Blended Perspectives: A Global Vision for High-Quality Early Childhood Education

Blended Perspectives: A Global Vision for High-Quality

Early Childhood Education

Mary Renck Jalongo,1,5 Beatrice S. Fennimore,1 Jyotsna Pattnaik,2 DeAnna M. Laverick,1

Jeffrey Brewster,3 and Moses Mutuku4

What are the attributes of a high-quality early childhood education program worldwide? An

group of experienced early childhood educators that represent diverse international back-grounds attempts to respond to this question by examining six dimensions of quality set forthby the Association for Childhood Education International: (1) philosophies and goals, (2)

high-quality physical environments, (3) developmentally appropriate and effective pedagogyand curriculum, (4) attention to basic and special needs, (5) respect for families and com-munities, (6) professionally prepared teachers and staff, and (7) rigorous program evaluation.

The article concludes with an annotated list of references, both in professional publicationsand online, that examine early childhood education from an international perspective.

KEY WORDS: international early childhood education; program quality; international standards.

INTRODUCTION

When a nation claims that children are its future,that nation needs to be fully aware of the socialobligations implicit in such a statement. Any countryand citizenry that truly believes attention to chil-dren’s care and education during the early years is ofinestimable value to society would make everyreasonable effort to invest in preschool education.High-quality programs for the very young would beregarded as an immediate necessity, not as a distantgoal to be addressed after other goals are achieved. Inmost nations, an effort of this magnitude would de-mand the involvement of a broader constituency ofgovernment, non-government, and private sectororganizations, agencies, and individuals. It would be

based on the collective wisdom of the internationalearly childhood community of experts, researchers,and practitioners who are knowledgeable about thecare and education of the very young and who canilluminate the path toward a comprehensive systemof care and education for preschoolers worldwide.The result would be an international resolve to forgea commitment that places the needs of children forcare and education at the top of the agenda forpolitical and social action. The time is long overdueto act upon the conviction that children are our fu-ture and translate that powerful idea into educationalprograms for the worlds’ youngest citizens.

In this article, six experienced early childhoodeducators and teacher educators with experience inAfrica, Europe, India, and the United States set fortha statement about young children’s rights to qualityprograms that: (1) have sound philosophies andgoals; (2) provide high-quality educational environ-ments; (3) reflect developmentally appropriate andeffective curriculum and pedagogy; (4) attend tochildren’s needs, both basic and special; (5) respectfamilies and communities; (6) employ professionalteachers and staff, and (7) implement rigorous

1Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Indiana, PA.2California State University at Long Beach, Long Beach, CA.3International School of Brussels, Brussels, Belgium.4Northern Illinois University, Dekalb, Illinois.5Correspondence should be directed to Mary Renck Jalongo,

Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Indiana, PA; e-mail:

[email protected].

Early Childhood Education Journal, Vol. 32, No. 3, December 2004 (� 2004)

1431082-3301/04/1200-0143/0 � 2004 Springer Science+Business Media, Inc.

program evaluation practices. Readers are encouragedto consult the Association for Childhood EducationInternational’s (ACEI) Self-Assessment Tool that isbased on their publication, Global Guidelines for theEducation and Care of Young Children (http://www.udel.edu/bateman/acei/wguideshp.htm) to pro-vide specific guidance on comprehensive early child-hood program evaluation.

PHILOSOPHIES AND GOALS

All young children have a right to developoptimally, to have their intrinsic worth as humanbeings recognized, and to have their learning facili-tated by caring adults. The years before a child entersformal education are important and irreplaceable interms of overall development. Childhood should becarefully defined in all nations as a highly distinctperiod of human growth and development that de-serves careful educational, social, and politicalattention and intervention. All societies have a uni-versal responsibility to recognize the preschool yearsas ones in which children should be protected fromharm, nurtured in growth, motivated to learn, andequipped to contribute to their society in a multitudeof ways. Social, economic, or political interventionsfor preschool children should be designed andimplemented on a large scale to ensure that everyyoung child’s needs are met. Therefore, policy createdfor the preschool population should not separate theneeds of the ‘‘poor’’ or the ‘‘disabled’’ or the ‘‘dif-ferent’’ from those of children presumed ‘‘disadvan-taged’’ or ‘‘normal.’’ Rather, nations should set oneexcellent standard for meeting the physical, emo-tional, social, and cognitive needs of all childrenwithin their societies. Through that one excellentstandard, the needs of all children—and some needsmay be far greater than others—can be equitablymet. Each nation must do the difficult work ofestablishing a policy framework that will address theprovision of a variety of culturally responsive anddemonstrably effective programs that meet the needsof all families (e.g., nomadic groups, tribal popula-tions in remote areas, workplace child care, on-sitecreches). The programs provided must satisfy thethree fundamental criteria of quality, availability, andaffordability. The policy framework that each nationdevelops will need to consider standards for creden-tialing programs, establishing adult-to-child ratios,setting curriculum guidelines, and improving trainingof practitioners. As many nations who have suchpolicies already in place can attest, comprehensive

