Pre-K Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow

1. Pre-K Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow Jen France

2. 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

3. Brief overview of the History of Early Childhood Education

4. 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

5. 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.

6. 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).

7. Conflicting Information NAEYC/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

8. Jean Piaget • Piaget studied how children construct knowledge Believed in stages of development • (0-2 years) Sensory-motor Heavily involved with learning from senses 2. (3-7 years) Pre-operational Children learn from exploring and constructing

10. Why Play? Functional play: using senses and muscles, experimenting with muscles Constructive play: involves handling materials, children develop own ideas about how things work and begin constructing representations Dramatic play: can develop alongside other types of play. Person oriented, verses material oriented Games with rules: involve planning. Children control own behavior and conform

11. Pressures • 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?

12. 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 • Microsoft Office On-line clip art 2009