Preschool education or Infant education is the provision of education for children Biologically, a child is generally a human between the stages of birth and puberty. The legal definition[by whom?] of "child" generally refers to a minor, otherwise known as a person younger than the age of majority. "Child" may also describe a relationship with a parent or authority figure, or signify group membership in a before the commencement of statutory and obligatory education, usually between the ages of zero or three and five, dependent on the jurisdiction.

In British English, nursery school A nursery school is a school for children between the ages of three and five years, staffed by qualified teachers and other professionals who encourage and supervise educational play rather than simply providing childcare. It is a pre-school education institution; part of early childhood education or simply "nursery" or playgroup is the usual term for preschool education.

Preschool work is organized within a framework that professional educators create. The framework includes structural (administration, class size, teacher-child ratio, services, etc.), process (quality of classroom environments, teacher-child interactions, etc), and alignment (standards, curriculum, assessments) components that are associated with each individual unique child that has both social and academic outcomes. Arguably the first pre-school institution was opened in 1816 by Robert Owen Robert Owen , (born in Newtown, Montgomeryshire, Wales), was a social reformer and one of the founders of socialism and the cooperative movement in New Lanark New Lanark is a village on the River Clyde, approximately 1.4 miles from Lanark, in South Lanarkshire, Scotland. It was founded in 1786 by David Dale, who built cotton mills and housing for the mill workers. Dale built the mills there to take advantage of the water power provided by the river. Under the ownership of a partnership that included, Scotland.^[1][2][3] The Hungarian countess A count is a nobleman in European countries; his wife is a countess. The word count came into English from the French comte, itself from Latin comes—in its accusative comitem—meaning "companion", and later "companion of the emperor, delegate of the emperor". The British equivalent is an earl . Alternative names for the & Theresa Brunszvik Countness Theresa Brunszvik of Korompa (July 27, 1775, Pozsony, Kingdom of Hungary ; September 23, 1861, Pest, Kingdom of Hungary) was a member of the Hungarian nobility, pedagoge and a student of the Swiss Pestalozzi. Her father was the hungarian count Anton Brunszvick and her mother was the baroness Anna Seeberg followed in 1828 ^[4][5]. In 1837, Friedrich Fröbel Friedrich Wilhelm August Fröbel (German pronunciation: [ˈfʀiːdʀɪç ˈvɪlhɛlm ˈaʊɡʊst ˈfʀøːbəl]) (April 21, 1782 – June 21, 1852) was a German pedagogue, a student of Pestalozzi who laid the foundation for modern education based on the recognition that children have unique needs and capabilities. He created the concept of the “ opened one in Germany, coining the term "kindergarten Kindergarten (German, literally means "children's garden") is a form of education for young children which serves as a transition from home to the commencement of more formal schooling. Children are taught to develop basic skills through creative play and social interaction. In most countries kindergarten is part of the preschool system".

Developmental areas

The areas of development which preschool education covers varies from country to country. However the following main themes are represented in the majority of systems.^[6][7]

• Personal, social, economical, and emotional development
• Communication, including talking and listening
• Knowledge and understanding of the world
• Creative and aesthetic development
• Educational software Educational software is computer software, the primary purpose of which is teaching or self-learning
• Mathematical awareness and development
• Physical development
• Playing
• Self-help skills
• Social skills A social skill is any skill facilitating interaction and communication with others. Social rules and relations are created, communicated, and changed in verbal and nonverbal ways. The process of learning such skills is called socialization. The rationale for this type of an approach to treatment is that people meet a variety of social problems and

Allowing preschool aged children to discover and explore freely within each of these areas of development is the foundation for developmental learning. While the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) has made tremendous strides in publicizing and promoting the idea of developmentally appropriate practice Developmentally appropriate practice is a perspective within early childhood education whereby a teacher or child caregiver nurtures a child's social/emotional, physical, and cognitive development by basing all practices and decisions on (1) theories of child development, (2) individually identified strengths and needs of each child uncovered, there is still much work to be done. It is widely recognized that although many preschool educators are aware of the guidelines for developmentally appropriate practice, putting this practice to work effectively in the classroom is more challenging. The NAEYC published that although 80% of Kindergarten classrooms claim to be developmentally appropriate, only 20% actually are.

Age and Importance

Preschool is generally considered appropriate for children between zero or three and five years of age, between the baby The term infant derives from the Latin word infans, meaning "unable to speak or speechless." It is typically applied to children between the ages of 1 month and 12 months; however, definitions vary between birth and 3 years of age or toddler A toddler is a young child who is of the age of learning to walk, between infancy and childhood. Toddling usually begins between the ages of 12 and 18 months. During the toddler stage, the child also learns a great deal about social roles, develops motor skills, and first starts to use language and school stages. During this stage of development, children learn and assimilate information rapidly, and express interest and fascination in each new discovery.

