tag:theconversation.com,2011:/uk/topics/education-and-child-development-49485/articlesEducation and child development – The Conversation2023-01-10T11:51:54Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1965992023-01-10T11:51:54Z2023-01-10T11:51:54ZWhy being bilingual can open doors for children with developmental disabilities, not close them<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/501612/original/file-20221216-14-xribej.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Antoni Shkraba / Pexels</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>When parents learn their child has a developmental disability, they often have questions about what their child may or may not be able to do. </p>
<p>Children with developmental disabilities, such as Down syndrome, often have challenges and delays in language development. And for some families, one of these questions may be: “Will speaking two languages be detrimental to their development?” </p>
<p>However, studies consistently demonstrate exposure to an additional language, including a minority language, <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/studies-in-second-language-acquisition/article/abs/predicting-language-proficiency-in-bilingual-children/40E27364CCAEB48D4F878EE64C377CF2">does not impact language outcomes negatively</a>. This highlights the importance of giving children the opportunity to become bilingual.</p>
<p>Many parents feel speaking one language would be easier than two. Some may feel <a href="https://pubs.asha.org/doi/abs/10.1044/2016_JSLHR-L-15-0348">bilingualism would be too confusing</a> for a child with a developmental disability. This is a belief which is also sometimes held by teachers and clinicians who may be consulted on their view towards bilingual exposure. </p>
<p>With good intentions, paediatricians, speech–language therapists, teachers or social workers <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1460-6984.2011.00071.x?casa_token=3-Vp9tBfaUYAAAAA:1yG64kISIh9vPRWEnD1VSyE8P9lVl9skv8ZSn8o6AQbL1_A2mEd1mErgXaPm7oxdfz5AoQRcpI7SwB4">may advise parents</a> to avoid using a heritage or minority language in the home, as children will also be exposed to the majority community language.</p>
<p>Research also shows children with disabilities may have <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0021992416300272?casa_token=b33PrWslSUoAAAAA:BPWMufWoUG8p0W7CB-KqpJKiBCTadDMU_K6tpzjgolramxAtSXjvKj4UrzUvpSsuWD_AAj6XIA">fewer opportunities to access services</a> in a second language.</p>
<p>However, bilingualism is possible for children with developmental disabilities, as our research on children learning both Welsh and English shows. Children who are able to access bilingual provisions may also benefit. In fact, research shows bilingualism may have a <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0891422219300149?casa_token=Qk0mgmkJTCEAAAAA:kdSYpyVLrCx84jDJbtaU1LRP4MFyUFhc4GSWiWSi_JJCOcj2idcZEjut9jhrgb1BmKk-Nx_vSKM">positive impact on these children’s social interactions and the formation of their identity</a>.</p>
<h2>Bilingualism in Wales</h2>
<p>The most recent census data for England and Wales suggests <a href="https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/culturalidentity/language/bulletins/welshlanguagewales/census2021#:%7E:text=In%202021%2C%20an%20estimated%20538%2C000,2011%20(562%2C000%2C%2019.0%25)">the number of children able to speak Welsh in Wales has declined by 1.2 percentage points</a> from 19% in 2011 to 17.8% in 2021. The largest decline was in those aged between 5 and 15 years old. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1600061790410493952"}"></div></p>
<p>While these latest figures are unexpected and <a href="https://www.gov.wales/written-statement-response-census-2021-results-welsh-language">disappointing according to the Welsh government</a>, the age group with the highest percentage of Welsh speakers was also children between the ages of 5 and 15. This gives a promising outlook for the future of the Welsh language. </p>
<p>Crucially, converging evidence shows bilingualism does not cause <a href="https://www.child-encyclopedia.com/second-language/according-experts/second-languagebilingualism-early-age-emphasis-its-impact-early">additional difficulties or lead to confusion for children learning more than one language</a>.</p>
<p>Parents may have reservations about Welsh-medium education if they do not speak Welsh themselves, for example. Parents of autistic children or children with developmental disabilities may have further reservations still. </p>
<p>Once again though, studies show <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/aur.2023?casa_token=1Iib1mcuGscAAAAA%3Akc31b2-oE-T2BP9EEu9meC6mzjiPqAuIxptAVJDAoRoo38-pRgtWMhqzp3E-sCUZ8uW4wA2j3RCazdc">bilingualism does not cause additional difficulties</a> for these groups either. This includes children with more <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02699206.2020.1818288">complex and co-occuring conditions.</a></p>
<h2>Why parents should embrace bilingualism</h2>
<p>Regarding children with Down syndrome, <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34126402/">we found parents need not have these concerns</a>. Indeed, our research suggests families should embrace bilingualism. We recruited children with Down syndrome alongside typically developing children who were either acquiring only English, or were exposed to both English and Welsh. These children completed a range of specialist tasks to assess their cognitive and language skills.</p>
<p>We found Welsh-English bilingual children with Down syndrome had comparable English skills in important language areas to children with Down syndrome who had only been exposed to English. </p>
<p>Meanwhile, the bilingual children were also developing skills in their additional language. Those also acquiring Welsh had similar abilities in that language as younger children without Down syndrome, who were at the same level of development. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Girl with Down syndrome smiling with painted fingers" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/503289/original/file-20230105-14-ydlxj6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/503289/original/file-20230105-14-ydlxj6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/503289/original/file-20230105-14-ydlxj6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/503289/original/file-20230105-14-ydlxj6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/503289/original/file-20230105-14-ydlxj6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/503289/original/file-20230105-14-ydlxj6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/503289/original/file-20230105-14-ydlxj6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Denis Kuvaev, Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Children with Down syndrome should therefore be supported in accessing similar educational provisions as more typically developing children. In the context of Wales, this could mean accessing Welsh-medium schools or being included in second language classes.</p>
<p>In Wales, parents can opt for their children to receive Welsh-medium education, regardless of their home language. Children who receive Welsh education can flourish if they have access to bilingual education.</p>
<p>Research on typically developing bilingual children and adults suggests there may be other <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-does-being-bilingual-affect-your-brain-it-depends-on-how-you-use-language-146264">benefits to being bilingual</a>. These include better mental skills, creativity and even the possibility of being <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6868000/#:%7E:text=Bilingualism%20is%20one%20form%20of,monolingual%20patients%20through%20cognitive%20reserve.">protected against cognitive decline</a>, such as Alzheimer’s disease. </p>
<p>Being bilingual opens up a range of opportunities such as <a href="https://ojs.deakin.edu.au/index.php/jtlge/article/view/1077">better prospects of gaining employment</a>, and <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13670050.2020.1799323?casa_token=5tlcOYoZ1C4AAAAA%3AisI1jclMPKZlLwklTkl2z1rNI2LnQg1tmBpLIsgbv--ItUGNFoBtlpuV5VyQSWWEgb8itiX2WKDE">helping to develop social skills</a>.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/MMmOLN5zBLY?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
</figure>
<p>Research shows some of these benefits, such as enhanced thinking skills, <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32157943/">may also extend to autistic children</a>. </p>
<p>Giving children the opportunity to develop abilities in two languages also enables them to be able to choose what language they want to communicate in. It may also make them feel connected to their community. </p>
<p>These findings challenge the view that bilingualism is detrimental to children’s development. In contrast, including children with developmental disabilities in bilingual provisions gives them the chance to blossom alongside their typically developing peers.</p>
<p>As a result, families should feel empowered to reach informed decisions for themselves by considering the potential opportunities being bilingual may provide.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/196599/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Rebecca Ward has received funding from the Economic and Social Research Council's Doctoral Training Partnership Programme and The Coleg Cymraeg.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Eirini Sanoudaki collaborates with the Down’s Syndrome Association, schools and groups involved in supporting individuals with developmental conditions. She receives funding from the ESRC for research on bilingualism in neurodiverse populations.</span></em></p>There are many benefits to being bilingual.Rebecca Ward, Lecturer in Psychology, Swansea UniversityEirini Sanoudaki, Senior Lecturer in Linguistics (Bilingualism), Bangor UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1864622022-07-07T19:51:54Z2022-07-07T19:51:54Z‘Screen time’ for kids is an outdated concept, so let’s ditch it and focus on quality instead<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/472910/original/file-20220707-15-swzx3y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C6240%2C4116&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">www.shutterstock.com</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>It is school holidays in Australia and, in many parts of the country, it’s also raining and bitterly cold. This means many children are stuck indoors and many parents will be grappling with how much “screen time” their kids are having. </p>
<p>As as early childhood researcher and parent to a four-year-old, this is a question I am asked a lot. How much screen time is too much? Should I be worried about how much my child is watching? </p>
