Early childhood capacity module 2

Early Childhood Education is a vital aspect of growth and development not only in every individual life, but also in the collective American economy. Education, particularly during early childhood, provides the individual with a basis of opportunity upon which to build a productive and fulfilling career. In this, the educator plays an extremely important role. As such, educators need to be aware not only of the latest in education theory and knowledge, but also of legislative rules and regulations that govern the position. Three important elements of such legislative regulation are outlined below.

Legislation that pertain to the Head Start Program involves several policies and regulations that the educator should be aware of. The Improving Head Start for School Readiness Act of 2007 was signed into the law during 2007 (Committee on Education and Labor). The program has stood the test of time, being in effect for more than 40-year, and focusing its efforts upon providing all Americans with the opportunity to receive a quality education, particularly during the early years of childhood. This program focuses particularly on the poor community, and strives to provide all children with the equal opportunity to a quality education. Early childhood educators need to be aware of programs such as these in order to provide the optimal of quality in their guidance of these children.

It is also important for early childhood educators to understand the importance of parent involvement, particularly in the age group that is the focus in this type of education. According to the OECD (2006), the United States teaching policies are particularly prominent. Indeed, particularly for early childhood, the involvement of parents in choosing the type of education their children receive is viewed as very important in the success of these children and the type of opportunities in their future. A teacher who is therefore aware of this regulation will hold regular contact sessions with parents in order to ensure that children are receiving the support of both parents and teachers in their education context.

Equally important is a teacher's awareness of community involvement in the education process. Early childhood educators need to make a thorough study of the background family and community relationship in which a child is growing up. The findings of such investigations can then be used to optimize the teaching process and dissolve any negative connotations that may work to the child's detriment. On the other hand, both the family and community can work concomitantly towards the child's success later in life. The educator therefore needs to cultivate healthy parental and community relationships for the children in his or her care.

Early childhood educators also need to be aware of legislation that could profoundly affect the structure of classes, as well as the demographic and number of students that they can reasonably be expected to teach. One such bill is the 2008 School Finance Act, signed by Gov. Ritter (Dreyer, 2008). The bill involves allowing a large number of at-risk children aged between 3 and 4 to enter high quality preschools. While this is in keeping with the spirit of equality in the United States, it also profoundly affects the structure of classrooms and the demographic of the children involved. Teachers need to take into account the affect that these demographic changes could have on their specific groups of children.