In the United States, more than 60%
of all children from birth to age five spend time in the care of someone other than
their parents. And child development research, neuroscience, and program
evaluation affirm the long-lasting effects that high-quality early childhood experiences
have on individual and societal outcomes, including school readiness and
persistence, economic vitality, workforce preparation, and mental health.
Early education and care services
for young children are provided by a wide range of programs with different
designs and purposes, including the federal Head Start program; state child care
programs that represent a mix of federal and state funds and requirements (and
parent co-pays); and state-funded preschool programs. One of the strategies they
used was bilingual program. Under the leadership of Jimmy Carter, Head Start began bilingual programs, supporting the
expanding diversity of children who were in the program in order to respect the
culture and diversity of each child which is very important in the field of
early childhood.
Bilingual programs which were established as a
result of diversity issue really appeal to me. I believe this would enhance the
relationship between the teachers and children and at the same time would
improve the relationship between the teachers and parents in order to meet
their needs.
Reference:
http://www.buildinitiative.org/Portals/0/Uploads/Documents
/Early%20Childhood%20Governance%20for%20Web.pdf
http://mym.cdn.laureate-media.com/2dett4d/Walden/EDUC/6765/02/mm/historical_overview/index.html
I am so thankful for this strategy that you listed. I work within a military community and we are a HUGE melting pot of a variety of cultures. Having a language barrier within the EC programs can damage any successful program with the children and the families. I still find it hard to communicate with some of my families because of the language barrier, but thank goodness we have a variety of staff members that are able to assist with this and we are able to work with our families that may feel isolated because of it. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteAdebisi, intriguing blog! I can appreciate your concern about appropriately supporting cultural diversity and language. This is an area where we see the need to implement every day. Living in New Orleans, our Spanish population has increase drastically so teachers have had to shift paradigm to accommodate the new needs. This is essential for our children and their families.
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