<p>If I had magic powers, I would get rid of the concept of screen “time”. We need to be talking about screen quality instead. </p>
<h2>Parents find it very tricky to stick to the guidelines</h2>
<p>There are <a href="https://www.who.int/news/item/24-04-2019-to-grow-up-healthy-children-need-to-sit-less-and-play-more">international</a> and <a href="https://aifs.gov.au/resources/short-articles/too-much-time-screens-screen-time-effects-and-guidelines-children-and">national</a> guidelines around screen time, depending on the age of children. </p>
<p>In Australia, no more than one hour of screen time a day is recommended for two- to five-year-olds. For five- to 17-year-olds it is no more than two hours of sedentary screen time per day (not including schoolwork).</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Sx6fvFVVbcc?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
</figure>
<p>But <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/article-abstract/2789094">research indicates</a> many Australian parents find the current “time-based” regulations difficult to comply with. The Royal Children’s Hospital <a href="https://www.rchpoll.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/NCHP20-Poll-report-A4_FA.pdf">2021 child health poll</a> found too much screen time was parents’ number-one health concern about their kids. More than 90% of surveyed parents said it was a “big” problem or “somewhat” of a problem. </p>
<p>But the idea that we need to focus on the “time” aspect is an outdated one. It only measures quantity and not the quality of what children are watching. This is not to suggest a free-for-all (sorry, kids!). Instead, we need to look at what our kids are watching and how they are watching it. </p>
<h2>Moving beyond ‘screen time’</h2>
<p>Longstanding research <a href="https://developingchild.harvard.edu/resources/the-foundations-of-lifelong-health-are-built-in-early-childhood/">highlights</a> the importance of the first years of life, with clear links between children’s early childhood experiences and their ongoing <a href="https://developingchild.harvard.edu/resources/connecting-the-brain-to-the-rest-of-the-body-early-childhood-development-and-lifelong-health-are-deeply-intertwined/">mental and physical health</a>. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Small child looks at a tablet." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/472912/original/file-20220707-160-fuggny.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/472912/original/file-20220707-160-fuggny.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=467&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/472912/original/file-20220707-160-fuggny.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=467&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/472912/original/file-20220707-160-fuggny.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=467&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/472912/original/file-20220707-160-fuggny.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=587&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/472912/original/file-20220707-160-fuggny.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=587&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/472912/original/file-20220707-160-fuggny.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=587&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Play is a huge part of a child’s learning and development.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">www.shutterstock.com</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>We also know that play and physical activity are vital to development and so, if you are using screens, it should only be one part of a child’s life. But let’s consider the following scenarios:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>Jenny (aged 4) watches Spiderman with her older brother. She only watches for a few minutes but during this period views a dramatic fight scene.</p></li>
<li><p>Bryce’s (aged 5) friend Lucas has moved interstate. Bryce regularly spends 20 minutes video chatting to Lucas. They talk about toys, play hide-and-seek, and occasionally send emojis.</p></li>
<li><p>Leo (aged 6) and his aunt are watching Sing. They watch the movie for more than 60 minutes, singing along to the music. Leo actively talks about the characters for days after viewing, commenting that Meena (a character with stage fright) had to keep trying to be brave.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>Each of these examples, among all those that occur in Australian homes every day, show different uses of “screens”. Yet, as researchers, we often put these in the same bucket, labelled “screen time”. </p>
<p>Researchers are <a href="https://www.acu.edu.au/research-and-enterprise/our-research-institutes/institute-for-learning-sciences-and-teacher-education/our-research/early-childhood-futures/young-children-in-digital-society-an-online-tool-for-service-provision">looking at how</a> kids can <a href="https://www.digitalchild.org.au/about/">best use screens</a> in our increasingly digital world. But we also need popular discussions to move beyond inflexible ideas that only encourage parental guilt. </p>
<h2>What does quality screen use look like?</h2>
<p>There are two main strategies to focus on. The first is to engage with what your child is watching or playing.</p>
<p>The research calls this <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/psychology/co-viewing">“co-viewing”</a> or “co-engaging”. This idea focuses on using children’s engagement with television and games as a chance to talk, promote language and build comprehension. </p>
<p>After or during viewing, parents could ask children to explain what they watched. For example, “wow, you watched some PAW Patrol today, what were you noticing?” or “I see you’re loving Hey Duggee, which parts do you like?”. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/making-up-games-is-more-important-than-you-think-why-bluey-is-a-font-of-parenting-wisdom-118583">'Making up games is more important than you think': why Bluey is a font of parenting wisdom</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>This also gives us a chance to say if something doesn’t align with your values: “they fight a lot in Ninjago, it is better to talk about your problems than fight about them”. This also allows you to teach your kids to be critical about the media they watch. </p>
<h2>You choose what your kids watch</h2>
<p>The second strategy is to make active choices about what your kids watch. This means we can select content that supports learning and matches our values. This doesn’t mean every show has be blatantly educational but there are a lot of programs out there that can help kids grow and develop their skills. </p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ERpq3y-YDcE?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
</figure>
<p>For example, in my house, Numberblocks has created an interest in early numeracy and Bluey promotes physically active play, emotional resilience and self-regulation. Dino Dana and Andy’s Dinosaur Adventures connect children to the prehistoric world, and of course Play School continues to be a favourite. </p>
<p>Other families report video games such as Mario Kart promote fine motor skills and teamwork. Of course, a “dose” of Peppa Pig or something else just for fun is OK sometimes, too, in the same way adult viewers might veg out with Bridgerton or James Bond movies. </p>
<p>The message here is that parents and carers can make conscious choices about quality. This means that rather than just turn on the TV or iPad and walk away, we need to need to engage with what our kids are watching and playing. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-coronavirus-lockdown-is-forcing-us-to-view-screen-time-differently-thats-a-good-thing-135641">The coronavirus lockdown is forcing us to view 'screen time' differently. That's a good thing</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/186462/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Kate Highfield consults for ABC Kids, with a focus on supporting healthy technology use in play and learning. With colleagues, she receives or has received funding from the Australian Research Council.</span></em></p>Recent polling shows more than 90% of Australian parents think their kids’ screen time is a problem.Kate Highfield, Senior Lecturer, Deputy Head of School (ACT and regional NSW), Australian Catholic UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1847272022-06-24T11:54:10Z2022-06-24T11:54:10Z5 tips for parents of new kindergartners who are younger than their classmates<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/469557/original/file-20220617-11-2gkr6s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=8%2C26%2C5982%2C3961&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">In kindergarten, it can be apparent to teachers and parents alike that some students are younger than others.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/VirusOutbreakMasksinSchools/8b95eff745a24d0293f0a88edb4120f1/photo">AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>A good kindergarten experience sets kids up for success in school and into adulthood. Students in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/qje/qjr041">smaller kindergarten classes</a> are more likely to go to college than students from larger classes. And by age 27, students who had more experienced kindergarten teachers were <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/qje/qjr041">earning more money than their peers</a> who had less-experienced teachers in kindergarten.</p>
<p>One factor many parents consider is their child’s age when starting kindergarten, based on how close their age is to the cutoff date for enrollment. The ages at which kids are eligible to start kindergarten differ <a href="https://nces.ed.gov/programs/statereform/tab5_3.asp">across the United States</a> and <a href="https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/se.prm.ages?view=map">in other countries</a>. Most commonly in the U.S., a child who <a href="https://nces.ed.gov/programs/statereform/tab5_3.asp">turns 5 on or before Sept. 1</a> of a given year can start kindergarten that year. But most states don’t actually require a child to start school until later, <a href="https://nces.ed.gov/programs/statereform/tab5_3.asp">even age 7 or 8</a>.</p>
<p>Evidence shows that children who are relatively young for their kindergarten class – those who are only a few weeks or months older than the cutoff rules require – are at increased risk for <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18178966">doing worse in school</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/pam.22135">being held back a grade</a>, and having <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/2372966X.2020.1717368">lower social-emotional skills</a>. </p>
