ERIC Number: EJ795834
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2004
Pages: 19
Abstractor: Author
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1054-8289
EISSN: N/A
Leveling the Playing Field: Supporting Immigrant Children from Birth to Eight
Takanishi, Ruby
Future of Children, v14 n2 p61-79 Sum 2004
Many young children in immigrant families do not have good access to health and education services. To the extent that their life prospects are compromised as a result, these children--and the entire society--suffer. This article discusses the needs of children from birth to age eight, with a particular focus on the education needs of young children in immigrant families. Key observations include the following: (1) Children's skills in kindergarten and their achievement at the end of third grade are important predictors of their future life prospects; (2) Although well-designed early education and after school programs hold promise to reduce ethnic group-related inequalities in children's cognitive skills and social competence, children in immigrant families are less likely to participate in these programs than are children in native-born families; (3) Availability and access are important factors: When pre-kindergarten programs are offered in public schools, Hispanic and Asian American children are more likely to participate; and (4) Family literacy programs are a promising strategy for improving the language skills of children in immigrant families, as well as their parents. The author concludes that policies that support the health and early education of all young children should be a national priority, and that universal programs open to all children with a minimum of barriers are most likely to be successful in facilitating the participation of young children of immigrant families. (Contains 1 table, 1 figure and 67 endnotes.)
Descriptors: After School Programs, Young Children, Family Literacy, Immigrants, Interpersonal Competence, Student Needs, Access to Education, High Risk Students, School Readiness, Predictor Variables, Early Intervention, Ethnic Groups, Equal Education, Cognitive Ability, Cognitive Development, Social Development, Hispanic Americans, Asian Americans, African Americans, Whites, Family Programs, Language Skills, Public Policy
Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University and The Brookings Institution. 267 Wallace Hall, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544. Tel: 609-258-6979; e-mail: FOC@princeton.edu; Web site: http://www.brookings.org/index/publications.htm
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Early Childhood Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A