Intrinsic Rewards

Since I don't have my own early childhood classroom any longer, I sometimes forget the feeling you get when a child learns something new. I was recently watching my excited grandson show me that he had learned to ride his bike without training wheels. He couldn't get enough riding time. He was always asking one of the adults to go outside with him so he could ride that bike. It is such an intrinsic reward (I am helping mankind!!) to see a child accomplish a skill. That is why many of us have devoted our lives to working with the youngest members of our population.

Money for Early Childhood

I agree with one of the comments from my last entry about the wish that all preschools and daycares can benefit from the stimulus money that has been promised for early childhood. We already know that Head Start and Early Head Start has been promised quite a chunk of the early childhood money. I do hope that there will be grants and child care subsidies that will assist other early childhood programs. At the same time, I hope that there are some checks and balances in place that the money be used to improve the quality of the preschool setting. Research tells us that quality child care and preschools benefit all children attending and it can save the education system around $14 per child. However, we also know from research that poor quality child care can actually be detrimental to young children, especially in social and emotional behavior patterns. So, I do hope that money will be available to good early childhood settings to help them become even better.

Let's Hope...

The economic downturn has everyone worried and many in uncomfortable circumstances. We know that when a family is in peril and stressed, it has adverse effects on young children. Now that the economic stimulus package has been signed, let's hope that (regardless of political leanings) we can get behind it and turn the country around. One of the great parts of the package is the incredible investment in early childhood education. Research proves that quality child care and preschool will actually save money over the long haul. However, the most important part of the equation is that it will help children become life-long learners. So, I am hopeful that this package to jump-start the nation will also enhance early childhood.