Early Childhood Education reasearch foundations and Literature Review Rewrite
EARLY CHILDHOOD 17
Task 2
BEP2
4/25/17
Research topic
The research question, in this case, is early childhood. The topic is not only of interest to me but to all people in the education system. The education of any given child is vital thus should be taken more serious. Some of the most prominent leaders in the world would not have made it to the leadership positions if they did not have the required level of education. The early childhood education acts as a pillar in the future of any given person. Therefore, researching more about early childhood will help to know about the current state and different needs that children need for them to prosper academically.
Research problem
The research problem, in this case, will be the factors that affect a child from acquiring all he or she needs to be an educated member of the society. Such includes discrimination, domestic violence, lack of adequate resources, or lack of quality education (Elango et al. 2015).
Purpose statement
The purpose of the research is to look into issues of interest and make sure that issues that are associated with early childhood are identified. The purpose will be achieved by making sure that some of the most efficient methods of research are employed.
Research questions
For one to be able to gather data that is relevant and of help to the research, it is important to have questions that are supposed to guide him or her. The following research questions will be used to make sure that there is a blueprint that will be used so as to acquire the needed information.
How should the public investment be used to support young children and their families from various disadvantaged backgrounds?
What kind of support systems are available (e.g., child welfare, child care subsidy, home visiting programs, teen pregnancy program) and how effective are these programs?
Hypothesis
Research question 1
It is the right of each and every citizen of the nation to be educated. Therefore, it is the responsibility of the government to make sure that children that come from backgrounds where parents cannot afford to take care of their children are assisted. The public investments should be used in different ways. The funds should be used to establish programs that are of benefit to all members of the society (Hamre, 2014). At the same time, it is important to know that a child needs to meet his or her basic needs for her to be able to learn comfortably. Therefore, the investment should be channeled towards making sure that the needs of the children are well taken care of. The tuition fees in most in most private and some public schools should be subsidized to ensure that every child has the resources available for a proper education no matter the financial disposition of the child’s family.
Research question 2
A nation that is not guided by systems that help the citizens is bound to fall. One of the programs that are in place is child welfare. The program is one of the most efficient programs in the country (Harms et al. 2014). It makes sure that the needs of the child are provided by the parent or the guardian. A parent has the right to his or her child, however, when it comes to the needs of the child, the government is keen to make sure that the needs, as well as the rights, are not denied to the child at any given time. One of the reasons why the system is so efficient is because it makes sure that any person who violates the rights of the children is dealt with accordingly.
Under the child welfare program, there is a home visiting program, which is meant to make sure that children are followed to their homes so as to make sure that the environment they are in is suitable for their growth (Campbell et al. 2014). The program is commonly practiced in the cases of adoption. It is the right of a child to be provided with all he or she needs after an adoption. The programs make sure that such happens. At the same time, the programs try to look if the foster parents were genuine in the process of adopting the child. When it comes to places that are insecure, more home visits are made so as to make sure that children are safe.
Justification for research approach
There are factors that must be considered before choosing the research approaches. First, the research questions do not need a yes or no answer; both of them. What they need is a good explanation that does not only provide numbers but also provides explanation. Employing the quantitative research method would be limiting the information that is intended to be collected, and that will mean that the information gathered will not be of any help to the research team (Moss, 2014). Therefore, a research approach that will be needed must provide statistics as well as explanations. Mixed methods will work effectively in making sure that the research comes up with reliable results.
Literature review
Many research groups have come up with findings that show the importance of making sure that the government allocates more funds to children who are from disadvantaged backgrounds. Lynch and Vaghul (2015) stated that investing in the education of children has a positive effect on the nation. The first beneficiaries have been termed as the children. The reason behind it is because children are directly affected when there is the allocation of funds that are supposed to take care of their education program. When the government allocates money to take care of the children who come from disadvantaged families, the institutions can buy some of the basic needs that make the process of learning smooth.
At the same time, initiation of other projects and programs takes place, and since the programs are aimed at making the lives of the students easy, the children get to benefit. At the same time, the article by the two authors states that the families of the children who are positively affected by the allocation of funds benefit as well (Dunlap, 2015). There are different types of hardships that families of the disadvantaged go through. One of the problems is psychological challenges. Psychological problems are brought about when the family members see the children suffering, but they do not have something to do so as to help them out of the situation. Therefore, when the government chips in, the family members are relieved, and that affected them positively.
The main aim of educating a child is to make him or a valuable member of the society. The success that comes along with a child achieving education and going to higher heights does not only benefit the child but also the family members and the society as a whole. Therefore, educating a child is not only instilling knowledge in the child, but it is also changing the society for the better. Lynch and Vaghul (2015) also state that the economy of a nation is affected positively if children are empowered. A good example can be borrowed from the case of Franklin Roosevelt. He is one of the presidents of the United States who served at a time when the nation needed redemption. He, like any other child, went through an early childhood education. Due to that, he was able to pursue the higher level of education and later became the president of the United States.
