The early years matter : education, care, and the well-being of children, birth to 8 (Early childhood education series (Teachers College Press))
- 1. Opening doors to learning for young children and their families : The early care and education experiences of four children: Nico and home visiting ; Julia and family child care ; Rachel and prekindergarten ; Henry and 1st grade
- The nature of early care and education
- About this book
- Professionals like you matter to children in their early years
- Our hope for you
- 2. The early years matter for babies and toddlers / Teresa and Trevor's story : How babies and toddlers grow
- The heart of baby and toddler development: relationships within families
- Services for families and children birth to age 3
- The effect of early childhood services on the development of babies and toddlers
- Initiatives to improve the quality of services for babies and toddlers
- Professionals in the infant-toddler field: many roles, many pathways
- The joys and challenges of supporting babies and toddlers
- 3. The early years matter for preschoolers / Bree's story : The preschool options
- Choosing a program: the quality issue
- The effect of high-quality services on the development of preschoolers
- Questions about public preschool that decision-makers find hard to answer
- How preschool professionals make a difference
- The role of early childhood professionals in shaping good preschool policies
- 4. The early years matter for children in kindergarten through 3rd grade / Carlos's story : Children from age 5 to 8: moving toward competence, cooperation, and new connections with people and ideas
- From kindergarten through the primary grades: are these still the early years and why do these years matter?
- K-3 education is almost universal, but is it universally good?
- Efforts to enhance the positive impact of K-3 education: three examples
- Early childhood professionals and K-3 education
- An early childhood vision for children from age 5 to 8
- 5. The early years matter for children in low-income families / Anna's story : Describing low-income children in America
- The strengths of families and the costs of poverty
- Early care and education protects and supports low-income children
- Program quality for low-income families
- Head Start, the nation's early childhood program
- Who gets to go? Broadening access to high-quality services for children in low-income families
- Low-income families deserve better access and better-quality programs
- 6. The early years matter for children who experience violence and stress / Charlotte and Tanya's story : The kinds of violence and stress young children experience
- Consequences of toxic stress on young children
- How early childhood programs can reduce the consequences of violence and stress
- How early childhood teachers care for stressed children and adults
- The Strengthening Families approach to preventing abuse and neglect
- Other programs for children living with violence or stress
- Prevention is better than intervention
- 7. The early years matter for children with disabilities / Melanie's story : Children with disabilities
- Yesterday and today: changing attitudes and recognizing rights
- Programs for young children with disabilities: early intervention and inclusion
- Providing access to early childhood services
- Implementing intervention and education services: Melanie from birth to age 6
- Families: challenges, resources, and rewards / Deirdre, mother of a child with Down Syndrome
- Professionals serving children with disabilities and their families
- Giving to and learning from children with disabilities
- 8. The early years matter for children with challenging behavior / Mikey's story : The nature of challenging behavior
- Why attention to children with challenging behavior is necessary in the early years
- The good news: early care and education programs can help children feel better and act better
- How teachers can prevent and intervene with challenging behaviors: The Teaching Pyramid
- Engaging and supporting families
- Early childhood professionals and children's challenging behavior
- Turning today's challenges into tomorrow's successes
- 9. The early years matter for children in immigrant families / Edvardo's story : Children in immigrant families in America: countries of origin and numbers of children
- Immigrant families have common experiences and unique stories
- Diversity in the development of immigrant children
- Challenges for and strengths of immigrant families
- Access to early childhood programs by immigrant families
- The value of early childhood program participation for immigrant children, families, and communities
- How early childhood programs and teachers contribute to good outcomes for immigrant children
- Dual language learning
- Improving services to help children of immigrants create a great path in life
- 10. The early years matter for children in developing countries / Irwan's story : The characteristics of a developing country
- Risk factors for children in developing countries
- How early childhood programs can help children in developing countries
- Balancing resources to achieve quantity and quality
- Historic early childhood development movements and measures
- Sustainable early childhood programs require community ownership and national leadership
- 11. The early years matter for our future : Young children: so different yet so much the same
- Early childhood professionals: many roles yet a common mission
- Putting it all together: priorities in professional practice
- Recurring themes in good practice
- Policies to support a strong early childhood system
- Why aim for the best? A better future for children, families, schools, and society
- You and the future of early childhood education.