Pre-school teachings impactful for young children

“High quality pre-school is one of the most effective means of preparing all children to succeed in school. However, this review of research indicates the need to expand our definitions of quality,” said Margaret Burchil, senior research scientist at the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute (FPG) at the University of North Caroli at Chapel Hill.

According to the researcher, the review of the science suggests the field should continue to measure the quality of relationships of pre-school teachers and children, especially the sensitivity and warmth of the teachers.  The review, published in the jourl Child Development Perspectives, helps untangle a complicated knot of factors that affect young children.

“The largest effects on child outcomes involve curricula. Some of the biggest impacts on literacy, math and other skills involved curricula focused on those specific skills with accompanying coaching or training for teachers,” Burchil explained.

The researchers pointed to FPG’s Abecedarian Project as an example of a program that combined intentiol teaching with warmth and sensitivity. The project used an intensive, language-driven approach that involved teacher scaffolding of activity-based learning to build children’s knowledge base and language skills. 

The centre-based, birth-to-5 program for children from low-income homes famously contributed to better cognitive, socio-emotiol and physical health outcomes that have persisted for decades. “As we think about the components of high-quality early childhood education, our policies and practices can reflect what this research tells us,” Burchil said.

“Ideally, our new models of quality will encompass evidence-based curricula and intentiol teaching within content areas, as well as professiol development that focuses on the teaching practices that promote the skills young children need to succeed in school,” Burchil noted. (IANS)