An experimental study comparing English-only and Transitional Bilingual Education on Spanish-speaking preschoolers’ early literacy development

A longitudinal, experimental–control design was used to test the hypothesis that native language instruction enhances English language learner's (ELL's) native language and literacy development without significant cost to English development. In this study, 31 Spanish-speaking preschoolers (aged 38–48 months) were randomly assigned to two Head Start classrooms differing only in the language of instruction (English and Spanish). As predicted, results showed that Spanish language instruction resulted in significantly higher growth on both Spanish oral vocabulary and letter–word identification measures. There were no significant differences between classrooms on these same measures in English. Results extend previous work by showing that Transitional Bilingual Education may be a viable alternative to traditional English-only models. Implications for theory, future research, and early childhood practice are discussed.     

Implementation of a relationship-based school readiness intervention: A multidimensional approach to fidelity measurement for early childhood

The implementation efforts of 65 early childhood professionals involved in the Getting Ready project, an integrated, multi-systemic intervention that promotes school readiness through parent engagement for children from birth to age five, were investigated. Digital videotaped records of professionals engaged in home visits with families across both treatment and comparison conditions were coded objectively using a partial–interval recording system to identify and record early childhood professionals’ implementation of intervention strategies and their effectiveness in promoting parent engagement and interest in their child. Adherence, quality of intervention delivery, differentiation between groups, and participant responsiveness were assessed as multiple dimensions of fidelity. Early childhood professionals in the treatment group relative to the comparison group demonstrated greater frequency of adherence to some intervention strategies, as well as higher rates of total strategy use. In addition, significant positive relationships were found between years of experience, education and quality of intervention delivery. Quality of intervention delivery was different by program type (Early Head Start versus Head Start). Adherence in the treatment group was correlated with the rate of contact between parent and early childhood professional during the home visit.     

Cognitive skill performance among young children living in poverty: Risk, change, and the promotive effects of Early Head Start

The purposes of the present study were to examine associations between risk factors and the cognitive performance from one to three years of age of children living in poverty, and to investigate the protective and/or promotive effects of EHS on children's cognitive skill performance. Analyses were conducted using data from the Early Head Start (EHS) Research and Evaluation Project, a prospective study of 3001 children and families living in poverty. There were four main findings. First, children's cognitive skill scores decreased significantly from one to three years of age in comparison to national norms. Second, children whose families were on government assistance, children whose mothers had less than a high school education, children who received lower levels of cognitive and language stimulation at home, and children who had higher levels of negative emotionality evidenced more rapid rates of decline. Third, children in families who received government assistance, children whose parents were unemployed, and children whose mothers had less than a high school education had lower cognitive skill scores at three years of age. Fourth, children who were enrolled in Early Head Start (EHS) had higher cognitive skill scores at three years of age than their peers who were not in EHS. Implications for policy and early education are discussed.     

Exploring parental involvement in early years education in China: development and validation of the Chinese Early Parental Involvement Scale (CEPIS)

This study developed and validated an instrument, the Chinese Early Parental Involvement Scale (CEPIS), that can be widely used in both local and international contexts to assess Chinese parental involvement in early childhood education. The study was carried out in two stages: (1) focus group interviews were conducted with 41 teachers and 35 parents in Hong Kong and Shenzhen. Teachers and parents were found to hold different perceptions of parental involvement. Responses further revealed that Chinese parents practiced more home-based involvement than preschool-based involvement, and that Chinese parents also have layers of responsibilities that limit their level of involvement in children's early development; (2) items of the CEPIS were developed using focus group responses. To validate the scale, 319 parents were asked to complete the new CEPIS. Results from principal-components factor analyses established that the resultant 26-item CEPIS consists of six parental involvement dimensions. Further analyses revealed that parental involvement differed as a function of parents' marital status and employment status. The major findings, implications and limitations of this research are discussed, together with directions for future research.     