During the great depression, every nation was crying, the United States had a significant population of people who were unemployed, and the banks and organizations were collapsing (Eitel, 2015). However, due to knowledge, Franklin was able to make the United States the greatest nation in the world. Thanks to education, the economy of the United States became a giant. Therefore, funding early childhood education is investing in the growth of the economy and the well-being of the society. At the time of investing in education, some people may see it as just a way of helping the needy children. However, in the long run, the initiative is of help to the entire nation both in present and future.
Lynch (2007) in his work “Enriching children, improving the nation" states that looking after the needs of the children is the same as saving. At the moment, it might not seem like an idea that will have a lot of benefits. However, late in life, it is an idea that brings a lot of advantages to the nation. There is a question that comes along when one thinks about the research of Lynch. If there were no early childhood education systems, would the country be as prosperous as it is now? The definite answer is no.
Lynch has concentrated much on the effects that come along with a society that invests heavily in the education of its children. The need for the government to make sure that all children can access quality education at their earliest age has been termed as a priority that showed not is ignored. The government has been doing a commendable job of investing in the education sector (Schady et al. 2015). The author has concentrated much on prekindergarten schools. The investment of the early childhood education systems has a lot of benefits to the children. One of the best achievements that investing in early childhood education system has brought about is putting children from different backgrounds at a leveled ground.
When there is enough funding, the quality of education is affected positively. The reason for stating so is because there are enough funds to hire some of the most qualified teachers. At the same time, there are enough funds that make sure that each and every child despite his or her background has access to resources that help him or her to be effective as his or her counterparts. The quality of education is a determinant when it comes to the performance of a student. When a student at the earlier stage is provided with quality education, he or she is in a better position to avoid repeating grades or performing poorly. Such can be made possible by the government making sure that students from disadvantaged families are given a leveled competing for ground.
Global interactions have given many researchers an opportunity to explore and know more about nations and how they are doing as far as the issue of early childhood education and funding is concerned. For example, a non-governmental organization by the name: ‘For Children’ carried out research in India and what it found out was shocking. The population of India is believed to be more than one billion people. Such would be an enormous number if there were mechanisms in place that would make sure that the potential of all the citizens is tapped into. However, the government has not realized the need to empower the young children.
The rate of illiteracy in India is alarming (Children’s Health & Education, 2016). There are one billion people living in India, only a third of them can comfortably read and write. Such a number is an indication of a government that has done less in making sure that the needs of the children are met. However, India is one of the nations that receive patients from different parts of the world seeking special treatment. What does that reveal? It simply shows that India is a hub of bright minds, but the right strategies have not been implementing.
By borrowing some of Lynch’s knowledge, one can relate the case of India and the recommendations of Lynch. In his work; Lynch (2015), he clearly states that investing in the education of children at an early age is investing in the future growth of a nation. If currently, India is attracting a lot of patients from different parts of the world, then it is more probably that if more children were educated, the nation would be one of the great nations in the world. However, the government has failed to prioritize the education of the young ones in the society. The nation has a budget; however, it looks into other issues other than the education of the young ones in the society. Such is a mistake that is not only done by India but by some of the nations in the world that are even in a better financial position than India.
Most nations do not see the need to allocate a lot of money on the education of children who are from disadvantaged families. The reason behind it is because they look at the current investment window and concentrate most of the public investments to such investments. What they do not know is that they miss the big picture. The United States is a nation that invested so much in the education of the young ones. Looking at where the nation is today, it is evident that the results were positive. Therefore, some of the nations that do not see the need to do so should ask for advice from some of the nations that have made it in the sector.
As stated by many researchers, investing in the education of a child is investing in a bright future of a nation. Many examples can be borrowed from many nations all over the world. But with all said and done, there is no research that has shown that a nation that invests in the education of the young children has negative results. Therefore, all nations should follow suit and invest heavily in the education of the children. Contrary to the mindset of some policy makers, educating a child from a disadvantaged background is not just educating the child alone, it is giving the child a bright future, assuring a nation that there is a potential bright mind in the making, and inspiring all other members of the society in the same state as the child.
A question of how the public investments can be used has always been asked. However, there are intellect minds with answers. Most of the answers have been provided after doing thorough research. The issue of funding the early education is not as easy as some people may think. This is because the targeted persons are numerous and needy. It is not easy for a government to allocate money in the budget with the intention of making sure that each and every child who is needy gets a specific amount. With that in mind, there must be strategies in place that are aimed at making sure that if the government is to fund the education of the children, then some of the most effective methods should be used.
Though most experts in the education sector disagree on some issues, there are some aspects that they agree on. For example, the issue of not funding individuals but subsidizing the tuition fees has been supported by many educational experts. The main aim of the government chipping in is for it to help the needy. Therefore, the only way that the needy can be helped is by ensuring that they can acquire the knowledge at a reasonable price. The other way to make sure that the students get to benefit is by the governments in place making sure that the level of education is taken to a higher notch.
