Discussion 1: New Voices Supporting Early Care and Education

This week you studied a variety of position papers, all of which put forth arguments in support of stronger funding of quality care and education during the early years. These arguments originate in three “worlds” usually not deeply connected with the lives of young children. They are proposed by economists, neuroscientists, and politicians.

Currently, many seasoned early childhood professionals are finding that their experience-based knowledge of children and families is supported by research within these three fields. And, overall, early childhood professionals have welcomed this research and the influx of new interest by these fields because it is beginning to translate into increased funding for programs in need of financial support, or into the creation of worthwhile new early childhood programs.

On what specific data do these voices, new to the field of early childhood, anchor their arguments? What are some of their main arguments for supporting young children and families? In what ways do they articulate their support? What is the essence of their suggestions? This assignment is an opportunity to investigate these questions.

In preparation for the Discussion,

•Review all required resources, including the media segment and the U.S. Department of Education website.

•For each resource, evaluate which main arguments are presented in favor of care and education policies for the early years.

•Choose one written resource that stimulates your professional curiosity more than the others, and that you want to analyze further.

•Using the reading you selected and the media segment, evaluate in what specific way(s) commitment to the well-being of young children, families, or early childhood professionals is expressed in each of the two resources.

By Wednesday:

Post

A brief response to each of the following questions:

•What influenced your choice of the written resource?

•How is respect for and commitment to the well-being of young children, families, and/or early childhood professionals expressed in the article and the media segment?

•How has your understanding of early childhood issues and trends deepened by considering the views of economists, neuroscientists, and polDiscussion 2: Children, Childhood, and the Economic Argument—Unintended Consequences

Resources: Choose any and view media segment

Media Segment: Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2011). Issues and trends in the early childhood field: Economists, scientists, and politicians supporting the EC field. Baltimore, MD: Author. Accessible player–Downloads–Download Video w/CCDownload AudioDownload Transcript