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Archive for the ‘International’ Category

Voices from the Field: Shelby Holt’s work in the United States and the United Kingdom

Posted in Boston, Early educators, Family engagement, Higher Education, International, Pre-kindergarten, Professional development & preparation on September 28, 2018| Leave a Comment »

Shelby Holt

This is one of a series of blogs featuring first-person accounts from early educators across Massachusetts.

My name is Shelby Holt and I work as a K2 Teacher & Grade Level Leader at Match Community Day Public Charter School in Hyde Park, Mass. I studied early childhood education at university; however, I’ve been in the field since I was 16!

After my father’s encouragement to discover a fitting career path during high school (maybe so I’d remain a bit more focused on my studies!!), I found my first internship at a Head Start program in Framingham, Mass. Since then I’ve remained passionate about early childhood education: I’ve been teaching and leading in Massachusetts, New York, and London since 2008. (And being a big sister — I’d like to think that I’ve been an early childhood educator since 1990.)

I feel an adrenaline rush each morning when my alarm goes off. As I drive to school I make a myriad of decisions for how the classroom will feel and look that day. Every job is important, but being an early childhood educator means that I get to help all the children in my class prepare to be successful in the future. I’m sure anyone reading this can recall a particular moment from their time in kindergarten. So much of it is magically formative. I remind myself that each day I could cause a breakthrough memory in a little heart. (more…)

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The Wonder of Learning Exhibit — See it while it’s still in Boston

Posted in Early educators, International, Pre-kindergarten, Professional development & preparation on September 27, 2018| 1 Comment »

As we blogged this summer, the Boston University Wheelock College of Education & Human Development is hosting a terrific exhibit called “The Wonder of Learning: The Hundred Languages of Children.”

The exhibit is a dynamic professional development experience, a multimedia immersion in the Reggio Emilia approach to early learning that was developed in Northern Italy. Reggio sees children as crucial partners in their own education. Reggio also focuses on using the world — nature, neighborhoods, art, and artistic materials — to engage children.

At the heart of the exhibit is an effort to share innovations in early education to ensure that as many children as possible have teachers who are well-versed in Reggio’s creative, instructional strategies.

Early educators from across the region and the world have been attending the exhibit and participating in related workshops and events. (more…)

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Canada’s plans for its children

Posted in Child care, International, Pre-kindergarten on September 13, 2018| Leave a Comment »

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and a Canadian child. Source: Prime Minister Trudeau’s Flickr page.

“Accessible, inclusive, high quality early learning and child care is critical to giving children the best start in life. The Government has made historical investments of $7.5 billion over 11 years to provide quality, affordable child care across the country. By 2020, up to approximately 40,000 children may benefit from quality new subsidized child care spaces across Canada. This will support parents in the hard work they do for their families by giving them peace of mind with the knowledge that their children are getting the care they need and deserve.”

The quote above comes from “Canada’s First Poverty Reduction Strategy,” a plan developed by Jean-Yves Duclos, Canada’s minister of Families, Children and Social Development. Duclos’ work drew on the input of thousands of Canadians that was gathered “through roundtables and town halls, in person and online, via conversations and conferences.” (more…)

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In quotes: World Health Organization shares its “Nurturing Care Framework”

Posted in Infants and toddlers, International, Quotes on August 3, 2018| Leave a Comment »

“If we change the beginning of the story, we change the whole story.”

Nurturing Care for Early Childhood Development website

“The new Nurturing Care Framework… is designed to serve as a roadmap for action, helping mobilise a coalition of parents and caregivers, national governments, civil society groups, academics, the United Nations, the private sector, educational institutions and service providers to ensure that every baby gets the best start in life.”

“The Framework describes how a whole-of-government and a whole-of-society approach can promote nurturing care for young children. It outlines guiding principles, strategic actions, and ways of monitoring progress.”

“Nurturing Care for Early Childhood Development: A Framework for Helping Children Survive and Thrive to Transform Health and Human Potential,” The World Health Organization, 2018

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In quotes: Wonder of Learning

Posted in Early educators, International, Pre-kindergarten, Professional development & preparation, Quotes on April 27, 2018| Leave a Comment »

“High quality professional development for teachers working with young children is difficult to find and often too expensive for teachers to access. In hosting the Wonder of Learning, we’re making a commitment to the teachers of our region. We look forward to welcoming teachers here to learn, share, and grow professionally.”

Wheelock College President David Chard on the significance of “Wonder of Learning: The Hundred Languages of Children.”

“From intensive professional development seminars and in-classroom observations, to a multimedia showcase of the world-renowned schools of Reggio Emilia, Italy, the Wonder of Learning Boston 2018 is committed to inspiring and empowering all teachers to provide the highest quality programs for our youngest learners.”

Kelly Pellagrini, Board Member of the Boston Area Reggio Inspired Network

Wonder of Learning is “a traveling exhibit for educators, which includes workshops, hands-on learning opportunities, policy discussions, and family engagement, from June through November of 2018.Based on the Reggio Emilia early education framework, the event highlights best practices in early education and expects to draw 20,000 educators from across New England.”

