Bibliography #3

Malin, Antero; Melhuish, Edward; Phan, Mai; Sammons, Pam; Siraj-Blatchford, Iram; Sylva, Kathy; Taggart, Brenda (08/2008). Preschool Influence on Mathematic Achievement. Science 29.Vol. 321. No. 5893. p1161-1162.

This study found that enrolling a child in a preschool program greatly increased their academic achievements. This was especially true in the United States where “prekindergarten improved mathematics and reading at kindergarten (17), with greatest gains if preschool started between 2 and 3 years… (18)” From this discovery, the reader can see the importance of enrolling a child in an educational program very early in their development. Preschool does not only help children in elementary school, but “preschool benefits in secondary school.” Therefore, academic success is shown to continue on throughout the years of a child’s education.

Further important statistic correlations were also found. “Low birth weight and lower parental occupational, educational, or income status were significantly and independently linked with lower mathematics scores.” From this statistic the reader can see how children from these backgrounds are already more likely to do increasingly poorer in school. This is why the implantation of an early-child education program can enhance their learning and aid in leveling the playing field. “The effect of 1 year of part-time preschool [is] equivalent to increasing family income by more than £10,000 (U.S. $19,000) a year (8).” So even though a child may be from a background that is statistically less likely to produce a child that does well in school, early education demonstrate the massive affect these types of programs have on a child.

From the evidence presented in this study, “preschool experience is critical for children's future competence, coping skills, health, and later employment (6).” The advantages of an early-child education program are very evident, and reach far beyond the academic aspects of the classroom. The “benefits outweigh the costs (7).”

This study clearly supports how amazing and advantageous enrolling a child in an early-education program truly is. From reading this article, numbers can now hold up the claims presented by what many people observe in their daily lives. With this backing, perhaps more government aid can be given to these programs, especially Head Start which specializes in low-income families and non-English speaking students. By investing in these programs, people will be investing in America.

I would like to further investigate the type of funding that goes into fueling Head Start programs versus other early childhood education programs.

Play-Based Learning

Pinson, Dena M., Montgomery, Diane. "Play-Based Programming: Advantages fro Rural Early Childhood Special Education". eric.ed.gov. eric.ed.gov/PDFS/ed429748.pdf. web. 1999-03-00. 2/6/11.

According to Dena M Pinson and Diane Montgomery the authors of this article, Play-Based Programming children will often learn as they play. Extensive research has been conducted determining if using play-based learning as part of early childhood special education is rationalized. First identify the type of play acted out by the child. Determine strengths, gather clues and plan interventions. I agree with this paper that children do act out through play an they do give clues as to their development as well as certain issues that they are confused about. Although sometimes children really aren't listening to adults during play. The research paper also states parent participation is built into the assessment and intervention process. "Adults who engage with a child" during free play, "can provide professionals with understandings about family expectations, beliefs, skills and needs."

"Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) Services are intended to 'prevent or reduce the effect of a disability on a child's development." Each ECSE Professional takes responsibility to meet with families and other professionals to provide extensive services for many participating children, with varying complex situations. They accomplish this overwhelming task by maintaining working relationships with the families ant to develop knowledge and skills needed. Each child must be understood as an individual and as a whole person not in part.

Developmentally Appropriate Practice (DAP) includes age appropriateness, individualized strengths, interests and needs also social and cultural aspects of the children and their families.

Play-Based learning works best when initiated by the child. Even better if the child invites the adult to play. Also though repetitive tasks and games helps children to do every day tasks by themselves, hand washing, toileting, cleaning after themselves, playing with other children. Discussing what is and what isn't appropriate and why, sometime more than once a day has help children that I have worked with.

The article also points out a free discovery structure, to allow children to play and learn independently or play learning is prompted where the teacher guides the children in structured play-learning.

"Professional ECSE practices must be based on intense knowledge of typical and atypical child development, strategies to facilitate and encourage child growth and communications inviting active family participation." Intervention is determined directly from observation and participation in play-learning.

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?

Extended Bibliography #3

Head Start VS Other Schools



Health and Human Services. "Head Start Impact Study". n.d. Web. 5 February, 2011.

Zigler, Edward and Susan Muenchow. Head Start: The Inside Story of America's Most Successful Educational Experiment. New York: Basic Books. 1992. Print.


The US Department of Health and Human Services has recently completed their 10 year research study of Head Start and the impact it has on children. In this study, it lays out a case study that was done between a controlled group of kids and children from Head Start. This study shows the advantages and disadvantages that children might experience in and outside of Head Start. It goes in depth in each area and aspect of a child's growth. I think this study shows very clearly the hope that this program has given to many children.

