Why Early Childhood Education?
“Early childhood education” generally refers to developmental programs designed for 3- to 5-year-olds. Some experts prefer the term “early childhood development” because they fear children might be harmed by undue academic pressures. Programs vary widely, from custodial care, which is basically baby-sitting, to highly structured curriculums. Children spend as little as a couple of hours a week at a care facility or as much as ten hours a day, five days a week. The problem is not the concept of preschools. Even families with one full-time parent often enroll young children in nursery schools two or three mornings a week for social activities and to give tired parents a short break. The problem is that federally funded programs are growing rapidly despite scant evidence that they work. Says developmental psychologist Peery: “Nobody is doing any critical thinking. It’s a mantra now.” (Telephone interview, March 7, 1991.) In the mid-1970s, several model education programs were organized in