services that begin during the prenatal stage andinclude health services, child care and education,parent education and training programs, family lit-eracy projects to increase literacy levels, maternityleaves with job protection, leaves for families whenchildren are ill, and a wide array of social services arethe key to exemplary early childhood care and edu-cation. The support and protection of each genera-tion of preschool children, which will ensure theongoing viability and wholeness of the nation, shouldbe a major goal of every country in the world.

Every program that serves preschool childrenthroughout the world should have a clearly articu-lated philosophy and goals that value children,families, cultures, and communities. This philosophyshould be: communicated to the public, reflected indaily practice, and revised periodically to reflect ad-vances in understanding about how young childrengrow and learn. Information about early childhoodprograms should be disseminated through a nationalpublicity campaign that uses the mass media (e.g.,public service announcements, videos), specialevents/services (e.g., infant health assessments), anddoor-to-door campaigns (e.g., print and non-printinformation) to inform all families about opportu-nities for early care and education.

HIGH-QUALITY PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENTS

The physical environment of the preschool set-ting should reflect knowledge of and respect for thesafety, physical well-being, intellectual stimulation,and social support of the very young. Materialsshould be closely connected to the desired outcomesof quality preschool education, which are universallythe full development of the child that leads to laterschool success and competence in adult life. Althoughthe quality of space and materials will be dictated bycultural, geographic, and economic realities in dif-ferent nations, environments for young childrenshould always reflect concern for all aspects of childdevelopment; physical, intellectual, social, andemotional. Space and materials for preschoolersshould enhance socialness, support a sense ofemotional safety, and reflect respect for the familialand cultural experiences of the child. It is imperativethat the transition from home to school should not beso drastic as to cause psychological or emotionalstress by imposing rigid schedules, long periodsof sedentary activity, confined spaces, unsafeequipment, or intense academic pressures on youngchildren.

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DEVELOPMENTALLY APPROPRIATE AND

EFFECTIVE PEDAGOGY AND CURRICULUM

Children are at the center of early childhoodeducation. Decisions about curriculum and pedagogymust be governed, first and foremost, by attention tothe needs of children and families. Preschool pro-grams must be founded on an abiding respect for earlychildhood as a developmental period that has value inits own right rather than replicate the curriculum andpedagogy that characterizes later academic experi-ences. A quality preschool program is not perceived asa race in which children are pressured to performtasks beyond their understanding in order to pleaseadults and prepare them for a competitive, test-drivenculture that awaits. Childhood is the time to be achild; children are not miniature adults, valuedexclusively for their potential as future workers.

In order to provide a framework for programs,curriculum materials and innovative programsshould be developed co-operatively by a nationalgroup of researchers and practitioners in the field.Curriculum guides should not become absolutes, ra-ther, they should be viewed as works in progress asthey are continuously improved to reflect newknowledge about how young children learn and areadapted to better serve particular groups of childrenand families. Materials, curricula, and pedagogymust consider the ethnic, cultural, and languageuniquenesses of different populations in order to beeffective.

Quality preschool education creates well-established avenues of access so that all children canparticipate in what their societies value. Thus, equity,in terms of exposure to excellent curriculum andpedagogy, should be a fundamental of all earlychildhood education initiatives. Nations that requiretests and interviews for admission to nursery schoolsshould abandon this practice which only serves toexclude those children who need preschool educationthe most. Curriculum experiences in preschools areplanned for a wide range of abilities, and children’sabilities should be regarded as fluid rather than fixed,meaning that early childhood educators shouldanticipate frequent developmental changes in theyoung child. Keen powers of observation are funda-mental to providing quality programs and competentpreschool teachers use these thoughtful observationsof children to provide relevant supportive educa-tional experiences.