Most of the areas that were tested in this study were the basic senses test. As the study came to a close, researchers found that four year old children from Head Start were scoring higher on the vocabulary tests than other four year old children from other programs (Health 4). There were six vocabulary tests that were administered; (1) Peabody Picture vocabulary Test (PPVT); (2) Woodcock-Johnson III (WJ III) Letter-Word Identification; (3) WJ III Spelling; (4) WJ III Pre-Academic Skills; (5) Color Identification; and (6) Letter Naming. Through these tests, researchers saw a dramatic difference in Head Start children than others (6). Although verbal skills exceeded, math showed no significant impacts. Even though this might not seem too important since these children are only four years old, I do not think that speaking alone will get you very far in life. So why didn't math skills increase in Head Start students as well? Well, Health and Human Services has stated in this study that, "Head Start programs vary in terms of instruction in the key areas measured as part of this study, i.e., early development of language and literacy and mathematics skills." (Health 25). This obviously means that the Head Start programs in the case studies focused more on literacy and language than math. So is subsiding math and receiving more english a smart move? I think it all depends on the child that is in the program. These children come from all different backgrounds and learn at different paces. The Teachers at Head Start Facilities all have their Early Childhood degrees that allow them to work specifically with that age group (Zigler 99).

Other than reading and math, children were studied on their social-emotional development. Children were observed on their behavior, social skills; relationships with teachers, parents and other children; approaches to learning; and school adjustment (Health 15). This study proved to have a different turn of events for Head Start as there didn't seem to be a distinctive upper hand. This study reveals that children who were in the Head Start program were a little more timid and shy when advancing to the next grade. On the similar hand, these children seemed more behaved at home and at school (15). This area of a child seems to be more affected in large crowds of people, which you don't get at Head Start. These classrooms are no more than 20 people and all contained to one property.

The last area I would like to talk about is the health of children. It was clear that the children in Head Start programs had a distinctively clearer respect for health and dental. These children received more dental and health coverage than those who weren't in Head Start programs (Health 18). Edward Zigler tells us that most of the children who are in Head Start have never experienced health or dental benefits that are crucial to every human being for their respective development (28). We can see that Head Start children have a big advantage when it comes to their health and physical development.

So how did Head Start compare to other programs? Human and Health Services states, "On nearly every measure of quality traditionally used in early childhood research, the Head Start group had more positive experiences than those in the control group." (Health 25). But that leaves all of us with some very important questions. Would it be beneficial for children to have two years in a Head Start program instead of one? What processes are being taken to fill in the gaps where these children didn't excel above other program's students (i.e. math or timidness)? Also, if this program is a success, wouldn't more teachers from other schools and programs adopt the Head Start policy? Either way, this study shows us that there are some serious advantages to Head Start.

Extended Bibliography #2

Implementations from the Beginning to Now.

Marshall, Gordon. "Coleman Report". A Dictionary of Sociology. 1998. Encyclopedia.com. 5 Feb. 2011

Wikipedia. James Samuel Coleman. 15 December, 2010. Web. 5 February, 2011.

Zigler, Edward and Susan Muenchow. Head Start: The Inside Story of America's Most Successful Educational Experiment. New York: Basic Books. 1992. Print.

As I had stated in my last bibliography on Head Start, I wanted to see how and what teaching methods have changed since the 1960's. I soon found that there weren't very many recorded studies done until the 1990's. I found that the information that went toward the Head Start program in the 1960's was con-screwed and left very little support. As I met with one of the Head Start advisers on February 5, 2011, Tawnia informed me that, "The Attorney General of the United States implemented the Head Start Program to reduce the delinquency of America's children." I wonder if he was sincere in his declaration to increase the importance and affordability of education in America? There were a couple studies that were conducted just after the first year Head Start had commenced, such as the Coleman Report and the Westinghouse/Ohio Evaluation, that do not paint a pretty picture (Zigler 56).

One study that I want to touch on is the Coleman Report. It was instigated by the US Department of Education and conducted by James Samuel Coleman. The 1966 Coleman Report became a controversial debate for many years. Coleman states that children would learn more from their families than from school (Marshall). I find this a very bold and idiotic statement to make, considering he himself attended college. Only after reading more of this document do we find out that Coleman almost refutes his own claim and states that Black children will only benefit from this program if they are integrated into a predominately white class setting. I believe that his concept of school along with this study may have been influenced by the "white fight" events that were taking place and thus an accurate study may not have been conducted.

In trying to gather some ground that may not have been tainted with racial discrimination, I turned to Edward Zigler's book for answers. He states that within the first year of the Head Start program Students were testing higher than non Head Start students, but after about a month in public school together, the non Head Start students were scoring about the same as the head Start children (56). This leaves the program in danger of becoming decommissioned as a hope for children. This leads me back to my initial question of how Head Start has evolved into this program of salvation that is offered.

It wasn't until meeting with Head Start representatives and reading Edward Zigler's book that I understood the total embodiment that is Head Start. This program is not just a summer school where parents stick children to prepare them for the next school year, although that is an important part, but it furthers children comprehension of basic skills. Head Start provides children with basic health and dental care and nutritious meals daily that they might not otherwise have ever experienced (Zigler 28). Zigler dives into the reasons why this program is such a success. He will stand by Head Start till death do they part as the best way for a young child to further their education and have a chance to succeed in life. Children learn basic life and social skills while interacting with children of similar circumstances. Tawnia of the Boise Head Start center said that children come to her school from all over the world with all different backgrounds because of their circumstances. The children that she watches are from impoverish families that couldn't otherwise educate their young. Also parents are welcomed to join in helping their kids while at the school.

