Early Childhood Education

Assessment Instructions

Note: Because the assessments in this course move progressively through periods of child development, you are encouraged to complete them in sequential order, 1–5.

Early childhood education (birth–age 8) is at the top of the national agenda, yet many children do not have access to the educational settings that they need. For this assessment, write 3–5 pages about what constitutes a high quality early childhood program or policy by evaluating the success of an existing initiative.

Address the following:

1. Describe the characteristics of high quality early childhood programs.
2. Discuss and give examples of at least three benefits of early childhood education. Use scholarly research findings to support your position.
3. Apply psychological theories to a policy or policy initiative relating to early childhood education, such as No Child Left Behind (NCLB), Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Early Intervention, Head Start, or another program of your choosing. Include details about how the program is implemented and what population it aims to serve.
4. Explain how early childhood education and policy affect the physical, social, and cognitive aspects of child development. Use scholarly research findings to support your position.

You are urged to use Capella University’s Writing Center to help you develop clear and effective writing. Through the Writing Center, you will be able to receive feedback on your writing, use writing resources, discover new writing strategies, and explore different ways to draft, revise, edit, and proofread your own work.

If you wish, you may use the APA Paper Template, linked in the Resources, to complete your assessment.

Additional Requirements

• Written communication: Ensure that your writing is free of errors that detract from the overall message.
• APA formatting: Format your paper according to APA style.
• Length: Write 3–5 typed and double-spaced pages.
• Font and font size: Times New Roman, 12 point.

• Suggested Resources

  The resources provided here are optional and support the assessment. They provide helpful information about the topics. You may use other resources of your choice to prepare for this assessment; however, you will need to ensure that they are appropriate, credible, and valid. The PSYC-FP2700 – Child Development Library Guide can help direct your research. The Supplemental Resources and Research Resources, both linked from the left navigation menu in your courseroom, provide additional resources to help support you.

  Early Childhood Education and Impacts on Physical, Social, and Cognitive Development

  The following resources provide information about the characteristics and benefits of high quality early childhood education.

  • Bowne, J. B., Magnuson, K. A., Schindler, H. S., Duncan, G. J., & Yoshikawa, H. (2017). A meta-analysis of class sizes and ratios in early childhood education programs: Are thresholds of quality associated with greater impacts on cognitive, achievement, and socioemotional outcomes? Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 39(3), 407–428.
    • This article explores the impact of quality early childhood education.
  • Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) (France). (2016). What are the benefits from early childhood education? Education Indicators in Focus, No. 42. OECD Publishing.
  • Baber, M. A. (2016). Appropriate school starting age: A focus on the cognitive and social development of a child. Journal of Education and Educational Development, 3(2), 277–287.
    • These resources explore the connections between early childhood education and child development.

  Theory and Policy

  The following resources explore the connections between psychological theory and policy on early childhood education.

  • Berk, L. E., & Meyers, A. B. (2016). Infants and children: Prenatal through middle childhood (8th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson. Available from the bookstore.
    • Chapter 9, “Cognitive Development in Early Childhood,” pages 310–355.
  • Bird, A. L., Carr, P. E. A., Reese, E., & Morton, S. M. B. (2016). Policy translation for early childhood education and care: The growing up in New Zealand approach. International Journal of Child Care and Education Policy, 10(1), 1–18.
  • Haskins, R. (2016). American policy on early childhood education & development: Many programs, great hopes, modest impacts. Behavioral Science & Policy, 2(1), 1–8.
  • Ogunnaike, Y. A. (2015). Early childhood education and human factor: Connecting theories and perspectives. Review of Human Factor Studies, 21(1), 9–26.

  Policy Resources

  These resources can be used to research policies that impact early childhood education.

  • National Association for the Education of Young Children. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.naeyc.org/
  • National Institute for Early Education Research. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://nieer.org/
  • American Psychological Association. (n.d.). Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Retrieved from https://www.apa.org/about/gr/issues/disability/ide…
  • New America Foundation. (2014). No Child Left Behind (NCLB) overview. Retrieved from http://febp.newamerica.net/background-analysis/no-…
  • U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families. (n.d.). Office of Head Start. Retrieved from http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ohs
  • U.S. Department of Education. (n.d.). Early intervention programs for infants and toddlers with disabilities. Retrieved from http://www2.ed.gov/programs/osepeip/index.html
  • U.S. Department of Education. Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). Retrieved from http://www.ed.gov/esea

  te 3–5 typed and double-spaced pages.

• Font and font size: Times New Roman, 12 point.