Literacy is a fundamental goal of all preschoolprograms, not only because the early childhood years

are a critical period in the development of linguisticcompetence, but also because literacy provides accessto future learning, equips the learner with an essentialcommunication tool, and gives learners access toeconomic and civic participation in the society.

Consideration of the feelings surrounding chil-dren’s early learning experiences is essential. It isimperative that the learning experiences offered to thevery young respect their natural, playful style oflearning rather than impose rigid and tediousapproaches to mastering academic skills.

ATTENTION BOTH TO BASIC

AND SPECIAL NEEDS

It is no coincidence that preschool education inmany countries is part of the public health program.First and foremost, young children need to have theirbasic needs met for potable water, food, shelter,clothing, and health care. Based on a growing bodyof research on brain development, countries mustmake a monumental effort to see to it that preschoolprograms provide the very young with essentialnutrients. Leaders should look upon such programsas a wise investment, one that will save inestimablecosts in terms of wasted human potential or the needfor later services.

All children have special needs and all childrenare vulnerable when certain sets of circumstancesimpinge upon their lives. History can teach us thatcarving out special categories which separate childrenfrom their peers tends to stereotype the very young inways that permanently alter their relationships withsociety. Inclusivity invites educators to be sure toinclude special needs into the general conceptualiza-tion of social responsibility to children. A funda-mental articulation of basic social policy carries theassumption that any special needs created by diver-sities in gender, race, ethnicity, and ability (includingdisability) are included in basic approaches to pro-tective and supportive services for all.

RESPECT FOR FAMILIES AND

COMMUNITIES

Children throughout the world are deeplyaffected by problems such as poverty, lack of social orpolitical regard for their well-being, and the inabilityof their families to cope with increasing social andeconomic demands. Preschool educators canempower children and families by forming a spirited

145Blended Perspectives: A Global Vision

commitment to social justice reflected throughadvocacy for children. In this child and familyadvocacy role, caregivers assert the rights of childrenand families and accept personal responsibility forthe educational, social, and civic climate of the na-tion. Each nation has responsibility for strengtheningthe family–child bond, keeping families informedabout programs, and inviting families to participatein a variety of ways that improve existing preschoolprograms, develop leadership in parents/families, andcontribute to the care and education of the veryyoung. Every nation’s vision of quality care andeducation for young children needs to be enriched,expanded, enlarged, and continually reassessed.

Too often, parents are welcomed to the schoolonly when they are raising funds or volunteeringtime. Preschool programs need to be aware of therealities faced by parents and families who areworking long hours and struggling to meet the basicneeds of their children. Under such conditions, it isunrealistic to demand extensive volunteer time.Rather, it is the preschool program’s obligation tosupport families, to connect them with needed ser-vices, to find ways to support effective parentingstrategies, and to bring these things to parents/fami-lies in ways that respect individual, cultural, andethnic differences.

PROFESSIONALLY PREPARED

TEACHERS AND STAFF

Teaching is a social profession that requires aheart for children and a commitment to caring. Pre-school children need warm and supportive interac-tions with adults. The field of preschool educationworldwide is challenged by gender bias whichassumes that only women are suited to caring forpreschoolers; a second challenge is the resulting eco-nomic bias. Female-dominated professions tend to becharacterized by inadequate pay and preschool edu-cation is no exception. Historically, the care of youngchildren has been treated as a natural outgrowth ofmaternal instincts, a role for which the rewards areintrinsic rather than material. Yet if a nation trulybelieves that children are the future, it will make acommitment to training and to adequately compen-sating people entrusted with that future—earlychildhood educators. When salaries are low, paymentis unpredictable, and opportunities for advancementare limited, many highly-qualified teachers will leavepreschool care and education to seek employment inother fields. When teachers are pushed out of the

profession due to poor compensation and/or lack ofrespect for their work, young children who need vastamounts of stability, care, and education find them-selves subjected to a multitude of inexperiencedcaregivers. Therefore, the status of the profession ofpreschool care and education needs to be elevated sothat those who are bright, eager, committed, andhighly competent are attracted to teach and remain inthe profession until they become master teachers whocan facilitate the professional development of thesubsequent generation of early childhood practitio-ners. Although the unavailability of trained preschoolpractitioners is sometimes addressed through on-the-job training alone, we recommend that those whowork with young children be professionally trainedand supervised in their work with children for at leasttwo years. We further recommend that preschoolteachers have the same salary and social status asteachers of older students.

