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Kindergarten
US Department of Labor
Last Updated Oct 5, 2008 04:52 PM
Significant Points
Public school teachers must have at least a bachelor’s degree, complete an approved teacher education program, and be licensed.
Many States offer alternative licensing programs to attract people into teaching, especially for hard-to-fill positions.
Excellent job opportunities are expected as a large number of teachers retire over the next 10 years, particularly at the secondary school level; opportunities will vary somewhat by geographic area and subject taught.
Nature of the Work
Teachers act as facilitators or coaches, using interactive discussions and “hands-on” approaches to help students learn and apply concepts in subjects such as science, mathematics, or English. They utilize “props” or “manipulatives” to help children understand abstract concepts, solve problems, and develop critical thought processes. For example, they teach the concepts of numbers or of addition and subtraction by playing board games. As the children get older, the teachers use more sophisticated materials, such as science apparatus, cameras, or computers.
To encourage collaboration in solving problems, students are increasingly working in groups to discuss and solve problems together. Preparing students for the future workforce is the major stimulus generating the changes in education. To be prepared, students must be able to interact with others, adapt to new technology, and think through problems logically. Teachers provide the tools and the environment for their students to develop these skills.
Preschool, kindergarten, and elementary school teachers play a vital role in the development of children. What children learn and experience during their early years can shape their views of themselves and the world and can affect their later success or failure in school, work, and their personal lives. Preschool, kindergarten, and elementary school teachers introduce children to mathematics, language, science, and social studies. They use games, music, artwork, films, books, computers, and other tools to teach basic skills.
Preschool children learn mainly through play and interactive activities. Preschool teachers capitalize on children’s play to further language and vocabulary development (using storytelling, rhyming games, and acting games), improve social skills (having the children work together to build a neighborhood in a sandbox), and introduce scientific and mathematical concepts (showing the children how to balance and count blocks when building a bridge or how to mix colors when painting).
Thus, a less structured approach, including small-group lessons, one-on-one instruction, and learning through creative activities such as art, dance, and music, is adopted to teach preschool children. Play and hands-on teaching also are used in kindergarten classrooms, but there academics begin to take priority. Letter recognition, phonics, numbers, and awareness of nature and science, introduced at the preschool level, are taught primarily by kindergarten teachers. See also Kindergarten 316 1 - 4 |
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Children's Reading and Mathematics Achievement in Kindergarten and First Grade
Children's experiences with school are almost as varied as children themselves. This report is the third in a series based on findings about young children's early experiences with school from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 1998-99 (ECLS-K). Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), the ECLS-K selected a nationally representative sample of kindergartners in the fall of... Children begin kindergarten with many different levels of reading and mathematics skills and make significant gains in their reading and mathematics achievement over the first 2 years of school (West, Denton, and Germino Hausken 2000; West, Denton, and Reaney 2001; Denton and West 2002). The knowledge and skills children acquire in kindergarten and first grade can serve as a foundation for their later educational success. It is important to explore children’s growth and development as they move from the beginning of kindergarten through the elementary school years.
This... Full-day and Half-day Kindergarten in the United States: Findings from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 1998-99
Introduction
Full-day and Half-day Kindergarten in the United States is the latest in a series of reports from the National Center for Education Statistics using data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 1998-99 (ECLS-K). A major trend in kindergarten programs that has occurred in the past few decades is an increase in the prevalence of kindergarten classes that meet for the entire school day rather than just... The Elementary School Performance and Adjustment of Children Who Enter Kindergarten Late or Repeat Kindergarten: Findings from National Surveys
Highlights
Data from the 1993 and 1995 National Household Education Surveys show that about one child in seven in the U.S. either entered kindergarten late or was required to repeat kindergarten. Children usually enter kindergarten late because their parents hold them out... READINESS FOR KINDERGARTEN: PARENT AND TEACHER BELIEFS
Today, nearly all children attend a public or private kindergarten before first grade (West et al., 1991). As kindergarten enrollments have grown, so too has the range of backgrounds and experience that children bring to these programs. Kindergarten programs have also changed and often stress academic skills that were previously reserved for older children (Freeman and Hatch, 1989; Hitz and Wright, 1988; Karweit, 1988;... The Summer After Kindergarten: Children’s Activities and Library Use by Household Socioeconomic Status
Children enter kindergarten showing wide achievement gaps by family socioeconomic status (SES) (Coley 2002; Lee and Burkam 2002).1 A number of studies suggest that achievement gaps grow during the summer months when children are away from school (Heyns 1978; Cooper et al. 1996; Alexander, Entwisle, and Olson 2001). This finding may be related to a number of factors, including differences in children’s sum... |
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