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Occupy Preschool
February 8, 2012
Real development is not leaving things behind, as on a road, but drawing life from them, as from a root.
-G. K. Chesterton
This observation was made by Nicholas Kristof in his recent New York Times editorial, "Occupy the Classroom.". He continues...
"That will seem naïve and bizarre to many who chafe at inequities and who think the first step is to throw a few bankers into prison. But although part of the problem is billionaires being taxed at lower rates than those with more modest incomes, a bigger source of structural inequity is that many young people never get the skills to compete. They’re just left behind.
“'This is where inequality starts,' said Kathleen McCartney, the dean of the Harvard Graduate School of Education, as she showed me a chart demonstrating that even before kindergarten there are significant performance gaps between rich and poor students. Those gaps then widen further in school. 'The reason early education is important is that you build a foundation for school success,' she added. “And success breeds success.'
"One common thread, whether I’m reporting on poverty in New York City or in Sierra Leone, is that a good education tends to be the most reliable escalator out of poverty. Another common thread: whether in America or Africa, disadvantaged kids often don’t get a chance to board that escalator."
Places for Childhoods: Making Quality Happen in the Real World demonstrates how centers can face real-world challenges and make quality care a reality. Special sections authored by recognized child care experts enhance this collection of updated articles written by Jim Greenman for Exchange magazine. Readers will be empowered by new ideas on how to make child care programs work for children, families, and staff.Plus this week, save with Free Shipping!
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ExchangeEveryDay is the official electronic newsletter for Exchange Press, Inc. It is delivered five days a week containing news stories, success stories, solutions, trend reports, and much more.
LifeWays North America
United States
02/08/2012 05:36 am
Recently there was an article noting that pediatricians are beginning to tell parents how important play is for young children. This was considered especially important for children in underserved or poverty conditions. The problem that happens when "education" pundents speak of giving this population more advantages so that they can be successful later on, is that these children get more developmentally inappropriate programs heaped on top of them. What is "success" later on? Is that a stressed-out individual who can read and write (maybe) because they have been forced to do so since they were three. Or is it a whole person who, as a child, was treated as a child, allowed to play and freely explore, and only later was introduced to academics? Can early childhood educators come to some basic agreements about what we mean when we talk about early childhood education? Otherwise, it seems to me, we will continue to create stressed out children in all economic streams.
Bobcaygeon Daycare
Bobcaygeon , Ontario, Canada
02/08/2012 04:00 am
I recently changed my email address and forgot to notify many subscriptions.
I really missed getting daily information that help contribute to my everyday experiences with children. I look forward to reading more good stuff.
Thanks
Stacy