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ERIC Number: EJ875149
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2010
Pages: 2
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0164-8527
EISSN: N/A
The Terms We Use! or What Should We Call It?
Katz, Lilian G.
Exchange: The Early Childhood Leaders' Magazine Since 1978, n191 p42-43 Jan-Feb 2010
It goes without saying that the terms people use in their daily discourse constantly change. Today the term "nursery school" is referred to as preschool and Pre-K. Perhaps it reflects the contemporary view that the main mission of early education is preparation for school, i.e. "school readiness." But that particular shift in terms is not as disconcerting as the current tendency to refer to child care as an "industry." A related concern is the increasing use of the term "workforce" when referring to those who staff preschool and child care programs. Another term that seems to have crept into the daily chatter is that of "delivery." Frequent references are made to "delivering" education or curricula or instruction to the wide range of educational settings. The reasons behind these terminology changes are not clear to this author. They are likely to be due to a variety of shifts and changes in the care of young children, who are spending more time earlier in their lives away from their own homes. One factor might be the sheer numbers of children and service providers now involved in the field, which might convey the size of an industry. Another might be the wide diversity of services that are provided to preschool-age children, including family day care, Head Start, cooperative nursery schools, parochial preschools, chain-linked corporate-run preschools, and more. Whatever the terms currently in use, the author urges caregivers and teachers of young children to come together to provide a good quality public service and continue to strive to become the best public servants they can be.
Exchange Press, Inc. P.O. Box 3249, Redmond, WA 98073-3249. Tel: 800-221-2864; Fax: 425-867-5217; e-mail: info@ChildCareExchange.com; Web site: http://www.childcareexchange.com
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Early Childhood Education; Preschool Education
Audience: Practitioners
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A