Early Childhood
Education news, analysis, and opinion about children from birth through kindergarten.
- Early Childhood Opinion The Problems With Biden’s Universal Pre-K ProposalAn early-childhood education leader expresses concerns that the universal pre-K plan risks separating pre-K from the wider child-care sector.Early Childhood What the Research Says Starting School After the Pandemic: Youngest Students Will Need Foundational SkillsThe earliest grades saw the biggest enrollment drops in 2020-21. Experts say these students will need significant help come fall.Early Childhood Opinion Waterford Upstart on Providing Remote Learning to 90,000 Pre-K KidsRick Hess speaks with Dr. LaTasha Hadley of Waterford Upstart about its use of adaptive software to close gaps in kindergarten readiness.Early Childhood Live Online Discussion The Impact of the Coronavirus on Early-Childhood LearningEarly-childhood learning plays an important role in a child's development, but what once focused mostly on play and relationship building has evolved into a more academic-focused experience. What have we learned from this development? AndEarly Childhood Opinion How Two Child-Care Centers Put Competition Aside and Created a Partnership During COVID-19Due to COVID-19, two early-childhood centers put their competition aside to work together to support families during the pandemic.SponsorThis content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.Join our panel discussion to learn the strategies schools are using to help K-3 learners as they move to virtual instruction.Early Childhood New Players Fill Child-Care Gap as Schools Go RemoteAs school districts move to remote instruction for the fall, day-care providers, dance studios, and after-school programs step in to fill school-day child-care gaps.Early Childhood Will Kindergartens Be Empty This Fall?As cases of COVID-19 continue to grow, parents around the country are struggling with whether to send their child to kindergarten this fall. Some say they won't.Early Childhood Letter to the Editor A Eulogy for Ken GoodmanTo the Editor:
Several weeks ago, I spoke with an Education Week reporter about Ken Goodman in anticipation of an obituary about Ken’s passing and legacy (“Kenneth S. Goodman, ‘Founding Father’ of Whole Language, Dead at 92,” May 21, 2020). Great conversation. I looked forward to the tribute. I knew it would be complicated and controversial; Ken was complicated and controversial. But I was sure the controversy would be treated as part of the tribute.Early Childhood Letter to the Editor A Debate Over Phonics InstructionTo the Editor:
In her opinion essay, Heidi Anne E. Mesmer proclaims that explicit instruction in phonics is not enough: Children must be taught print concepts, phonemic awareness, morphology, and fluency (“Phonics Is Just One Part of a Whole,” Feb. 12, 2020).Early Childhood Kids of Color Often Shut Out of High-Quality State Preschool, Research SaysDemocratic presidential candidates like to say they support universal prekindergarten programs, but what about early-learning programs that already exist?Early Childhood Federal Watchdog Finds Risk of Head Start Fraud, Ranking Republican Seeks HearingOfficials have not done enough to prevent fraud in Head Start programs, the GAO said. The findings prompted Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., the ranking member of the House education and labor committee, to call for a hearing on the federally funded preschool program for low-income children.Early Childhood Video Academic Redshirting, and Why It’s Not So SimpleAcademic redshirting has benefits and disadvantages on a child’s development that parents should keep in mind.Early Childhood Opinion What Early-Childhood Accountability Can Learn From K-12's MistakesEducation needs to stop going around in circles, writes Stanford’s Thomas S. Dee.Early Childhood How's Your Local Head Start Performing? Sampling Classrooms May Not Be EnoughIndividual Head Start classrooms vary enough in quality that the ratings of more than a third of centers could change by random chance, a new study finds. The results suggest those looking to improve the early education centers need to target support to individual teachers, not just to whole-school training.