A Publication of WestEd • |2005, Vol. 7 , N o . 3
THE early childhood foundation FOR LIFELONG LEARNING
Children are born re ad y t o le arn bu t no t re ad y f or school. This i m porta n t u ndersta ndi n g , honed by the w ork o f tw o WestE d cen ters, m i rrors the conclusi on o f 2 0 y e ars o f rese arch: i n fa n ts ’ e arliest relati onshi ps wi th thei r care g i v ers are closely li nk ed t o thei r success i n the classroo m later i n li fe.
These early interactions form the basis of children’s social The challenge, says Peter Mangione, CCFS’s other co- and emotional well-being, which in turn impacts their director, is to “take what the research tells us about ability to attend to the important tasks associated with social-emotional development and about language and learning language and growing intellectual competency. intellectual development and put it in a form that people who run child care centers and family child care homes “Social and emotional development is the foundation for can use every day.” school readiness, and this development begins in infancy,” says Virginia Reynolds, director of WestEd’s Center for Helping policymakers, infant care teachers, and special- Prevention and Early Intervention (CPEI), which focuses ized service providers do just that is a goal of both of on young children with disabilities and their families in these centers. For 20 years, CCFS’ signature project, the a variety of settings. Program for Infant/Toddler Caregivers, has been training infant care teachers nationwide to deliver care that takes Yet, many caregivers who work with infants and toddlers into account the latest research findings. In 2002, the aren’t putting research findings to good use, adds J. Ronald program was named a model initiative supporting infants, Lally, co-director of WestEd’s Center for Child and Family toddlers, and their families by the National Center for Studies (CCFS), which focuses on typically developing Children in Poverty. children in child care settings. “Unfortunately, despite the recommendations from the scientists, most school readi- California has turned to CPEI for more than two decades ness initiatives persist in relating to infants and toddlers as to guide its training, technical assistance, and resource though they were older. But because of their unique style development for infants and toddlers with disabilities or of learning, which is a blend of great vulnerability and at risk of developing disabilities and for their families. incredible learning competence, they need to be treated “Regardless of the setting — whether child care, pre- differently from how you treat first graders.” school, or an early intervention program — we emphasize
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W e s t E d < 1 > Excellence in research, development, & service Improving the lives of children requires much more than improving schools. If we want all children to succeed in school and beyond, we’ve got to start young. Very young.
While the importance of early childhood education has long been recognized, traditional ideas of “school readiness” may be outdated. The first years of life are uniquely important in terms of what children need in order to learn, grow, and thrive, not just in setting the stage for how children will fare in school. FOCUSINGEarly Childhood ON Education F R O M T H E The best way for adults to support infants is not necessarily by focusing on the more “academic” areas of literacy and numeracy that will become important later. Instead, as the lead article in this issue of R&D Alert suggests, adult caregivers would do better to focus primarily on what the children are interested in, while providing encouragement, CEO enhancement, and social and emotional support. Drawing on early childhood research and the work of two WestEd programs — the Center for Child and Families Studies (CCFS) and the Center for Prevention and Early Intervention (CPEI) — the article describes the kinds of support and experiences that best help address the unique developmental needs of infants and young children.
A second article, drawn from an upcoming book on “Bridging Cultures,” addresses how culture and child-rearing are closely intertwined. The article outlines two broadly differ- ent cultural perspectives that provide a framework to help teachers and caregivers support children’s transitions between home to child care settings.
Another article looks at the benefits of high-quality early childhood education from an economic perspective. It reports on a WestEd paper in which economist Robert G. Lynch makes a compelling case for large-scale investment in an early childhood development program. By focusing especially on children living in poverty, such a program can lead to enormous benefits for children, including improved graduation rates and decreased risk of trouble with drugs, alcohol, and crime. Lynch notes that these outcomes also provide signifi- B cant economic benefits for society as a whole.
WestEd’s expertise in early childhood education goes far beyond what we can share in the space of this newsletter, so we encourage you to follow up by using the contact information included with each article and by visiting WestEd.org. Whether you work in a school setting, in higher education, as a policymaker, or elsewhere, strengthening programs for children in their earliest years should be everyone’s business.
Glen Harvey Chief Executive Officer
< 2 > R & D A l e r t hy should early childhood professionals consider the role of culture? Increas- W ingly, home- and center-based staff and providers work with children and families who Early Childhood Education come from cultural backgrounds different from their own. Early care and education programs are generally the first settings where children may be away from their families for extended periods of time.
