Autumn Carter

ECE 201

Types of Programs

September 13, 2016

 Parent Cooperative Schools were first seen in 1915. The program is

organized and run only by parents. This makes it so parents can be involved

in their childs education journey. This means that the parents obviously play

a big role in this program. They create the program and are involved in the

program. The parents hire the teacher, they buy all the school supplies, raise

funds for the program and manage the budget. The parents want to make

sure that everything for their child goes the way they want it to. A

professional teacher is hired in this program. The parents want to make sure

the best teacher they can find. The teacher needs to be able to work well

with the parents as well as be good with the children. They have two main

roles, they are to provide an exceptional education experience for the

children and to guide and direct the childrens parents in their learning

(Gordon, 2008, pg. 53).

Development is very crucial in this program. The parents get the best

teacher and best curriculum based on their groups needs. The parents want

to see their children succeed, so getting the best teacher and the best

curriculum is what they will do in order to help their child (Cooperative

Preschools, 2010). The environment of this program is a classroom setting,

which not only has a teacher, but has the parents as well. The parents rotate

out on who will help out that week. The parents want to see their children

have the best program. As well as always be there with their children along

the way. The program is very hands-on so the parents and the teacher can

work with the children.

 This program fits well into education today. Too many times parents

drop their children off at an early childhood facility and then dont pick them

up until 6:00. This program is all about the parents and the children being

together in the classroom. The family is important and being in class with

your children can be a good thing.

Nursery school traces back to the 1800s when Robert Owen in

Scotland opened the first school for infants. As years passed, more countries,

including the United States began opening up Nursery Schools (Brehony,

n.d.). Nursery school is mainly for children aged 2 - 5 years of age.

According to the book, Beginnings and Beyond, the definition of nursery

school exemplifies a developmental approach to learning where children

explore materials and where activities and learning centers are there to meet

a childs interests and skills. This program is closest to what is called

Preschool (Gordon, 2008, pg. 46-47).

Parents dont typically play a role in nursery school, unless they are the

main teacher or the teachers assistant. Nursery school typically lasts

anywhere from a few hours to an all day program. The parents tend to drop

their children off at nursery school and then pick them up when they get out

of work. The teacher plays a huge role in nursery school. Most programs are

half-day learning and then extended after-school care. During the half-day

the teacher does many activities with the children, whether it be during

carpet time, where a book is read or a song is sung. The teacher also does

small group activities with the children. This way the children arent only
learning from play. During after-school care, the teacher sometimes leaves

and only teacher assistants are left. This time is usually a free for all for the

children to play inside or outside (Gordon, 2008, pg. 46-47).

Its main developmental focus is on the childs social skills and

emotional well-being. The program focuses a lot on the childs self-

expression through language, creativity and physical activity. Nursery school

focuses a lot on how a child can communicate with other children and adults

(Gordon, 2008, pg. 46-47). Children learn lots through play, and while

children are nursery school, they get plenty of time to go outside. Even

though they are usually playing on a playground, they are learning by using

their senses. It also isnt the typical classroom, so the chance of the child

being more aware is greater, therefore noticing more around them. Nursery

school fits great in education today. It is what is the most known today, as it

is compared and alike with preschool and lots of parents today use nursery

type school.

Head Start was established in 1965, created by the federal government

and was the largest publicly funded education program for young children.

The program was designed to focus on low-income families who had infants

and toddlers. Head Start is attributed to its objectives and principles, which

are its comprehensive nature, the parent participation and involvement, the

services to families, its community collaboration, the multicultural and

multiracial education, the inclusion of children who have special needs and

the ecology of the family (Gordon, 2008, pg. 50-52).

Parents play a big role in the Head Start program. There are services to

help assist those in their fight against poverty. There are even paid jobs for

the parents as well as education for them. Parents can also participate with

their children in the classroom and can participate in things that have to do

with the classroom. Head Start largely focuses on the family, and helps the

children and parents know that family is important (Gordon, 2008, pg. 50-

52). The teacher plays a big role in a Head Start classroom. Not only is the

teacher helping and teaching the children, they are also helping and

teaching their parents. A Head Start teacher is known to have a very tough

job due to all their roles. The teachers are there to make sure all are getting

proper education and are making sure the children in their classrooms are

succeeding.

Head Start focuses a lot on the development of the children. This is

due to the fact that Head Start focuses on low-income families. They want to

help those that are in need, and help with their developmental needs.