Although the specific certification and accredi-tation plans will vary from nation to nation, there aresome basic minimum requirements for thoseentrusted with the care and education of the veryyoung. Credentials of those responsible for earlychildhood education and child care should be bothgeneral (preschool education) and specific (includeknowledge of disabilities) and be re-evaluated every5 years. The core competency areas for preschoolteaching include the history/philosophy of earlychildhood education; child growth, development, andlearning; health, safety, and nutrition; home/school/community relationships; curriculum developmentand implementation; appropriate assessment prac-tices and program management; professionalism andskills of collaboration; and successful performanceduring supervised internships/practica.

Two types of training for preschool educatorsworldwide need to be addressed; initial training andongoing professional development. At the initial le-vel, before entering the field of preschool care andeducation, caregivers must possess a basic knowledgeof the general progression of child development andappreciation for the developmental variations whichexist among children. Well-trained caregivers under-stand that children consistently respond in a positiveway to warm, nurturing adults who are capable ofidentifying with children’s needs and concerns.Attention must be given to criteria for admission topre-service teaching and include a thoughtful assess-ment of each candidate’s suitability for the career,including such things as health evaluations, back-ground checks, recommendations from previous

146 Jalongo et al.

work with children, personal interviews, and writtenteaching philosophy. A system of evaluation duringtraining that uses direct observations of preschoolteaching, professional portfolios, and supervisoryrecommendations is of the essence.

Equally significant for the development of theprofession is each nation’s plan for keeping commit-ted, competent preschool teachers in service to chil-dren. Every nation should work to develop localexpertise and provide ongoing professional develop-ment for its preschool educators. Opportunities toconvene at professional conferences, to use technol-ogy to communicate with experts throughout theworld, to conduct local training and planning events,and to reflect on-site about the realities of dailypractice are fundamental elements of professionaldevelopment for preschool teachers.

Contrary to common opinion, teaching well isnot instinctive. It requires thorough preparation thatincludes not only education in early childhood con-tent, child development, and instructional method-ologies but also skills in interpersonal dynamics, inthoughtful observations of children, and in the use oftechnology. Ongoing professional development de-pends, to a considerable extent, on teacher reflectionand self-evaluation.

RIGOROUS PROGRAM EVALUATION

Quality preschool programs are administered,supervised, and monitored by educational leaderswho are fully cognizant of child development and whoare advocates for excellence in curriculum and peda-gogy. Assessment of preschool programs is compre-hensive, meaning that all programmatic contributionsto children’s well-being should be considered; ongo-ing, meaning that programs are monitored continu-ously rather than during one brief event; andlongitudinal, meaning that young children’s progress ismonitored throughout their lives as students to doc-ument and chronicle the enduring contributions ofquality preschool experiences. Moreover, meaningfulassessment of preschool programs takes a ‘‘value ad-ded’’ perspective by examining the genuine contribu-tions made, both at the program-wide level and at thelevel of each particular child and family. High-qualityassessment practices are integrated into the basicprogram design, based on direct observation andsamples of children’s work, and respectful of thewhole child (physical, social, intellectual, emotional).A national level research organization should beestablished to conduct external evaluations of existing

programs, recommend improvements, and implementinnovative projects. Rather than relying exclusivelyon what is easily quantified (e.g., number of childrenserved, number of classrooms), these external evalu-ations will need to consider the qualitative contribu-tions of high-quality preschool educare to the child,family, community, and nation from a humanresource perspective. Clearly, the data required todocument success in comprehensive, high-qualitypreschool programs would have to be reported as casestudies as well as through statistical profiles.

CONCLUSION

The wealth and success of a nation is not mea-sured exclusively by its financial or even by itsnatural resources. Perhaps most important is its re-sponse to human capital, the way in which eachcountry handles its human resources. Of all the formsof currency, there is none more important than hu-man resources and there is no wiser or more enduringinvestment than in the care and education of youngchildren.

RECOMMENDED RESOURCES FOR

INTERNATIONAL EARLY CHILDHOOD

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Childhood Education, 72(6), 325–329.

Countries around the world are becomingincreasingly diverse. The need for early childhoodcurricula that reflect this cultural diversity is dem-onstrated.