Vulnerability or resilience to early substance use among adolescents at risk: The roles of maltreatment and father involvement

Although research has indicated that maltreated children are at higher risk of adolescent substance use, it remains unclear whether the type and timing of maltreatment affect the likelihood of adolescent substance use. Research has also found father involvement to be a potential protective factor against adolescent substance use, but the role of quality vs. quantity of father involvement as well as gender differences in the effects of father involvement on substance use among at-risk adolescents have not been studied. The current study adds value to the existing literature by filling these gaps in knowledge. We conducted a secondary data analysis with a sample of 685 at-risk adolescents drawn from the Longitudinal Studies of Child Abuse and Neglect. The study found a connection between early childhood (birth to 5) physical abuse and adolescent substance use, but not for later childhood physical abuse or other forms of child maltreatment. The quality of father involvement was found to be a protective factor, regardless of child gender; quantity of father involvement was not significant. Based on these findings, development of intervention strategies focusing on prevention of early childhood physical abuse and promoting positive father-child relationships are important prevention strategies for adolescent substance use. Additionally, professionals working with at-risk adolescents need to be cognizant of the implications of early childhood physical abuse and act accordingly to mitigate the increased potential for adolescent substance use.     

An evaluation of curriculum, setting, and mentoring on the performance of children enrolled in pre-kindergarten

An alarming number of American pre-school children lack sufficient language and literacy skills to succeed in kindergarten. The type of curriculum that is available within pre-kindergarten settings can impact children's academic readiness. This work presents results from an evaluation of two language and literacy curricula (i.e., Let's Begin with the Letter People and Doors to Discovery) from a random assignment study that occurred within three settings (i.e., Head Start, Title 1, and universal pre-kindergarten) and included a control group. The design included a mentoring and non- mentoring condition that was balanced across sites in either curriculum condition. A pre and post-test design was utilized in the analyses, with children (n = 603) tested before the intervention and at the end of the year. Multilevel growth curve modeling, where the child outcomes (dependent measures) are modeled as a function of the child's level of performance and rate of growth between pre and post-testing, was used for all analyses. Results indicated that in many key language/literacy areas, the skills of children in classrooms using either one of the target curricula grew at greater rates than children in control classrooms. This was especially true in the Head Start programs. The findings from this study indicate that at-risk children can benefit from a well-specified curriculum. Additionally, findings demonstrate that a well-detailed curriculum appeared to be less important for children from higher income families. The impact of mentoring was less clear and seemed dependent on the type of skill being measured and type of program.     

Ecological contexts and early learning: Contributions of child,family, and classroom factors during Head Start,to literacy and mathematics growth through first grade

The current study investigated the extent to which child, family, and classroom factors during Head Start are related to children's literacy and mathematics skills at the beginning of preschool and through first grade. Children and families (n = 945) were participating in the Family and Child Experiences Survey (FACES), a large-scale data collection effort that assessed children's developing skills as well as their family and classroom environments. Longitudinal growth models revealed that Head Start children began their academic careers well below their more advantaged peers in literacy and mathematics, although by the end of first grade, their scores were nearly on par with national averages. Demographic characteristics of children, as well as their early language and social skills, were the strongest predictors of children's initial status and growth in both early academic domains. Results highlight key foundations and specific promotive factors of early school success for the nation's most disadvantaged children.     

低收入家长投入早期教育的若干问题探析

家长投入在儿童发展早期阶段具有丰富内涵,包括在家庭、学校、社区合作的情境下家长对早期儿童教育所做的一切贡献。家长投入对儿童,特别是低收入家庭儿童发展的积极意义主要表现在缓冲贫困的消极影响、促进儿童学业成功、改善家庭系统等方面。但低收入家长的投入方式、特点通常与教师预期不一致,其投入教育的动机与信念较弱,缺乏投入子女教育的机会和资源等,都阻碍了低收入家长投入。为此,需要教师、学校与政府将低收入家长作为支持儿童发展的重要资源看待,增强对低收入家庭特点的敏感度,采取适宜的多样化支持策略,与低收入家长建立真正平等的合作关系,共同促进处境不利儿童早期发展。     