Most families with children have more contact with early childhood professionals than they do with educators once their children enter elementary school and start moving up the grades. This first contact is especially important because it helps form families’ attitudes toward school, educators, and other child-serving professionals. Thus, the early childhood years provide care- givers and early educators an opportunity to make a positive impact not only on children’s adjustment to outside care and education but also on long-term relationships between families and professionals. ridging Cultures IN EARLY CHILDHOOD
Early childhood is a critical time to begin establishing common ground between teach- ers (including infant-toddler caregivers and other professionals) and the children and This article is an excerpt from Bridging Cultures families they serve. in Early Care and Education: A Training Module, a resource to help pre-service and in-service AN ORGANIZING FRAMEWORK FOR UNDERSTANDING CULTURE early childhood educators, including infant- Bridging Cultures in Early Care and Education: A Training Module introduces how early toddler caregivers, understand the role of culture Bchildhood educators can use the organizing concepts of individualism and collectivism as in their programs and in their interactions with a means of understanding cultural differences between themselves and the families they parents. Developed with the support of WestEd, serve. These concepts have been shown to be accessible and highly useful in improving the A. L. Mailman Foundation, and the Founda- home-school understanding across cultures. tion for Child Development, the training guide is published by Lawrence Erlbaum Associates and The framework describes the value systems of cultures in a nonjudgmental way. This makes due to be released in early 2006. The authors it a safe way to begin learning about cultures — one’s own as well as those of others. — Marlene Zepeda, Janet Gonzalez-Mena, Carrie Culture has many different definitions, but a simple one used in the Bridging Cultures in Early Rothstein-Fisch, and Elise Trumbull — caution that Care and Education (BC-ECE) module is “a set of values, beliefs and ways of thinking about the the cultural framework described here is a tool for world that influences everyday behavior” (Trumbull & Farr, 2005). Culture is transmitted from one understanding fundamental cultural differences generation to the next in multiple ways, both explicitly — in conversations and direct guidance but should not be used to oversimplify cultures — and implicitly — in daily practices such as child-rearing. It is when disparities in the values or to categorize individuals. and belief systems of different individuals become evident that culture comes into focus.
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W e s t E d < 3 > (continued from previous page)
BC-ECE training helps teachers and child care providers feeding, dressing), and use “their words” to identify become “cultural bridges” between children and families their needs. All of these examples are signs that indi- and early care and education settings. vidualism is valued.
The framework’s two basic concepts — individualism COLLECTIVISM and collectivism — are used to illustrate how cultural While the culture of the United States as a whole values beliefs and values shape attitudes and behaviors. Each and encourages individuals’ independence, most of the orientation is associated with a different set of cultural world’s cultures tend to focus on the interdependence priorities that, among other things, guide how members of groups and individuals, reflecting the cultural value of a culture rear and educate their children. Focusing of “collectivism.” According to cross-cultural experts, a on this distinction is not the only way to think about collectivistic value orientation is found in 70 percent of cultural differences, but it has proven to be extremely the world’s cultures (Triandis, 1989). useful for understanding many instances of cross- cultural misunderstanding. Collectivism emphasizes social responsibility and the priority of group needs over individual needs. It stresses INDIVIDUALISM respect for authority and obligation to group norms. In Individualism stresses independence and individual collectivistic cultures, possessions are often shared, achievement, focusing on the needs of the individual, with objects being important in the context of human self-expression, and personal choice. It emphasizes the relationships, not in and of themselves. For instance, “object” world, particularly with respect to the concept a toy or household object may be used as a source of of private property and the idea that objects are a source interaction between a mother and child, but the child hile the culture of the United States as a whole values and encourages W individuals’ independence, most of the world’s cultures tend to focus on the interdependence of groups and individuals, reflecting the cultural value of “collectivism.”
