Early Childhood Blog

Early Years

Staff writer Christina A. Samuels and Contributing Writer Marva Hinton provided insight, news, and analysis on early-childhood education. This blog is no longer being updated, but you can continue to explore these issues on edweek.org by visiting our related topic pages: early childhood.

Early Childhood Louisiana Hopes New Early-Childhood Credential Will Professionalize Workforce
The credential, which will be required of new lead preschool teachers in 2019, requires recipients to do practice teaching and to receive mentoring and coaching.
Marva Hinton, May 31, 2018
3 min read
Early Childhood Survey Finds Majority of K-3 Teachers Feel Unity With Preschool Educators
Two-thirds of K-3 teachers view themselves as early-childhood educators and three-quarters support creation of a unified, aligned system of early-childhood education from birth to age 8.
Marva Hinton, May 18, 2018
3 min read
Education Funding Mapping Tool Created to Find Child-Care Gaps Expands Beyond Philadelphia
The creators of a mapping program developed to find where child care was needed most in Philadelphia are bringing the tool to other areas in that region and beyond.
Marva Hinton, May 11, 2018
3 min read
Early Childhood Minnesota Education Leaders Grapple with Findings from Early-Ed. Audit
An audit of the early-childhood education offerings in Minnesota finds complexity and fragmentation as well as a lack of data about program effectiveness.
Marva Hinton, May 7, 2018
2 min read
Early Childhood Kansas City, Mo., Business Leaders Hope to Educate Public About Early Learning
An initiative backed by the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce is providing resources to families in an effort to teach them about the importance of quality, early-childhood education.
Marva Hinton, May 4, 2018
3 min read
Professional Development Group Releases Redesigned Early-Ed. Professional Development Program
The revamped, online professional development program was produced by Too Small to Fail and will allow early-childhood educators to earn training hours toward a Child Development Associate credential.
Marva Hinton, April 27, 2018
2 min read
Early Childhood Is Preschool 'Fade Out' Inevitable? Two Studies Zero In on the Issue
Sustaining the early boost that children receive from preschool will required focused and sustained work, says two studies that examine the issue of preschool "fadeout."
Christina A. Samuels, April 25, 2018
4 min read
Early Childhood Infants, Toddlers Focus of New Investment from Pritzker Children's Initiative
The work will support communities as they create robust child-care systems for chidren from birth to 3 years old.
Christina A. Samuels, April 25, 2018
2 min read
Student Well-Being & Movement Elementary School Teachers Can Improve Students' Mental Health, Study Finds
A new study has found that elementary teachers are effective at helping students significantly reduce mental health problems such as anxiety and attention disorders.
Marva Hinton, April 24, 2018
2 min read
Early Childhood Study Finds Big Early-Ed. Pay Gaps in Washington, D.C., Area
Urban Institute researchers found that on average entry-level kindergarten teachers in Washington, D.C., make $12 more per hour than early-childhood educators at all levels in the region.
Marva Hinton, April 19, 2018
2 min read
Early Childhood More Children Enrolled in Pre-K, But Few States Meet All Benchmarks, Report Says
The National Institute for Early Education Research says that, on average, states serve more than a third of their 4-year-olds in state-funded early-childhood education programs.
Marva Hinton, April 18, 2018
3 min read
Early Childhood New Report Details Role Head Start Plays in Country's Rural Communities
The report by the Center for American Progress found that Head Start plays a vital role in supporting families who live in rural communities, which are more likely to be child-care deserts.
Marva Hinton, April 11, 2018
4 min read
Education Canada's Most Populous Province Offers Free Child Care Starting in 2020
In Ontario, children from two-and-a-half to kindergarten age will be able to attend free, full-day licensed child care year-round starting in 2020.
Marva Hinton, April 5, 2018
2 min read
Early Childhood New Study Suggests Engaging Children in Conversation to Boost Language Skills
The study led by researchers at MIT, Harvard, and the University of Pennsylvania suggests that the number of conversations parents have with their children is more important than the number of words they use.
Marva Hinton, March 30, 2018
2 min read