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Preschool
Preschool Experience For All
Last Updated Aug 20, 2008 08:54 PM
The Preschool Experience
In planning the curriculum, teaching strategies, and the environment in high-quality preschools, teachers need to first understand the particular needs, skills, and behaviors of three- and four-year-olds. From ages three through five, children develop increased mastery of language and begin to think symbolically and logically. These developments allow them to observe, investigate, and engage with the physical and social environment in new ways.9 Preschool-age children's development of gross and fine motor skills enables them to move confidently through space; manage finer, more complex tasks; and take more care of personal needs. Preschool is also the ideal setting for influencing children's healthy eating and daily activity behaviors, which will affect their health for a lifetime.
Culture, age, and individual differences affect the learning and development of the preschool-age child. Typically developing children of the same age vary widely in their mastery of various social, cognitive, and physical skills; nevertheless, identified progressions of skill development are common to all children. The young three-year-old is markedly different from the five-year-old across all developmental domains.
Three- and four-year-olds are active learners, who learn by doing. They learn through investigation, problem solving, play, and focused teacher-directed instruction. These young children learn by exploring, thinking about, and inquiring about all sorts of phenomena.
Certain features of high-quality preschools need to be provided to achieve desired results or outcomes for children. The early learning content in preschool programs must be academically rigorous, be based on high expectations, and utilize different teaching, curriculum, and organizational strategies. These high-quality preschool programs realize that young children are active learners who need to learn through a variety of hands-on activities. To do this, the programs must provide a balance between child-initiated, free-choice learning and intentional, teacher-directed instruction.
These programs include early childhood pedagogy that focuses upon early language development and early literacy, mathematics, and other academic subject matter. They consider the special needs of children with disabilities and children who are second-language learners.
A quality preschool curriculum that supports a three-to-five-year-old's optimal learning has certain indicators of effectiveness, including (1) children are active and engaged; (2) goals are clear and shared by all; (3) curriculum is evidence-based; (4) valued content is learned through investigation and focused, intentional teaching; (5) curriculum builds on prior learning and experiences; (6) curriculum is comprehensive; (7) professional standards validate the curriculum's subject matter content; and (8) the curriculum is likely to benefit children.10
Preschool for All: A First-Class Learning Initiative
The Preschool for All: A First-Class Learning Initiative proposes critical state and local policy actions to guide preschools toward their primary role of preparing three- and four-year-olds for kindergarten through grade two (K-2) education. See also Preschool 681 1 - 2 |
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Background
There is a growing recognition in California and across the nation of the importance of high-quality preschool in preparing children for success in school and in closing the achievement gap. The achievement gap seen in elementary school that increases in kindergarten and beyond traces back to the young children who come to school unprepared for the expectations of our educational system. More consideration is being given to preparing children for school as educators strive to meet the high exp... In April 2000, the Department of Education developed and published the Early Childhood Program Expectations: Standards of Quality [(now called Preschool Teaching and Learning Expectations: Standards of Quality)] as guidance to the adults working with young children. In July, 2004, the State Board of Education adopted these revised Preschool Teaching and Learning Expectations: Standards of Quality. For districts receiving State aid to provide preschool programs, the Standards are requirements for good practice as regulated by N.... Do you think your child may have a problem with speech and language?
Don't "wait and see." If your child needs help it's never too early to get started. Call your local Preschool Speech and Language Program right away to find out if your kid needs an assessment.
The goal of the Ontario Government's Preschool Speech and Language Initiative is to identify children who need help with learning language and to provide ser... The Ontario government has put in place a range of new and expanded supports for children with autism and their families. These services are designed to help a child with autism develop essential skills in the preschool years, then progress to school where those skills can be applied and reinforced in a structured, social setting.
The government announced in March 2004 a new plan to support children wi... Early childhood education is the first subject Gov. M. Jodi Rell addresses in the section of her budget narrative on
education, but her specific proposals have gotten mixed reviews from legislators.
Her plan includes $5.5 million to expand state-funded preschool programs beyond the poorest cities and towns, so that more
families who have not been able to send their children to preschool can do so.
This and other new funding would lead to the creation of up to 1,000 more spaces in preschool for children in towns where
many have been unable to attend a... The Budget Act of 2003 appropriated $2.2 billion for the California Department of Education's (CDE), Child Development Programs in a mix of 53 percent state funds and 47 percent federal funds. This amount represents a 3.7 percent decrease from the previous year. Over 2,000 contracts are dispersed through approximately 850 public and private agencies statewide to support and provide services to more than 584,000 ... Issues of Implementation
This document is developed for use in any program serving preschool children. The preschool environment, materials, and teaching strategies should be adapted as appropriate to meet the needs of all children. The needs of young learners are as diverse as the homes and communities from which they come. There will be learners from many cultural, racial, and ethnic backgrounds. There will be learners from homes and communities where the dominant language is not E... |
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