<p>Students who start kindergarten younger are also more likely to be rated by teachers as <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhealeco.2010.06.003">exhibiting symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder</a> in kindergarten and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-018-1229-6">to be treated with medication for ADHD</a>. </p>
<p>When younger kids fare worse than older kids in the same, single-grade classroom, and older kids are viewed as more advanced, it’s often because adults tend to compare children to one another. The relatively older children may appear to behave better than the relatively younger children, especially as <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/2332858415616358">kindergarten classrooms focus more on academics</a> and offer less time to play. Together these differences are called the “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1006/drev.2000.0516">relative age effect</a>.”</p>
<p>As a result, some families choose to <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/on-parenting/redshirting-your-kindergartner-is-it-the-right-choice-in-the-long-run/2019/10/07/f335fff0-d976-11e9-ac63-3016711543fe_story.html">delay their child’s entry into kindergarten</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/10.3102%2F0162373713482764">particularly those who can afford to do so</a>.</p>
<p>I am a <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=BRXERkMAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao">clinical psychologist</a> who studies how to best support children in school settings, particularly those at risk for behavioral challenges like ADHD. Here are five ways families can help support their kindergartners, especially those who are relatively younger than their classmates.</p>
<h2>1. Learning opportunities</h2>
<p>Relatively older students have had more time to <a href="https://doi.org/10.3368/jhr.44.3.641">learn academic skills</a>. To help younger kindergartners catch up with their older classroom peers, families can offer additional learning experiences. This includes <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177%2F0956797615581493">engaging the children in more conversations</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10566-021-09598-1">shared book reading</a>. This can be started during the preschool years and throughout kindergarten. </p>
<h2>2. Be positive</h2>
<p>Parents and educators can direct focus as much as possible on <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsp.2018.12.007">encouraging and praising the positive performance</a> of relatively younger children in the classroom. If the feedback is mostly negative – in which the relatively younger child is always told to “hurry up,” “pay attention,” “do it the right way,” and all other variations of directives that include words like “no,” “don’t” or “stop” – they may <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199324552.013.2">eventually shut down and stop trying</a> to follow instructions. To combat this, educators and parents can focus on emphasizing all the things the child is doing right, rather than wrong. A good goal is to be mindful of directing at least <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsp.2013.10.001">three positive statements to the child for every correction or redirection</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/469559/original/file-20220617-23-86f16f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A child in a yellow shirt places a small turtle in the mud next to some water" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/469559/original/file-20220617-23-86f16f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/469559/original/file-20220617-23-86f16f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/469559/original/file-20220617-23-86f16f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/469559/original/file-20220617-23-86f16f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/469559/original/file-20220617-23-86f16f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/469559/original/file-20220617-23-86f16f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/469559/original/file-20220617-23-86f16f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A New Jersey kindergartner releases a turtle into the wild after it was raised from an egg when its mother was struck and killed by a car.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/RescuedBabyTurtles/6d184514f9314378af6e4dc582371948/photo">AP Photo/Wayne Parry</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>3. Set tailored goals</h2>
<p>Parents of relatively younger children can meet with their child’s teacher early in the school year to discuss individual goals for the child. That meeting can discuss the child’s current strengths and skills, as well as areas in need of growth. The adults can establish reasonable, achievable goals for the child each week or month. That can help offset possible relative comparisons that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-018-1229-6">may mask individual progress</a>. </p>
<h2>4. Track progress</h2>
<p>To follow up with the goals set at the beginning of the year, a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177%2F1098300712440451">daily or weekly check-in</a> on behavioral or academic progress can help parents and teachers work best together. Waiting until the end of the school year is too long and leaves no time to change course if goals need to be modified. Frequent check-ins also provide opportunities to reward and praise the child for success.</p>
<h2>5. Keep perspective</h2>
<p>Educators and parents may find it useful to remember that kindergarten is only one year of what is almost two decades of education for children on a college track – and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/pam.22135">age differences matter less and less in academic performance</a> as children get older.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/184727/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Gregory Fabiano works on research studies that have received funding from the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Institute for Education Sciences. He receives royalties from Guilford Publications and consultant payments from FastBridge Learning. </span></em></p>Kindergartners who are relatively younger than their classroom peers are at risk for doing less well in school. A clinical psychologist explains how to reduce those problems.Gregory Fabiano, Professor of Psychology, Florida International UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1852102022-06-20T19:57:36Z2022-06-20T19:57:36Z‘Greatest transformation of early education in a generation’? Well, that depends on qualified, supported and thriving staff<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/469636/original/file-20220620-26-pcgbyf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=18%2C0%2C5961%2C4016&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Australia’s two most populous states, New South Wales and Victoria, have set the target of delivering an extra year of learning for all children before they start school. Billed as “the greatest transformation of early education in a generation”, last Thursday’s <a href="https://www.premier.vic.gov.au/joint-commitment-transform-early-education">announcement</a> follows close on the heels of the new federal government’s <a href="https://anthonyalbanese.com.au/media-centre/budget-reply-2022">legacy vision for childcare</a>, with an extended childcare subsidy to increase access. </p>
<p>These moves are well justified. There is compelling evidence that such investments could lift productivity by increasing parent employment and children’s development gains and improving life chances for the most disadvantaged. </p>
<p>Realising the promise of these gains, however, depends entirely on the <a href="https://theconversation.com/low-paid-womens-work-why-early-childhood-educators-are-walking-out-91402">availability of a qualified, supported and thriving workforce</a>. We can’t deliver high-quality learning without them. Developing such a workforce must be an urgent priority given Victoria’s target date for the new program is 2025 and NSW’s is 2030.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/a-15-billion-promise-of-universal-access-to-preschool-is-this-the-game-changer-for-aussie-kids-185211">A $15 billion promise of universal access to preschool: is this the game-changer for Aussie kids?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1512193480235360260"}"></div></p>
<h2>What do we mean by high quality?</h2>
<p>Not all early education programs deliver on the promise of promoting children’s development and learning. “<a href="https://anthonyalbanese.com.au/media-centre/labors-plan-for-cheaper-child-care-budget-reply-2022">Cheaper childcare</a>” may enable parent workforce participation. But it is unlikely to deliver the long-term benefits of promoting children’s learning and closing equity gaps. </p>
<p>Quality matters. The first five years of life are a critical period in human brain development. The quality of experiences in these years lays the foundations for lifetime achievement and well-being. </p>
<p>For this reason, research seeks to identify the essential components that go beyond child-minding to delivering high-quality early childhood education and care.</p>
<p>More than two decades of research has shown the interactions between educators and children are the critical element of optimal child learning. Policy-regulated features, such as physical resources and staff qualifications, help support higher-quality learning. Yet they alone are not enough to deliver on the promise of improving children’s life chances and reducing the stark inequities among children starting school, as documented by the 2021 <a href="https://www.dese.gov.au/early-childhood/announcements/report-now-available-2021-australian-early-development-census">Australian Early Development Census</a>. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/preschool-benefits-indigenous-children-more-than-other-types-of-early-care-149724">Preschool benefits Indigenous children more than other types of early care</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>What really matters for early learning?</h2>
<p>For this reason, researchers in this field focus on identifying the qualities of educator-child interactions that best support children’s learning and well-being. Our Australian research has examined the long-term effects of instructional, organisational and emotional qualities of interactions. </p>