It is well established that the most important years of learning Learning is acquiring new knowledge, behaviors, skills, values, preferences or understanding, and may involve synthesizing different types of information. The ability to learn is possessed by humans, animals and some machines. Progress over time tends to follow learning curves are begun at birth^[8]. A child's brain at this age is making connections that will last the rest of their life.^{[citation needed]} The environment of the young child influences the development of cognitive skill Cognition is the scientific term for "the process of thought." Usage of the term varies in different disciplines; for example in psychology and cognitive science, it usually refers to an information processing view of an individual's psychological functions. Other interpretations of the meaning of cognition link it to the development of and emotional skills due to the rapid brain growth that occurs in the early years. Studies have shown that high quality preschools have a short and long term effect in improving the outcomes of a child, especially a disadvantaged child.^[9][10]

However, some more recent studies dispute the accuracy of the earlier results which cited benefits to preschool education, and actually point at preschool being detrimental In astrology, a celestial body is said to be in detriment, or exile, when it is posited in the zodiac sign opposite the sign it rules . When a celestial body is in detriment it is said to be not comfortable in that sign and to tend to operate with the least strength to a child's cognitive and social development. ^[11][12] A study by UC Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley , is a public research university located in Berkeley, California, United States. The oldest of the ten major campuses affiliated with the University of California, Berkeley offers some 300 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in a wide range of disciplines. The university occupies 6,651 acres (2,692 ha) and Stanford University The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university located in Stanford, California, United States. The university was founded in 1891 by the Californian railroad tycoon Leland Stanford and named for his recently deceased son. Its alumni have founded the companies Hewlett- on 14,000 Kindergarteners revealed that while there is a temporary cognitive boost in pre-reading and math, preschool holds detrimental effects on social development and cooperation. ^[13]

The Universal Preschool movement is an international effort to make access to preschool available to families in a similar way to compulsory primary education Primary education is the first stage of compulsory education. It is preceded by pre-school or nursery education and is followed by secondary education. In North America this stage of education is usually known as elementary education and is generally followed by middle school. Various jurisdictions and advocates have differing priorities for access, availability and funding sources. See kindergarten Kindergarten (German, literally means "children's garden") is a form of education for young children which serves as a transition from home to the commencement of more formal schooling. Children are taught to develop basic skills through creative play and social interaction. In most countries kindergarten is part of the preschool system for details of pre-school education in various countries. There has been a shift from preschools that operated primarily as controlled play groups to educational settings in which children learn specific, if basic, skills. It examines several different perspectives on teaching in kindergarten, including those of the developmentally appropriate practice Developmentally appropriate practice is a perspective within early childhood education whereby a teacher or child caregiver nurtures a child's social/emotional, physical, and cognitive development by basing all practices and decisions on (1) theories of child development, (2) individually identified strengths and needs of each child uncovered, the academic approach, the child-centered approach, and the Montessori approach to the curriculum.

Gratuity

The gratuity of infant education has been established in some countries, as Spain Children from 3 to 5 years old in Spain have the option of attending the Pre-school stage , which is non-compulsory and free for all students. It is regarded as an integral part of the education system with infants' classes at almost every primary school. There are some separate nursery schools (Colegios Infantiles), beginning in the second cycle (from three to six years), but extending to the first cycle (from birth to three years).

History of Preschool in the United States

Head Start, the first preschool program, was created in 1965 by President Johnson. The federal government helped create this half-day program for low-income parents for preschool children. Head Start began as a summer pilot program that included an education component, nutrition and health screenings for children, and support services for families (CPE, 2007). In the 1960’s only ten percent of the nations three and four year olds were enrolled in a classroom setting. Due to a large amount of people interested, and a lack of funding for Head Start, during the 1980’s a handful of states started their own version of a program for students from low-income families. The positive success and effects of preschool meant many state leaders were showing interest in educational reform of these young students (CPE, 2007). By 2005 sixty-nine percent, or over 800,000, four year-old children nationwide participated in some type of state preschool program (CPE, 2007). The yearly increase in enrollment of preschool programs throughout the years is due to an increase of higher maternal employment rates, national anti-poverty initiatives, and research showing the link between early childhood experiences and the brain development of young children. These factors have caused the rate of attendance in preschool programs to grow each year (CPE, 2007).

In most states, there are multiple preschool options for young children. Parents have the choice of sending their child to a federal funded Head Start center, state-funded preschool, government-funded special education programs, and for-profit and not-for-profit providers (Levin & Schartz, 2007). Currently in the United States, Georgia, Oklahoma, West Virginia, and New York are the only states have legislation underway or have universal preschool for all students in the state (CPE, 2007).