of learning about the physical world. When a preschool, is not likely to be directed to play with it or investigate infant program, or family child care home operates pri- it independently. In this example, the object is viewed marily from an individualistic perspective, children are as a tool for emphasizing the relationship between the treated as unique and special individuals who need the mother and the child, one based on interdependence, opportunity to explore objects in their surroundings and helping, and sharing. In collectivistic cultures, there is to learn to become independent. also a strong emphasis on the family as a unit, not on each individual member per se. The physical environment is also likely to reflect this perspective, with children having their own cubbies, When a preschool, infant program, or family child care lockers, or coat hooks identified as “theirs” and their home emphasizes sharing and downplays the individual names and pictures prominently displayed. It is also and his or her personal accomplishments in favor of the likely that parents are asked to put nametags on their achievements of the group, it is exhibiting collectivis- child’s clothing. Children are encouraged to take care tic values. Collectivistic practices that can be seen in of their property, take care of themselves (e.g., toileting, early care and education settings include potluck meals as a means of sharing across many families, favoring
< 4 > R & D A l e r t (continued from page 1) large-group size for activities over small-group or indi- sup porting and n urturing the heal th y caregiv er- vidual interaction, and mixed-aged grouping where older child r el at ion s hip to pr ov id e t he found at ion for children help and assist the younger children. social an d em oti onal w e ll-bein g,” says R eyn o lds .
WE CAN BUILD CULTURAL BRIDGES THE RESEARCH FINDINGS Is it possible to reconcile the differences between collec- Both c en ters are guided b y research on early child- tivism and individualism? Can early childhood educators h ood dev e l o p m en t an d early in terv en ti on, such as create links between those who are clearly collectivistic a n otab le study b y th e Na ti onal R esearch Co un cil and those who are not? Can collectivistic families and an d th e Na ti onal A cademies ’ Insti tute o f M edi cin e children be made to feel at home in an individualistic tha t in cl udes th e f o ll o win g fin din gs: environment and vice versa? • “ H uman dev e l o p m en t is sha ped b y a dynami c and co nt inu ou s int e ra c t io n b e twe e n biolo gy The Bridging Cultures project is predicated on the be- an d e xperien c e .... lief that the answer to all of these questions is yes. In fact, many early childhood care and education settings • Th e gro wth o f se lf -regula ti on is a c o rn erst on e already reflect a good balance between collectivism and o f ear ly c hil dh ood d ev e l o p m e n t tha t cu ts a cross individualism. But they are rarer than they should be. all domains o f be ha vi o r.... BC-ECE training is designed to help participants develop • Children are activ e parti ci pan ts in th eir o wn de - an appreciation for the contrasting patterns of care and v e l o p m en t, reflectin g th e in trinsi c h uman driv e education reflected in individualistic and collectivistic t o e xp l o re an d master on e ’s en vironm en t .... value orientations, to understand that these values need • H uman re la ti o ns hi p s , an d th e e ff e cts o f re la ti o n - not be mutually exclusive, and to explore how best to shi ps on re la ti onshi ps , are th e b uildin g b l ocks bridge and blend these two perspectives in early child- o f h eal th y h uman dev e l o p m en t ....”1 hood and related settings. Lally po in ts o ut tha t such fin din gs carry si gnifi can t im p li ca ti o ns f o r th ose desi gnin g an d im p l em en tin g Trumbull, E. & Farr, B. (2005). Language and Learning: early childh ood p rograms . F o r e xam p le , h e n otes What Teachers Need to Know. Norwood, MA: Christo- tha t bab ies ha v e an “ inbo rn ca paci ty an d in clina - pher-Gordon Publishers, Inc. ti on” t o learn parti cular thin gs . So , infan t learnin g “ is m o re h ea vily infl uen c ed b y th e child ’s in ternal Triandis, H. C. (1989). Cross-cultural studies of indi- ag en da” than b y e xternal stim uli, h e says . vidualism and collectivism. Nebraska Symposium on Motivation, 37, 43-133. Lik ewise , c o nsi der th e stro n g c o nn ecti o n betw een h o w infan ts an d t oddlers f ee l an d h o w w e ll th ey learn. “In the early years, safety, survival, and securi ty are crucial,” says Lally. “Tha t m eans tha t before they can attend to intellectual pursuits, children n eed t o link t o peo p le th ey trust an d f ee l re lax ed aro un d.”
Re y nold s a gr e e s. “ Whe n a c a ring a dult pr ov id e s en c o urag em en t t o infan ts an d t oddlers in th eir ini - tial a ttem p ts t o e xp l o re th eir en vironm en t, y o un g
1 Shonk off , J . P. , & Phillips, D . A. ( eds. ). ( 2000). From N eurons to N eighborhoods: The Science of Early Childhood Develop - ment. Washington, D . C.: National A cademy Press.