<p>Instructional qualities are focused on teaching content and language interactions. Organisational interactions are focused on setting behavioural expectations and maintaining predictability. Emotional interactions are focused on relationships between child and educator, including regard for the child’s perspective. </p>
<p>Analysing data from <a href="https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-016-2985-1">E4Kids</a>, Australia’s largest study of early childhood education and care quality, the emotional qualities of interactions emerge as the critical factor. <a href="https://srcd.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/cdev.13811">Our study</a> published last week in Child Development, tracked 1,128 children across three years of early education to ask how change in instructional, organisational and emotional qualities of educator-child interactions was associated with each child’s rate of learning. </p>
<p>We found instructional and organisational aspects of interaction did not reliably predict child learning. Changes in the emotional environment did predict language development. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1101592591747801089"}"></div></p>
<p>Further, in <a href="https://research.qed.qld.gov.au/#/manage-findings/99cc245e-3055-4282-9ea7-c71d6af25df6/">a study</a> for the Queensland government, we linked the qualities of the early learning environment at age four to the subsequent school achievements (maths, science, English, NAPLAN) of the children participating in E4Kids. Again, the emotional quality of interactions was the key predictor of outcomes. We could still see the effects in secondary school.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/more-diversity-can-help-solve-twin-problems-of-early-childhood-staff-shortages-and-families-missing-out-185205">More diversity can help solve twin problems of early childhood staff shortages and families missing out</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>It all depends on a stable and supported workforce</h2>
<p>Emotionally positive early childhood education and care environments require a stable and supported workforce. Globally, there is a <a href="https://www.oecd.org/education/good-practice-for-good-jobs-in-early-childhood-education-and-care-64562be6-en.htm">shortage</a> of qualified early childhood educators. Australia is no exception. </p>
<p>Our <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10833-020-09382-3">workforce study</a> included a national survey and detailed study of services in metropolitan, regional and remote locations. We found one in five educators intended to leave the sector in the next year. In tracking a cohort of educators, each year one in three left their service. In remote settings the attrition rate was one in two. </p>
<p>This represents a serious loss of relationships for children and their parents. As educators leave, they take with them their depth of knowledge of each child and family. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1349834851889917953"}"></div></p>
<p><a href="https://theconversation.com/low-paid-womens-work-why-early-childhood-educators-are-walking-out-91402">Our research</a>, and a <a href="https://bigsteps.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Exhausted-undervalued-and-leaving.pdf">2021 survey</a> by the United Workers Union, found those who stay are often stressed. They feel unable to deliver the optimal emotionally supportive environment. </p>
<p>Early childhood workers are paid well below average weekly earnings. Many struggle financially or depend on spouses or family members for financial support to continue in the job they love. Those studying for a degree are often doing so to move to the school sector where pay, conditions and status are better. </p>
<h2>Need to boost workforce is urgent</h2>
<p>Without significant investment in the workforce, the new early education strategies will lack solid foundations and may well fall short on the promise they offer.</p>
<p>A workforce strategy for the next decade, <a href="https://www.acecqa.gov.au/national-workforce-strategy">Shaping Our Future</a>, was published in September 2021. It acknowledges the need for better pay, conditions and professional recognition to grow and sustain the workforce. The strategy also recognises their well-being as important, though it emphasises individualised supports for well-being, not systemic change. </p>
<p>However, the stated strategy to remedy the crisis is to “investigate options” for improving pay and conditions and well-being supports by 2025. That’s when the extra year of preschool learning is due to begin in Victoria. Our research, and the timing of the announced changes, suggests an urgent need to move from investigation to immediate action to stem the exodus of qualified early childhood educators and enable those who stay to thrive.</p>
<hr>
<p><em>This article is part of The Conversation’s <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/breaking-the-cycle-119149">Breaking the Cycle</a> series, which is supported by a philanthropic grant from the Paul Ramsay Foundation.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/185210/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Karen Thorpe receives funding from the Australian Research Council as a chief investigator on the Centre of Excellence for Children and Families across the Life Course ( CE200100025) , the Centre of Excellence for the Digital Child (CE200100022) and a current Discovery Project (DP190102981). She has also been funded by the Queensland Government and Commonwealth Departments of Social Services, Education and Health to undertake studies of early child development. This article is part of The Conversation's Breaking the Cycle series, which is about escaping cycles of disadvantage. The series is supported by a philanthropic grant from the Paul Ramsay Foundation.
</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Azhar Potia's research is supported partially by the Australian Government through the Australian Research Council's Centre of Excellence for Children and Families over the Life Course (Project ID CE200100025). He has also received funding from Government departments such as the Queensland Department of Education and the Department of Health, and NGOs such as the Former Origin Greats, Social Ventures Australia and Beyond the Broncos.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Peter Rankin's research was supported (partially or fully) by the Australian Government through the Australian Research Council's Centre of Excellence for Children and Families over the Life Course (Project ID CE200100025). He has also been funded by the Queensland Government and Commonwealth Departments of Social Services and Education.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Sally Staton has previously received research funding from the Australian Government through the Australian Research Council and the National Health and Medical Research Council, from the Queensland Government Department of Education, and from NGOs including Social Ventures Australia and Early Childhood Australia. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Dr Sandy Houen's research is partially supported by the Australian Government through the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Children and Families over the Life Course (project ID CD 200100025) and the Australian Research
Council Centre of Excellence for the Digital Child (project ID CE200100022). She has previously received funding from the Queensland Government Department of Education and Social Ventures Australia.
</span></em></p>Research confirms that a focus on restoring the well-being of educators is vital to deliver the gains promised by huge new investments in early childhood learning and care.Karen Thorpe, Professor, Queensland Brain Institute, The University of QueenslandAzhar Potia, Research Fellow, Institute for Social Science Research, The University of QueenslandPeter Rankin, Research Fellow in Statistics and Developmental Psychology, The University of QueenslandSally Staton, Senior Research Fellow, The University of QueenslandSandy Houen, Research Fellow, Institute for Social Science Research, The University of QueenslandLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1749532022-03-09T13:17:43Z2022-03-09T13:17:43ZBarbie doll that honors Ida B. Wells faces an uphill battle against anti-Blackness<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/450759/original/file-20220308-13-1psvxyb.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=5%2C0%2C1242%2C1255&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Can Black dolls help Black children better understand their racial identity?</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://shop.mattel.com/products/ida-b-wells-barbie-inspiring-women-doll-hcb81">Matel</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>When Mattel <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2022/01/22/a-new-barbie-doll-commemorates-a-19th-century-suffragist">announced in January 2022</a> that it was releasing a new Barbie doll to honor Ida B. Wells – the famed 19th-century Black journalist and anti-lynching crusader – the company said the idea was to “<a href="https://twitter.com/Barbie/status/1480932590014156810">inspire us to dream big</a>.” However, while the doll may prove helpful to young Black children, its impact is likely to be limited.</p>
<p>Although <a href="https://www.newamerica.org/education-policy/reports/the-representation-of-social-groups-in-u-s-educational-materials-and-why-it-matter/">diverse groups are sometimes represented accurately within print</a> and <a href="https://www.npr.org/2021/12/26/1062369487/kids-books-tv-video-games-diverse-characters">digital media</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/17468477211049352">racist portrayals of Black people</a> still persist. </p>
<p>Young Black children can <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/9780470147658.chpsy0115">internalize racial messages</a> from a variety of sources, including <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/15595691003635955">anti-Black messages from the media, interactions with peers</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/00405841.2016.1116852">school practices</a>, such as being <a href="https://theconversation.com/black-parents-say-their-children-are-being-suspended-for-petty-reasons-that-force-them-to-take-off-from-work-and-sometimes-lose-their-jobs-166610">disproportionately disciplined or suspended from school</a>. This internalization can negatively impact <a href="https://doi.org/10.36019/9780813554310">young children’s feelings about their race</a> and others. </p>