International Preschool Systems

Methods of preschool education

Some preschools have adopted specialized methods of teaching, such as Montessori The Montessori method is a child-centered, alternative educational method based on the child development theories originated by Italian educator Maria Montessori in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Primarily applied in preschool and primary (elementary) school settings (and occasionally in infant, toddler, middle school, and high, Waldorf Waldorf education is a pedagogy based upon the educational philosophy of the Austrian philosopher Rudolf Steiner, the founder of anthroposophy. Learning is interdisciplinary, integrating practical, artistic, and conceptual elements. The Waldorf approach emphasizes the role of the imagination, developing thinking that includes a creative as well as, Head Start The Head Start Program is a program of the United States Department of Health and Human Services that provides comprehensive education, health, nutrition, and parent involvement services to low-income children and their families, HighReach Learning, High Scope,^[14] The Creative Curriculum,^[15] Reggio Emilia approach The Reggio Emilia Approach is an educational philosophy focused on preschool and primary education. It was started by the parents of the villages around Reggio Emilia in Italy after World War II. The destruction from the war, parents believed, necessitated a new, quick approach to teaching their children. They felt that it is in the early years of, Bank Street Described as a small college with a big voice in education, one heard and respected far and wide, Bank Street was founded in 1916 in New York City by visionary educator Lucy Sprague Mitchell. Over the years it has grown into an internationally-recognized leader in early childhood education, a pioneer in improving the quality of classroom education, Forest kindergartens A forest kindergarten is a type of preschool education for children between the ages of three and six that is held almost exclusively outdoors. Whatever the weather, children are encouraged to play, explore and learn in a forest or natural environment. The adult supervision is meant to assist rather than lead. It is also known as Waldkindergarten ,, and various other pedagogies which contribute to the foundation of education.

Creative Curriculum has an interactive website where parents and teachers can work together in evaluating preschool age children. The website is very user friendly and prints off many reports that are helpful in evaluating children and the classroom itself. The web site has a variety of activities that are targeted to each of the fifty goals on the continuum.

The International Preschool Curriculum adopted a bilingual approach to teaching and offers a curriculum that embraces international standards and recognizes national requirements for preschool education.^[16]

In the United States most preschool advocates support the National Association for the Education of Young Children's Developmentally Appropriate Practices.

Family childcare can also be nationally accredited by the National Association of Family Childcare if the provider chooses to go through the process. National accreditation is only awarded to those programs who demonstrate the quality standards set forth by the NAFCC.^{[citation needed]}

Funding for Preschool Programs

While a majority of American preschool programs remain tuition-based, support for some public funding of early childhood education has grown over the years. As of 2008, 38 states and the District of Columbia invested in at least some pre-kindergarten programs, and many school districts were providing preschool services on their own, using local and federal funds. ^[17]

The benefits and challenges of a public preschool are closely tied to the amount of funding provided. Funding for a public preschool can come in a variety of sources. According to Levin and Schwartz (2007) funding can range from federal, state, local public allocations, private sources, and parental fees (p. 4). The problem of funding a public preschool occurs not only from limited sources but from the cost per child. The average cost across the 48 states is $6,582 (Levin and Schwartz, 2007). There are four categories that determine the costs of public preschools: personnel ratios, personnel qualifications, facilities and transportation, and health and nutrition services. According to Levin and Schwartz (2007) these structural elements depend heavily on the cost and quality of services provided (p. 14). The main personnel factor related to cost is the qualifications each preschool require for a teacher. Another determinate of cost is the length of a preschool day. The longer the session, the more increase in cost. Therefore, the quality of program accounts presumably for a major component of cost (Levin and Schwartz, 2007).

Collaboration has been a solution for funding issues in several districts. Wilma Kaplan, principal, turned to collaborating with the area Head Start and other private preschool to fund a public preschool in her district. “We’re very pleased with the interaction. It’s really added a dimension to our program that’s been very positive” (Reeves, 2000). The National Head Start Bureau has been looking for more opportunities to partner with public schools. Torn Schultz of the National Head Start Bureau states, “We’re turning to partnership as much as possible, either in funds or facilities to make sure children get everything necessary to be ready for school” (Reeves, 2000, p. 6). The goal for funding is to develop a variety of sources that provide for all children to benefit from early learning within a public preschool.

Special Education in Preschool

In the United States ^ b. English is the de facto language of American government and the sole language spoken at home by 80% of Americans age five and older. Spanish is the second most commonly spoken language, students who may benefit from special education Special education is the education of students with special needs in a way that addresses the students' individual differences and needs. Ideally, this process involves the individually planned and systematically monitored arrangement of teaching procedures, adapted equipment and materials, accessible settings, and other interventions designed to receive services in preschools. Since the inception of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Public Law 101-476 in 1975 and its amendments, PL 102-119 and PL 105-17 in 1997, the educational system has moved away from self-contained classrooms and progressed to inclusion. As a result, there has been a need for special education teachers to practice in various settings in order to assist children with special needs, particularly by working with regular classroom teachers when possible to strengthen the inclusion of children with special needs. As with other stages in the life of a child with special needs, the Individualized Education Plan In the United States an Individualized Education Program, commonly referred to as an IEP, is mandated by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act . In Canada and the United Kingdom, an equivalent document is called an Individual Education Plan (IEP) or an Individual Family Service Plan (IFSP) is an important way for special education teachers, regular classroom teachers, administrators and parents to set guidelines for a partnership to help the child succeed in preschool.

