ASSESSMENT - Early Childhood Education

Overview

Write 3 pages about what constitutes a high quality early childhood program or policy by evaluating a current policy or policy initiative.

Context

The preschool years (ages 3-5) are an exciting time of growth and change. Perhaps one of the greatest areas of change is within the cognitive and language domains. The average 24-month-old has a vocabulary of 250 words and can put two words together in a simple sentence. A four-year-old can speak in multi-word sentences; use prepositions, adjectives, and pronouns; and will, of course, ask millions of questions.

Assessment Instructions

Early childhood education (birth-age 8) is at the top of the national agenda, yet many children do not have access to the educational settings that they need. For this assessment, write 3 pages about what constitutes a high quality early childhood program or policy by evaluating the success of an existing initiative.

Address the following:

Describe the characteristics of high quality early childhood programs.

Discuss and give examples of at least three benefits of early childhood education. Use scholarly research findings to support your position.

Apply psychological theories to a policy or policy initiative relating to early childhood education, such as No Child Left Behind (NCLB),

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Early Intervention, Head Start, or another program of your choosing. Include details about how the program is implemented and what population it aims to serve.

Explain how early childhood education and policy affect the physical, social, and cognitive aspects of child development. Use scholarly research findings to support your position.