<p>Black dolls, like the one of Wells, can <a href="https://doi.org/10.3167/ghs.2019.120205">shape the way</a> young Black children understand their identity and affect how they <a href="https://doi.apa.org/doi/10.1037/ppm0000359">see themselves in society</a>, but only to a limited degree.</p>
<h2>From enslavement to journalist</h2>
<p>Wells was a noteworthy activist from <a href="https://www.nps.gov/people/idabwells.htm">Holly Springs, Mississippi, who was born into slavery in 1862</a> and was later emancipated as a child. She attended a segregated Black school and became a teacher in Memphis, Tennessee, until she was <a href="https://www.nps.gov/people/idabwells.htm">fired in 1891 for speaking out</a> against subpar learning conditions. A staunch activist, Wells similarly filed and initially won a <a href="https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/ida-b-wells-barnett">lawsuit against the Chesapeake, Ohio & Southwestern Railroad Co.</a> in 1884 after being forced out of a first-class train car despite having purchased a first-class ticket. The ruling was eventually <a href="https://www.nps.gov/people/idabwells.htm">overturned by the Tennessee Supreme Court</a> and spurred the beginning of Wells’ career as a journalist.</p>
<p>Wells wrote about being discriminated against on the train in the Memphis weekly newspaper The Living Way. <a href="https://www.nypl.org/blog/2018/07/16/way-right-wrongs-celebrating-legacy-ida-b-wells">She became a columnist</a> – writing under the name “Iola” – in 1889. From there, she began to write about lynching, as the part owner and editor of The Memphis Free Speech, a <a href="https://www.pbs.org/blackpress/news_bios/wells.html">progressive Black newspaper of the time</a>. She eventually organized a major anti-lynching campaign. Her work is a part of how people today know about the terrors of lynching at the turn of the 20th century. </p>
<h2>Mixed messages</h2>
<p>Having a doll that <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/arts-entertainment/2022/01/12/ida-wells-barbie-doll-mattel/">honors Wells’ legacy</a> can help today’s children “<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CYmIFXvLszH/">know they have the power</a>” to bring about a better future, an Instagram account for Barbie said in a post. However, the mere existence of a Black doll does not combat anti-Black racism. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/S1742058X14000034">Representation alone does not equal racial justice</a> or stop messages of anti-Blackness from existing.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, when there are competing narratives about race, <a href="https://doi.org/10.36019/9780813554310">children must then make sense of the mixed messages</a>, disregarding some and accepting and internalizing others as they form their own understandings. Therefore, children can benefit from receiving messages that contradict the anti-Blackness that they encounter as they form their opinions about race. </p>
<p>Children learn about race in many places and ways. The media is just one context, and toys represent an overlooked form of media. When it comes to dolls specifically, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177%2F0095798410397544">a wealth of research shows</a> that simply presenting a child with a doll does not mean that they will be interested in it. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Two Black girls wearing dresses each hold a doll in their hands while sitting on a couch." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/450727/original/file-20220308-27-1ht2l3i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=103%2C0%2C8543%2C5769&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/450727/original/file-20220308-27-1ht2l3i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/450727/original/file-20220308-27-1ht2l3i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/450727/original/file-20220308-27-1ht2l3i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/450727/original/file-20220308-27-1ht2l3i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/450727/original/file-20220308-27-1ht2l3i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/450727/original/file-20220308-27-1ht2l3i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Dolls are limited in what they can do to boost Black children’s self-esteem.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/mixed-race-sisters-playing-with-dolls-royalty-free-image/969315100?adppopup=true">kali9/E+ via Getty Images</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>What children choose</h2>
<p>In my research study, I carefully selected two Black dolls, one white Latina doll and a white non-Hispanic doll from the Hearts for Hearts doll line. These dolls piqued the interest of the 4-year-old participants in my study. Out of the 13 children, eight were Black, two were white, one was Latina, and two were Asian.</p>
<p>In seeing the set of dolls as a group, the children could not wait to play with them; but when it came time to play with the dolls, most of the children preferred to play with the non-Black dolls. The children <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s13158-021-00289-5">assigned a greater sense of value to the white and Latina dolls</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-020-01095-9">ignored or mistreated the Black dolls</a>.</p>
<p>It turned out the internalized messages of anti-Blackness to which these young children had been exposed led them to play with the dolls that did not look like them. This internalization was apparent in their conversations and my examination of their school curriculum, which included only white or animal protagonists in its collection of children’s books.</p>
<p>For example, conversations between the children during playtime with the dolls revealed that they did not want to play with the Black dolls because of their <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-020-01095-9">“big hair” or “curly hair.”</a> When I asked a Black girl if she wanted to play with the only available doll, a Black doll, she shook her head “no.” An Indian American child intervened and stated that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-020-01095-9">she wanted a “long hair” doll</a>. Several children also pretended to lighten the skin color of the Black dolls with makeup.</p>
<p>Through my firsthand experience working with educators who used the curriculum taught to my 4-year-old participants, I am familiar with the absence of Black voices and perspectives within the provided children’s books, which were displayed in the classroom. Given the potential power of children’s books to <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/ycyoungchildren.71.2.8">positively impact their feelings about race</a>, the absence of diverse characters and their perspectives is a critical issue.</p>
<p>While representation is important, combating the anti-Blackness that actively <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/00405841.2016.1116852">harms Black children</a> is the necessary work. </p>
<p>[<em>Over 150,000 readers rely on The Conversation’s newsletters to understand the world.</em> <a href="https://memberservices.theconversation.com/newsletters/?source=inline-150ksignup">Sign up today</a>.]</p>
<p>Although the new Ida B. Wells-inspired Barbie doll does come with information about the late journalist, activist and suffragist on its packaging, research suggests that consistently sharing books with children that include characters with relatable lived cultural experiences <a href="https://doi.org/10.1023/B:ECEJ.0000012137.43147.af">enables them to link themselves to the presented information</a>. Additionally, seeing themselves positively represented through Black characters and other characters of color <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/ycyoungchildren.71.2.8">fosters a sense of pride and respect for racial difference</a>. </p>
<p>In my view, Wells was a forceful leader and activist who deserves our respect and attention. Mattel’s inclusion of the late journalist in its Inspiring Women Series of Barbie dolls, which spotlights “heroes who <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CYmIFXvLszH/">paved the way for generations of girls</a> to dream big and make a difference,” is admirable. However, my research demonstrates that it might not resolve the anti-Black messages to which my <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-020-01095-9">4-year-old participants</a> and possibly other children have been exposed. </p>
<p>Toy manufacturers can produce a range of diverse dolls, but if children are not interested in them, their impact is greatly limited.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/174953/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Toni Sturdivant does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Black children are prone to internalize messages of anti-Blackness. Can a Black doll that honors one of America’s most noteworthy Black women do anything to reverse the trend?Toni Sturdivant, Assistant Professor of Curriculum and Instruction, Texas A&M University-CommerceLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1694632021-11-23T18:58:23Z2021-11-23T18:58:23ZA failure at 6? Data-driven assessment isn’t helping young children’s learning<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/432551/original/file-20211118-15-scwi3p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C5863%2C3896&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Children’s <a href="https://www.education.vic.gov.au/Documents/childhood/providers/edcare/veyldframework.pdf">early years</a> from birth to the age of eight are crucial for their social, emotional and intellectual development. However, early years education in Australia is fragmented. It operates across two spaces, the pre-compulsory period, often called early childhood education, and the first three years of compulsory schooling.</p>
<p>In recent times the focus in these three years has been on assessment that produces numerical data. Teachers need to demonstrate children are meeting standards. </p>
<p>In contrast, in the pre-compulsory years the focus is on observing and interacting with the child. Practices are based on the belief that all children have agency and are capable learners.</p>
<p>A chasm has opened up between these <a href="https://www.routledge.com/Early-Childhood-and-Compulsory-Education-Reconceptualising-the-relationship/Moss/p/book/9780415687744">separate education systems</a>. Children go from playing to being tested in the blink of an eye. This abrupt change in young children’s education is problematic.</p>
<h2>What does research tell us about the early years?</h2>
