“Early Childhood Research: Australia”

In a media release sent out in December 7th of 2012, Early Childhood of Australia made the statement about that “All tiers of government need to work together to ensure that sector growth can keep pace with the demand for early childhood education and care according to peak children’s body Early Childhood Australia.” (ECA, 2012)  The need for this for is the growing demand of infants, toddlers, and preschoolers are attending early childhood centers in record numbers in Australia.  According to ECA, “There is an increase of 8% in the utilisation of Long Day Care in the 12 months to September 2012. Over 250 new services are being established every year.” (ECA, 2012)   However, the growing demand of child care provides certain challenges according to ECA CEO, Samantha Page, “In some communities where there is an under supply, parents can wait up to a year to access a service which is very stressful for families who need to work.” Therefore, Page presented ways if these challenges were overcome how children would benefit. For instance, “Children benefit from quality early childhood education; employment participation is supported; families are more likely to stay in the area; and employment opportunities are boosted through the jobs available in early childhood service.” (ECA, 2012)  I find that we need to be more collaborative with state and local government just as they are calling for in Australia.  The ECA provides information through RIPS (Research in Practice Series), which, “Provides practical, easy-to-read resource, offering effective new approaches for those challenging issues which arise in the care and education of young children. Early Childhood Australia's Research in Practice Series is an essential resource for those involved in the early childhood field. The books are idea-rich and to-the-point" (ECA, 2012)

Reference 

http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/

Positive Effects of ECE

            W. Steven Barnett study of The Long-Term Affects of Early Childhood Programs on Cognitive and School Outcomes in the Princeton Journal The Future of Children provides information of the need for quality Early Childhood programs and the effects cognitively and academically it has on children in the long-term.   Long-term effects on IQ, according to Barnett showed, “All model program studies reported IQ gains at some point during or after children’s program participation.” (Barnett, 1995)  The study also found positive effects on socialization for children as well.  Barnett found that “Long-term positive effects on socialization were evident not only in teacher ratings, but also in parent ratings and data in delinquency and crime, but only two studies sought these out.” (Barnett, 1995) 

            I found that through the results of this research it is even more evident that parents need to be the “first educators” in their child’s education, especially if he or she cannot provide their child with the chance to go to preschool.  Thus, I feel strongly for the research simulation I am working on that provides parents tools and ideas he or she needs to provide for his or her child to succeed in life academically and socially.

Reference

W. Steven Barnett.The Future of Children. Vol. 5, No. 3, Long-Term Outcomes of Early Childhood Programs (Winter, 1995), pp. 25-50. Retrieved from. Princeton University
Article Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1602366

My Research Simulation Project

My simulation research project is I want to study the effects on a child and its single-parent family having a mentoring program come into his or her home and mentor the parent on how to help his or her child physically, emotionally, and academically.  The project would start before the child is born with basic parenting classes and until the child is four.  Through this time, an early childhood educator, social worker, or advocate would come once a week into the parent’s home and provide techniques and strategies for the parents to help their child grow academically, emotionally, and physically.  By the time the child is four he or she will be given an assessment to see what progress has been made and the parents will also be given survey about what he or she has learned about parenting.  The biggest factor I have learned from completing the research simulation is sometimes it takes triangulation, which is the use of multiple research methods to get full and complete data is the best way to see the full picture.  What do you see would be the best way to start collecting data of my research simulation?   

Keeping Up Internationally:Key is Professionalism

I find that there are three consequences of learning about the international early childhood field.  First, there is the consequence of realizing accountability that you have as a professional in the Early Childhood field to keep up with current programs and practices that are being used internationally.  By doing so, the professional can bring new and fresh ideas that are relevant to the field in his or her field.  Next, I find another consequence in learning about the early childhood field internationally is realizing the responsibility we have as professionals to the issues like poverty, quality in child care, and diversity.  When we can take into account the different backgrounds, the lack of money parents are working for to provide for his or her children and the type of educational programming that is being taught an early childcare center.   Finally, there is idea of what it means to be a professional.  Being a professional means learning to grow through knowledge, flexibility, and collaboration with other professional.  If I can promote one goal for the Early Childhood field would be professional development implemented in Early Childhood programs to collaborate with coworkers.  This way, professionals can grow and learn new ideas to teach children.

