noted that the organization of such education in Japan has undergone considerable change since the first kindergarten was established in 1877. At that time the curriculum…

Precursors of Adolescent Substance Use from Early Childhood and Early Adolescence: Testing a Developmental Cascade Model

PubMed Central

Sitnick, Stephanie; Shaw, Daniel S.; Hyde, Luke

2013-01-01

This study examined developmentally-salient risk and protective factors of adolescent substance use assessed during early childhood and early adolescence using a sample of 310 low-income boys. Child problem behavior and proximal family risk and protective factors (i.e., parenting, maternal depression) during early childhood, as well as child and family factors and peer deviant behavior during adolescence were explored as potential precursors to later substance use during adolescence using structural equation modeling. Results revealed that early childhood risk and protective factors (i.e., child externalizing problems, mothers’ depressive symptomatology, and nurturant parenting) were indirectly related to substance use at the age of 17 via risk and protective factors during early and middle adolescence (i.e., parental knowledge and externalizing problems). The implications of these findings for early prevention and intervention are discussed. PMID:24029248

Diversity and Difference in Early Childhood Education: Issues for Theory and Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robinson, Kerry; Diaz, Criss Jones

2005-01-01

Early childhood professionals are often required to work with children and families from a range of diverse backgrounds. This book goes beyond simplistic definitions of diversity, encouraging a much broader understanding and helping early childhood educators develop a critical disposition towards assumptions about children and childhood in…

Teaching Practices that Promote Motor Skills in Early Childhood Settings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robinson, Leah E.; Webster, E. Kipling; Logan, S. Wood; Lucas, W. Amarie; Barber, Laura T.

2012-01-01

Early childhood educators, especially those in preschool centers, are often expected to design and implement movement programs. However, these individuals may not have been taught these skills during their education. The purpose of this study was to determine if early childhood majors could successfully be taught to implement a mastery climate…

Australian Early Childhood Educators: From Government Policy to University Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davies, Sharon; Trinidad, Sue

2013-01-01

This article provides an overview of the Australian Federal Government initiatives in the area of early childhood with regard to the provision of early childhood education and care. These changes have influenced a Western Australian university to develop an innovative birth to 8 years preservice educator education curriculum. Using an ecological…

Family Strategies to Support and Develop Resilience in Early Childhood

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taket, A. R.; Nolan, A.; Stagnitti, K.

2014-01-01

Early childhood is an important time for the development of resilience. A recently completed study has followed three cohorts of resilient children and young people living in disadvantaged areas in Victoria, Australia, through different transitions in their educational careers. This paper focuses on the early childhood cohort, where we have…

Early Childhood Sexuality Education: Future Educators' Attitudes and Considerations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brouskeli, Vasiliki; Sapountzis, Antonis

2017-01-01

Sexuality education is one of the most disputable health education programs as far as its inclusion in Early Childhood Education is concerned. This study was conducted in order to investigate early childhood future educators' attitudes and considerations about introducing sexuality education to their future pupils. We used a qualitative research…

Motivation, Work Satisfaction, and Teacher Change among Early Childhood Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wagner, Brigid Daly; French, Lucia

2010-01-01

This study tests the explanatory power of Deci and Ryan's (1985) self-determination theory as a framework for describing how interactions between early childhood teachers and the systems within which their work is embedded influence motivation for professional growth and change in teaching practice. Fifty-four early childhood teachers and teacher…

Investigating Reported Data Practices in Early Childhood: An Exploratory Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brawley, Susan; Stormont, Melissa A.

2014-01-01

The importance of collecting and using data for educational decision making is clear. However, little information has been gathered about the systematic collection and use of data in early childhood. The purpose of this study was to explore teacher perceptions of data collection practices in early childhood. Participants included 137 early…

Cross-National Perspective on Early Childhood Education: Engaging in Inquiry.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Takanishi, Ruby

Some potential areas of inquiry into the field of cross-national study of early childhood education are described in relation to the history and aims of the World Organization for Early Childhood Education (OMEP). Currently the largest international organization concerned with preschool education, OMEP is presented with specific recommendations:…

Before Five: Early Childhood Care and Education in New Zealand.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

New Zealand Dept. of Education, Wellington.

