Teacher training is a key element in a quality early learning system, but the new 2009 State of Preschool shows progress on professional development is lagging.

Only roughly half of state-supported pre-kindergarten efforts require teachers to hold bachelors degrees, though the majority of programs, 44 out of 51, require some specialized training, Preschool Matters Today reports.

The National Institute for Early Education Research blog also suggested teacher training could decline in the future.

 “As states continue to deal with large budget deficits, there’s always the danger that current requirements could be watered down and/or eliminated from state policies. Proposals to upgrade teacher qualifications could also be put on the back burner.” – “What the Yearbook Says About Teacher Qualifications.” 

One of the interesting findings is how many public programs, 33, require pre-kindergarten teachers to be paid on the public school salary scale. (Check out state comparisons here.)

And check out the whole story here.

New Large-Scale Child Care Study: Across the Pacific Ocean, Australia has launched its biggest ever early learning study to find out what helps learning in the first years of life.

“We know from studies in North America and the UK in particular that quality early childhood education and care programs increase children’s attainment levels throughout their education and into adulthood. And similarly, lack of a quality program can predict poor progress,” Professor Collette Tayler, who is leading the study of 2,500 three-year-old students and works at Melbourne Graduate School of Education, said in a statement. “But we don’t yet know what program elements make a significant impact on a child’s learning and development. This study will discover what these are, enabling policy makers and educators to make evidence-based decisions into the future.”

In the parenting world how to get a baby to sleep is one of the more hotly debated and arguably important topics. Now one of the leading voices in child care has waded into the debate by suggesting that allowing babies to cry themselves to sleep may hurt their brain development, the BBC reports.

United Kingdom-based author Penelope Leach, a widely respected researcher who has spent more than three decades studying and writing about parenting and child care, says prolonged crying of 30 minutes or more can be stressful and dangerous, according to the BBC.

"We are talking about the release of stress chemicals. The best known of them is cortisol, which is produced under extreme stress," Leach, who discusses the idea in her new book The Essential First Year (coming May 3), told the BBC "When that happens, and particularly if it happens over a long period, the brain chemical system releases cortisol and that is very bad for brain development.”

But is Leach even talking about the most well-known “cry-it-out” idea in the United States, the Ferber method? In the story, Leach refers to babies who are allowed to cry for 30 minutes, 45 minutes and an hour.

Nothing I have read suggests The Ferber method supports such an unresponsive style and prolonged crying.

“In a nutshell, Ferber says you can teach your baby to soothe himself to sleep when he's physically and emotionally ready, usually sometime between 4 and 6 months of age. He recommends following a warm, loving bedtime routine and then putting your baby in bed awake and leaving him (even if he cries) for gradually longer periods of time. Putting a child to bed awake, says Ferber, is crucial to successfully teaching him to go to sleep on his own.” – The Ferber method demystified, BabyCenter, 8/06.

Parents also should respond to crying at times, “but not to pick up or feed their baby.”

This seems like a far cry from what Penelope Leach is describing, and I am not saying Leach is necessarily referring to The Ferber method. (I think BBC writers put “crying-it-out” in the headline to garner interest and readers). But, I would not be surprised to see her thoughts used as fodder.

As a journalist and a parent I have heard from both sides in this debate and I am not suggesting either one is right. In the end, parents hopefully will make informed decisions based on what works for their child and family.

Researchers have learned a lot about the way the brain acquires language. They know that when children are between 9 and 15 months old their brain is focused on sounds. They know that a real life teacher has a much bigger impact than a DVD. And, they know that elementary school students who have a second language score higher on achievement tests.

Watch Jackie Friedman Mighdoll, founder of Seattle-based Sponge, a school that offers language classes for young children, talk about the research that supports exposing young childrento one or more languages, the best way to help children learn a new language and the options are available for older children.

Watch online. 

Sleep problems during early childhood could be linked to problems with alcohol and drugs later in life, according to new research.

The research out of Idaho State University says kids who have trouble sleeping between the ages of three and five have a higher probability of struggling with sleep as teenagers and starting to use drugs and alcohol early.

  “This study confirmed what we suspected a few years ago when we completed our earlier study, that not only do sleep problems in early childhood predict the early onset of alcohol and drug use in adolescence, but it also predicts problems with alcohol and drug use in early adulthood,” Maria Wong, the main author of the study and an associate professor of psychology at Idaho State University, said in a statement.

The connection makes sense when you consider how behavior that leaves preschoolers and pre-kindergarteners tired can set a pattern that creates other problems once they are teenagers.

