Standards Of Effective Early Childhood Family Education: Fill & Download for Free

I think one factor that we benefit from is the transparent spelling of the Finnish language. It takes a considerably shorter time for children to learn how to read and write than in English or French.Teaching is a very prestigious profession here in Finland. It’s not easy to be accepted in the study program to be a teacher, and only the most motivated and most gifted students get in.All teachers have a Master’s degree, they are paid relatively well, and they are entrusted with the authority to plan their teaching in the way that suits best their students.That’s a lot of liberty.No standardized tests.That’s why teachers don’t have to waste time teaching their students skills that they will need in a particular test. They can focus on things that will help them to really understand the things that are being taught and to creatively use them in their everyday life.There’s a strong focus on creativity and childhood. Children are 7 years old before they are taught how to read and write. Younger children have lots of time to play, which allows them to discover, be creative, and learn in the process.The idea is that also older children learn best when they are not too tired or too stressed. That’s why the amount of homework has to be reasonable, school days have to be relatively short, and between the lessons there always has to be a 15 minute break to go outside and play freely, for the children to be able to focus on studying again.And the lunch served at school has to be healthy and free for the children.Naturally it all starts with universal healthcare, a comprehensive system of child welfare clinics where families receive help if needed, ensuring a decent subsistence for all families with children, affordable high quality early childhood education — in short, a system that aims at taking care of everybody, not just those who can afford it.I think there are things that are done right in a purely academic sense, too, but I think the system is a whole, you can’t really speak about education without taking into account all those other factors.Thanks for asking, Sean!(Photo source: Tässä koulussa ei ole pulpetteja, vaan säkkituoleja ja jumppapalloja)

Opposition or support of funding for early childhood education is, of course, based either on the political philosophy or the constituency of an elected official. Studies on both sides can be biased, but in my opinion the preponderance of evidence agrees that early childhood education (ECE) is effective and pays dividends to society (Example from Harvard Center on the Developing Child: InBrief: Early Childhood Program Effectiveness).Obviously, this view does not predominate in Congress, as the 2015 Strong Start Act (S.1380), designed “to implement high-quality prekindergarten programs for children from low-income families”, never came to vote in the Senate. This was due in part because it was a partisan bill crafted by Democrats and because, apparently, supporting or working on a bi-partisan bill that would increase government spending on early childhood education is political self-destruction for Republicans. There are many reasons for this situation, but following are just a few.Unfortunately, many people still see government-supported ECE in a tainted light. To them, federally funded Head Start and State funded early childhood education assistance programs (ECEAP) are merely “government welfare” that enables lazy people to have more children on the government dole. Never mind that most families are in these programs because of extenuating circumstances, or that the children being served are not responsible for the situation of the family. In their theory, it is better to let the these children suffer then to supposedly "promote a welfare lifestyle” among lazy people.Some oppose all federal government involvement in ECE as “socialist” and espouse having the private sector, nonprofit groups, and religious institutions provide these services. No surprise, since some within the GOP have recently talked about abolishing the Department of Education, not to roll it back into another federal agency, but to give all control to the states. This the fact that federally mandated public education exists because we consider it advantageous to our society for every child in the country to have an education, and under the 14th Amendment, every child is entitled to have access to that public education. The States have proven incapable of equally extending that right to all children in the past, and are still struggling to do so. ECE is an extension of the recognized right for every child to be provided with a public education, as children without proper ECE often later fail in school* (See note below on education as a “right”).To others, ECE is a “socialist” tool for the government to usurp the authority of parents and control children - an attack on the “traditional” family. These are the same people who misconstrued Secretary Clinton’s book It Takes a Village as an attack on the family and an attempt by the government to control children. These views are particularly common among conservative Evangelicals, whose eschatology includes the rise of a one-world government under the antichrist prior to the second coming of Jesus, and Evangelicals make up 50% of the voters in most Republican primary elections. To them, Satan wants their children, and the government is his accomplice.On the left, some oppose the fact that faith-based organizations are allowed to participate in government-funded ECE programs.Some opposition is based the misconception that Head Start is an enormous “welfare” program, but it is a comparatively small expenditure in relation to other government spending on education, and overall Federal spending on ECE and K-12 education is quite small compared to local and state spending, as this GAO report shows.Like any private or government enterprise, there are some challenges that must be addressed. It is often hard to find qualified workers because of low wages. Some facilities have been found that do not meet minimum standards. Reporting and accountability need improvement. However, throwing the baby out with the bathwater is an apt way of describing abandoning or underfunding this import educational tool.In today’s political climate, I don’t see ECE becoming a bi-partisan goal in the near future, regardless of the evidence of its effectiveness and the return it brings to society.*Note: The right for every child to have an education is not in the Constitution. However, because State and local governments provide that service, it is a right for every child to have equal access to that service in accordance with the 14th Amendment. Now, if the Department of Education was abolished, and responsibility for education reverted to the state and local governments, it would be theoretically possible for a state or local government to get “out of the education business” and allow the private sector to educate children, with no government control. If this were the case, it would not be far-fetched for someone to challenge the constitutionality of making that education equally accessible to all, since it is a private service not covered under the US Constitution. Talk about a slippery slope. It is inconceivable to me that in the US in the 21st century, or in any developed country, anyone could question the value or right of every child to have equal access to an education. Yet, in many developing nations, that is just the case, as both socioeconomic status and even gender can determine if a child receives an education. I see nothing wrong with those who can afford it paying for an education at a private school, be it secular or religious. I see nothing wrong with homeschooling. Even though I am strongly for secular government, I do not see anything wrong with the government providing testing services and some other accommodations to those in private schools or homeschooled in order to ensure minimum standards. However, when it becomes a burden for the government-funded public education system to provide services beyond those basic services, and that burden, whether financial or operational, affects the quality of public education, I have a problem. Sorry to get off topic, but I think that issue merited discussion under this context.

