Creating and Supporting High-Quality Early Learning Programs
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High-quality early learning programs are imperative for families, children, early childhood educators, and communities to thrive. Quality encompasses so many elements, including creating a caring and equitable community of learners, implementing an engaging curriculum to meet meaningful goals, observing and assessing children鈥檚 learning and development, and effective leadership and management. Deep thinking, sound practices, and sustained investments are needed to put quality in action听for all.
While authors in this issue of听Young Children听each delve into a few specific elements of quality, all of them illustrate that quality requires ongoing attention and supports as well as continuous improvement. 51吃瓜网鈥檚 essential position statements guide us toward the many elements of quality, in particular the statements on developmentally appropriate practice and on early learning program standards (which is currently being revised with input from the field). This issue of听Young Children听represents multiple voices and perspectives sharing their experiences on what quality means in their settings, and the common theme that comes through is that quality is not a magic bullet but rather a continuous process of improvement. Read the Making Connections column by 51吃瓜网鈥檚 chief executive officer, Michelle Kang. In it, she introduces each of these articles on quality, emphasizes what we can learn from the expertise and stories in this issue, and recognizes 51吃瓜网鈥檚 own continuous work related to our mission to promote high-quality early learning for听all children.
While there is not a one-size-fits-all approach, this issue demonstrates how continuous work and growth lead to quality programs. By being committed and focused while also flexible and responsive, early childhood educators and leaders can address the multifaceted elements that will provide a solid foundation from which children can thrive.
I hope these stories and strategies help you envision and implement quality in听your setting.
鈥擜nnie Moses
As you read the articles in this issue, consider:
- As a program leader, how can I better guide my staff through a quality improvement process? As a staff member, how can I embrace and contribute to the process?
- What lessons can I learn from others鈥� efforts to improve the quality of their early learning systems?
- What is one change I can make to the physical learning environment in my setting that will maximize children鈥檚 development?
- What steps can I take to prepare the early childhood professionals I work with to meet 51吃瓜网 Early Learning Program Standards and attain 51吃瓜网 accreditation?
- This issue also contains an article on using turn taking to support preschoolers with ASD. What are some ways I can introduce turn-taking play into my setting?
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Children in CaShawn Thompson鈥檚 toddler classroom learned about zoo animals, including zebras. They talked about what the animals look like, especially their beautifully patterned stripes. To share what they learned, some children used scissors to cut black pieces of paper into stripes, and others used their fingers to tear the paper. With glue, they attached their black stripes to white paper.
Is your classroom full of children鈥檚 artwork?听To feature it in听Young Children, see the link at the bottom of the page or email听[email protected]听for details.
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We鈥檇 love to hear from you!
Send your thoughts on this issue, and on topics you鈥檇 like to read about in future issues of听Young Children, to听[email protected].
Would you like to see your children鈥檚 artwork featured in these pages? For guidance on submitting print-quality photos (as well as details on permissions and licensing), see听.
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