early childhood education experts

early childhood education experts

Innovations in Early Childhood Education: Insights from Leading Experts

1. Introduction to Early Childhood Education

Early childhood education and care in the United States are made up of a vast and diverse range of programs and services for children from birth to kindergarten, as well as the adults who care for them. In this essay, we focus on programs in center-based settings—those in churches or other community settings, in preschools like Head Start, public prekindergarten programs, and child care centers and in family child care homes. Early childhood education can provide children with the essential socializing experiences that prepare them for school, relative to children who do not attend high-quality early education programs. In Head Start, children served by the program have better hearing and vision, better attitudes about school and learning, and a greater love of reading than children who are eligible for, but do not enroll in, Head Start (Love et al. 2002). Overall, children who have attended preschool have the requisite skills and knowledge needed to succeed in kindergarten and have overall better academic achievement as they progress through school (Duncan & Magnuson, 2013).

Introduction. This short essay is part of a special series dedicated to recent innovations in early childhood education. Focusing on the work of four leading experts in the field—Radha Jagannathan, Milagros Nores, Elizabeth Teller, and Joanne Roberts, Jennifer Keys Adair, and Bridget K. Hamre—we summarize new advances in the theory and practice of early care and education for young children and their families. For anyone who has not been following this work, we hope this essay will inspire further reading and conversation; for those already familiar with the work of these scholars, we hope to highlight recent developments and share the ways that innovations in early childhood education are being put into action around the country.

2. Key Theories and Approaches in Early Childhood Education

Theories in Early Childhood Development and Education In discussions about theory as a part of curriculum, it can be helpful to think of theories as representing two things: 1) a model or a way to think about, and 2) a system of ideas. A model is something that provides structure to think about the way the world works or the way the world is. Models are also ways of understanding. From another perspective, a model is often used to explore one way of understanding; for the most part, this is still theoretical. As a system, theory rationalizes concepts and how they are put into order. Early childhood theories ground the teaching framework and mechanisms for the pedagogy of discovery as a curriculum design approach. Educational researchers have also found ways to translate theory into classroom practice. These translations are based on a variety of teaching strategies, curricular approaches, and philosophies, most of which have surfaced over the past half a century as part of a considerably large body of research. Some of these best-known theories include developmental, social-constructivist, cognitive-developmental, behaviorist, and social behaviorist theories.

Young children have been studied and cared for systematically for the last century. As a reflection of the field around the world, early childhood education has shifted its focus from the child to nurturing the young child’s physical, emotional, and socio-political capabilities. In many parts of the world, the earlier concern over young children’s academic development has been mirrored in a number of early childhood education curriculums today.

3. Technological Advancements in Early Childhood Education

One way that digital interfaces are being effectively used with young children is through the development of devices and software that facilitate children’s collaborative learning. To do this, developers express their intention to contribute to easy-to-learn, long-term development processes by simultaneously focusing on communication, reflection, problem-solving, and the transfer of knowledge. Computers are being used by four-year-olds to engage in dialogue about media. By discussing design, drawings, posters, and text, the children exchange ideas and boost each other’s understanding. Once a week, small groups of three to four children meet for 45 minutes to examine produced material, conduct media analysis, discuss, design a digital poster, and print it out.

New resources and innovative tools could offer opportunities for new approaches to implementing education, as well as the professional development that teachers need. Although many are not yet mainstream, some innovative applications of multimedia tools are emerging. Technology can be a useful tool to assist learning, specifically for individuals who may have difficulty learning through conventional methods. In early childhood, the combination of utilizing technology in the classroom has a mix of benefits and liabilities. Digital technology and devices are increasingly prevalent in the modern world. Innovative practices are emerging in a number of early childhood settings for delivering materials and learning experiences, as well as for professional development of practitioners. Some of the new methodologies are just starting to emerge from the alternatives and are not yet widely used.

4. The Role of Play and Creativity in Early Childhood Education

Today, many high-quality early childhood education programs are focusing on increasingly creative approaches. For example, Reggio Emilia is centered on exploration through art, using materials from the town’s workshops. Both its schools and time for children are child-driven, allowing the children to learn through investigation, play, and art. Play-based learning develops young children’s ability to negotiate, take turns, consider others, and direct their attention. For example, the Mud Day working group—established by a partnership of organizations in the United States, the UK, Australia, and Germany—creates resources and networking opportunities for the organization of Mud Day events or play-based learning with mud. The Mud Day website contains guides on selecting the best mud, developing mud obstacle courses, and links to videos of children deeply engaged in the sheer joy that comes with squishing mud between their toes and clothes.

Children learn through play. This simple yet profound fact is the centerpiece of leading innovations in early childhood education. As experts like Vivian Paley argue, play is crucial for developing children’s cognitive, social, and emotional skills. Such beliefs are backed by research, which shows that play-based learning provides numerous benefits, from better impulse control to less stress in both children and their teachers. For this reason, many innovative education programs stressed during the pandemic hinge on the principle of creative play. Montessori schools, for instance, emphasize the importance of children’s creativity, as well as problem-solving, adaptability, and accurate perception.

5. Future Trends and Directions in Early Childhood Education

The rising standards for early childhood educators as recommended in the National Academies’ report on the science of child development deserve attention to bring findings to the field to engineer instructional job aids to uplift the capabilities of the ECE workforce. At the same time, research on what high-quality instruction looks like needs to be taken to research on tools to scale language to practitioners. Educating policymakers to acknowledge key respects of ECE practice in relation to high-stakes decision rules concerning relationships, children, and what should be emphasized in professionals’ day-to-day demonstrations also needs attention. Often, innovation precedes policy, suggesting a need for advocacy to stimulate a climate that is more receptive to ECE innovation, rather than regulatory development designed to trigger innovation. Today, more than ever, the future of ECE offers promise. As a society, we are beginning to use the levers of science and policy to lean into the potentials of all young children to develop their individual capacities within the supports of learning relationships and system level infrastructures. The remaining task is big, but the journey should be easier with increasing numbers of travelers.

In this concluding chapter, our expert contributors identified several foci for future research on professional development, for example, examining ways to increase the opportunities for paraprofessionals to engage in richly designed instructional interventions for young children. Research on child assessments and teacher evaluations will ideally shift in coming years toward more consideration of children’s learning within the context of instructional practices that are part of ECE curriculum implementation and teachers’ ability to analyze and use assessment data for instructional decision-making.