Early Childhood Initiatives

Instruction : Early Childhood Initiatives 

Purpose:
The overall goal of the Prekindergarten program is to provide learning experiences and foster development so that students may be successful and perform well as they begin their educational journey. The Early Childhood Initiatives sub category of Instruction provides an explanation of such initiatives, a view of programs that are in place in Maryland, as well as contact information and resources.

 "Experts tell us that 90% of all brain development occurs by the age of five. If we don't begin thinking about education in the early years, our children are at risk of falling behind by the time they start Kindergarten." -  Robert. L. Ehrlich

 Recommended Audience:
The MDK12.org site focuses on these Early Childhood Initiatives to educate parents and families of the prekindergarten programs, while also providing teachers and the school system at large with tools to promote best practices and support early learning opportunities and reform efforts. 

Overview of Contents:
The goal of Early Childhood Initiatives is formally outlined in the Achieving School Readiness, 5-year action agenda. This document details the purpose of the Early Childhood Program which is to increase the number of students who are ready to learn when they enter school in Maryland and to increase knowledge and leadership for those educators and child care providers who are accountable for this result. The action agenda tells goals, strategies, and action steps to make sure all students enter school ready to learn. Both societal and systematic problems are identified that may be resulting in a large percentage of students entering school unprepared. In the State of Maryland, we now use the Work Sampling System (WSS) as the assessment tool that allows us to know if our children are, indeed, entering school ready to learn. The WSS not only helps us determine if children are ready for learning as they enter school, but also shows where children might benefit from additional support and practice. Considerable efforts are already underway; through the implementation of the Maryland Model for School Readiness, Judy Centers, and growing pre-school opportunities for four year-olds, which should have a significant impact on the preparation of young children for kindergarten.

 "The whole purpose of education is to turn mirrors into windows."-  Sydney J. Harris

 Site Values and Potential Uses:
 The Early Childhood Initiatives site provides users with many valuable tools and resources. The site not only provides answers to most frequently asked questions that parents may have, but also provides directories of schools that offer prekindergarten programs and contact numbers. Among the contact information provided, parents have access to Judy Center program and specialists, Early Childhood Accreditation Projects, Maryland Model for School Readiness, and even Preschool Curriculum and Prekindergarten and Kindergarten Content Standards and Curriculum. Educators will benefit from the access the site provides to the State Curriculum and Common Core State Curriculum frameworks. Teachers and parents alike can view these tools to gain a better understanding of instructional strategies, assessment resources, and web sources such as the online toolkit that is currently being developed.

 "Tell me and I forget. Show me and I remember. Involve me and I understand." - Chinese proverb

 Suggestions for Teaching/ Education of Others:
The Early Childhood Initiatives site under the Instructions category provides valuable tools to inform teachers and families alike of the many goals and accomplishments of Maryland Early Childhood Education. As parents are there child’s first teachers, they are an important part of continued instruction. I think as children are preparing to enter early childhood programs they should be provided a sit down opportunity to talk with their child’s educators about the possibilities for instruction, the resources available, and the importance of readiness for our little learners. At such a meeting, that could also provide a networking tool for parents and families to meet one another, parents could use this site to refer to frequently asked questions, locate and better understand the Judy Centers and their goals, and preview expectations for our pre-kindergarten children. In addition, teachers will become more aware of assessments used to determine readiness at this age, as well as the core curriculum goals and resources such as the toolkit. The MDK12.org site is an invaluable resource that parents and teachers alike should be aware of and given the opportunity to utilize to become better informed and an actively involved in the education of our children.

 “It Takes A Village to Raise a Child”~ African Proverb

 Additional Information and Sources:

http://www.mdk12.org/instruction/ensure/mmsr/index.html
Maryland Model for School Readiness (MMSR): An instructional and Assessment tool providing parents, teachers, and early childhood educators with a common understanding of what children know and are able to do upon entering school.

http://www.mdk12.org/instruction/ensure/readiness/index.html
Maryland Early Childhood Initiatives and Judy Center information

http://www.mdk12.org/instruction/ensure/readiness/lap_report.html
5 Year Action Agenda Report For Maryland, detailing goals strategies and steps to ensure school readiness.

 http://www.friendsofthefamily.org/
Friends of the Family Network

 http://www.mdchildcare.org/
The Maryland Child Care Resource Network