This publication outlines the Government of New Zealand's new plans and policies for the administration of early childhood care and education. Specific features are discussed in detail in sections concerning: (1) early childhood care and education at the local level, specifically management structures and responsibilities, the use of Crown land,…

Developing Identities in the Workplace: Students' Experiences of Distance Early Childhood Teacher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tate, Alice

2016-01-01

In Aotearoa New Zealand, many early childhood teachers gain their teaching qualification via distance study while working in an early childhood centre. Early childhood teachers work in a team environment, and it is important to understand more about how distance students negotiate changes in their workplace practice as their professional knowledge…

Strengthening the Early Childhood Workforce: How Wage Incentives May Boost Training and Job Stability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bridges, Margaret; Fuller, Bruce; Huang, Danny S.; Hamre, Bridget K.

2011-01-01

Research Findings: Aiming to raise the quality of early childhood teachers and caregivers and to reduce turnover, government and professional associations are pursuing 2 intervention strategies. The 1st mandates higher credential levels, as seen with Head Start and state preschool reforms. Here we examine the efficacy of the 2nd strategy: offering…

Early Childhoods in a Changing World

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clark, Margaret M., Ed.; Tucker, Stanley, Ed.

2010-01-01

This book challenges taken for granted views of early childhood across the globe. It deepens and broadens our understanding of what it means to be a child today and of the challenges children face in different parts of the world. It will be essential reading for all who work with young children or are students of early years education and…

Influence of maternal adiposity, preterm birth and birth weight centiles on early childhood obesity in an Indigenous Australian pregnancy-through-to-early-childhood cohort study.

PubMed

Pringle, K G; Lee, Y Q; Weatherall, L; Keogh, L; Diehm, C; Roberts, C T; Eades, S; Brown, A; Smith, R; Lumbers, E R; Brown, L J; Collins, C E; Rae, K M

2018-05-16

Childhood obesity rates are higher among Indigenous compared with non-Indigenous Australian children. It has been hypothesized that early-life influences beginning with the intrauterine environment predict the development of obesity in the offspring. The aim of this paper was to assess, in 227 mother-child dyads from the Gomeroi gaaynggal cohort, associations between prematurity, Gestation Related-Optimal Weight (GROW) centiles, maternal adiposity (percentage body fat, visceral fat area), maternal non-fasting plasma glucose levels (measured at mean gestational age of 23.1 weeks) and offspring BMI and adiposity (abdominal circumference, subscapular skinfold thickness) in early childhood (mean age 23.4 months). Maternal non-fasting plasma glucose concentrations were positively associated with infant birth weight (P=0.005) and GROW customized birth weight centiles (P=0.008). There was a significant association between maternal percentage body fat (P=0.02) and visceral fat area (P=0.00) with infant body weight in early childhood. Body mass index (BMI) in early childhood was significantly higher in offspring born preterm compared with those born at term (P=0.03). GROW customized birth weight centiles was significantly associated with body weight (P=0.01), BMI (P=0.007) and abdominal circumference (P=0.039) at early childhood. Our findings suggest that being born preterm, large for gestational age or exposed to an obesogenic intrauterine environment and higher maternal non-fasting plasma glucose concentrations are associated with increased obesity risk in early childhood. Future strategies should aim to reduce the prevalence of overweight/obesity in women of child-bearing age and emphasize the importance of optimal glycemia during pregnancy, particularly in Indigenous women.

Early Childhood Pre-Service Students' Transitioning into Discourses of Professional Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Quinones, Gloria; Ridgway, Avis

2015-01-01

The focus of this study is to investigate early childhood students' discourses of play-based curriculum. In this paper we focus on how students made implicit and explicit links to the Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework (VEYLDF). Twenty-six early childhood students had volunteered their de-identified play and pedagogy…

Early life exposure to ambient air pollution and childhood asthma in China.

PubMed

Deng, Qihong; Lu, Chan; Norbäck, Dan; Bornehag, Carl-Gustaf; Zhang, Yinping; Liu, Weiwei; Yuan, Hong; Sundell, Jan