Singer, E. (1996). Dutch parents, experts and policy-

makers: Conflicting views of day care. ChildhoodEducation, 72(6), 341–344.

Presents the argument that national policy forquality childcare in the Netherlands should be revisedto take into account the changing needs of families.

Smith, A. B. (1996). Quality programs that care and

educate. Childhood Education, 72(6), 330–336.

The need for defining quality early childhoodcare is illustrated. The concept of educare is discussedwith an emphasis on a socio-cultural view. Teachingpractices that spur development are recommended.

Smith, A. B. (2002). Early childhood education in

Cuba. Childhood Education, 78(6), 359–362.

Four levels of early education in Cuba are de-scribed, from birth to primary school. The impor-tance of early education is reflected in well-trainedteachers and shared responsibility among stake-holders.

Smith, A. B., Gollop, M., Marshall, K., & Nairn, K.

(Eds.) (2000). Advocating for children: Internationalperspectives on children’s rights. Dunedin, New Zea-

land: University of Otago Press.

Provides research-based information and legal/ethical arguments in favor of the three main catego-ries of children’s rights: provisional rights, protectionrights and participation rights, embedded in theUnited Nations document, Convention of the Rightsof the Child.

Swadener, E. B., & Bloch, M. N. (1997). Children,

families and change: International perspectives. EarlyEducation and Development, 8, 207–218.

The guest editors provide an overview of thisspecial issue and its multiple perspectives on earlychildhood education worldwide.

Swaminathan, M. (1996). Innovative child care pro-

grammes in India. International Journal of Early YearsEducation, 4(2), 41–56.


Provides a history of early childhood educationin India and describes current programs that rangefrom the government funded Integrated ChildDevelopment Services to small, innovative programsdesigned to meet the local needs.

Swaminathan, M. (Ed.) (1998). The first five years: Acritical perspective on early childhood care and edu-cation in India. New Delhi, India: Sage.

Examines the history, issues, trends and ap-proaches surrounding early childhood education andcare, ECCE, in India.

Talay-Ongan, A. (2001). Early intervention: Critical

roles of early childhood service providers. InternationalJournal of Early Years Education, 9(3), 221–228.

Discusses the critical role of early childhoodteachers in successful implementation of children’sindividualized plans in early educational and caresettings.

Textor, M. R. (1998). International perspectives on

quality child care. Early Childhood Education Journal,25(3), 167–171

Based on international research studies of childcare settings, the article synthesizes and presents cri-teria for quality child care programs.

Tietze,W., Cryer, D., Bairrao, J., Palacios, J., &Wetzel,

G. (1996). Comparisons of observed process quality in

early child care and education programs in five countries.

Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 11, 447–475.

Cross-cultural analysis of quality issues in earlychildhood care and education.

Villalon, M., & Suzuki, E. (2002). Quality of Chilean

early childhood education from an international per-

spective. Journal of Early Years Education, 10(1), 50–59.

This study compares early childhood practices inChile with international standards. Results show aneed to improve quality of preschool programs.

Whitaker, P. (2002). Supporting families of preschool

children with autism: What parents want and what

helps. Autism: The International Journal of Researchand Practice, 6(4), 411–426.

Describes the success of a project implementedby the British Local Education Authority that pro-

vided support to the families of preschool childrenwith autism and to the early childhood programsattended by these children.

Woodhead, M. (1998). ‘‘Quality’’ in early childhood pro-

grammes—A contextually appropriate approach. Inter-national Journal of Early Years Education, 6(1), 5–17.

Examines the economic, cultural, and educa-tional contexts that influence aspect of quality inearly childhood programs.

Wolfendale, S. (1998). Involving parents in child

assessments in the United Kingdom. Childhood Edu-cation, 74(6), 355–358.

Defends the rationale for parental involvementin assessment of their children and presents threeparental assessment projects in the United Kingdom.

Woodill, G.A., Bernhard, J., & Prochner, L. (Eds.)

(1992). International handbook of early childhoodeducation. New York: Garland Publishing.

A resource on early childhood programs in var-ious countries.

INTERNATIONAL EARLY CHILDHOOD

EDUCATION RESOURCES AVAILABLE

ON THE WORLD WIDE WEB

Compiled by Jeffrey C. Brewster, Early Childhood

Literacy /Library Media Specialist, International

School of Brussels, Belgium

This list of electronic resources is not intended asexhaustive, rather, a starting point for investigatingsome of the excellent work that is being done aroundthe globe in the early childhood profession.