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W e s t E d < 5 > Can Funding Preschool Today
Investing immediately in a national preschool program would yield high returns, significantly strengthening our nation’s economy well into the future, says a recent WestEd report.
In “Early Childhood Investment benefit the children and families it will place on the system. As adults, Yields Big Payoff,” economist would serve. When children from they would enter the workforce at Robert G. Lynch writes that fund- low-income families are provided higher skill levels, earning larger ing a national, high-quality, early access to high-quality preschool, salaries, and paying more taxes childhood development pro- research shows they perform into the system. gram would help balance cash- much better in school, experience Although the upfront costs of the strapped government budgets by higher graduation rates, and tend program would be substantial, creating year-over-year incre- to stay out of trouble with drugs, the payoff would be huge. In mental savings. He notes that the alcohol, and crime. addition to helping Social Secu- first class of today’s preschoolers “From an investment point of rity, such a publicly funded early would enter the workforce and view, the returns are greater than childhood development program begin increasing its productiv- if we invested the same amount is expected to have enormous ity at about the same time when of money in the stock market. It’s positive impacts on our society by some experts project that the an ingenious way for our tax dol- improving the quality of life for nation could face serious finan- lars to beat average Wall Street millions of children and lowering cial difficulties paying for Social returns while benefiting society crime rates. It also would benefit Security and other programs. at the same time,” says Lynch. the U.S. economy by raising the gross domestic product, helping By selecting all three- and four- Lynch estimates the annual pre- balance government budgets, year-olds who fall below the school cost per child at $12,000. and strengthening global com- poverty line, Lynch’s proposed If the national program were petitiveness. national preschool program fully implemented next year, by would enroll the very 1.6 million the time the first preschoolers en- In response to the report, J. youngsters who, as they grow tered the workforce, they would Ronald Lally, co-director of up, would otherwise cost taxpay- contribute substantially to Social WestEd’s Center for Child and ers most. A national preschool Security and help counteract the Family Studies, emphasized program also would directly demands aging baby boomers the importance of high-quality
< 6 > R & D A l e r t Reduce budget woes Today Tomorrow?
Investing immediately in a national preschool program would yield high returns, The Proposed National Preschool Program At-A-Glance significantly strengthening our nation’s economy well into the future, says a recent WestEd report. » High-quality preschool enrollment for all low-income three- and four-year-olds » Affects 20% of all three- and four-year-olds nationwide
» Impacts 1.6 million children in the program’s first year preschool. “As a society, we have ignored too long the indis- » Every dollar spent generates $3.78 or more in benefits putable research demonstrating » Full implementation in 2006, running a surplus by 2021 the clear benefits of high-quality » By 2050, the budgetary surplus grows to $167 billion out-of-home care for children from birth to age six. Now is the time to act.” Fast Facts About High-Quality Preschool: Benefits WestEd’s peer-reviewed report Extend Throughout Life* follows on the heels of a March 2005 RAND study showing the IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL: » Fewer criminal acts economic benefits of a preschool » Higher scores on math and » Lower rates of alcohol and program for all children in the reading tests drug use state of California. » Greater language abilities » Lower incarceration rates » Less grade retention IN ADULTHOOD: » Less need for special education “Early Childhood Investment Yields and remedial work » Higher employment Big Payoff” is available free of » Improved nutrition and health » Higher earning rates charge as a pdf file online: » Lower rates of child abuse » Increased tax base www.WestEd.org/earlyinvestment and neglect » Less dependence on welfare » Lower rates of alcohol and IN MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL: drug use » Lower teen pregnancy and » Fewer criminal acts parenting rates » Lower incarceration rates » Lower dropout rates
» Higher high school graduation *Research references are included rates in the full report: » Higher scores on math and www.WestEd.org/earlyinvestment reading tests
W e s t E d < 7 > (continued from page 5)
