It's fairly well known that high-quality preschool programs can have life-altering impacts on disadvantaged children, including reductions in school dropout and crime, and increased earnings. Not as well known is that terrific preschool programs have important academic and social benefits for middle-class children too. Decades of research indicate…

Describes components of high quality child care programs and the structural and social barriers to quality. Discusses how three early childhood practices have been detrimental to raising child care quality: voucher programs for child care, acceptance of license-exempt care, and the view that market economics will ultimately determine care quality.…

Throughout the United States, kindergartens receive children with increasingly diverse levels of skills. In order to provide a learning atmosphere that is supportive of all children, prekindergarten teachers must be equipped to adapt to each child's needs. This paper reviews the research on pre-kindergarten teacher quality. The purpose of the…

Discusses the need to recognize the importance of preschool teachers and preschool education. Parents and preschool staff can educate the public about the need for high quality child care and the effects of high quality child care on society. (SH)

Explores an anecdote about a parent withdrawing her child from a child care program as a metaphor for the current status of early childhood to illustrate the pedagogical, practice, and policy dilemmas challenging the field. Maintains that pedagogy, practice, and policy are inseparable and that early childhood professionals must be cognizant of…

Discusses the urgent need to develop leadership in early childhood education in order to improve the quality of programming for infants, toddlers, young children, and their families. Describes five areas of leadership skills: advocacy, administrative, community, conceptual, and career development. (KB)

This paper addresses two questions relevant to practices and policies in early childhood education (ECE). The first question addressed is, Given the worldwide focus on ECE, what are the priorities in practice-oriented research in school life? Educators struggle with the issue of whether research makes much difference to practice. It is suggested…

Once they begin kindergarten, America's children are taught by professionals with at least a four-year college degree. Prior to kindergarten, their teachers are far less prepared. Fewer than half of preschool teachers hold a bachelor's degree, and many have never even attended college. Noting that new research finds that young children's learning…

Discusses the concept of social capital, which enables teachers and caregivers to invest themselves affectively, through their behaviors, in the instruction and development of young children. Presents five dimensions of social capital which increase the chances of teaching effectiveness. (NH)

Explores role of early-childhood practitioners against background of shifts in social context and sociopolitical climate of early-childhood education and care in Germany. Maintains that practitioners are links in the process of repositioning early-childhood centers in quality debate. Discusses need for newly defined role combining family-centered…

This position paper addresses three related issues that concern the right of children and their families to (1) receive quality care, education, and special intervention services; (2) have these services delivered through systems designed to promote their well-being; and (3) have these services delivered by adequately trained and compensated…

Professional development is a topic that is near and dear to the author's heart. The author has spent more hours than she can count trying to get her colleagues in the U.S. Department of Education to understand that early childhood professional development has to be part of the education continuum. She would argue that even if they had the luxury…

Three central convictions provide the main thesis of this lecture: (1) that children and those working with them are undervalued; (2) that the quality of education for the young child suffers because young children and those who work with them have no status; and (3) that young children need an articulate and empowered body of professionals to act…

Discusses growing recognition of and pressure to improve the quality of early childhood services, and the resulting increased professionalism of practitioners. Considers broadening early childhood professionals' roles to include political action, conference presentations, and professional organization contributions. Concludes that the early goal…

Drawing from the personal visits of an early childhood specialist to centers for infants and toddlers in Britain and the United States, this paper focuses on issues of teacher education, deregistration, and professionalism. Introductory material describes the child care situation in Aotearoa, New Zealand, highlighting the increasing demand for…