AUSTRALIA

Australian Education Union

http://www.aeufederal.org.au/Ec/index2.html

Australia has made a commitment to universalaccess for one year of preschool education (theminimum) for all Australian children. The earlychildhood programs are viewed as an integral part ofthe education offered by a high-quality, properly re-sourced public education system. This site providesinformation about policies, plans and campaigns forpreschool education.

152 Jalongo et al.

BELGIUM

K. U. Research Team Center for Experiential Education

http://cwisdb.cc.kuleuven.ac.be/research/T/team201220.

htm

The Center for Experiential Education isgrounded in the concept of the experiential educa-tion and training. Several themes are distinguished:the exploration of the process variables of well-beingand involvement; research on conditions in the set-ting or classroom context; and development ofinstruments for assessment of deep-level learning inchildren in many domains. The Research Team hasdeveloped a number of instruments for assessing thequality of early childhood programs and settingsincluding the Leuven Involvement Scale for YoungChildren. (Some of the instruments are available inEnglish.)

EUROPEAN UNION

European Primary Schools Association

http://www.epsaweb.org/index.htm

A wealth of information about primary schooleducation in the 15 EU Member States is provided.Core program elements are presented based on ref-erences from national education departments. Simi-larities and differences in provision and programmingare highlighted, including age ranges, the school day,curriculum, special education, teacher training andschool governance.

The European Children’s Network Secretariat

(EURONET)

http://www.europeanchildrensnetwork.org/Documents/

propinv.pdf

The final text of the future European Constitu-tion includes the protection of children’s rights as partof the objectives of the Union. Since its founding in1995, EURONET has had as its aim that children andtheir rights receive proper recognition. EURONEThas repeatedly raised the issue of the invisibility ofchildren in the Treaties of the European Union. Pro-tecting the best interests of the child shall now betaken into account in all EU policies, legislation andprograms. Particular concerns of EURONET include:fighting against the sexual exploitation of children;and safeguarding the rights of children who aresocially excluded, including girls, children with dis-abilities and those of ethnic minorities.

FINLAND

National Board of Education

http://www.oaj.fi/Resource.phx/ltol/english/earlychildhood.

htx?menu ¼ english

Available in English as well as Finnish, this siteoffers an overview of early childhood education andcare in Finland. The National Board of Educationprovides guidelines for preschool curricula forsix-year-olds. Local authorities prepare their owncurricula based on these guidelines. In turn, localcurricula provide the basis for planning preschooleducation at day care centers, usually together withschools. Preschool education is seen as integral partof early childhood education and of the first few yearsof compulsory primary schooling.

FRANCE

http://www.unesco.org/education/educprog/ecf/html/

eng.htm

UNESCO’s Early Childhood and Family Edu-cation section provides various services to its Mem-ber States, United Nations agencies, organizations,foundations and individuals working in to improvethe lives of children and families. Supporting earlychildhood policy development, strengthening familysupport policies and promoting early childhood net-working and partnerships are the main programgoals. (Information available in English, French andSpanish.)

OFFICE OF ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION AND

DEVELOPMENT

http://www.oecd.org/document/27/0,2340,en_2649_37

455_2516571_1_1_1_37455,00. html

The Center for Educational Research andInnovation (CERI) carries out studies and promotesan international dialogue about education acrossOECD countries. It has been doing so for the pastthirty years. As part of the Organization for Eco-nomic Co-operation and Development, based inParis, CERI is a focal point for information anddiscussions about trends in educational systemsthroughout the industrialized world.

ITALY

Charles Stuart University, NSW, Australia

http://www.csu.edu.au/faculty/educat/murrayed2/

ReggioEmilia/home.html


The Reggio Emilia Approach to Teaching andLearning Project provides information about influentialtheorists, underlying principles, American findings,Australianfindings,useful links, resourcesandreferences.

ERIC CLEARINGHOUSE ON ELEMENTARY

AND EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION

http://ericeece.org/reggio.html

The exemplary early childhood programs ofReggio Emilia, Italy, have been very well documentedon the ERIC site. An abundance of references areprovided.

