1. Early Childhood Education Today Chapter 2

2. Early Childhood Education Today Early childhood education attempts to address issues faced by children and schools. As changes occur in the lives of young children, early childhood education must also change in order to meet the needs of children and their families. The purpose of this chapter is to review some the social changes that are requiring changes in early childhood education today. By the conclusion of this chapter, you will be able to identify practices for early care and education that reflect sensitivity to differences in socioeconomic status, culture, ethnicity, and family structure among young children today.

3. The Family and Change Family change in response to social trends. Areas of family change include: Family structure- in addition to traditional nuclear families (mother, father, and children), additional family structures include families headed by a single parent, stepfamilies, families with adopted children, and families where grandparents are raising grandchildren. Family Roles and Responsibilities- more families include a working mother and father who must attend to family responsibilities and work responsibilities. They may feel overwhelmed and seek help with child rearing responsibilities.

4. The Family and Change Working Parents  51.4 percent of husband and wives in married couple families worked in 2008  66 percent of mothers with children under age six worked outside the home The need for early childhood programs increased, however many available programs were not of high quality.

5. The Family and Change Fathers Increasingly, fathers want to be more involved in the process of childrearing. Educators recognize the important role fathers play in the lives of children. The burgeoning research activity on the impact of fathers’ roles on children's lives can be found on pages 32-33.

6. Family Collaboration Family change requires early childhood education professionals to create new ways to meet the needs of children and their families. Teachers should work through and within the family system because: Children learn values, literacy skills, and approaches to learning within the family; Teachers may find themselves working to help children at the same time they are working on family-based problems/issues; Teachers may be able to work with children and families in ways that benefit both the child and the family.

7. Health Issues The three most common illnesses/health issues among children are asthma, lead poisoning, obesity. Asthma Chronic inflammatory disorder of the airways Most common chronic childhood illness Caused by dust, mold, animal fur, allergens from roach and rodent feces, etc. Lead PoisoningObesity Results in low IQs, short attention spans, learning disabilities, hyperactivity Over 250,000 children, birth – age 5 have dangerous lead blood levels Results in a number of diseases and illnesses later in life. 11.5 % of 6-23 month olds & 14 % of 2-5 yr olds are overweight Caused by inhaling or ingesting lead-based paints in homes built before 1978; dust and dirt from polluted soil Caused by more fat and calorie intake and less physical activity

8. Health Issues Illnesses place children’s learning at risk. Early childhood professionals can help in the following ways:

9. Socioeconomic Status Children’s socioeconomic status (SES) is influenced by three interrelated measures: Parents’ educational level Parents’ employment status Family income  Child-rearing practices  Family-child interactions  Home support for language development and learning  Discipline in the home  Future plans involving child’s education and employment SES influences:

10. Socioeconomic Status Poverty can be defined as the state at which individuals lack a socially acceptable amount of money or material possessions.  Poor families have an income of $20, 000 per year—a family of four with an income of $40,000 a year meets federal poverty levels.  Children living in single family households are at risk for poverty.  41 percent of African American children under age five live in poverty.  32.3 percent of Hispanic children under age five live in poverty.  These percentages increase when African American and Hispanic children live in single parent homes.

11. Socioeconomic Status Effects of Poverty Lack of adequate health care, housing, food, clothing, and educational services Children move through grades at a slower pace, and are more likely to be retained in school, and to drop out. Children are less likely to be engaged in school and are more likely to have emotional and behavioral problems. Children living in poverty have more health problems and shorter life spans.

12. Diversity  Diversity will continue to influence curriculum and instruction. By 2050, minorities will make up more than 47 percent of the U.S. population.  Multicultural awareness—the appreciation and understanding of people from different cultures, socioeconomic backgrounds, and gender will become more important.  Promoting multiculturalism among young children influences their work habits, interpersonal relations, and outlook on life.

13. Diversity Multicultural Infusion Multicultural infusions exists when multicultural education is included throughout the curriculum in ways that influence how children and teachers think about diversity. Multicultural Infusion Multicultural Infusion Promotes family and community involvement Fosters use of appropriate instructional materials, activities, and themes Encourages teaching to children’s learning styles Promotes cultural awareness

14. Violence  Young children are exposed to violence through a number of situations to include watching television, playing video games, and witnessing domestic violence.  Violent behavior is learned early in a child’s life. Young children’s brains are capable of being adapted to conditions they experience.  Brain plasticity allows children to redirect neural pathways away from violence to more acceptable ways to resolve conflict.  Repeated exposure to violence however results in emotions, cognition, and behavior that are centered on violent and aggressive themes. See p. 48 for ways to prevent and/or reduce violence in children’s lives )

15. Bullying Bullying includes:  Teasing  Hitting  Pushing  Unwanted touching  Stealing  Name-calling  Insulting comments about personal characteristics Bullying is no longer considered normal or “kids play.” Schools have developed a number of programs to prevent bullying See pgs 48-49 for ways to prevent bullying in the classroom

16. Child Abuse and Neglect Child abuse and neglect takes the form of: Physical abuse Emotional abuse Neglect Childcare centers and schools (along with social agencies and hospitals) are becoming more involved in identifying, treating, and preventing child abuse and neglect. See Table 2.1 for Signs of Child Abuse and Neglect

17. Federal and State Involvement in Early Childhood Education Federal and state funding for early childhood education programs has increased for the following reasons:  Recognition that early education provides a foundation for future learning;  Spending money early is a cost effective way of trying to solve problems that tend to emerge during teenage years;  More federal funds are available to states to support improve pre- kindergarten programs.

18. Federal and State Involvement in Early Childhood Education Federal SupportPublic Schools Reading and school readiness are federal priorities. The Early Reading First program established through No Child Left Behind legislation provided funds to school districts and preschool programs to develop model programs. Preschool programs are no longer only operated by private agencies or agencies supported by federal funds. Public schools now operate pre-school programs as well.

19. Eco-Friendly Education Green Schools School buildings save energy, resources and money. Children and families learn about the environment and how to preserve it. Schools build school gardens and endeavor to serve healthy school lunches.

20. New Directions in Early Childhood Education Changes in early childhood education to meet family and societal needs include:  Full-day/full services schools  Information, parenting skills, and learning activities to parents/guardians get children ready of school  Support for whole child education  Early literacy learning  Increased use of technology  Continued political involvement in early childhood education

21. What’s next  Areas of family change  Percent of working parents  Changes in fathers’ roles  Single parent families  Teachers working within the family system  Most common childhood illnesses  SES and its influences  Characteristics and effects of poverty  Multicultural awareness  Multicultural infusion  Young children and violence  Brain plasticity  Types of bullying  Response to bullying  Forms of abuse and neglect  Federal and state involvement in early childhood education  Eco-friendly education  New directions in early childhood education