Research in the field of Early Care and Education has contributed to a better understanding of how young children develop and grow. Brain research has identified the importance of the first five years of life in the overall development and learning of children. Also,through research we have identified that quality early childhood programs benefit young children, families and communities. These benefits include less grade repetition, lower dropout rates, higher school completion rate, improved health and nurition, improved social and emotional behavior, improved parent-child relationships, increased earning potential and economic self sufficiency. Research has even helped to identify what practices create quality environments for young children to grow and thrive in.
Dispite my initial concerns over ethical questions, I have gained a better understanding of the importance of research in the Early Childhood Field this week. I have also learned how research is guided by ethical guidelines and principles that have been designed to protect subjects from being harmed or exploited. The overall contributions to the field of early care and education have been significant.
Great post Terri. You have definitely found a lot of things that have been learned and improved because of research. It is important to find out what things are out there with research and the importance of knowing how research is done for the benefit of our children as well as how it protects our children.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you! We have learned so much from research about early childhood education. I believe more children are thriving in an early childhood environment because of research.
ReplyDeleteTerri,
ReplyDeleteIn the field of early childhood education, research has opened up so many opportunities for teachers in the classroom to meet the individual needs of children. Knowing how to work with certain developmental delays and varying abilities raises the quality of the environment of the classroom for all involved.
Mary Jo