education

Individual Stressors Creatas / Thinkstock Even young children today experience numerous stressors, including increasing academic pressure. Today’s young children are probably unaware of the arguments over how they should be tested, measured, categorized, and labeled. But they develop a self-image and are influenced by interactions with their families, immediate environments, peer groups, and teachers. They […]

The Achievement Gap When expectations in standards are tied to state testing processes, children who consistently do not achieve the desired outcomes fall into the so-called achievement gap. States report test scores on a continuum, with descriptors such as below basic, basic, or proficient (National Report Card). State and federal monies for many supplemental programs

Learning Standards Closely related to readiness is increasing use of early learning standards and explicit expectations about what a child should know and be able to do at a particular point in time. Because of the developmental orientation of early childhood as a field, advocates work with states to ensure that expectations are framed to

Readiness and Developmentally Appropriate Practice blue jean images / Getty Images Classrooms should contain materials and offer experiences that reflect the diversity of the class and provide them with opportunities to learn about the many ways in which Americans are diverse. One way in which children are described is in terms of readiness, most notably

Expectations for Children Demographic statistics can certainly provide a general image of American children, especially if you look beyond national reporting to your state or local level (see www.KidsCount.org). Teachers know, however, that certain policies and conditions also affect the ways in which children are described and how they, in turn, experience curriculum. In early

What anxieties or stresses might an immigrant family experience as they try to prepare their child for entrance to school? What are some things you might do to alleviate their concerns? Despite a long-standing effort in teacher education programs to help prospective teachers develop cultural sensitivity to the children they will teach, misunderstandings and inaccurate

What anxieties or stresses might an immigrant family experience as they try to prepare their child for entrance to school? What are some things you might do to alleviate their concerns? Despite a long-standing effort in teacher education programs to help prospective teachers develop cultural sensitivity to the children they will teach, misunderstandings and inaccurate

Diversity and Cultural Relativism More From the Field In this clip, Beverly explains why and how teachers can begin to cultivate relationships with families that inform the curriculum. Critical Thinking Questions Place Your Order Here!

Children in Context Demographic data about young children and their families are continually collected, analyzed, and reported by many different groups, agencies, and individuals for a variety of purposes, including: Federal, state, and international funding for programs that support families and children The development of goals, standards, and accountability measures for programs, schools, and services

Who Is the American Child Today? The historical image of the child as white, middle-class, and from a nuclear family with two working parents does not represent the American population at large today (Kids Count, 2011). This is especially important because white female teachers continue to be overrepresented as compared with the changing populations of