Thanks for the A2A:This is a difficult question for me because I deal with CSA every day, so I’m going to answer in bullet form to keep my thoughts straight, not because it is a trivial question:Never blame yourself: There is a LOT of shame that comes packaged with childhood trauma, and you have to let that go. Children are taught to be afraid to tell anyone and are often shamed into silence. Realize this is something your abuser forced on you, and you do not hold the blame. The guilt lies at their feet alone. You wouldn’t expect a child to save you from abuse now, so why should you hold the child you were to different standards?Seek the help of a skilled trauma-informed therapist: this is not something you can deal with on your own. Childhood trauma often occurs while the brain is still in development, which means there could be consequences to it, of which you are unaware. Only by hard work in dealing with core, underlying issues could you even begin to heal from the damage that could have been done to you.Realize there will still be people who don’t believe you. Recognize that and respect your privacy. It will be painful to hear, so be selective in the people with whom you share your story.Make something good of the bad you experienced. Become a mental health advocate or advocate to end childhood abuse. There are children right now going through the same thing, and you can make a real difference in their lives. People are much more likely to listen to someone who has experienced trauma themselves, so use that platform to educate people and help the stigma surrounding it. This will equip others with valuable knowledge of warning signs to look for and may save a child from continuing in a state of constant abuse - and it will focus all that pain and shame and rage into something productive.Concentrate on your own healing. Ignore the stigma (I know that’s hard) and focus on anything that makes you feel stronger. One of the big things for me is that I felt weak and helpless to stop what was happening to me, so as an adult, I took self-defense classes, jogged, exercised until I felt strong again. Also, distracting yourself to de-stress is part of this. Find a hobby, something you can throw yourself into and get lost in so that you find joy and a sense of accomplishment.Permit yourself to be selfish: Do whatever it takes to heal. Closeout the world for a while if that is what is needed. With childhood abuse, you are surrounded with people you’ve been taught must be a part of your life because “they’re family.” That is nonsense. Cut out the toxic people, cleanse your life of your abusers (go no contact), and maybe those who you know saw what was happening but did nothing to help.Remind yourself that you are no longer in danger. People who deal with childhood trauma often have C-PTSD, and the symptoms are incredibly challenging to deal with… your body always responds as if you are still in danger. Keep in mind that you hold the power now. You are no longer in the hands of abusers and are safe. That needs to sink into your mind, and this is where therapy will benefit you most.Don’t allow anyone to trivialize what you are experiencing as an adult. Childhood trauma stays with us, lives in each of our cells, and directs our thought patterns well into adulthood. Do not listen to people who say, “but that happened ages ago,” “just get over it,” “learn to live in the present,” or “just put it behind you.” Those people do not know what they are talking about. You have EVERY right to your feelings. What happened to you was horrible and something that people are uncomfortable confronting, so they blame you for not being able to deal with it. Don’t allow that to be a part of your narrative.