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In quotes: NIEER’s 2017 State of Preschool report

Posted in Demographics, International, Pre-kindergarten on April 20, 2018| Leave a Comment »

“When it comes to early childhood education, the United States needs to step up. Many developed nations now have more than 90% enrollment in pre-K programs, surpassing the US with just 66% enrollment for 4-year-olds. Rising superpowers are making significant commitments to expand access to early education over the next few years, with China promising to have pre-K for every 4-year-old and most 3-year-olds by 2020.”

“The National Institute for Early Education Research began collecting data on state-funded preschool programs in 2002. Fifteen years later, the institute’s State of Preschool 2017 report released this week shows that even though many elected officials claim to support early education, actual enrollment of 4-year-olds has grown only slightly since the Great Recession of 2007-2009.”

“US is falling behind other nations in providing pre-K schooling,” CNN, by W. Steven Barnett and Mark K. Shriver, April 18, 2018

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Ontario calls for investing $2.2 billion for free child care

Posted in Child care, Early educators, Funding, Infants and toddlers, International, Pre-kindergarten on April 17, 2018| Leave a Comment »

Photo: Kate Samp for Strategies for Children

Leaders in Ontario, Canada’s second-largest province, are talking a giant step forward: calling for a $2.2 billion plan to create full-day, fully licensed child care for “preschool children from the age of two-and-a-half until they are eligible to start kindergarten, beginning in 2020.”

Families would save some $17,000 per child.

“We listened to parents, educators and child care providers across the province, and they’ve told us this move is the right one to make,” Kathleen Wynne, the premier of Ontario said. “This investment will make life more affordable for families and allow more parents to make the choice to go back to work, knowing their child is safe and cared for.”

Currently in Ontario, “kids are eligible for junior kindergarten in the calendar year they turn four, and senior kindergarten the year they turn five,” the news magazine Maclean’s reports, adding: (more…)

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In Quotes: Nancy Carlsson-Paige Looks at Early Education in Nova Scotia

Posted in International, Pre-kindergarten, Quotes on November 3, 2017| Leave a Comment »

“I just visited with early childhood professionals in Nova Scotia, Canada. They showed me their new Early Learning Framework for the education of young children. It is a stellar example of what early childhood education could be if a country did it right, and a painful example for someone coming from a country where we do it so wrong.

“Here are some basic facts about the Nova Scotia Early Learning Framework, and then I’ll contrast these facts with how we do things in early childhood education in the United States.

“Basic Fact #1: Who wrote this framework?

“The Nova Scotia Framework (similar to those of other Canadian provinces) was written by a broad network of early childhood professionals. These educators know how young children develop and learn, and they share common principles and values about child development.

“Contrast #1:

“Learning standards for young children in the United States have not been written by early childhood educators. Too often, they’ve been written by people who do not have knowledge of the learning and developmental needs of young children. Teachers often say they don’t have a voice in writing learning standards.”

To read more click on: “Early childhood education expert: I saw a brilliant way to teach kids. Unfortunately it wasn’t in the United States.” The Washington Post, October 31, 2017

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Inequality Starts Early

Posted in Achievement gap, Cost and affordability, Funding, International, National, Pre-kindergarten on August 8, 2017| Leave a Comment »

Photo: Kate Samp for Strategies for Children

Inequality between children from low-income families and those from high-income families starts early – and creates a daunting achievement gap.

“…children’s earliest learning experiences and outcomes” vary considerably “based on their parents’ incomes and education,” Sara Mead writes in “Education Inequality Starts Early,” a U.S. News and World Report article.

Mead focuses on children’s earliest years, a topic she says is missing from recent debates about inequality.

The seeds of educational inequality are sadly familiar. Middle class children are more likely to be read to, and according to the well-known Hart-Risley study, they hear 30 million more words than their lower-income peers.

“As a result, by the time they enter kindergarten, children from the lowest socioeconomic backgrounds are already far behind their peers in the highest quartile of socioeconomic status on measures of early reading and math skills,” Mead writes.

The good news: (more…)

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International Lessons on Early Education and Care

Posted in Cost and affordability, International, Pre-kindergarten on January 24, 2017| 1 Comment »

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Want to expand your thinking about early childhood education?

Then take a look at how it’s handled in other countries.

England, for instance, established universal preschool for 3-year-olds back in 2004.

And, as we’ve blogged, Germany took a bold step forward in 2013 when it decided that every 1-year-old had a legal right to a spot in a public day care facility.

In Norway, at age one, children “start attending a neighborhood barnehage (kindergarten) for schooling spent largely outdoors. By the time kids enter free primary school at age six, they are remarkably self-sufficient, confident, and good-natured,” according to an article on the Moyers and Company website.

“In fact, Norwegian kids, who are well acquainted in early childhood with many different adults and children, know how to get along with grown ups and look after one another.” (more…)