¶ … societal concern for the welfare of disadvantaged young children and the negative effects poverty has on their academic performance. The outcome of this preoccupation largely takes the form of early childhood programs. Actually, 'early childhood programs have been a part of the nation's social policy landscape for decades' (Shonkoff, 1). The main objective of such programs is to close the achievement gap between low-income students and their more privileged counterparts. Said differently, 'childhood intervention programs' seek 'to diminish the social economic status disparities in the preschool years so that poor children enter school on a more equal footing to their more affluent peers' (Brooks-Gunn, Currie, & Besharov, 3).
Early childhood programs enroll students who are between three and four years of age. These programs are sponsored by diverse organizations and institutions; oftentimes their services overlap. The most well-known is Head Start, conceived in 1965 and funded by the federal government. 'The original planners of Head Start created a comprehensive set of services for young children that encompassed physical and mental health, nutrition, education, and social services, and included a strong parent involvement component' (The Evaluation Exchange, 1). Indispensable components of any successful program must include the following: 'individualized service delivery, high-quality program implementation, appropriate knowledge and skills of service providers, and positive relationships between parents and professionals' (Shonkoff, 1).
One way which high-quality early childhood programs reduce disparities between poor and affluent children is that they provide the former with basic necessities, such as food and medical care. It is indisputable that hunger hinders learning and development; unfortunately, underprivileged children regularly attend school on an empty stomach. What's more, they typically do not receive medical attention, the lack of which can create additional hurdles to learning and growth. It is important to mention these services first as without them, they render other efforts fruitless.
Many times disadvantaged children do not possess adequate social competencies. For this reason, once physical and environmental necessities have been met, teachers can promote children's social skills, which will prove useful in making subsequent educational encounters more rewarding and productive. In fact, 'guidance in desirable social skills and facilitation of positive interactions between peers and adults' (American Federation of Teachers, 4) affords children the occasion to concentrate on intellectually stimulating activities. In other words, by teaching social norms to children who otherwise are unaware of such phenomena, instructors clear paths for their students' academic progress. This naturally leads to achievement that is more aligned with that of affluent youngsters.
Early childhood programs aim to close the achievement gap between students by offering school readiness knowledge and skills to needy children. 'Children are better prepared for the demands of formal schooling when they are exposed to age-appropriate activities that develop and enhance reasoning, communication, and problem solving and involve extensive language and pre-literacy activities and domain-specific knowledge in areas such as math and science' (American Federation of Teachers, 7). Research reveals that 'many disadvantaged children entering kindergarten have heard only half the words and can understand only half the meanings that children from more economically advantaged homes can' (The Evaluation Exchange,…
The achievement gap also may ultimately negatively affect the U.S. As it may cause the nation to become less competitive in the increasingly global communities (What is the…, 2009). In addition, research indicates that the achievement gap contributes to students who more likely grow up to be unemployed, incarcerated, and poor. Consequently, a quality education proves critical for Black children (Elder, ¶ 3). Causes Contributing to Achievement Gap Causes contributing to
society that the public may claim a greater intellectual stake in than public education. Not only is the process of educating the next generation (at least in public schools) undertaken at the expense of most residents, but it also concerns us in a cultural way as well - we will all have to live in the world that these children will inhabit and help to shape, regardless of whether
Aboriginal School System in Canada Aboriginal peoples in Canada comprise of hundreds of communities with a wide range of cultures, languages, as well as nation-based governance. In year 2006, over one million people in Canada identified themselves as Aboriginal. This represented about 3.8% of the total population in the country. The population of Aboriginal people in Canada is growing at a substantial rate. This rate is almost six times faster than
There are many of these individuals, and it is time that this is changed. Parents often look away from these kinds of problems, or they spend their time in denial of the issue because they feel that their child will not be harmed by parental involvement with drugs or alcohol. Some parents have parents that were/are addicts themselves, and some are so busy with their lives that they do not
Poverty Issues in Education: Effects on School-Age Children Poverty and its effects on school age children Poverty Issues in Education Effects on School-Age Children The child who lives in poverty experiences both challenges and barriers that other children who are not in these 'at risk' will never face. Presently there are number of young children in the U.S. that are growing up in families living in poverty or near poverty (44%). The term 'at-risk'
Moseley, chair of the Coalition advisory board and president and CEO of the Academy for Educational Development. "It is not a luxury that can be addressed at some point in the future, but rather it provides people with the tools to survive and improve their lives" (Basic Education Coalition 2004). There is no one magical, quick fix solution to Bermuda's dropout problem. The problem is complex and requires a
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