children learn th ey ha v e som eon e t o reci te th e al p habet than th ey do wi th l earnin g ,” sa y s C C F S ’s Lall y, “ w e se e r el y up on, s o t he y fe el s e c ur e, and th eir ab ili ty t o n eg otia te th eir em o - th e m gi vin g a hi gh e r q uali ty o f c ar e .” th us bec om e m o re eag er t o try n ew ti ons an d re la ti onshi ps .” things,” she says. “With guidance, A c c ording to Cathy Tsao , CCFS ’ di - th ey learn t o persist an d e xperien c e PUTTING THE RESEARCH TO USE rect or of nati onal an d in ternati onal trainin g, th e guide lin es call on infan t mastery. The lessons learned from Both CCFS an d CP EI dissemina te in - care teac h ers t o dev e l o p stro n g, posi- th ese early in teracti ons an d re la ti on- f o rma ti on — thro ugh insti tutes , semi- tiv e partn ershi ps wi th families . “Yo u shi ps f o rm th e basi c b uildin g b l ocks nars , on-si te trainin g sessi ons , techni- can’ t un derestima te th e im po rtan c e f o r la ter learnin g .” cal assistan c e , an d ma terials such as o f h on o rin g th e ro le o f th e family in videos , guides , an d man uals — aim ed the child ’s life,” says Tsao . “F amily Su ch r el at ion ship s al s o help sh ap e a a t in creasin g th e p racti c e o f re la ti on - m embers are a child ’s best an d first child ’s se lf -imag e , whi ch is dev e l o ped shi p-based care in all settin gs . teach ers .” Th us , i t’s cri ti cal, sh e says , as early as tw o y ears o f ag e . An d th e Consider th ese three CCFS p ro jects that decisions about children are way y o un g children view th emse lv es , un dertak en f o r th e Calif o rnia Depart- made only after “engaging families says Man gi on e , aff ects h o w w e ll th ey m en t o f Ed uca ti on: in a true dial ogue an d takin g in t o ac - learn. One goal of early childhood c o un t h o w th ey wan t thin gs don e .” ed uca ti on, h e says , is t o h e l p children • Infan t/Toddler Learnin g an d Dev e l- Only w h e n famili es be li ev e th e infan t bec ome “ self-c onfident enough to o p m e n t G ui d e lin es — a r eso ur c e f o r care teac h er really un derstan ds th em e xp l o re an d se lf -regula ted th o s e runnin g c e n t e r-b as e d an d th eir child will th ey be willin g and family child care enough to function” to a cce pt the t e a c he r ’s a d vice and You can’t h o m es servin g c hil- in a classroom. rec omm en da ti ons . “These crucial underestimate the dren from birth c om ponents of t o ag e thre e tha t The guidelines also point out the importance of honor highlights k ey a child ’s sense - need for infant care teachers to e l e m e n ts o f e x- of sel f,” he ing the role of the family res pon d sim ul tan eo usly t o both th e em p lary early adds, “come em oti onal an d in te llectual n eeds o f in the child’s life. Family c h i l d h o o d from the way a child. “Some think all you need members are a child’s p rograms he or she is is ten der, l o vin g care , while on th e treated in the best and first • Infant/Tod - other extreme the goal becomes first three y ears .” dler Learning infant stimulation — all flashcards teachers. Standards — a an d M o zart,” says Tsa o . “We n eed t o M a r i e K a n n e tool to help infant rem ember tha t y o un g children n eed P o ulsen, a CP EI c onsul - c ar e t e a c h e rs un d e rs tan d t o ha v e th eir em oti onal an d in te llec- tan t, n otes tha t sch oo l suc c ess , wha t learnin g g en erally l oo ks tual n eeds m et .” tradi ti onally equa ted wi th academi c lik e a t s pecifi c ag es from b irth t o ag e three achiev em en t, is m ore a p p ro p riately MEETING SPECIAL NEEDS pursued by focusing on “relation - • Th e Desired R esul ts Dev e l o p m en - In the case of children with disabili - ships, resilience, and readiness ” in tal Pro fil e f o r Infan ts an d Toddl ers ties, says CPEI’s Reynolds, “Achiev - early childh ood. Th ese skills can be — an assessm en t t oo l tha t h e l ps ing social and emotional wellness begins with the same foundation as dev e l o ped l on g bef o re a child en ters infant care teachers determine for typically developing children, th e c lassroo m . “Wh en c hil dren sh o w the developmental progress of in divid ual children but it also necessitates the use of in- u p f o r kin dergarten, th ey are e xpect- dividualized supports and strategies ed t o si t still an d f ocus , e xp ress th eir “As infant care teachers use these that specifically address the child’s f ee lin gs , an d g et al on g wi th oth ers ,” kinds of resources to learn about special needs. Linking families to P o ulsen says . “ H o w ev er, th ese tasks children’s developmental stages high-quality support services can ha v e less t o do wi th th eir ab ili ty t o and the emotional foundations of go a lo ng w a y.”