<p>A <a href="https://research-repository.griffith.edu.au/bitstream/handle/10072/391647/Dunn356707Accepted.pdf?sequence=2&isAllowed=y">2015 review</a> of research on best practices in the early years identified key factors in successful teaching and learning. The review noted the importance of:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>a smooth transition between pre-school education and compulsory school education</p></li>
<li><p>play-based learning</p></li>
<li><p>seeing children as capable and having agency in their learning</p></li>
<li><p><a href="https://www.education.vic.gov.au/school/teachers/teachingresources/discipline/english/literacy/speakinglistening/Pages/teachingpracdialogic.aspx">dialogic interactions</a> involving <a href="https://earlychildhood.qld.gov.au/earlyYears/Documents/language-dialogic-in-action.pdf">rich discussions</a> between children and between
children and teachers. </p></li>
</ul>
<p>Australia has introduced a mandated curriculum and a national assessment program in primary schools. The review noted this meant many early years teachers have adopted a more formalised and narrow approach to learning in schools. It isn’t appropriate for young children. </p>
<p>We can see the resulting <a href="https://researchnow.flinders.edu.au/en/publications/where-are-the-early-years-of-school-in-contemporary-early-childho">divide between non-compulsory and compulsory</a> early years education in Victoria. On the one hand, teachers need to acknowledge the needs of children from birth to eight years. On the other hand, for those between the ages of five and 12, the <a href="https://victoriancurriculum.vcaa.vic.edu.au/">Victorian Curriculum</a> requires teachers to assess and report against curriculum standards. </p>
<p>The focus on formal assessment and numerical data in the early years of schooling means children as young as six can be labelled as failing. In countries like Finland and Singapore, which have been <a href="https://www.oecd.org/pisa/pisaproducts/strongperformers/">identified</a> as <a href="http://timssandpirls.bc.edu/pirls2016/international-results/pirls/student-achievement/pirls-achievement-results/">high-performing</a>, children do not even <a href="https://expatchild.com/school-starting-ages-around-world/">begin formal schooling</a> before the age of six or seven. </p>
<iframe src="https://data.worldbank.org/share/widget?indicators=SE.PRM.AGES&type=shaded&view=map" width="100%" height="380" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe>
<p><a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.2304/ciec.2014.15.2.185">One study</a> has described the early years in countries like the United Kingdom, America and Australia as being at the mercy of top-down policy development, leading to “a highly prescriptive and assessment-driven early years climate”. <a href="https://www.routledge.com/The-Datafication-of-Primary-and-Early-Years-Education-Playing-with-Numbers/Bradbury-Roberts-Holmes/p/book/9781138242173">UK researchers</a> have identified the “datafication” of early years education and its impacts on children and teachers. And <a href="https://researchoutput.csu.edu.au/en/publications/a-sociological-analysis-of-australias-naplan-and-my-school-senate">Australian researchers</a> used the term “adultification” to describe the unrealistic expectations placed on young children.</p>
<h2>So what happens in our schools?</h2>
<p>My doctoral <a href="https://minerva-access.unimelb.edu.au/handle/11343/268186">research</a> found “datafication” and “adultification” defined the early years of schooling in Victoria. I engaged with more than 100 early-years teachers to explore their literacy teaching and assessment practices. The recurring theme was these teachers were expected to frequently assess young children in formal ways that provided numerical data. </p>
<p>Teachers voiced frustration. One described the early years as “death by assessment”. Another lamented that community expectations were unreasonable, saying “people are hung up on data, numbers”. </p>
<p>There was an overwhelming sense that the teachers knew their children best and should be given the agency to assess and plan for literacy teaching rather than being required to use a suite of commercially produced assessment tools. </p>
<p>The Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework (<a href="https://www.education.vic.gov.au/Documents/childhood/providers/edcare/veyldframework.pdf">VEYLDF</a>) is designed to support early years teachers working with children and families. Its premise is that children have the greatest opportunities to develop neural pathways for learning and are also most vulnerable to negative experiences from birth to eight years. </p>
<p>The framework is based on research into best practice for children in these years. Rather than formal assessment based on numbers, the VEYLDF advocates for assessment that is authentic and responsive to how all children can best demonstrate their learning and development.</p>
<p>The Victorian Education Department <a href="https://www.education.vic.gov.au/childhood/professionals/learning/Pages/veyldf.aspx">encourages</a> teachers in schools to use the framework. However, little is known about how many actually use the framework to inform teaching and learning.</p>
<p>Making it mandatory to report against curriculum standards from the time children begin compulsory schooling sets the boundaries for how many teachers operate. It is hard to have a foot in both camps when reporting against these standards is mandatory and you feel compelled to prepare children for what comes next – which includes <a href="https://www.nap.edu.au/">NAPLAN</a>, the national assessment program.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Group of laughing and smiling children together among trees" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/432555/original/file-20211118-18-1xgrfo5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/432555/original/file-20211118-18-1xgrfo5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/432555/original/file-20211118-18-1xgrfo5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/432555/original/file-20211118-18-1xgrfo5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/432555/original/file-20211118-18-1xgrfo5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/432555/original/file-20211118-18-1xgrfo5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/432555/original/file-20211118-18-1xgrfo5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">‘Death by assessment’ threatens the joy young children find in learning.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Schools can still let children be children</h2>
<p>However, some schools are turning their backs on the relentless measuring of young children’s attainments. <a href="https://www.sjfootscray.catholic.edu.au/">St John’s</a>, a multicultural primary school in Melbourne’s inner west, is one example. You only need to look at the school <a href="https://www.sjfootscray.catholic.edu.au/learning/">website</a> to see its philosophy differs from many others. </p>
<blockquote>
<p>“St John’s Horizon [a school community-developed vision] clearly states ‘KIDS AT THE HEART’ which encapsulates our focus and belief in the image of the child – the child who is capable, curious, full of wonder, rich in knowledge, able to construct and co-construct his or her own learning. We believe in JOY – Joy in learning.” </p>
</blockquote>
<p>A conversation with the then principal, Gemma Goodyear, gave me an insight into these beliefs, which are inspired by teaching and learning in schools in <a href="https://www.reggiochildren.it/en/reggio-emilia-approach/">Reggio Emilia</a>, Italy. Goodyear said children do not come to school to be “fixed”, and the teachers engage them by providing meaningful, contextualised learning experiences. And, yes, through their focus on rich learning they still get great results without relentless testing.</p>
<p>It is time to revisit the early years of schooling and ensure teachers have the skills and understandings they need to support learners in this phase. These years should be a time when children become engaged and excited about learning, a time of great joy, and a time when children are allowed to be children.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/169463/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Martina Tassone does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>A chasm has opened up between early childhood learning and the first years of compulsory schooling. Kids go from playing to being tested in the blink of an eye, and their learning is poorer for it.Martina Tassone, Early Childhood and Primary Course Coordinator and Language and Literacy Lecturer, The University of MelbourneLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1497242020-12-08T19:09:03Z2020-12-08T19:09:03ZPreschool benefits Indigenous children more than other types of early care<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/372199/original/file-20201201-16-ozwon2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/hyden-wave-rock-western-australia-november-725411650">Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>A large study has, for the first time, shown preschool benefits Indigenous children more than other types of care such as long daycare (childcare) or home-based care. </p>
<p>This is important because while <a href="https://caepr.cass.anu.edu.au/sites/default/files/docs/2011CensusPaper07_Education_Part1_Web_1.pdf">past studies</a> had shown Indigenous children who had attended preschool were more likely to be ready for school, it was unclear whether preschool contributed to better outcomes. </p>
<p>These children might have had better developmental outcomes regardless of their participation in preschool. For example, children who attend preschool are also more likely to live in <a href="https://caepr.cass.anu.edu.au/sites/default/files/docs/2011CensusPaper07_Education_Part1_Web_1.pdf">more advantaged households</a>. This also contributes to better outcomes. </p>
<p>We set out to find whether preschool itself benefited children, and to measure these benefits using real-world data.</p>
<p>Our study of NSW public school children, published in the <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/jech-2020-214672">Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health</a>, shows preschool attendance appears to have developmental benefits for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, compared with home-based care in the year before school. This is after taking into account differences in children’s socioeconomic and health circumstances. </p>
<p>We classified any type of care that wasn’t preschool or long daycare as home-based care. This can include family daycare and care at home by parents and grandparents.</p>