It would make no sense if a government provided education for all children but the quality of education is too low to such an extent that after completing the kindergarten, it becomes difficult for the child to handle tasks at the primary school level. Therefore, the most efficient way of the government funding the education of children is by making sure that there are teachers who are qualified to take the children through the education process. At the same time, it would be reasonable for the government to direct the funds to make sure that all resources that students need are available in all schools.
“Children have been central to the development of welfare programs in the United States” (Linda, 2015). The initiative came in place so as to make sure that the children who are poor in the community are protected by the government. The United States is one of the nations in the world that a child’s right is not taken for granted. Such has been seen my many cases that have been presented in courts. According to Linda (2015), in the old days, a child belonged to the society. It was so hard for a parent to harm his or her child. Therefore, the child welfare programs were not as effective as they are today. On the other hand, a parent would answer to the community if he or she did something that the community felt was not right for his or her child. However, that has since changed.
A child has become a private property to the parents or guardians, and that endangers the lives of the child. To make sure that the child is safe, the government made sure that a child welfare program was initiated (Black et al. 2017). When it comes to the questions of effectiveness, there is no doubt that the child welfare programs have been effective. Many children who have suffered at the hands of their violent parents have been rescued by the child welfare association, and this has gone an extra mile to provide a safe place for the children. In the United States, a child being taken away from a parent due to negligence is not new.
The welfare programs are aimed at only helping the children in the society. In the welfare homes, the caregivers are highly trained professionals who help the children who might have been brought in to deal with stress. Considering that most of the children are from violent families, it is important to have mature people in place who help in counseling and comforting the young innocent children. With such people in place, the children get to heal get through the tough time that they might be going through.
“The Child Care Subsidy (CCS) Program provides financial assistance with child care costs to eligible working families in Maryland” (MSDE, 2016). Maryland is one among the states that have embraced ways of making sure that the needs of children in the United States have been met. The child care subsidy is a program that has helped man families in the United States. The program might be different from child welfare but serves the same purpose. The program encourages parents to raise their children well and helps then to carry the burden. With the program in place, many children get to benefit and meet their needs with the help of the leadership in place. The program is effective in many states, and it varies with the size of the family.
Home visiting programs have been in place for many years. The programs are aimed at making sure that the parents are advised on the best way to raise children. According to Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA, 2016), the goals of home visiting programs are to support preventive health and prenatal practices, to educate the mother who have just given birth on how to breastfeed and care for the babies, to help the parents understand the development and behaviors of children, to encourage praise parents and encourage them to support positive parenting techniques and to work with mothers to set future goals and educate their children. The program is efficient and can be seen by the visits that professionals make in different states.
References
Black, M. M., Walker, S. P., Fernald, L. C., Andersen, C. T., DiGirolamo, A. M., Lu, C., &Devercelli, A. E. (2017). Early childhood development coming of age: science through the life course. The Lancet, 389(10064), 77-90.
HRSA (2016). Maternal and Child Health: Home Visiting. Retrieved from https://mchb.hrsa.gov/maternal-child-health-initiatives/home-visiting-overview
MSDE (2016). Child Care Subsidy Program, Retrieved from http://earlychildhood.marylandpublicschools.org/child-care-providers/child-care-subsidyprogram
Children’s Health & Education. (2016). Children in India Retrieved from http://www.smilefoundationindia.org/education_for_poor_children.htm
Campbell, F., Conti, G., Heckman, J. J., Moon, S. H., Pinto, R., Pungello, E., & Pan, Y. (2014) Early childhood investments substantially boost adult health. Science, 343(6178), 1478, 1485
Dunlap, G. (2015). Inclusive Care and Education in Early Childhood Programs
Elango, S., Garcia, J. L., Heckman, J. J., & Hojman, A. (2015)Early childhood education
(No.w21766). National Bureau of Economic Research
Linda, G. (2015). Child Welfare. Retrieved from http://socialwelfare.library.vcu.edu/programs/child-welfare-overview/
Eitel, J. (2015). Factors Affecting Early Childhood Development. Retrieved from http://www.livestrong.com/article/217996-factors-affecting-early-child-development/
Hamre, B. K. (2014). Teachers' daily interactions with children: An essential ingredient in effective early childhood programs. Child Development Perspectives, 8(4), 223-230.
Harms, T, Clifford, R. M., & Cryer, D. (2014). Early childhood environment rating scale. Teachers College Press.
Lynch, R & Vaghul, K. (2015). The benefits and costs of investing in early childhood education. Retrieved from http://equitablegrowth.org/report/the-benefits-and-costs-of-investing-in early-childhood-education/
Lynch, R. (2007). Enriching Children, Enriching the Nation: Public Investment in High-Quality Prekindergarten. Retrieved from http://www.epi.org/publication/book_enriching/
Moss, P. (2014). Transformative change and real utopias in early childhood education: A storyof democracy, experimentation, and potentiality. Routledge.
Shady, N., Behrman, J., Araujo, M. C., Azuero, R., Bernal, R., Bravo, D., & Vakis, R. (2015). Wealth gradients in early childhood cognitive development in five Latin Americancountries. Journal of Human Resources, 50(2), 446-463.