< 8 > R & D A l e r t CPEI works closely with the California Three CPEI projects that focus on so- To be sure, all of CPEI’s work is in- Department of Developmental Services, cial and emotional development are: fused with the concepts of healthy the agency responsible for implement- social and emotional development • The Infant, Preschool, and Family ing the Early Intervention Program of children with disabilities and Mental Health Initiative — a collab- (Part C) of the federal Individuals their families for many reasons. But orative of interagency teams from with Disabilities Education Act. The the work is predicated on the notion eight California counties work- that early intervention is critical challenge, says Reynolds, is to ensure ing together to provide if all children are to achieve their that service providers not relationship-based full potential. “By creating caring only meet the require- early interven- relationships, understanding why ments of IDEA, but tion for chil- children are acting the way they also do so in a way Infant care dren from do, and responding appropriately,” that takes into ac- teachers need to bi r t h to says Reynolds, “we help optimize count research their resilience, develop readiness respond simultaneously age five, findings on the i n c l u d - for school, and support families in importance of to both the emotional ing those ensuring competency in all aspects of their lives.” relationship- and intellectual needs with dis- based services. a bi l it ie s. For more information: of a child. The initia- Reynolds notes that • on CCFS, contact J. Ronald Lally at tive developed achieving emotional 415.289.2300 or [email protected]; personnel com- Peter Mangione at 415.289.2310 or and social wellness is dif- petencies and train- [email protected]; Catherine Tsao ferent for an infant or child with ing guidelines for people who at 415.289.2328 or [email protected]; or visit www.WestEd.org/ccfs a disability and the primary caregiv- work with children and families, er. “It adds a whole different dimen- including early interventionists • on CPEI, contact Virginia Reynolds at sion,” she says. Take, for example, and mental health providers. 916.492.4017 or [email protected]; children born blind or with cerebral or visit www.WestEd.org/cpei palsy who cannot make eye contact • Project Relationship — a facili- with or hug their mothers. “These tated, relationship-based problem- are critical behaviors that mothers, solving framework to help local babies and toddlers engage in as a teams work together to meet the way of establishing relationships,” needs of all children and fami- says Reynolds. “If a child is unable lies in their communities. to make eye contact or if a baby • All of Us Together Moving can’t hug his mother, it opens up to Inclusion Institutes the possibility of the mother feeling — events that bring unloved or unfit. Left unattended, representatives of lo- this lack of typical behaviors that let cal agencies, school a mother know she’s okay may lead districts, and com- to relationship difficulties. We know munities together for from the research that we need to three intensive days of provide support in these situations training to increase the and teach mothers, as well as other ability of local communi- caregivers and service providers, al- ties to serve children with ternative strategies and techniques disabilities in child care and that can build strong social and preschool settings. emotional relationships.”
W e s t E d < 9 > Full-Day Kinder- Caring for Infants and Toddlers in Groups: Develop- garten: Expand- mentally Appropriate Practice, 2003 Edition ing Learning J. Ronald Lally, Abbey Griffin, Emily Fenichel, Marilyn Segal, Opportunities Eleanor Szanton, & Bernice Weissbourd (Policy Brief) (Zero to Three Press, 2004) (WestEd, 2005) Caring for Infants and Toddlers in Groups is designed to As districts across help caregivers, program directors, coordinators, adminis- the country focus trators, trainers, licensors, families, and leaders in the field of early childhood care and education recognize the special on closi ng the knowledge and skills needed to offer a nurturing group achievement gap care environment to very young children. Contributors, led between different by WestEd’s Ron Lally, discuss meeting the needs of each socioeconom ic individual child, recognizing early developmental stages, achieving necessary health and ethnic groups, research points to early and safety standards, creating good relationships, developing training and mentoring childhood as a potent time for preventing the gap programs, linking with other community-based service systems, providing continuity of before it becomes established. Many policymakers care, and being sensitive to cultural and linguistic needs. are turning to an extended kindergarten program 88 pages / Price: $18.50 / Order #: CCFS-03-03L / ISBN: 0-943657-67-9 as part of the solution. This brief summarizes the most recent research on full-day kindergarten, provides information on state and local reform efforts, and identifies policy implications. It also touches on the characteristics of an effective W e s t E d kindergarten program. 4 pages / Price: Single copy, free / Order #: PO-05-01L
