International Early Childhood Field
Three consequences of learning about the international early childhood field for your professional and personal development:
- In countries that have a high-population living in poverty, international agencies are working with families to help improved child development. For example, Saving Brains uses a curriculum that promotes responsive parenting through appropriate developmental interactions between children and parents. A home visitor may demonstrate the use inexpensive learning materials, such as homemade toys, and developmental activities to the child and mother.
- Development of understanding of varying expectations of early childhood education for children under the age of five. In the United States, children are typically expected to be able to read and write by the age of five. High-quality early childhood programs are typically expensive. In Sweden, preschool programs focus on basic values such as playing together, tolerance and consideration for others. Outdoor play and activities are essential elements of the early childhood experiences. Swedish childcare has a maximum-fee policy, which makes childcare affordable for everyone. Fees are calculated according to income with low-income families paying nothing while the costs for more affluent parents are capped at about €139 ($158) per month. (Swedish preschool, 2018).
- I believe every child has the right to an education. Many countries share the same belief. In some countries, the government oversees and funds the education of the children and mandates the age that children enter early childhood programs. While the United States spends majority of its federal funds on early childhood programs, like Head Start and subsidized child care programs for families listing in poverty, Hong Kong offers all families free child care or kindergarten for children ages 3 to 6. "The system is entirely private, though heavily regulated and subsidized by government. Many parents supplement the free care provided with paid care to cover all of their working hours. Low-income families receive proportionally more assistance than higher income families" (Hechinger Reports, 2018).
My goal for the field related to international awareness of issues and trends.
As I travel along my path towards earning a master's degree in early childhood with the focus on teaching adults in early childhood education, I will continue to explore and expand my understanding and knowledge of the variations of early childhood education internationally. This knowledge does not just benefit my understanding of the importance of early childhood worldwide; it is knowledge that will be shared with my future students.
In the spirit of collegial relations...
As we continue our journey to earning our master's degree in early childhood at Walden University, I would like to wish my professors and colleagues well.
References:
Hechinger Reports. (2018). Time to change how we think about early education, international study finds. Retrieved December 22, 2018 from https://hechingerreport.org/time-to-change-how-we-think-about-early-education-international-study-finds/
Swedish preschool. (2018). Retrieved December 22, 2018 from https://sweden.se/collection/from-preschool-to-university-in-sweden/article/play-is-key-in-preschool/
Hello Donna!
ReplyDeleteI think it is important for our world leaders to understand the importance if early childhood education because the enact laws. I commend you on your efforts to educate other adults which includes teachers and parents on ways to help young children grow.
Hi Donna,
ReplyDeleteI have enjoyed following your blogs every week they were always filled with so much valuable information. It was sad to learn how many children are suffering of poverty all around the world and in the United States. Although sad it was great to learn that there are so many organizations helping with this cause and more so helping children obtain an education. I wish you success in your education journey with Walden.
Hi Donna,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your blog post. I found it interesting that in Sweden the tuition is on a sliding scale. I think this would solve a lot of issues for families in our country. However, there will need to be some other financial supports to help maintain the schools and teachers compensation.
~Connie Palmer
Thank you, Donna, for sharing such insightful information on all your blogs. I agree with you that every child has a right to an education. It is upsetting to know that not every child has the opportunity to get an education. However, it was nice to read that other countries oversees and funds early childhood programs in order for young children to attend preschool. I wish you well as you continue on your journey achieving your Master's degree.
ReplyDeleteHi Donna,
ReplyDeleteGreat post! I also believe we have a lot we can learn from initiatives in other countries. I enjoyed learning about their projects and progress and how I can apply their experiences to our field.