Research: Early Childhood Education: Issues for a New Decade
Abstract The past two decades have provided early childhood educators with new insights, information and additional questions regarding the care and education of young children. This article provides a review of the past decade and suggests issues that should be addressed in the decade of the '80s. Consensus-seeking on these issues should be of interest to all persons concerned with young children.—N.L.Q.
Day Care in the Next Decade: 1980-1990.
Over the next decade the growth in the number qf preschool children with working mothers is expected to be rapid, both because qf the increase in the total number qf children and because more of their mothers will be employed. This raises an important concern, since the supply qf individual day care providers appears to be shrinking at the same time that the need fobr such care is increasing. Most evidence points to increased parental dependence on group care, not only fbr their 3to 5-year olds, but also for infants and toddlers. Demographic, economic and attitudinal factors, as well as public policy, have contributed to this trend and can be expected to play a
Is early intervention effective?
This document is the second part in a report on longitudinal_ecaluations of preschool programs. Part I reviewed long-term, controlled studies in order to generally assess the impact of preschool intervention. Part II reviews follow-up data in order to resolve the following five questions: (1) Do children in experimental programs continue to gain in intellectual development as long as intervention continues?, (2) Are gains increased or maintained after termination of the programs?, (3) Is development enhanced by beginning intervention at earlier ages, including the first years of life?, (4) What kinds of programs are most effective for 'long -range impact?, and (5) Which children from what circumstances are most likely to benefit in the long run from early intervention? The report includes discussion of the nature and limitations of the data used, methodological problems, effects of preschool intervention in group settings, effects of home-based intervention, a sequential strategy for early intervention, and the ecology of intervention, in whicb focus is on the characteristics and problema of d4.sadvantaged families. (DP)