1. Types of Early Childhood Programs
Chapter 2

2. Vocabulary Terms Family child care home Child care centers
Custodial care
Montessori approach
Head Start
School-age child care programs
Checking-in services
Parent cooperatives
Laboratory schools
Universal pre-kindergarten (UPK)
Accredited

3. Use pie graph on pg 37, 2-2

4. In addition… Family child care homes Child care centers
Child care provided in a private home with a small number of children
Child care centers
Facilities that offer full day children’s programs
Most popular type of care and education
Some centers simply provide custodial care, care focusing primarily on child’s physical needs

5. In addition… Kindergarten
First Kindergarten opened in 1837 by Frederick Froebel in Germany.
Stressed play
First American Kindergarten opened in Watertown,WI in 1856
3 basic scheduling patterns: ½ day, full day and full day/alternating
Emphasizes the growth of the whole child
Basic objectives to develop positive feelings about school, develop independence, develop positive self-concept

6. In addition… School-age Child Care Parent Cooperatives
Provide care for children before and/or after school
Sponsored by schools, houses of worship or child care centers
An alternative is checking-in services, where workers call home to see if child arrived safely. This option is only for mature children who can take care of themselves until parents arrive.
Parent Cooperatives
Formed and run by parents who wish to take part in their children’s preschool experience
Parents make administrative decisions
Fees are often less here than at other programs
Parents serve as classroom aides

7. In addition… Laboratory Schools High School Child Care Programs
University and college affiliated programs
Located on a college campus
Serve as a study group for research
Most have a highly qualified staff, well-planned curriculum and up-to-date facilities
High School Child Care Programs
Help train future child care professionals
High school students plan and present the curriculum under supervision of a teacher

8. In addition… Universal Pre-Kindergarten Sponsored at the state level
High quality, literary rich environment is provided.
Designed for 3 and 4 year olds.

9. Montessori Schools Maria Montessori
Developed the theory that children learn best by being active
Montessori Approach
Children “learn how to learn”
Children were allowed to explore materials that were meant to instruct
Stressed independence
Teachers provide little help

10. Head Start
Nutrition
Many do not receive nutritious meals at home
At least one snack and one hot meal is provided each day
Food is served that reflects the child’s ethnic and cultural preferences.
Designed to help children make healthy food choices and develop good eating habits.
Developed in the late 1960s by the federal government
Designed to overcome the negative effects of poverty on young children
One of the most successful preschool and family support programs in the country
Curriculum
Designed to build self-esteem
Variety of learning experiences to meet the children’s needs in all four areas of development
Parental involvement is at the heart of the program

11. Head Start Health Parental Involvement
All children given a total health plan
Dental, medical, mental health services provided for
Children who have not had childhood immunizations prior to enrollment are given them
Parental Involvement
Recognizes the parent as the child’s first teacher
Parents are encouraged to help recruit new children, assist in the center, and take part in policy meetings

12. Sponsorship in Early Childhood Centers
Public Sponsorship
Funded by federal, state or local governments
Some funds come through school districts
Federally funded example: Head Start
State funded example: laboratory school, high school child care program

13. Sponsorship in Early Childhood Centers
Private sponsorship
Rely on parent fees to cover most of operating expenses
May be operated by a house of worship, hospital or charitable organization

14. Sponsorship in Early Childhood Centers
Employer sponsorship
Reduces conflict between family and work responsibilities
Several options
company-owned on site care
contracting out to childcare chains or firms
vouchers

15. Selecting a Child Care Program
Find a program that welcomes the child and promotes all areas of the children’s development
Cost
Location
Quality
What are the program’s goals, activities and schedule?
Variety and balance
Child to teacher ratio
Training and experience of staff
Staff turnover rates
Safe Environment
Security system
Smoke detectors
Fire extinguishers
Evacuation plans
Clean
Well maintained
As a teacher, your role will be to give parents the needed information to make an informed decision
Staff turnover rate – children need a predictable environment

16. Center Accreditation
Being accredited certifies that a set of standards has been met by an early childhood program.
To be eligible, a center must:
A self-evaluation on 10 categories
A validation visit conducted on-site by trained professionals
A decision by a team of experts representing the National Academy of Early Childhood Programs

17. Chapter 2 Review Describe one aspect of each type of program
Know about Montessori and Head Start
Give one example of each sponsorship
What are factors to consider when choosing a child care program?
What is center accreditation?
Study your vocabulary terms