<p>Although beneficial, Aboriginal children experienced fewer developmental benefits from preschool than non-Aboriginal children in our study. This suggests we need to improve the early childhood education experience of Aboriginal children. </p>
<p>We also found differences in early life circumstances explained much of the developmental gap between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal children in all types of early childhood education and care. </p>
<p>This highlights the importance of meeting the health and social needs of Aboriginal children and families, alongside early childhood education, to improve early life outcomes for these children.</p>
<h2>Why we did our study</h2>
<p>One of the <a href="https://healthinfonet.ecu.edu.au/learn/health-system/closing-the-gap/history-of-closing-the-gap/">seven early Closing the Gap targets</a> was to ensure 95% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander four-year-olds were enrolled in early childhood education by 2025.</p>
<p>In 2018, the <a href="https://www.closingthegap.gov.au/partnership">Morrison government</a> updated the Closing the Gap framework in partnership with Aboriginal peak organisations. There are now two targets related to early childhood education:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>to increase the proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children enrolled in early childhood education the year before full-time schooling to 95% by 2025</p></li>
<li><p>to increase the proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children assessed as developmentally on track in all five domains of the Australian Early Development Census (AEDC) to 55% by 2031.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>One assumption underlying these targets is that early childhood education will improve developmental outcomes among Indigenous children. We wanted to find out if preschool is achieving this goal, and to what extent.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/preschool-benefits-children-and-the-economy-but-the-budget-has-left-funding-uncertain-again-147737">Preschool benefits children and the economy. But the budget has left funding uncertain, again</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>We used developmental data for 7,384 Indigenous and 95,104 non-Indigenous public school children who started school in NSW in either 2009 or 2012. The data were collected as part of the Australian Early Development Census (<a href="https://www.aedc.gov.au/">AEDC</a>). It takes place every three years and is based on teachers’ knowledge and observations of the children in their classes. </p>
<p>Children’s development is scored between zero and ten on each of five key domains of development: physical, social, emotional, language and cognitive, and communication. </p>
<p>Children with scores in the bottom 10%, according to the 2009 AEDC benchmark, are considered developmentally vulnerable. We looked at how many children were developmentally vulnerable on one or more of the five domains.</p>
<p>We combined the developmental data with other population datasets, including birth registrations, midwives and hospital and school enrolment data. This was to understand children’s health, early childhood education and family circumstances.</p>
<p>We looked at whether children had attended a preschool program, a long daycare centre (without a preschool program) or home-based care in the year before full-time schooling.</p>
<h2>Our findings</h2>
<p>Overall, across the two school starter cohorts, 71% of Indigenous children and 74% of non-Indigenous children attended preschool in the year before full-time school. The majority of Indigenous (64%) and non-Indigenous children (80%) were not developmentally vulnerable on any of the domains assessed. </p>
<p>Among Indigenous children, 33% who had attended preschool and 44% who had attended home-based care were vulnerable on one or more domains. The figures for non-Indigenous children were 17% and 33% of those who attended preschool and home-based care, respectively. </p>
<p>There were substantial developmental gaps between Indigenous and non-Indigenous children in all types of early childhood education and care. Among children in preschool, Indigenous children were almost twice as likely as non-Indigenous children to be developmentally vulnerable at the age of five.</p>
<p>Our modelling shows a beneficial effect of preschool in both Indigenous and non-Indigenous children — which was larger in non-Indigenous children. </p>
<p>After taking into account the differences in children’s early life circumstances, the risk of developmental vulnerability was six percentage points lower for non-Indigenous children who attended preschool than those in home-based care. It was three percentage points lower for Indigenous children who attended preschool compared with those in home-based care.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/1-in-5-kids-start-school-with-health-or-emotional-difficulties-that-challenge-their-learning-131134">1 in 5 kids start school with health or emotional difficulties that challenge their learning</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Children in home-based care had the highest risk of developmental vulnerability. For non-Indigenous children, there was a lower risk for long daycare compared to home-based care. </p>
<p>However, we found there were no benefits of long daycare without a preschool program for Indigenous children. This highlights the type of early childhood education and care matters. </p>
<h2>What does all this mean?</h2>
<p>Preschool is an important part of the ongoing strategy to ensure Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children start full-time schooling ready to achieve their full potential.</p>
<p>Our findings reinforce the importance of the new Closing the Gap partnership with Aboriginal peak organisations to ensure Aboriginal leaders and communities are integrally involved in using data to understand, and respond to, the needs of their children and families. </p>
<p>This includes strategies to increase participation in preschool. We have shown this has benefits for Aboriginal children. It also highlights the need to invest in quality, culturally appropriate preschool for Indigenous children, as Indigenous children did not seem to benefit as much as non-Indigenous children from preschool. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/victoria-and-nsw-have-funded-preschool-for-2021-its-shaping-up-to-be-a-federal-election-issue-149905">Victoria and NSW have funded preschool for 2021. It's shaping up to be a federal election issue</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Differences in their early life circumstances explained much of the gap in developmental vulnerability between Indigenous and non-Indigenous children. This suggests investments in early childhood education and care need to be considered alongside health and social services to improve the early life circumstances of Indigenous children. </p>
<p>A final point worth emphasising is that most Indigenous children are not developmentally vulnerable when they enter full-time schooling. This highlights areas of strength that future policies can draw upon. </p>
<p><em>This research would not be possible without governments facilitating access to, and links of, administrative datasets, and the ongoing contribution of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families to data collection in Australia.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/149724/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Emily Banks receives funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia, the Medical Research Futures Fund, the Heart Foundation of Australia, the Commonwealth Government Department of Health and the Department of Social Services.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Kathleen Falster receives funding from National Health and Medical Research Council (NMHRC) of Australia, the Medical Research Futures Fund (MRFF), and the Australian Research Council (ARC). In the last five years, Kathleen Falster has also received funding from the NSW Government Department of Communities and Justice for commissioned research. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Mark Hanly receives funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia (NHMRC) and the Sydney Partnership for Health, Education, Research and Enterprise (SPHERE). In the last five years, Mark Hanly has also received funding from the NSW Government Department of Communities and Justice for commissioned research.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Sandra Eades receives funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia and the Medical Research Futures Fund.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Nicholas Biddle does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>A large study shows preschool benefits Aboriginal children’s development more than childcare or being taken care of at home. But the benefits of preschool are not as large as for non-Aboriginal kids.Nicholas Biddle, Professor of Economics and Public Policy, ANU College of Arts and Social Sciences, Australian National UniversityEmily Banks, Professor of Epidemiology and Public Health, Australian National UniversityKathleen Falster, Senior lecturer, UNSW SydneyMark Hanly, Research Fellow, UNSW SydneySandra Eades, Dean, Medical School, Curtin UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/890692018-02-07T11:27:49Z2018-02-07T11:27:49ZHow childhood experiences contribute to the education-health link<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/205172/original/file-20180206-88784-hy8yxn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">A teen looking out of a window. Research shows that traumatic events in childhood can affect children as they mature and limit their education, which in turn can harm their health.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/close-lonely-orphan-boy-orphanage-looking-369853097?src=34utG_EdzVzQ1RhrSo9-PQ-1-6">Jan Andersen/Shutterstock.com</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>The interconnection between education and health is well established. </p>
<p>Take, for example, smoking. Smoking continues to be the leading cause of preventable disease and death in the U.S. The highest percent of smoking is seen among persons with <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hus/hus15.pdf">less than a high school or General Educational Development (GED) high school equivalency diploma</a>, and the lowest is among persons with a bachelor’s degree or higher. </p>
<p>Trends in efforts to quit smoking also <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5844a2.htm">vary by educational level</a>. Adults with a GED certificate, adults with no high school diploma, and adults with a high school diploma historically have had the lowest rates of quitting smoking compared to adults overall.</p>