ResourcesON EARLY CHILDHOOD Nurturing the Nurturers: The WestEd has a number of resources addressing early childhood. A few are Importance of Sound Relation- summarized here. For additional related products, please refer to the WestEd ships in Early Resource Catalog or visit www.WestEd.org/products. Childhood Intervention Bonnie Benard & Douglas Quiett (WestEd, 2002) Battered Agencies: Supporting Those Who Serve Low-Income Communities In the Marin City Diane F. Reed, J. Ronald Lally, & Douglas Quiett (WestEd, 2003) Families First early- This research report identifies problems that are common intervention model, a home visitor plays a sweep- to and impede the effectiveness of community-based family ing role in the life of the client family. The job is support agencies serving low-income communities. Draw- particularly challenging for those working with ing from on-the-ground experience and research literature, families in which financial uncertainty, substance the authors identify the stressors experienced by such abuse, feelings of oppression, inadequate educa- agencies and make recommendations for strengthening tion, and other poverty-related factors can breed the agencies. depression, anger, and hopelessness. To become 34 pages / Price: $9.95 / Order #: CCFS-03-02L / and remain effective, home visitors need a high ISBN: 0-914409-14-X degree of support. This report describes how home visitors support client families and how, in turn, home visitors receive support from the program supervisor. For more information on WestEd programs, resources, 22 pages / Price: $8.95 / Order #: CCFS-03-01L / ISBN: 0-914409-09-3 and services related to early childhood and early intervention and prevention: www.WestEd.org/childhood
< 1 0 > R & D A l e r t what’s Collaborating for High Standards: Analyzing Student Work Trudy Schoneman (WestEd, 2003) This 25-minute video and its facilitator’s guide help teachers develop the skills needed to learn from student work and use NEW, the understanding derived from that work to advance learning in a standards-based classroom. This resource illustrates how to bring teachers together to examine student work for three re- OT, lated purposes: setting common student performance standards; H planning the re-teaching of concepts for which students have not USEFUL met the performance standards; and identifying possible strengths & and weaknesses in instructional and programmatic practice. Multimedia / Price: $59.95 / Order #: WAC-03-01L / ISBN: 0-914409-15-8
Linking Nevada’s Student Achievement and Graduation Rates in Early Literacy Train- Nevada: Urgent Need for Faster Reform ing with Teaching (WestEd, 2005) and Learning: Eight Tracer Cases of For many years, Nevada has led the nation in enrollment Teacher Effects growth rates. In the midst of explosive growth, how are Nevada’s students faring in achievement and graduation Stanley Chow, Jan Whit- rates? And how do those rates affect the state’s economy? ney, & Holly Holland (eds.) (WestEd, 2004) This free report endorses and expands upon recommenda- tions of the Nevada Department of Education’s 2004 State How do staff devel- Improvement Plan to raise the state’s near-bottom national opers make the case rankings by taking seven crucial steps, including improving to policymakers that teacher preparation, especially for teaching English lan- investments in high-quality staff development will guage learners; using timely student data to make teaching and program improvements; yield tangible benefits in teaching and learning? and increasing access to quality infant/toddler day care and preschool education. Nevada’s early literacy staff developers created 43 pages / Available as free pdf download: www.WestEd.org/nevadareport the tracer case, which traces the linkages from staff development, to teacher use of instructional Keeping Quality Teachers: The Art of Retaining General strategies, to the performance of K-3 students in and Special Education Teachers the all-important early literacy skills of phonemic (WestEd, OSEP, NCPSE, NASDSE, Syracuse University, & New York awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency, and com- State Education Department, 2005) prehension. This collection of eight tracer cases This user-friendly tool for retaining quality teachers — espe- highlights the impact of these specific literacy cially those in special education — contains a framework for practices in schools large and small, urban and action that can be used to create a plan at the school or district rural, and serving high percentages of children level, or to strengthen existing plans. Keeping Quality Teachers from low-income families. provides research to assist stakeholders in understanding why retention is such a compelling issue; focuses on the improve- 68 pages / Price: $11.95 / Order #: REL-04-01L ment of working conditions; provides strategies for adminis- trative support at the district and building levels; emphasizes the importance of induction and mentoring programs as part of a retention initiative, providing several model programs and strategies; articulates the key role played by institutions of higher education in supporting recruitment and retention; and provides implementation and evaluation suggestions for states and local school districts. 226 pages / Price: $35 / Order #: LI-05-01L
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