Effective Practice in Early Childhood Education

Chapter 1, Continuity and Change in Early childhood Education

Study Questions KEY

  1. Early childhood education is a highly diverse field which includes serving children who are: (pages 5-6)
  2. Infants and toddlers: birth to 26 months
  3. Preschoolers: 3& 4 year olds and kindergartners: 5 & 6 year olds
  4. Primary grades 1-3 children: 6-8 years old
  5. All of the above
  1. According to the text, Early Childhood Education is a field on the rise because (page 5)
  2. More parents are working and need help with supervising their children.
  3. The population of children in this group has grown.
  4. Many policy makers, parents and researchers consider early childhood programs essential for fostering school readiness and long-term success in life.
  5. None of the above.
  1. The world’s largest organization of early childhood educators which establishes standards for teacher preparation and accreditation of early childhood programs is the: (page 5)
  2. National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)
  3. National Association for Teachers of Early Childhood Students (NATEC)
  4. National Association for Child Development (NACD)
  5. National Association for Early Childhood Curriculum (NAECC)
  1. The setting of choice for many parents of infants and toddlers is: (page 7)
  2. Private child care centers
  3. Family child care homes
  4. Public child care centers
  5. A and C
  1. Examples of preschool programs serving 3 - 5 year olds are: (page 7)
  2. Parent cooperatives
  3. Laboratory schools
  4. Pre-K schools
  5. All of the above
  1. Chin Lee didn’t graduate from high school and is a single non-working mom whose income falls below the official poverty level. She speaks limited English and has a 4 year old child. She wants to enroll her child in a child-care program that is the best for her child, but the most economical for her. The following four programs are available in her area. Which program would be best for her and her child: ( page 6-8)
  2. Challenger preschool
  3. College preschool laboratory
  4. Head Start
  5. Montessori Preschool
  6. Because of inclusion, children who are at risk for disabilities or who exhibit challenging behaviors (page 9)
  7. Are placed in child care centers that work specifically with their individual needs.
  8. Are not able to take advantage of child care centers.
  9. Are more likely to participate in a typical early childhood program than in the past.
  10. None of the above.
  1. Charter public schools have the following characteristics: (page 10)
  2. Independently operated
  3. Greater flexibility than regular public schools
  4. Charter schools provide parents with a choice of where to send their children.
  5. All of the above.
  1. Which of the following is true? (page 10)
  2. In 1965, only 60% of 5 year olds went to kindergarten and today almost 95% do.
  3. In 1960 40% of preschoolers were in enrolled in early childhood programs.
  4. In 2005, 80% of 4 year olds participated in a preschool program.
  5. Only one type of early childhood program, Head Start, has seen growth since the early 1970s.
  1. The statement, “children who are most likely to benefit from high-quality programs are the least likely to participate in them.” is true because: (pages 11-12)
  2. Children who live in poverty are less likely to attend preschool than children from middle income families.
  3. Families with moderate incomes above the poverty level face the greatest hurdle because they cannot afford private programs and are not eligible for subsidized programs.
  4. Preschool participation varies considerable depending on the mother’s education and ethnicity.
  5. All of the above.
  1. The NACCRRA concludes that state licensing standards: (page 12):
  2. are meeting the basic protection for children’s health and safety and promoting their development.
  3. fall short of providing basic protection for children’s health and safety and promoting their development.
  4. are meeting the basic protection for children’s health and safety but are falling short for promoting children’s development.
  5. None of the above.
  1. The NAEYC’s voluntary accreditation system to meet program standards primarily focuses on the : (page 12-13)
  2. Children.
  3. Physical environment
  4. Teachers
  5. Families
  1. T F The overall conclusion of all the research on the effectiveness of early education is that what teachers actually do with children is the most important determinant of the quality of children’s experiences and their learning outcomes. (page 15)
  1. Intentional teaching, (purposeful teaching), is a multifaceted concept that conveys many of the personal qualities of an early childhood educator: Among them are: (pages 15-16)
  2. Committed and engaged
  3. Patient and responsive
  4. Playful and flexible
  5. All of the above
  1. Recent brain research on children (infant to three) has shown: (pages 22)
  2. Brains develop at a very slow pace during this age.
  3. Negative social experience can be ameliorated with early intervention
  4. Positive experiences have a greater influence as children turn four and older.
  5. All of the above.
  1. Which of the following research studies involved 1500 children and found that children from low incomes who participated in preschool and kindergarten activities and continued intervention in early elementary school, demonstrated higher school achievement, better social adjustment and lower dropout rates: (pages 23-24)
  2. The Perry preschool Project
  3. The Abecedarian Project
  4. The Chicago Child-Parent Centers Study
  5. The Queens New York School Study
  1. The achievement gap shows that: (page 25-26)
  2. Race and ethnicity are strongly associated with socioeconomic status (SES)
  3. Inequity in socioeconomic status is the most important predictor of children’s cognitive skills.
  4. Children who begin school behind tend to stay behind.
  5. All of the above
  1. New political and economic realities present challenges and opportunities for the field. There is more focus on: (pages 28-31)
  2. Standards and accountability
  3. Increased teacher qualifications
  4. Scientifically based practices
  5. All of the above

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