Bibliography #2

Olson, Lynn (01/2007). “Paying Attention Earlier On.” Education Week Vol.26 Issue 17(p28-31)

There are many different factors that can cause children to be unprepared for school. These can include family income, race, healthcare and nutrition, and parents’ education. Lynn Olson discusses why a high-quality early-child education program is beneficial. She also informs the reader how children of different background can get more out of these programs than others.

Kindergarten is the beginning of a child’s academic career. However, being adequately prepared is the first step that needs to be taken. According to Olson’s research, early-childhood education improves school readiness. When a child receives the proper building blocks for education, they begin on a solid foundation that they can continue to expand upon. By preparing academically through an early-childhood education program, children are more likely to succeed in school and obtain a higher income, and less likely to drop out and turn to criminal activities. Gene I. Maeroff supports this in her statement that "Unprecedented attention to schooling from preschool through 3rd grade offers greater promise for improving outcomes..."

However, the benefit each child receives from early-childhood education differs. “Studies suggest that poor and minority children stand to benefit the most academically from attending high-quality early-childhood programs (Olson).” Children from these backgrounds have less access to the tools they need to prepare for school. Therefore, enrolling in these programs provides many more opportunities for success than poor and minority children would most likely receive at home. Olson describes a study conducted by Betty Hart and Todd Risley that demonstrates the disadvantages of being from a low income family. An average four-year old from a professional working family has heard about 45 million spoken words. Compare this to a four-year old from a working-class family who has heard 26 million words, or a four-year old from a welfare receiving-family who has heard 13 million words. The child from the low income family will much-more less-likely prepared for school than the child from the high income family. It can clearly be seen from this example that this is why low income children have so much to gain from an early-child education program.

Unfortunately, only 35 percent of children in families earning less than $10, 000 a year attend preschool compared to 67 percent who attend from families earning $150,000 or more a year (Olson). This reveals how admission to these early-child education programs is strongly segregated by income.

I feel that the first years of school set the foundation for a child’s academic career. If a child is not to the educational level of the other students, the child will more likely fall behind. They may begin to develop feelings of inadequacy. They may stop trying to perform their best. Teachers may also interpret this as learning disabilities and place them in special classes. This in itself may cause adverse mental affects on the child. All of this is important because it can lead to the child dropping out or becoming involved in drugs and crimes. If they are doing these activities they most likely won’t be making a high salary or receiving proper healthcare. When they have children their children will have the same start, lacking proper preparation, and the cycle continues.

That is why supplying adequate preparation to children for school is so important. Providing equal opportunities to all children levels the playing field. This increases the chance for success of children from low-income and minority families.

From this reading, I wonder how the “no child left behind” policy plays into the school environment, and how it affects children from different demographics. But most importantly, how do teachers respond to children who lack the skills needed to match the other children? What provisions can, and do, teachers have in place to catch-up children that fall behind?