Predictors and outcomes of low-income fathers’ reading with their toddlers

Most studies of parent–child bookreading have focused on mothers reading to their children. Though the role of fathers in children's lives is widely emphasized, we know almost nothing about father–child bookreading, particularly among low-income families. The present study was designed to examine how often low-income fathers report reading to their children and what the predictors and effects of paternal bookreading are. The fathers in this study were participants in the national evaluation of Early Head Start (EHS) and were recruited via mothers enrolled in the EHS study. Participating fathers were interviewed at home and their children's cognitive and language development were assessed using standardized measures from ages 2 to 5. Results demonstrated a wide variety in frequency of bookreading among fathers. Fathers were more likely to read to their children frequently if they spoke English at home, if they had a high school education, and if their children had better language skills. Fathers’ bookreading predicted children's cognitive outcome. Paternal bookreading did predict children's language outcomes but only for children whose fathers had at least a high school education.     

Buffering boys and boosting girls: The protective and promotive effects of Early Head Start for children's expressive language in the context of parenting stress

Children's characteristics, including gender, influence their development by eliciting differential responses from their environments, and by influencing differential responses to their environments. Parenting-related stress, associated with poverty environments, negatively influences children's language, likely through its impact on parent–child interactions, but may impact boys’ and girls’ development differently. Early intervention represents one tool for supporting development in at-risk toddlers, but gender-differences in effects of intervention are rarely described. The current studies assessed the effects of Early Head Start (EHS) on children's productive vocabulary in the context of parenting stress and examined gender differences in program effects on vocbulary. Data were from the national EHS Research and Evaluation (EHSRE) study (Study 1, N = 3001), and from a dataset associated with one EHSRE site (Study 2, N = 146) where additional data on productive vocabulary were collected. Study 1 found that at 24 months of age, the EHS program protected girls’ productive vocabulary from the negative effects of parenting stress, but had little impact on boys’ vocabulary. In Study 2, the local EHS site promoted girls’ vocabulary development over time from 14 to 36 months despite the negative effects of parenting stress, and protected boys’ vocabulary from the negative parenting stress effects. These results suggest differential ways in which at-risk toddlers are affected by early intervention.     

Understanding Head Start children's problem behaviors in the context of arrest or incarceration of household members

Using data from the nationally representative Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey (FACES), the relationships between living in a household where a household member had been arrested or incarcerated and conduct problems of preschool children enrolled in Head Start were examined. Children who lived in such households showed more aggressive, hyperactive, and withdrawn behaviors than children who lived in households with no such exposure. These associations remained statistically significant after controlling for other family background characteristics. Parental involvement in Head Start, less use of spanking, and more time spent by the child in Head Start were associated with less problem behaviors.     

The role of access to Head Start and quality ratings for Spanish-Speaking Dual Language Learners’ (DLLs) participation in early childhood education

Data from the Head Start Impact Study (N = 4442) were used to test for differences between Spanish-speaking Dual Language Learners (DLLs) and monolingual English-speaking children in: (1) Head Start attendance rates when randomly assigned admission; and (2) quality ratings of other early childhood education (ECE) programs attended when not randomly assigned admission to Head Start. Logistic regressions showed that Spanish-speaking DLL children randomly assigned a spot in Head Start were more likely than monolingual-English learners to attend. Further, Spanish-speaking DLLs not randomly assigned a spot in Head Start were more likely to attend higher-quality ECE centers than non-DLL children. Policy implications are discussed, suggesting that, if given access, Spanish-speaking DLL families will take advantage of quality ECE programs.     

Little changes,big results: the impact of simple changes to early years learning environments

The Strengthening Foundations of Learning (SFL) project is an early years CPD intervention and part of the wider Preparing for Life (PFL) Initiative in an area of urban disadvantage in Dublin, Ireland. Working within the context of the Aistear curriculum framework, and building on research evidence on the importance of practitioners to quality Early Childhood Education (ECE), the primary aim of the project is to improve the quality of early years practice. The two-year project provides a complex training and mentoring programme to educators in order to deliver ‘the best outcomes for children’. This paper presents findings from the evaluation of the ‘learning environment’ strand. The findings indicate that the embedded nature of CPD used in the SFL project has resulted in positive changes in early years practice and pedagogical language. Mid-term results suggest that participants are providing improved early learning environments and responding to learning opportunities in a more focused and informed way.     