<p>But these data document the relationship when it is too late: Adults don’t drop out of school, children do. </p>
<p>The field of public health recognizes education is a <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22102542">social determinant of health</a> and an indicator of well-being. National efforts are currently focused on <a href="https://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topics-objectives/topic/social-determinants-of-health/objectives">promoting language and literacy, increasing high school completion and increasing college enrollment</a>. It is critical to ensure that children have positive learning experiences while they are still young so that they can achieve educational success. This is one of the best ways to ensure that they can live healthier lives as adults.</p>
<p>Other researchers and I have contributed to <a href="https://ac.els-cdn.com/S0091743503001233/1-s2.0-S0091743503001233-main.pdf?_tid=774ed5d6-0b43-11e8-85d0-00000aacb35d&acdnat=1517924691_2aca51d73f4e8764142e303afbec76fa">widening body of research</a> that shows how these experiences harm over the lifespan and across generations. Abuse, neglect and related stressors contribute to <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/194504">mental illness, substance use</a>, and a host of other negative <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/acestudy/index.html">social and behavioral</a> outcomes decades later in life. </p>
<h2>Early childhood development</h2>
<p>A human baby’s brain is not fully developed at birth. Rapid brain development occurs in the <a href="https://developingchild.harvard.edu/science/key-concepts/brain-architecture/">first few years of life</a> and then steadies into childhood and adolescence. The biodevelopmental impact of exposure to severe forms of stress and trauma is not immediately visible. But <a href="http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/129/1/e224">abuse, neglect, poverty and related stressful exposures</a> can put children at risk for problems with healthy cognitive, social and emotional development, which can interfere with learning. Thus, research has shown that these adverse childhood experiences not only contribute to health outcomes, but there appears to be a link with adult <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5949a1.htm">educational attainment</a>.</p>
<p><iframe id="Stbs9" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/Stbs9/3/" height="400px" width="100%" style="border: none" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
<p>Knowing that education begins in childhood and acts as a social determinant of health, I decided it was time that we take a close look at how childhood adversities impact learning and education. I recently had the honor to serve as guest editor for a special journal issue in Child Abuse & Neglect focused on this very topic. </p>
<p>To effectively address education as a social determinant of health, I have found that learning environments must include staff who have knowledge about trauma and symptoms of trauma. Most importantly, the school ecosystems, which are comprised of the schools’ staff, must be prepared and able to provide children, and each other, safe, supportive and trusting environments. Thus, creating effective solutions will require a multigenerational approach – those that not only focus on the children affected, but also on adults. </p>
<h2>Education for all</h2>
<p>Child labor increased when the U.S. Industrial Revolution started in the late 1700s and early 1800s. During this time, children worked in unfit conditions sometimes for up to 70 hours per week. After many attempts to change child labor laws between the late 1800s and early 1900s, Congress passed the <a href="https://www.dol.gov/whd/childlabor.htm#Overview">Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938</a>. The purpose was to ensure the health and safety of children and to promote well-being through educational pursuits.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/205173/original/file-20180206-88775-1a87yt0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/205173/original/file-20180206-88775-1a87yt0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/205173/original/file-20180206-88775-1a87yt0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/205173/original/file-20180206-88775-1a87yt0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/205173/original/file-20180206-88775-1a87yt0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=504&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/205173/original/file-20180206-88775-1a87yt0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=504&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/205173/original/file-20180206-88775-1a87yt0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=504&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">While every child in the U.S. is entitled to an education, inequalities exist across school systems.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/portrait-smiling-little-school-kids-corridor-259319342?src=AuwJ5aI0WCNdUGOwK3QptA-1-12">ESB Professional/Shutterstock.com</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Despite the fact that every child is entitled to a public education in the U.S., <a href="https://news.stanford.edu/2016/04/29/local-education-inequities-across-u-s-revealed-new-stanford-data-set/">educational inequalities exist across school systems</a>. In addition, some children enter school ready to learn, while others, who experience abuse, neglect and other forms of related toxic stress, may have difficulties learning. </p>
<p>Truancy is too often viewed and treated as a form of misconduct without identifying the <a href="https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ835979">underlying reason for the behavior</a>. The field of education needs to realize that a large percent of children are exposed to adversities, and that learning and behavioral problems are often times a symptom. </p>
<h2>What is the research telling us?</h2>
<p>Research on adverse childhood experiences is being applied in multiple contexts, including school systems. In short, the fields of public health and education are learning a great deal more about how childhood adversities can negatively impact educational success, a social determinant of health. </p>
<p>Given all we know about the impact of <a href="http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/129/1/e224">toxic stress on the developing brain of children</a>, more attention is needed on <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/child-abuse-and-neglect/vol/75/suppl/C">children’s education and learning in the context of adverse life experiences</a>. To address <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22102542">education as a social determinant of health</a>, ensuring children’s successful and positive educational experience while they are still young requires increased awareness of the widespread but hidden problem of childhood adversities and their impact on learning. </p>
<p>Childhood traumatic stress from <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0145213417302491">violence</a>, <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0145213417303186">abuse</a>, <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S014521341730234X">corporal punishment</a> and neglect contribute to educational outcomes such as excessive absenteeism, school dropout and school performance. </p>
<p><a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0145213417301710?via%3Dihub">Problems with emotional regulation</a> that result from maltreatment can also interfere with positive learning, class attendance, and problems with <a href="https://ac.els-cdn.com/S0145213417302302/1-s2.0-S0145213417302302-main.pdf?_tid=235d3b6a-ea65-11e7-920e-00000aab0f26&acdnat=1514310756_5435650a0dad19e94e20a111ba7d6c22">language development</a> and communication. </p>
<p><a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0145213417301916">Educational neglect</a> requires more attention from the field. It is a form of maltreatment that lacks sufficient studies to fully understand why it occurs and how it can impact children’s ability to learn and educationally succeed. </p>
<p>Older students are also at risk. <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0145213417301710?via%3Dihub">College-aged students</a> who have a history of childhood trauma may encounter difficulties with post-secondary education. </p>
<p>Children who have been through the foster care system are particularly at high risk. <a href="https://ac.els-cdn.com/S0145213417302788/1-s2.0-S0145213417302788-main.pdf?_tid=bb68c316-ea65-11e7-8216-00000aab0f26&acdnat=1514311012_0fc91061cf00e0a495bd90545ef1b2d6">Family-school partnerships</a> and school connections are especially important factors that can promote their learning in the face of adversities. </p>
<p>Most importantly, I believe that both education and public health must work together to effectively <a href="https://ac.els-cdn.com/S0145213417303654/1-s2.0-S0145213417303654-main.pdf?_tid=99f336ba-0925-11e8-97fa-00000aab0f02&acdnat=1517691962_54c0be9313d31b93b0c0a5a40e24cdd3">promote and foster positive learning environments for all children</a>. Utilizing principles and strategies of <a href="https://store.samhsa.gov/product/TIP-57-Trauma-Informed-Care-in-Behavioral-Health-Services/SMA14-4816">trauma-informed care</a> is a movement that is rapidly sweeping across schools. A recognition that education is a key indicator of well-being can help bring in focus the true nexus of education and health.</p>
<p>In my view, childhood stress and trauma is a public health crisis. As a society, we must recognize that shame and secrecy keep it a hidden problem. Unlike infectious diseases, trauma cannot be sanitized, vaccinated against or treated with antibiotics. Therefore, to promote well-being across the lifespan, we must collectively invest in meeting the needs of future generations.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/89069/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Shanta R. Dube is founder and owner of Vision of Wellness, LLC and mWELL, LLC. She serves as one of the Associate Editors for the international journal, Child Abuse & Neglect and is working with the GA Department of Education. </span></em></p>Adverse childhood events can not only cause lasting psychological effects but also learning problems. That, in turn, worsens health outcomes, as literacy is an integral part of health care.Shanta R. Dube, Associate Professor, School of Public Health, Georgia State UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.