References

1. ^ Vag, Otto (March 1975). "The Influence of the English Infant School in Hungary". International Journal of Early Childhood (Springer) 7 (1): 132–136. http://www.springerlink.com/content/9248527032015273/.
2. ^ New Lanark Kids: Robert Owen
3. ^ education in robert owen's new society: the new lanark institute and schools
4. ^ Budapest Lexikon, 1993
5. ^ Public Preschool Education In Hungary: A Historical Survey, 1980
6. ^ The foundation stage: education for children aged 3 to 5
7. ^ A Curriculum Framework for Children 3 to 5
8. ^ The Early Years Framework. Scottish Government. 2008. ISBN The International Standard Book Number is a unique numeric commercial book identifier based upon the 9-digit Standard Book Numbering (SBN) code created by Gordon Foster, now Emeritus Professor of Statistics at Trinity College, Dublin, for the booksellers and stationers W.H. Smith and others in 1966 978-0-7559-5942-6. http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/257007/0076309.pdf#page=9.
9. ^ Schaefer, Stephanie; Cohen, Julie. (2000-12). "Making Investments in Young Children: What the Research on Early Care and Education Tells Us". National Association of Child Advocates. http://www.eric.ed.gov:80/ERICWebPortal/custom/portlets/recordDetails/detailmini.jsp?_nfpb=true&_&ERICExtSearch_SearchValue_0=ED448863&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=no&accno=ED448863.
10. ^ Hanford, Emily (2009-10). "Early Lessons". American Radio Works American RadioWorks is a dedicated documentary production unit operated by American Public Media, the program distribution arm formerly known by the name of its parent organization, Minnesota Public Radio, which may be best known for A Prairie Home Companion. http://americanradioworks.publicradio.org/features/preschool/. Retrieved 2009-11-08.
11. ^ http://www.eagleforum.org/educate/2005/nov05/542.pdf
12. ^ http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/custom/portlets/recordDetails/detailmini.jsp?_nfpb=true&_&ERICExtSearch_SearchValue_0=ED269133&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=no&accno=ED269133
13. ^ http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/news/article/7616
14. ^ High Scope
15. ^ [1]
16. ^ International Preschool Curriculum
17. ^ Wat, Albert; Gayl, Chrisanne (July 2009) Beyond the School Yard: Pre-K Collaborations with Community-Based Partners . Washington, D.C.: Pew Center on the States, 24 pp.. (Report).

Buysee, V., & Wesley, P.W. (2005). Consultation in early childhood settings. Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co., Inc.

Electronic reference formats recommended by the Center for Public Education. (2007, March). Retrieved July 2, 2009, from http://www.centerforpubliceducation.org/site/c.kjJXJ5MPIwE/b.2556065/k.E644/Prek_What_the_research_shows.htm#quals

Levin, H. M & Schwartz, H. L. (2007). Educational vouchers for universal pre-schools. Economics of Education Review, 26, 3-16.

Levin, H.M., & Schwartz, H.L. (2007, March). What is the cost of a preschool program? National Center for the study of Privatization in Education. Symposium conducted at the meeting of the AEFA Annual Conference, Baltimore, Maryland.

McCollum, J.A., & Yates, T., (1994). Dyad as focus, triad as means: A family-centered approach to supporting parent-child interactions. Infants and Young Children, 6, 54-66.

Reeves, K. (2000). Preschool in the public schools. American Association of School Administrators, 1-9.

Individuals with Disabilities Individualizing Education Act (IDEA) Data. (2006). Part B child count data [Table]. Retrieved May 25, 2008, from https://www.ideadata.org/PartBdata.asp

See also

• Child development Child development refers to the biological and psychological changes that occur in human beings between birth and the end of adolescence, as the individual progresses from dependency to increasing autonomy. Because these developmental changes may be strongly influenced by genetic factors and events during prenatal life, genetics and prenatal
• Early childhood education Early childhood education regards education in early childhood, one of the most vulnerable stages in life. According to the NAEYC , it spans the human life from birth to age eight
• Nursery school A nursery school is a school for children between the ages of three and five years, staffed by qualified teachers and other professionals who encourage and supervise educational play rather than simply providing childcare. It is a pre-school education institution; part of early childhood education
• Universal preschool

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