The HECDI and Unifying Goals for Early Childhood

                The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization in conjunction with Bernard van Leer Foundation, Un Kilo de Ayuda (Mexico), Save the Children, UNICEF, the WFP, the WHO and the World Bank have come up with the Holistic Early Childhood Developmental Index (HECDI).   HECDI was created in December 2010, and wants to promote a more cohesive approach to monitoring children from prenatal development to the age of eight.  The goals of the HECDI are to measure the aspects of ECCE policy and programming at a national and subnational level, legal protection of children, social protection and child welfare, social-emotional and cognitive development, access and quality of early childhood care and education, and health/nutrition.

These are all important factors for the educator in me to see being measured because it will allow us to provide a more standard form of policy and programming. For me that is one of the biggest problems I see in the EC field right now.  For instance, certain centers are trying to follow standards while other are not.  This provides a problem for children who are not going to be prepared for Kindergarten.  I would like to see area centers get on the same page as to what is being taught to Pre-K children so children could be more on the same page before entering Kindergarten.  I also feel it is important to have Pre-K programs also screen for learning disabilities for children that way Kindergarten teachers are able to provide interventions the moment the child comes into his or her classroom.

Resource 

(http://www.unesco.org/new/en/education/themes/strengthening-education-systems/early-childhood/)

"National Pyjama Day" in Ireland

The links on the Early Childhood Ireland website take me to several places.  One leads me to the really awesome day of service for Early Childhood is known as Pajama Day, except in Ireland it is spelled “Pyjama Day”.  On Friday, March 23, 2012, children in Early Childhood centers around Ireland wear “pyjamas” to help raise money for the specific charity of their choice.  To further expand on this day the website has a link to the Irish Hospice Foundation, which provides children with a terminal illness a chance to live out his or her final days at home.  Children who helped sponsor the Irish Hospice Foundation, which has only been involved with “Pyjama Day” for two years, raised  €224,337.47 ($289978.61).  The link provided the amount of total Euros that “’Pyjama Day” has raised in its nine years of existence, which was 1.5 million in Euros.  The website also stated that, “In Ireland today it is estimated that 1,400 children are living with life-limiting illness in Ireland. There are about 350 child deaths every year – the majority in the first year of life.” (Early Childhood Ireland, 2012)   As a result of the IHF and “Pyjama Day” the IHF has been able to 5 out of 8 outreach nurses that are needed to provide support for the families and children suffering with a terminal illness.  Donations are still accepted for “Pyjama Day” six months after the actual service day.  For more information on “Pyjama Day” go to http://www.tv3.ie/3player/show/184/46659/1/  for coverage of “National Pyjama Day”.

  

Global Children's Initiative

I reviewed the website about Harvard’s Global Children’s Initiative.  Three big goals of the Global Children’s Initiative are as follows:

1.      Reframe the discourse around child health and development.

2.      Support innovative, multi-disciplinary research and demonstration projects. 

3.      Build leadership capacity in child development research and policy.

Through the three main focuses of early childhood development, child mental health, and children in crisis and conflict situation, The Global Health Initiative wants to reframe health care and development by, “educating high-level decision-makers about the underlying science of learning, behavior, and health, beginning in the earliest years of life.” Next, supporting research and demonstration projects require, “to expand global understanding of how healthy development happens, how it can be derailed, and how to get it back on track.”  Finally, there is the need for leadership in child development and research and policy by, “focused on both individuals and institutions—in low- and middle-income countries to increase the number and influence of diverse voices and perspectives that are contributing to the growing global movement on behalf of young children.”

These needs are great, especially for children in third-world country, because there is no standard form of early child development and education.  This article gives reports of the contributions of the Zambian Early Childhood Development and the Mother Child Initiative from the Turkey Early Childhood Development.  The site also features spotlights on faculty promoting early childhood policy and counties like Brazil trying to implement new policy on early childhood.

Resource:

(http://developingchild.harvard.edu/initiatives/global_initiative/