[AAACE-NLA] AAACE-NLA Digest, Vol 32, Issue 44

[lgtsmolen@aol.com]

I am from Oklahoma and we are "leading" in the public school preschool initiative for four year olds. It is proving to be quite successful.  In today's culture, I feel preschool is needed.  There are too many working parents to be able to provide quality day care for those who need it.  Because the Public schools have to adhere to certain standards, parents at least know their children are being cared for adequately and hopefully more than adequately.  However, I do agree with you, parenting is the most important, but how do you legislate good parenting skills?
Early Head Start and Head Start are two examples of programs that are promoting  parents involvement and education.  One of the main components of these programs is Parent Involvement, but it is not mandatory for parents to participate, but they are encouraged to.  Early Head Start serves the 0-3 population, which serves both parents and their children.  Head Start serves ages 3-5.
The  Even Start Progam is another program that attempts to reach parents and children and promote literacy.   This program provides Adult Basic Education, GED, and ESL for parents and encourages them to get involved in their children's education.  Regular parenting classes are available for the parents and several times throughout the year books are given to the children, so they can start their own libraries.    However, this is one program that we are in jeopardy of losing.  Most believe that this might be Even Start's last year.  
Early Head Start, Head Start, and Even Start are programs for low income families and I feel they are important programs that we need badly.  But, I would also like to see more programs that promote parent education and parent involvement in the public schools.  
It is my hope that somehow educational parenting programs will become mandatory.  There are so many parents out there who love their children and want the best for them, but don't have the first clue about parenting skills.   I sometimes wonder what we can do to save the programs we have now and convince the administration of the importance of keeping them alive and well.  I also wonder what it would take to promote parent involvement and parent education in all schools.  
Linda
 
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Sent: Thu, 26 Jan 2006 12:00:02 -0500
Subject: AAACE-NLA Digest, Vol 32, Issue 44


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Today's Topics:

   1.  Letter to Editor (tsticht at znet.com)


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Message: 1
Date: Wed, 25 Jan 2006 10:19:58 -0800
From: tsticht at znet.com
Subject: [AAACE-NLA] Letter to Editor
To: aaace-nla at lists.literacytent.org
Message-ID: <1138213198.43d7c14e7b35a at webmail.znet.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1


AAACE-NLA Collegues: The following Letter to the Editor
was published in the San Diego Union-Tribune on January 25, 2006:

What 4-year-olds need:
parenting not preschool

According to "Universal preschool plan makes ballot" (News, Jan. 14), an
initiative for universal preschool for all 4-year-olds has qualified for
the June ballot. Proponents say studies show that preschool contributes to
academic success later on. But this overstates the case. Studies that show
the benefits of preschool have not included the full range of children, but
rather children from poverty or near-poverty backgrounds.

New research, "Improving Literacy in America"(Yale University Press) has
questioned the effectiveness of both child care and preschool programs that
do not focus on improving parenting skills.  Concerning child care, it says
that "overall, parenting appears to be a more important source of influence
on children?s development than is child care. ? The contribution of
parenting was about three to four times greater than that of early child
care. ?High-quality child care will not offset the negative effect of poor
parenting, and poor-quality child care will not prevent success for
children with effective parents." It concludes not only  that preschool
programs without parent outreach and adult education are not effective but
that starting preschool at 4 years old is too late; language and literacy
development start at birth and rely upon the love, motivation, and language
(vocabulary; knowledge) that parents provide.

Based on this and other new research, Californians need to think about
providing high quality parenting and adult education programs to young
adults who are or are about to become parents. This way, the majority of
adults can prepare their own children for school, and only the children in
greatest need will require access to high-quality preschool education.

Thomas G. Sticht
El Cajon


Contact: Thomas G. Sticht
International Consultant in Adult Education
2062 Valley View Blvd.
El Cajon, CA 92019-2059
Tel/fax (619) 444-9133
Email: tsticht at aznet.net




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End of AAACE-NLA Digest, Vol 32, Issue 44
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