Overtiredness in early childhood predicted adolescents having problems inhibiting impulses and behavior, which predicted higher rates of illicit drug use.  Sleep problems also predicted the presence of binge drinking, blackouts, driving after drinking alcohol, and the number of lifetime alcohol problems in young adulthood, according to Wong. – “Childhood sleep problems linked to young adult alcohol, drug abuse according to study by Idaho State University professor Wong.” 4/5/10.

This research is also fresh evidence of how setting healthy habits early in life can pay big dividends later. It is also part of an interesting study that is tracking 386 children from age 3 to age 20, which should have other important findings about early learning.

(Thanks to Sixty Second Parent for finding this research.)

Good News from Oregon: In this era of budget cutting, the Pacific Northwest continues to create initiatives and find new money for early learning. Oregon actually approved spending $1 million on Early Head Start for the first time, The Oregonian reports.

“The move reflects the Legislature's commitment to early childhood education, given that lawmakers approved the expansion at a time when they were scrambling to find money to fill a $185 million hole in the current two-year budget.” – Oregon Legislature finds $1 million for Early Head Start, 4/7/10.

(Thanks to the National Institute for Early Education Research for highlighting this news.)

This spring one of the giants of family research will launch a campaign to connect parents and teachers with all of the research on benefits of quality early learning, and help them use it.

Next month, Family and Work Institute head Ellen Galinsky will kick off “A Mind in the Making,” an ambitious and multifaceted effort that will be the culmination of eight years of work on early childhood learning research, why kids lose interest in learning and what can be done to keep them engaged.

“Too many kids were dropping out of high school, too many are not prepared for college, and there is a disturbing lack of engagement in learning – the fire that burns brightly in babies’ eyes is dimmed in school,” Galinsky wrote in explaining her ideas and goals. “We have focused on content that young children need to learn, but we have paid much less attention to the learning – ultimately the life skills - they need to have.”

The core of the campaign is Galinsky’s soon-to-be released book “Mind in the Making: The Seven Essential Skills Every Child Needs,” which outlines modern skills parents should encourage their children to develop: Focus on control; perspective taking, communicating; making connections; critical thinking; taking on challenges; and pursuing ongoing learning. (April 6, HarperStudio.)

But, the campaign extends far beyond that 352-page book.  The effort includes a congressional launch event, learning modules for early childhood teachers and families, web-based videos for families, a DVD on great experiments in child development research and other efforts.

But, perhaps the most important tool will be lessons Galinsky will offer parents. Instead of telling them they should do something, she will show them steps and exercises they can take to instill those life skills that help children become productive contributing adults.

For example, parents should focus on praising their children’s efforts, not their talents.

“Studies have found that this kind of praise encourages children to challenge themselves,” The Seven Essential Life Skills Every Child Needs. “Life is full of stresses and challenges. Children who are willing to take on challenges (instead of avoiding them) do better in school and life.”

As one of the leading voices in the field of family research, Galinsky is more than qualified to lead this effort. She has written more than 40 books and reports, and currently is president of the Families and Work Institute in New York City. We will check back on this campaign as it unfolds.

Vaccine fears are back in the news today. Many parents are concerned about negative reactions to vaccines and one-quarter think these shots can cause autism, a new study found.

Overall, 54 percent of surveyed parents said they were concerned about “serious adverse effects of vaccines,” according to a story on the new research published today in Pediatrics, the journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics.  In addition, 25 percent agreed with the statement that “some vaccines cause autism in healthy children.”

That is the bad news. The good news is that the vast majority of parents (90 percent) agreed that vaccines are a good way to protect against disease, and 88 percent said they follow their doctor’s advice on shots, researchers said.

These findings come with a caveat. The work was done before a key study suggesting a link between autism and vaccines was retracted last month. But, widespread worry about vaccines shown in this new report suggests there is a bigger problem than one discounted study.

“Although information is available to address many vaccine safety concerns, such information is not reaching many parents in an effective or convincing manner,” researchers wrote in Parental Vaccine Safety Concerns in 2009. “Continued high childhood immunization rates will be at risk if current safety concerns are not addressed effectively and increase in the future, resulting in more parents’ refusing vaccines.”

Further reading: “1 in 4 Parents Thinks Shots Cause Autism.” Associated Press, via MSNBC.com, 3/1/10.

 

Research News: A expectant mother’s stress can affect a baby’s cognitive development, but a mom’s nurturing can offset the impact, “Good Parenting Triumphs Over Prenatal Stress.” Thanks to Early Childhood Brain Insights for highlighting the story.   

Children who live in poverty during the years before they enter kindergarten can struggle as adults because there is a link between living in poverty in those first years and earning less as an adult, according to a research report released over the weekend.