Head Start may have started off as just a program where children from poor families could be taught to read, write, and count. It may have been a scapegoat for officials to pawn concerns to, but it has now grown into a safe haven for children all over the world. Parents now have a place where their children can not only learn to read, write, but to gain the social skills and abilities they need to start their life in this world. Many children now know what it's like to paint a picture, to have a friend, or to have a real nutritious meal to eat. Now children, who's parents just watch TV during meals or are never around, can have the attention and love they deserve. They can gain the self-esteem and motivation to change the world. Head Start has improved dramatically from its primordial state in the 60's from just a low income school to a house of learning. Finally, impoverish children have a new hope, a head start.

Riley's Bibliography #3

The Trustees of Columbia University. NCCP. 2010. Web. 3 Feb. 2011
Supporting children and families that live in poverty is the main focus of Head Start. Believe it or not poverty is on the rise here in Idaho. It is now at 14.6 percent vs. the national average of 14.3 percent. Because of this I decided it would be good to look at how poverty affects children in a community. On the NCCP (National Center for Children in Poverty) website I found an article that had the basic facts about low income children. I found a lot of good information here.
Although children only make up 25 percent of the population they make of 36 percent of all people in poverty. The majority of these children are under six years old, 6.1 million in the United States to be exact. Another 11.7 million live in low income families. According to this article families need twice the amount of money earned at poverty level to simply make their basic needs. Many factors lead to poverty but the statistics show that 63 percent of the children that live in low income families are immigrants vs. the 43 percent that are native born. As for education 30 percent of children under six who live in low income families have at least one parent who had a college education. 30 percent also have at least one parent that works full time year round.
These are all statistics but they speak for themselves. You can see that education and work don’t always make a difference between poverty and prosperity. Any one of us could be in a situation in which we are struggling to meet basic needs. I think coming from the middle class that we think poverty can be avoided by hard work and determination, but I am beginning to think that is not always so. Sometimes it is unavoidable. On top of that the fact the most of the children living in poverty are under six is heartbreaking. Many of these children’s parents struggle day in and day out just to get food on the table. I want to know how many of those living in poverty take advantage of the Head Start program. I also want to know what would happen if poverty kept rising and Head Start facilities were no longer large enough to support this rise in poverty. Has there ever been a similar situation? Is there a maximum limit of children and families that can be taken on by each facility?
Here is a link from the same website to some statistics on poverty here in Idaho:
http://www.nccp.org/profiles/ID_profile_9.html



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_bLw4c-4YM

Riley’s Extended Bibliography #2

Health and Human Services, “Improving Head Start." HHS.gov. n.p., n.d. Web. 3 Feb. 2011.

Puma, Michael, Stephen Bell, Ronna Cook, and Camilla Heid. “Head Start Impact Study Final Report.” 2010. PDF file.

I became curious in my last post as to whether or not Health and Human services had conducted a more recent survey. So I went on to the Health and Human Services web site and found an entire section devoted to Head Start. I also found that most everything that had to do with the survey had not been updated since 2003. Many of the pages I was not even able to access because they were out of date and no longer existed at their previous URL. They did however have a link to the presidential web site where President Obama briefly talks about the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. In this act Obama provided an additional 1 billion dollars to Head Start and 1.1 billion to Early Head Start. That is a grand total of 2.1 billion dollars. This Act was put into effect in 2009. I had to stop here for a moment. That is three years after Heath and Human services most recent study. I then knew that they had to have updated the site at one point if there was a link from 2009. I then Googled it and found a whole new section of their website that had final reports from 2010. Here I found a ton of information.
The study done by Health and Human services was actually a mandate from congress in 1998 to “determine on a national level the impact of Head Start on the children it serves” (9). This study took 5,000 eligible kids between the ages of 3 and 4 years old and randomly assigned them to either Head Start or the control group. Those in the control group were not able to access the facilities offered by Head Start for the sake of the study, but still were involved in early childhood programs. They then began collecting data in 2002. They continued collecting the same data until 2006. This allowed them to follow students through the spring of their first grade year. The three and four year olds were studied separately and their results varied.
I now realize why this study had not been updated and why it is considered to be so accurate. A lot of time and effort was put into this study, almost 8 years of it. They just barely released their final results in 2010. Unfortunately obvious changes have been made since 2006. The 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is a great example of this. It is sad that it is so outdated. The statement on the final product itself is 35 pages long. This does not include solutions, suggestions, and the like. So now I no longer have to wonder why this study is so old, or why it is considered most accurate. I do however wonder if there is a study just on Idaho Head Start Facilities. Perhaps since the numbers are lower the study would not have taken so long and results would be more recent. Of course I also find myself asking if a study no matter how precise really means anything to the parents or kids who honestly are just looking for a chance. No matter what the study says that is what Head Start offers, a chance.