Search Results for: blog preschool education research

Pushing for Publicly-Funded Preschool

If you missed President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address five months ago, you may be wondering why his recent trip to Illinois attracted so many leaders in the world of early education. Obama spent much of his trip to Fort Knox College on Wednesday reiterating the importance of his proposal to give American children a publicly-funded preschool education. The president unveiled his goal of providing quality early education for 4 year olds in his State of the Union address earlier this year and he is not backing down on his commitment. “If you think education is expensive, wait … Continue reading →

The Preschool TV Battle is Heating Up

Your preschooler may be more powerful than you think. At least when it comes to watching television. According to Nielsen Media Research, children ages 2 to 5 spend an average of 32 hours in front of a TV each week. For cable networks this means big business.  In the past five years, a slew of channels dedicated to preschool programming have inundated the market.  Since 2000, Nick Jr. has continually garnered the highest Nielsen ratings.  The Viacom-owned channel is dedicated solely to preschool children and is home of the mega-hit show “Dora the Explorer.” Riding the wave of popularity with … Continue reading →

Preschool Is On My Mind Again

As Dylan’s third birthday approaches, I am thinking more and more about preschool. The current theme of my preschool – related thoughts has shifted from “which preschool” to “whether or not he will attend preschool”. We still have plenty of time to research and weigh our options, because if we decide that Dylan will attend preschool he would not start until January. There are still two preschools in our area that I plan to visit with Dylan, one is right in town and the other is about a half hour away. One is Montessori, and the other is Waldorf. Of … Continue reading →

Preschool Primer Part 2 – What Kind Of Preschool Is Right For Your Toddler?

When you are trying to decide which preschool is the best fit for your toddler, keep in mind that not all preschools are created equal. There are multiple types of preschools, each with its own underlying philosophy. Here are a few examples of the different types of preschools that are out there. Montessori preschools have a philosophy that is centered around the interconnectedness of all living things and helping the child to discover his or her unique place in the world. Teachers are called “Guides” and they help each child to learn at his or her own pace. Life skills, … Continue reading →

Early Childhood Education—Is the U.S. Doing Enough?

Michelle Bachelet used to treat children whose parents had been tortured by General Augusto Pinochet, one of the most controversial military dictators in Chilean history. Today, Bachelet is Chile’s president, and since she took office in March 2006 she has made great strides to insure her country’s youngsters receive a proper education. One of Bachelet’s defining projects has been to provide free access to health and education programs for all Chileans under the age of 4. As part of the education initiative Chile has been building new preschools at an astounding rate of 2.5 a day, increasing the country’s total … Continue reading →

Obesity a Problem with Preschoolers, New Study Says

A new study was released that shows that one out of every five four-ear-olds is obese. This information is startling even to the researchers. Furthermore, there was a lot of disparity with obesity and race, even at this early preschool age. Here is what the researchers found. More than half a million four-year-olds are obese Obesity is the most common in American Indian children, who are twice as likely to be obese as are white children. Obesity is also prevalent among four-year-olds who are of Hispanic or black heritage. The study is an important one because obesity in early childhood … Continue reading →

What to Do When You Can’t Afford Preschool

If you find yourself in a situation where preschool is out of reach financially, what do you do? Is your child doomed to fall behind before she even reaches Kindergarten? Will he grow up to be unsocial and labeled slow if he doesn’t attend the best early learning program? Research does show that early childhood education in the form of a quality preschool program does give children an edge over those who do not attend. But with preschool costs soaring, not everyone has the option of sending their child to preschool. Before you panic, let’s review a few things. First, … Continue reading →

Types of Distance Learning Education

Distance learning or distance education is sometimes also considered home schooling. And while the two can overlap, they are really two different things. Usually home schooling is considered as instruction at home with a parent or tutor(s) and not associated with a school. With distance education, there is usually an outside instructor (as part of a formal school) that gives lessons, grades assignments and tests and sometimes interacts real time with a student, depending on the type of distance learning education course. This is the teacher mediated option (TMO), although the independent study option (ISO) is also considered distance learning. … Continue reading →

Sex Education in the News

Sex education is a controversial subject for families. Some parents support it, others do not, and still others believe it has its place depending on the age of the students. Like it or not, sex education has been in the news lately, including compulsory lessons on sex education for children as young as five years old. Let’s get to the first piece of news. An initiative was announced in England that millions of children from the age of five to 16, who attend state-funded schools, will be given compulsory lessons about sex education and drugs. It is important to note … Continue reading →

Preschoolers and ADHD Research

ADHD is a common condition that is often identified when a child starts preschool for the first time. It is characterized by the inability of the child to pay attention or focus. Your preschool teacher may discuss the possibility of your child having the condition, but you should have any diagnosis done by a professional before you accept the possibility that your child has ADHD. ADHD is listed by the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as a serious public health problem that causes significant impairment in school performance and socialization, and for which there is limited effectiveness of … Continue reading →