The study shows very tangible ways that poverty matters, and why it may matter more for children ages 0 to 5.

“The study suggests that a $3,000 annual increase in income between a child’s birth and fifth birthday is associated with 19 (percent) higher earnings and a 135-hour increase in annual work hours in adulthood.” – Research summary, Society for Research in Child Development.

The report went further, suggesting ways policymakers could use this new research, such as focusing on problems of “deep and persistent poverty early in childhood,” said lead author Greg Duncan, a professor of education at the University of California, Irvine.

“For example, income transfer policies might be designed to provide higher benefits to families with young, rather than older, children. This could be accomplished by increasing the existing child tax credit or raising benefit levels for such families or, given more severe budget constraints, reducing the allowances or benefits offered to families with older children in order to finance more generous support for families with young children,” Duncan said in the research summary.

This research was paired with another article that called for innovative new leadership in early learning that relies on emerging science and knowledge of healthy development.

There continues to be incredible breakthroughs in our knowledge of brain development. Harvard Professor Jack Shonkoff suggests a new “biodevelopmental model” and “science-based strategy” to help people succeed, in a commentary that ran in the January/February issue of Child Development.

“Positive early experiences play a role in strengthening brain architecture, while significant adversity damages brain circuits and undermines lifelong learning, behavior, and health. The later we wait to invest in children who are at the greatest risk, the more difficult the task,” Shonkoff wrote in an excerpt.

While many in the early learning world would agree with that assessment, Shonkoff takes another step, arguing that with so many leading policymakers now focused on early education issues it may be time for a new strategy.

“Together, these challenges underscore the need for a new era in early childhood policy and practice that’s guided by science and driven by bold leadership,” says Shonkoff.

I'll share the links to these stories with you when they become available in the coming week.

We have another report on detecting delays in infants. Babies with flathead syndrome scored lower on cognitive and gross motor skill tests in a new study, suggesting they could have developmental delays.

While some doctors may have considered flathead syndrome largely a cosmetic issue, “our study indicates that we should look deeper,” Matthew Speltz, chief of outpatient psychiatric services at Seattle Children’s Hospital, said in a research summary released this week.

“This suggests that babies with flat head syndrome should be screened and monitored for possible cognitive and motor delays. However, it’s also important to note that our study examined babies at one particular point in time, so we cannot say with certainty whether these observations continue to hold true as these infants grow older.”

While the findings are interesting and potentially important, researchers stressed more study is needed to discover if these delays are significant.

Over the last two decades, there has been a spike in flathead syndrome diagnoses, known as positional plagiocephaly. The rise may be tied partly to the fact that babies spend more time on their backs for many reasons, including the campaign to have infants sleep on their backs to combat Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), according to the research.

Researchers definitely do not want parents to stop having their babies sleep on their backs.

“Regardless of any suggestion of plagiocephaly or developmental delay, the safest way for babies to sleep still aligns with the Back-to-Sleep campaign’s recommendations to help prevent SIDS,” Speltz said.

The research team also warned they did not establish a causal link.  In fact, the reverse could be true that “…babies with pre-existing motor delays are more likely to end up with flatter heads because they may move less or remain in one stationary position for longer periods of time.”

Doctors and other experts may be able to screen babies’ motor skills development, such things as crawling and holding things – for signs they could need extra support in preschool, according to research released today.

Researchers found that failure to hit gross and fine motor skill milestones was associated with behavior and cognitive issues at age five, according to research from the Millennium Cohort Study, which the BBC News reported today.  

“We found that delay in gross and fine motor development in a child’s first year – which affects about one in ten children – was significantly associated with delayed cognitive development at age 5,” say researchers at the Institute of Education, University of London. “Delay in gross motor development also has a significant impact on the child’s behavioural adjustment at 5. This additional finding confirms the importance of screening for developmental delay before the first birthday.” – Research summary, “Simple tests in babyhood ‘could point to children who need help with learning” Centre for Longitudinal Studies, 2/17/10.

These U.K.-based researchers also found a measurable part of the achievement gap, discovering a difference by age five between children growing up in “persistent poverty” and those whose families did not rely on public assistance.

It amounted to 11 points on the cognitive ability scale – roughly the difference between the middle of the ability range and the top of the bottom quarter. – Research summary.

Not surprisingly, good parenting helps. A healthy mother-child relationship in a family struggling with poverty can benefit a child’s cognitive and behavioral development, according to the summary.

“Our findings also suggest that policy interventions aiming to promote positive development of children should provide support for parents too,” the researchers add. “If parents’ mental health and self-esteem are undermined by hardship this could affect their parenting and interactions with the child.”

Thanks to Pre-K Now for highlighting this research.