JAPAN

http://www.usd.edu/ttd/multicultural/resources/japan.htm

Preschool curriculum in Japan is primarilynon-academic. There are six content areas to beemphasized in classroom activities: health, social life,nature, language, music and crafts. However, pre-elementary education in Japan is beginning to reflectthe pressures of parental concern with academicachievement in the school years ahead and somepreschools and day care centers are beginning toprovide instruction in basic reading and writing skills.

NEW ZEALAND

Ministry of Education—Early Childhood Educa-

tion—Te Whariki

http://www.minedu.govt.nz/index.cfm?layout ¼ docu-

ment&documented ¼ 3567&indexed ¼ 3612&index-

parentid ¼ 1095

Te Whariki is the Ministry of Education’s earlychildhood curriculum policy statement, which is thefoundation for planning programs which address youngchildren’s learning in a socio-cultural context. There is anemphasis on the learning partnership of teachers, parentsand families. The design of the curriculum is holistic;responding to the ways in which young children learnand develop. A variety of videotapes are also available.

SWEDEN

National Agency for Education

http://www.childcarecanada.org/resources/issues/sweden.

html

All children are entitled to a preschool place inthe Sweden. Links to a large number of online doc-uments are provided, include policy statements, cur-riculum documents and family service guidelines.

SWITZERLAND

The Primary Years Program of the International

Baccalaureate Program (IBO)

http://www.ibo.org/ibo/index.cfm?ObjectID ¼ FEF2E

030-2466-4388-B189137759F790CF& language ¼ EN

The Primary Years Program (PYP) is designedfor children, aged 3 through 12 years. The programis a comprehensive approach to teaching andlearning with an international curriculum model.The heart of the approach is structured inquiry asthe vehicle for learning. Attention is given to thevariety of children’s developmental needs: social,physical, emotional, aesthetic, cultural as well asacademic. Six broad themes are used to helpteachers organize a program in which children ex-plore knowledge.

UNITED KINGDOM

European Early Childhood Research Association

(EECERA)

http://www.worc.ac.uk/eecera/index.html

EECERA is an international organization dedi-cated to the promotion and dissemination of researchin early childhood education throughout Europe andbeyond. Its principal aims are to facilitate collabo-ration and co-operation between Europeanresearchers working in the various disciplines of thefield; to encourage a clear articulation and commu-nication between research and practice in earlychildhood education; and to raise the visibility andstatus of research into early childhood educationthroughout Europe. These aims are achieved throughthe annual research conference; the publication of theEuropean Early Childhood Research Journal (withonline translation from English into French, Germanor Spanish); and the provision of a database ofmembers’ research interests, areas of expertise andcurrent research projects.

Council for Awards in Children’s Care and Education

(CACHE)

http://www.cache.org.uk

This organization is committed to developingcourses and qualification standards for peoplewho work, or would like to work, in childcare. Thequalifications offered are a ladder for people who wishto make childcare their career. A very helpful site foremployers seeking guidance as well as childcare pro-fessionals in search of initial of secondary training.

154 Jalongo et al.

Qualifications Curriculum Authority (QCA)

http://www.qca.org.uk/printable.php?p=/ca/foundation/

elg/content/index.htm

The early learning goals for children aged 3 through5 years (Foundation Stage) provide the basis for qualityprogram planning. Consideration is giving to childrenwith special learning needs including those who arelearning English as an additional language. Curriculumguidance is for all practitioners who work with childrenat the foundation stage; for those with managementresponsibilities in schools and child care settings; as wellas for those who support and train practitioners.

A SURE START

http://www.surestart.gov.uk/aboutsurestart/asurestartfor

everychild/

The Sure Start program began in 1998 and hasas its goal bringing together professionals fromearly education, childcare, health care and familysupport. Sure Start local programs aim to improvethe health and well-being of families and children in

order that children are ready to flourish when theygo to school. This is accomplished by setting uplocal Sure Start programs to improve services forfamilies with children under four and by spreadinggood practice learned from local programs toeveryone involved in service provision. Sure Startlocal programs form a cornerstone of the govern-ment’s efforts to tackle child poverty and socialexclusion.

UNESCO

United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural

Organization (n.d.). Education: Early childhood and

family portal. Retrieved October 3, 2003, from

http://portal.unesco.org/education/ev.php?URL_ID=

6828&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201

This website provides country profiles, statistics,and information on early childhood education pro-grams worldwide.
