Early education programs and their developmental impact

Quality Education in Early Childhood Programs

In Italy, early childhood education programs are an essential part of helping the individual to interact with others and learn the skills they will need to become successful later on. To fully understand these different programs requires examining numerous sources on the subject. During this process, there will be an emphasis on the involvement of the government / nonprofits, the common types of early childhood care, the findings and offering a summary of these ideas. Together, these elements will show Italy's focus in meet key objectives over the long-term.

Involvement in the government and nonprofit organizations in Early Childhood Education programs

The government and nonprofit organizations play an important role. This occurs through providing additional amounts of funding and support. The funding helps to ensure that the program is expanding and allowing the children to think critically. While the support is making certain that it has enough resources to meet the needs of stakeholders in the process. (Harcourt, 2012) (Howes, 2010)

Common types of Early Childhood Care and education settings

The most common types of childhood education settings are focusing on Montessori and Reggio Emilia approaches. The Montessori Method is when educators are directors. Their main purpose is to guide the students into new areas that will spark their interest and curiosity. Reggio Emilia is when teachers, parents and children will collaborate throughout the learning process. This means that when a child shows interest in particular areas, they are encouraged to learn more. The basic idea is to enhance their understanding of the material and key concepts in order to spark the student's ability to understand specific ideas. (Harcourt, 2012) (Howes, 2010)

Content / curriculum

The content and curriculum are determined based upon how much interest the child shows. This decides what direction the teacher will steer the classroom. At the same time, they are encouraging them to want to learn more on their own. (Harcourt, 2012) (Howes, 2010)

Fostering social-emotional, cognitive, linguistic, and physical development

Social -- emotional, cognitive, linguistic and physical development are designed to help the student to expand their horizons. This occurs with educators working with parents to create curriculum which achieves these objectives. The children are encouraged to engage in different activities to build these skills. (Harcourt, 2012) (Howes, 2010)

Respecting culture, race, and home language

During the process, the child is taught to be respectful of others. This means that they will have understanding of other cultures, races and language. Once this occurs, is when their horizons are expanded from taking this kind of focus. (Harcourt, 2012) (Howes, 2010) (Burger, 2010)

Authentic inclusion of children with varying abilities

The educator will take into account the child's abilities and will steer them in a direction that enhances them. This takes place by sparking their interest in a variety of areas. When this happens, the student will have a desire to want to learn more. (Harcourt, 2012) (Howes, 2010) (Burger, 2010)

Building parent / family relationships

Family relationships are built by working with the parents and children to create curriculum which is supporting these objectives. (Harcourt, 2012) (Howes, 2010) (Burger, 2010)

How do you think your findings on this research compare with Global Quality Guidelines?

Why is it important to be critical about the research you read, especially as it relates to the experiences of young children and families who cultures may differ.

The findings from the research are showing how the program is meeting the various guidelines on Global Quality. This is occurs by focusing on developing their knowledge early on. Once this happens, the student will be more effective in reaching out to each other and learning key concepts. This is significant, as the research that was conducted is showing how the child's experiences and culture may be different. However, the program is bringing everyone together to have a better understanding of what is occurring. ("Global Guidelines," 2014)