2015-11-01

Early life is suggested to be a critical time in determining subsequent asthma development, but the extent to which the effect of early-life exposure to ambient air pollution on childhood asthma is unclear. We investigated doctor-diagnosed asthma in preschool children due to exposure to ambient air pollution in utero and during the first year of life. In total 2490 children aged 3-6 years participated in a questionnaire study regarding doctor-diagnosed asthma between September 2011 and January 2012 in China. Children's exposure to critical air pollutants, sulfur dioxide (SO2) as proxy of industrial air pollution, nitrogen dioxide (NO2) as proxy of traffic pollution, and particulate matter≤10µm in diameter (PM10) as a mixture, was estimated from the concentrations measured at the ambient air quality monitoring stations by using an inverse distance weighted (IDW) method. Logistic regression analysis was employed to determine the relationship between early-life exposure and childhood asthma in terms of odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI). Association between early-life exposure to air pollutants and childhood asthma was observed. SO2 and NO2 had significant associations with adjusted OR (95% CI) of 1.45 (1.02-2.07) and 1.74 (1.15-2.62) in utero and 1.62 (1.01-2.60) and 1.90 (1.20-3.00) during the first year for per 50 µg/m(3) and 15 µg/m(3) increase respectively. Exposure to the combined high level of SO2 and NO2 in China significantly elevated the asthmatic risk with adjusted OR (95% CI) of 1.76 (1.18-2.64) in utero and 1.85 (1.22-2.79) during the first year compared to the low level exposure. The associations were higher for males and the younger children aged 3-4 than females and the older children aged 5-6. Early-life exposure to ambient air pollution is associated with childhood asthma during which the level and source of air pollution play important roles. The high level and nature of combined industrial and traffic air pollution in China may

IDEA and Early Childhood Inclusion.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Barbara J.; Rapport, Mary Jane K.

This paper discusses 1997 amendments to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) that promote the inclusion of children with disabilities in general early childhood education settings. The evolution of inclusion policy is explored and changes in disability terminology are described. Amended provisions are then explained and include:…

Films in Early Childhood Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cooke, Gary, Comp.

This annotated bibliography provides descriptions of films concerning child development and various approaches to early childhood education. Some are for classroom use, and others are intended as guides and resource materials for teachers. Attachments give addresses and phone numbers of film distributors and addresses, managers and phone number of…

The Early Childhood Coaching Handbook

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rush, Dathan D.; Shelden, M'Lisa L.

2011-01-01

Evidence-based and highly effective, "coaching" helps early childhood practitioners support other professionals and families as they enhance existing knowledge, develop new skills, and promote healthy development of young children. This hands-on guide shows professionals how to conduct skillful coaching in any setting--home, school, or community.…

Rural Disparities in Baseline Data of the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study: A Chartbook

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grace, Cathy; Shores, Elizabeth F.; Zaslow, Martha; Brown, Brett; Aufseeser, Dena; Bell, Lynn

2006-01-01

This report shows the rural disparities in the baseline data of the Birth and Kindergarten Cohorts of the national Early Childhood Longitudinal Study (ECLS). The National Center for Rural Early Childhood Learning Initiatives, known as Rural Early Childhood, commissioned Child Trends to perform the analysis of key indicators of child well-being and…

Analyzing the Impact of Gender on Depictions of Touch in Early Childhood Textbooks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gilbert, Andrew; Williams, Shane

2008-01-01

Early childhood contexts often enact "common-sense identities" that create and sustain the notion that teachers of young children are expressly female and heterosexual. It has also been argued that touch is a key difference between men and women in early childhood classrooms. This exploratory study examined 10 early childhood textbooks to…

Creative Construction of Mathematics and Science Concepts in Early Childhood.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gallenstein, Nancy L.

Noting that effective teaching models that emphasize critical thinking in mathematics and science are used less often in early childhood classrooms than in those for older students, this book provides early childhood educators with an explanation of teaching models that promote 3- to 8-year-olds critical thinking, problem solving, decision making,…

Early Childhood Socialization: Societal Context and Childrearing Values in Hungary

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brayfield, April; Korintus, Marta

2011-01-01

This article examines the socio-cultural context of early childhood socialization in Hungary. Using a macroscopic lens, we describe the national demographic situation and the social organization of early childhood education and care. Our analysis then shifts to a microscopic focus on parental values and beliefs about the substance of what young…

Time in Early Childhood Education and Care and Language Competence in Norwegian Four-Year-Old Girls and Boys

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zambrana, Imac M.; Dearing, Eric; Naerde, Ane; Zachrisson, Henrik D.

2016-01-01

There is considerable evidence that high-quality Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) is associated with children's language competence. Yet, studies in contexts of universal access to quality-regulated ECEC are rarer, exacerbating concerns over selection bias endemic to non-experimental work on the topic. Extending the cumulative knowledge…