Pre-K Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow

Jen France

Education is the process of preparing children for their future

as adults in our society

History has shown that as society has changed, so has the look of

education

Brief overview of the History of Early Childhood Education

Head Start Began in 1965 as a part day summer experience for low income children. The

intent was to socialize and nourish children in order to increase success

rates in schools.

In the 1980’s, funding was cut significantly and state school systems

began drawing funds to begin preschool programs

Recent Developments As pressures have increased to show accountability in

schools and to prepare children for the world of technology, the focus has shifted from the importance of social learning skills as we have known them to the importance of cognitive skills.

Kindergartens have been adopted into public schools; have become full day programs and look much like the first grade classrooms from the 1970’s and 80’s.

Mothers have joined the work force, requiring full time child care programs. Preschool programs are expanding, becoming public run and often combined with child care services.

Developmentally Appropriate

Practice

The National Association for the Education of Young Children

developed this phrase (originally 1987, then revised in 1997)based on research of child

development and learning, including knowledge from

practitioners

“Developmentally appropriate practice provides children with

opportunities to learn and practice newly acquired skills. It

offers challenges just beyond the level of their present

mastery”- (Creative Curriculum 2002).

Conflicting InformationNAEYC/CREATIVE

CURRICULUM NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND Based on works of theorists of

Early Childhood Education and Brain research

“Developmentally Appropriate Practice”

Continues to stress the importance of social development as a stepping stone to cognitive development (Vygotsky)

Encourages teacher as motivator, initiator and member of the learning community

Uses domains of learning, social, cognitive, language, motor-a holistic approach

Strong stress on the 3 components of learning –language development

-early literacy -early math Little emphasis on social

component Direct instruction, Based on scientifically based

research Pressure for full day full year

programming and/or a minimum of two years of preschool experience in a direct, “high quality” program

Jean Piaget Piaget studied how

children construct knowledge

Believed in stages of development

1. (0-2 years) Sensory-motor

Heavily involved with learning from senses

2. (3-7 years) Pre-operational

Children learn from exploring and constructing

Why Play?Functional play:

using senses and muscles, experimenting with musclesConstructive play:

involves handling materials, children develop own ideas about how things work and begin constructing

representationsDramatic play:

can develop alongside other types of play. Person oriented, verses material oriented

Games with rules: involve planning. Children control own behavior and

conform

The use of the terminology in the recent media and government is pushing teachers to extremes and

“explicit” “direct” teaching methods are replacing the work of children and changing the role of the teacher.

Kindergarten has shifted from being the “unfolding” and development of children who interact with their

natural world, to a cognitively based, direct instruction model

Is this happening to preschool? Should it?

Is it ethical?

Pressures

References Dodge, D.T., Colker, L.J., & Heroman, C. (2002). The Creative curriculum. Washington DC:

Teaching Strategies.

Jardine, D. W. (2006). Piaget & education. New York, NY: Peter Lang Publishing Inc..

Maine Department of Edcuation and Maine Department of Health and Human Services, (2002). State of Maine Early Childhood Learning Guidelines. Augusta, Me:

Noddings, N (2007). Philosophy of education. Boulder, Colorado: Westview Press.

Smilansky, S, & Shefatya, L. (1990). Facilitating Play. Gaithersburg, Maryland: Psychosocial & Educational Publications.

Spodek, B. (1988). Early childhood curriculum and the definition of knowledge. New Orleans, LA.

United States Department of Education, (March 4, 2004). Serving preschool children under Title 1. non-regulatory guidance, Retrieved July 14, 2009, from http://www.ed.gov/policy/e/sec/guid/preschoolguidance.doc

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