What are some of the best ways to to show the importance of early childhood education in our country?

Question

The years before the age of 6 are so vital to all children. I am a Montessori teacher and I see the difference I can make with my students compared to a traditional classroom setting. I want to make our government realize how much help the early childhood field needs in order to help our students. Waiting until elementary, middle, and high school is too late. And tests do not improve learning, they are scores of how much children can memorize, who will then later forget what they have learned. How can we make known the need of early childhood and possibly school reform? (Wow, this is a huge question.)

Answer 1

Hmmm...tough question but I love it. My answer may not be what you're looking for as it seems you are looking to take action on a larger scale. But what I find is that small steps in the immediate community can create awareness that will eventually lead to greater change. I think it is a great idea to write letters as previously mentioned, but how can we make the little ones speak volumes?

I've worked with kids for a fairly long time now, but I'm more interested in coaching them as opposed to being in the teacher position. What I mean by this is, many people underestimate the work that young students can do. So what I've done in the past (I'm pretty young, so I mean high school) is I'd go to elementary schools and sometimes even younger and come up with workshops that they can contribute to their community. Now of course, the topic of choice would change depending on the age group but I find that people appreciate a change in scenery from a different voice. Is there anyway that you can get in touch with someone locally to hang up a large piece of art done by the kids? Perhaps they can take a class trip and plant a tree and someway it can be known that that group of children helped out in the community? I'm not sure if you've done/seen this before...and I know it may not get the biggest results right away, but it could be the beginning of a community that sees the power of the youngsters. Best of luck to you!

Answer 2

Hi.

This is a complex issue and I am sure many others have sought to do what you want to do, and for a good reason. However I feel that parents always get a "discount", they are the ones responsible for raising their children with all that it implies. Yet too many parents can´t wait to go back to work :-( and just leave this important task to schools. Kids learn a lot from their parents and there should be some mandatory basic course on how to treat children but I guess they are not important enough!!

What you are looking for is some long term studies, studies that probably take decades to do. I don´t know if there are any ongoing or any that have recently been published, sorry.

Good luck in your quest!!

Answer 3

Write your senators and congress men and women.  Also invite your school districts superintendent to visit your classroom.  The Governor of my state has taken a special interest in early learning and has formed a Department of Early Learning.  Look up the Washington Governor's home page to get more info.  It is pretty amazing and there are some great changes happening in my state.  Tell your politicians of the great things that are happening in Washington and follow our lead.  My school district has also taken an interest in early learning and will start a new program in the fall titled "Ready! for Kindergarten" It's a parent education program for families with children birth to age 5.  We meet 3 times a year for 90 mins and give parents educational toys/resources to use with their children and teach them how to use them.  Google this program "Ready! For Kindergarten" It's awesome (and it's free to parents)!!

I love finding people that are passionate about this age group.

Answer 4

There should be leaders and organizations willing to tell parents to take responsibility to spend time to involve their children in educational fun activities instead running them to shopping centers and places and activities to turn them into giddy-headed consumers of the future. It's not always schools that can inspire early childhood education.  It's the home where a child's education starts as soon as he/she arrive in the world.

We encourage the birth of unwanted babies to allow them to waste their early years without early childhood attention. I can only guess that what all those Pro-lifers are after. And there's no way we can dream that America's children will ever hope to have early childhood education. I'm sure those parents who seriously planned for the arrival of their babies... probably like those who have children in your school - will always find their way to see that their children benefit from early education. Unwanted babies will always suffer the worse no matter what you do. And there are always people more interested in having America flooded with unwanted babies, but never pay attention to how these babies are being nutured. Keep your own class of students learning and be happy. You are blessed with children whose parents care enough to think of their educational development. There's no way you can think of so many out there forced to arrive into the world without plans for their first 6 years.

Answer 5

dan quayle...