Assessment for learning: a model for the development of a child's self-competence in the early years of education

In recent years, policy documents, curricula and other educational initiatives have promoted a pedagogy founded on the concept of independent learning. This is broadly defined as ‘having the belief in yourself to think through learning activities, problems or challenges, make decisions about your learning and act upon those decisions’. The central role of Assessment for Learning (AfL) in this process is often overlooked in practice. By considering the findings from a small-scale research study this article addresses the central role of the teacher/practitioner in developing effective AfL in the early years classroom (3–5 years).     

21世纪初中国体育旅游开发研究

本文分析了体育旅游的基本概念及其细分市场,探讨了世纪之初中国体育旅游的发展。中国体育旅游顺应了时代的需要,能够带来巨大的经济效益,并且在21世纪初面临着机遇与挑战,从而论述其开发的必要性。本文最后提出了体育旅游开发的对策。     

近年来农民工研究和社会工作

本文针对农民工力量的异军突起,并引起社会各界的强烈关注的现象,通过对近年学术界对该群体研究情况的综述,指出研究中的漏洞和不足之处,并用社会工作的专业原理和角度来给出对策建议。     

高校党政工作者信息素养培养途径探析

本文简要介绍了高校党政工作者应具备的三个层次的信息素养：基本信息素养、职业信息素养和科研信息素养,分析了高校党政工作者信息素养存在的诸如信息意识薄弱、信息技能偏低等问题及危害,最后从高校和党政干部自身两个层面出发,提出了培养和提高高校党政工作者信息素养的途径。     

Parents' experiences of teacher outreach in the early years of schooling

Parent involvement in family–school partnerships is widely acknowledged as supporting children's schooling outcomes. This involvement, however, reduces as children move through the school grades, and can be lower in families from disadvantaged backgrounds. Teacher facilitation of parent involvement, or teacher outreach, is strongly linked to the establishment and maintenance of parental involvement in these partnerships. An understanding of teacher outreach is therefore necessary to inform the development of effective outreach practice in schools. Drawing on longitudinal data from a nationally representative sample, this research investigated parents' experiences of teacher outreach in the early years of formal schooling. Overall, perceived teacher outreach declined between Year 1 and Year 3. Families from low socio-economic backgrounds reported similar experiences of teacher outreach as families from other backgrounds. Families from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander backgrounds experienced lower levels of teacher outreach in both Year 1 and Year 3, and a greater reduction than other families between these years. Families from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds experienced lower levels of outreach in Year 1, but a similar level to parents from other backgrounds in Year 3. The implications of these findings for family–school partnership practice, professional learning and further research are considered.     

Pedagogy and possibility thinking in the early years

Connecting to current work in the area of creative pedagogies, this paper reports findings of an exploratory study that sought to identify what characterises possibility thinking in young children's learning experiences and how teachers’ pedagogical practice fosters this critical aspect of creativity. It focuses in particular on pedagogy, seeking to demonstrate how approaches adopted facilitated children's possibility thinking. Possibility thinking has been conceptualised as being central to creative learning although its role, as manifest in the learning engagement of children and the pedagogical strategies of practitioners has not been fully illuminated. The co-participative research team involved in this study comprised staff in an early childhood centre, in an infant and a primary school, working collaboratively with three university-based researchers. The 12-month long segment of a longer study employed various data collection methods including video-stimulated review (VSR) to facilitate reflection, critical conversations, classroom observation, interviews and examination of planning documents. The paper illuminates the perspectives and embedded values that the teachers expressed whilst reflecting upon their practice, and highlights common pedagogical themes, including the practice of ‘standing back’, profiling learner agency and creating time and space. Particular strategies were employed by each of the teachers. These approaches appeared to foster possibility thinking in young learners. In addition, the paper considers the development of the teachers’ thinking through the phases of the research process and presents a model for conceptualising a pedagogy of possibility thinking.