Ready to learn? Children's pre-academic achievement in pre-Kindergarten programs

We examined children's growth in school-related learning and social skills over the pre-Kindergarten (pre-K) year in state-funded programs designed to prepare children for kindergarten. We expected that children's gains in academic and social skills could be attributed to variations in the structural and classroom process dimensions of program quality. Nearly 3000 (n = 2800) children were randomly selected, four per classroom, from approximately 700 randomly selected, state-funded pre-Kindergarten classrooms in eleven states. Enrollment in pre-K appeared related to gains in academic skills. Children showed larger gains in academic outcomes when they experienced higher-quality instruction or closer teacher–child relationships. Gains were not related to characteristics of the child or program (i.e., ratio, teacher qualifications and program location and length). These findings have implications for a range of state and local policy and program development efforts as well as for theories of contextual influences on development.     

Making claims for school media: a study of teachers' beliefs about media in Hong Kong

Despite growing calls for media education in different parts of the world, little consensus has been reached over what to teach and how to teach. The implementation of related initiatives varies across different contexts as well as cultures. The outcomes depend largely on the beliefs, attitudes and efforts of individual teachers. This study aims to identify and discuss teachers' beliefs about media through an analysis of documents related to school media. It examines how 13 secondary schools in Hong Kong justified their applications for funding to set up a school television station. Using methods in documentary research, the study analyses the claims made for school media. The hidden assumptions held by schools towards school media, new media, mass media, media education and media literacy are discussed.     

Multiple hedonic memory: Memory for more than one hedonic event in rats

In each of two investigations, rats ran in a runway to obtain varying quantities of food pellets presented in a fixed order, such as 20-0-20. The major finding was that rats ran faster on a 0-pellet trial if that trial was followed shortly by a 20-pellet trial (e.g., 20-0-20 series) than if it was not (e.g., 20-0 series). This finding was obtained both within groups (Experiment 1) and between groups (Experiment 2), and suggested that the memory of 20 pellets arising from the first trial of the 20-0-20 series was retrieved not only on the second trial of the series, thereby signaling 0 pellets, but on the third trial as well, thereby also signaling 20 pellets. Retrieving the memory of 20 pellets on Trial 3 of the 20-0-20 series apparently resulted in that memory’s elevating speed on Trial 2 of that series.     

Characterizing disability in Head Start programs: Not so clearcut

Head Start programs are required to set aside at least 10% of program slots for children with disabilities, but the percentage of children with disabilities served varies depending on the criteria used and source of the information. This study used the Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey (FACES) 2000 data for a nationally representative sample to identify subgroups of children meeting three different criteria for having a disability or developmental delay. Results indicated that about one-third of children in Head Start (33%) met one or more of the criteria for a disability or delay, about one-third of those children (33%) met criteria for two or for all three of the subgroups. However, only 8% of children in Head Start had an Individualized Education Program (IEP). Children with disabilities or delays, regardless of the subgroup criteria used, had higher levels of many other risk factors associated with poor developmental and school readiness outcomes. They also exhibited poorer performance on early literacy, social, and behavioral measures both at entry into Head Start and at the end of kindergarten compared with children not in each of those subgroups. Implications of the findings for screening and assessment, serving children in Head Start programs, and the need for linkages between Head Start programs and the preschool special education system are discussed.     

Spanish-Speaking Children's Social and Language Development in Pre-Kindergarten Classrooms

The current study examined the social and language development of 345 Spanish-speaking pre-kindergartners who attended pre-kindergarten programs that varied widely in how much Spanish was spoken in the classroom by the teacher. Previous studies on English language learners have focused on how the language of instruction impacts children's language proficiency, ignoring the context in which children are learning. The current study found better social skills and closer teacher—child relationships in classrooms where teachers spoke some Spanish. Teacher ratings of children's peer social skills and assertiveness were positively associated with increased amounts of Spanish being spoken. More Spanish language use in the classroom was also related to a decrease in children's likelihood of being victims of aggression as rated by independent observers. The findings have implications for better understanding how policy decisions regarding language of instruction impact children in the social domain. As early education programs are faced with the challenging task of developing best practices for English language learners, it is essential that programs are attentive to the social implications of language.