Child Development

H. Glaeser

* From the Albert Shanker Institute’s Research Summary 2009

Part 1: IntroductionExplain why early childhood is a

crucial time for children’s cogni-tive development

Identify characteristics of a high-quality preschool

Compare and contrast the pre-kindergarten academic learning between children of poverty and middle-class children

Describe effective methods of teaching young children

Part 1

Much of the research on young children’s learning investigates cognitive development inLanguageMathematicsScience

These appear to be “privileged domains”Domains in which

children have a natural proclivity to learn, experiment, and explore Allow for nurturing and extending the boundaries

of the learning in which children are already actively engaged

Crucial time for children’s cognitive development

Very young children are ready – and excited – to develop skill and understanding in: Language and literacy Mathematics Science

Pre-kindergarten (pre-k) learning experiences in these domains can help to build the skills, knowledge, and attitudes that prepare young children for future academic success

Eager to understand more about the world

Actively strive to build knowledge and to develop language to communicate about what they learn

Develop theories about how the world works

Learn to solve problems Ask questions in constant quest for

information When provided with supportive and

stimulating environments, eagerly engage in: Language learning Literacy practices Math play Science exploration

Many children growing up in poverty lag far behind their middle-class peers in key academic areas by the time they enter kindergarten

Reading, math, and attention skills that children bring to school have been found to be a strong predictor of their later academic success Without intervention,

these early disparities tend to be sustained or even widen over time

To close or significantly narrow the gap, we must either figure out how to drastically increase the rate of learning for poor school children, or

Figure out how to prevent this gap from opening in the first placeHigh-quality pre-kindergarten programs are

one promising avenue for reaching this goalCompelling research suggests that strong

pre-K programs can ameliorate academic discrepancies at start of elementary school

Very young children are capable of much more academically than previously thought

High-quality, age-appropriate, academically rich pre-K experiences are often unavailable to poor and minority children – the very children who are likely to gain the most benefit from them

Quality indicators include: Easy to measure “structural”

factors: Child-to-teacher ratios Teachers’ education levels

In terms of cognitive growth, “process” factors: Daily human interactions and

activities that have potential to enhance children’s cognitive, physical, and social-emotional development Appear to be more central

Of particular importance is the quality of instruction Appears to have vital, lasting effect on building

children’s cognitive and social skills through the elementary school years

Children in pre-K classrooms that spend time on key academic content areas (literacy, language, math) have an academic advantage as they enter early elementary school

The effectiveness of today’s preschool programs could be significantly improved if they were aligned with what

we now know about how children learn in the academic disciplines of: Language Literacy Math Science

These subjects should not be the exclusive focus of a quality preschool curriculum History, social sciences, music, arts and crafts,

movement, foreign languages all have place in rich, well-rounded curriculum

Featured subjects appear to be “privileged domains” Areas in which children may be predisposed to

learn

Differ substantially from teaching methods used with older children

Use of developmentally appropriate instructional techniques such as:Read aloudsDiscussionsSongsGamesProjectsOther active learning opportunities

Both free and “structured” play (where teachers purposefully design play experiences to support specific learning goals) important to this age group

During play, children: Learn by exploring and

manipulating materials Learn to imagine themselves

in new situations Role play Take turns Set and follow rules Practice oral language as

they communicate with peers Remember, incorporate, and

rehearse new knowledge and skills