SHARING WEB RESOURCE

A CALL FOR EXCELLENCE IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION

I came across this NAEYC published article which promotes accessibility, excellence and equity in early childhood. There are two important factors to note: There is a growing demand for early childhood education and care, owing to economic reasons. There is also a growing awareness of the importance of early learning. These reasons put a high demand on child care.

             The EARLY YEARS ARE LEARNING YEARS,
             EARLY CARE IS (and must be), Education. Ginsberg (2008)
                                                          

This is a wake up call to close the gap between what we know and what we practice. The Importance of the early years calls for commitment from professionals, communities, state and nations. I think it has gone beyond the primary family's responsibility. Like the African proverb says, a child is born for the whole community to nurture. Our Knowledge is gathering and and increasing, but our action needs to also increase so that our knowledge can be justified.

Young children are born learners. Although individual differences are present at birth, most set out to explore their world with unbridled eagerness and curiosity. Perhaps, more than any other time of life, early childhood is a period of never ending possibilities. (Copple & Bredekamp, 2008)

To maximise this opportunity and to promote equity, We can invest now in our children and families and enjoy long-term savings, with a more vibrant nation of healthy, achieving children and more stable families. Or, we can fail to make the investment and pay the price: increased delinquency, greater educational failures, lowered productivity, less economic competitiveness, and fewer adults prepared to be effective, loving parents to the next generation of children. Federal, state and local government, communities, parents, and the private sector must share in the responsibility of ensuring the well-being of children and families (NAEYC)

.NAEYC offers six points that can take us to the point that we need to get to. they believe

That all young children deserve excellent early care and education

That high quality early experiences make a difference in children’s lifelong academic and social success

 That these programs must be accessible to all families

That early childhood professionals must have excellent preparation, ongoing professional development, and compensation commensurate with their qualifications and experience 

That effective early education must be both challenging and appropriate to young children’s ages, individual needs, and culture 

That everyone needs to work together to build a successful future for our youngest children  

One of the greatest gifts we can give to our children is access to quality child care in the early years. This will bring us to the place of equity. Lack of access to quality programs will generate inequity both in the short and in the long term. 


THE SEED OF SUCCESS IS SOWN EARLY_  Ginsber,  (2008)


 A Call for Excellence in Early Childhood Education | National ...
http://www.naeyc.org/policy/excellence
National Association for the Education of Young Children | NAEYC .... must be guided of principles of Excellence, Access, Equity, Diversity, and Accountability.


 Mark R Ginsberg 2008,
 ginsberg_ppt.ppt