Helping young children early is beneficial and can even predict how their

future might be; therefore Head Start is a great program for children who are

in poverty (History of Head Start, 2015). The environmental focus for Head

Start is a mainly about space. This program wants to make sure it isnt a

lecture style classroom for the children. It is important that this program

focuses on the play aspect and the hands-on activity aspect. Children dont
learn enough at a young age if the teacher is talking at them the whole day;

this setting is very helpful for young children.

Although this program struggles today, it could be super beneficial.

There are still many people in poverty today that cant afford education for

their children, so if this program was still going strong it could help young

children grow to be successful.

Montessori was created about a century ago by a women names Dr.

Maria Montessori. Her goal was to foster a childs natural inclination to learn.

Montessori is an innovative and child-centered approach to education.

(Montessori Education, 2016)

Parents arent usually involved in a Montessori classroom. This is

similar to the Nursery approach where you drop your child off and they will

learn in the classroom. Montessoris goals for children are often in

alignment with a parents own goals for their children (Parents, n.d.). The

teacher is there to guide instead of instruct to help the children find activities

that are right for them and help meet their interest, needs and

developmental levels. The classroom is designed for the students to

collaborate and move around, instead of sit at a table all day. It usually

difficult to find the teacher if you were to walk in to a Montessori classroom,

due to the fact that she is sitting with a child and learning with them.

(Montessori Education, 2016)

 When Maria Montessori created this program, it was known to her that

a childs developmental milestones are very important. She program up the

program of the developmental stages into three stages. The stage for

children happens from birth to age six, which is the time of the construction

of individuality and the absorbent mind. This means that the children are

learning lots and they are soaking a lot of it in (Jay, 2016). Children today

hardly have any time in nature. Montessoris want to help the children learn

more about what is in nature and to learn more about the environment. They

dont want the children stuck in classrooms all day, the more running around

they can do, the better.

Montessori is still very popular today and can be found worldwide. The

popularity of it shows how useful it is to children. Making sure the children

have hands on learning and collaborative learning is important and

Montessoris go above and beyond when it comes to the child-centered

approach.

The Reggio Emilia program originated in Reggio Emilia, Italy due to a

movement towards cooperative and progressive early childhood programs.

This program is designed to help everyone due to the fact that every

student, parent, and teacher have different interests and learn in different

ways (Young, 2008).

The parents dont play as much of a role in this approach. The parents

get to have a say in how the program is run and what curriculum is used and
how it is working for the children. They get to attend frequent meetings, but

otherwise they arent often seen inside the classroom. They mainly give their

voice in how they want to see their children learning (Young, 2008). There is

a teacher in this approach, but they are only there to guide and mentor the

children. This approach doesnt have curriculum and lesson plans arent

thought out much ahead of time. This approach is more for the children to

explore new surroundings and ask questions and see what interests them.

This approach is very child-led (Reggio Emilia Approach, n.d.).

The development of the children in this program, it really focuses on

the child and how they construct their own knowledge. The program wants to

see the children really understand themselves and work with others. A child

using their social skills is very important, and too often today that doesnt

happen. Children in classrooms today unfortunately listen to the teacher

lecture too much. The environment is known to inspire children and is

considered a third teacher in the Reggio Emilia approach. This is because

children can go outside and use new materials and have as much space to

learn. Children can use and build their exploration skills as well as their

communication skills while they are outside (Reggio Emilia Approach, n.d.).

This is a good theory to have today because a huge focus is the

collaboration of the children. Having a collaborative classroom with young

children is super important because this means the children get to interact

with their friends and spend time learning with their friends. This approach
helps build social skills and that is an important skill to begin at a young age

(Young, 2008).

Resources

Brehony, K. J. (2008). Nursery Schools. Retrieved from

http://www.faqs.org/childhood
/Me-Pa/Nursery-Schools.html

Cooperative Preschools - Is this for My Family? (2010). Retrieved from

http://www.
preschools.coop/v/cooperative-preschools/

Gordon, A. M., Browne, K. W., & Cruz, J. (2008). Beginnings and beyond:
Foundations in early childhood education. Clifton Park, NY: Thomson
Delmar Learning.

History of Head Start. (2015, June 22). Retrieved from http://www.acf.hhs.gov

/ohs/about/history-of-head-start

Jay, E. (2016). Stages of Development and How Children Learn - Montessori

Teacher Training and Parent Resources. Retrieved from
http://ageofmontessori.org/stages- of-development-how-children-learn/

Montessori Education. (2016). Retrieved from http://amshq.org/Montessori-

Education

Parents. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://montessori-nw.org/parent-resources/

What is the Reggio Emilia Approach? | An Everyday Story. (n.d.). Retrieved

from http://www.aneverydaystory.com/beginners-guide-to-reggio-
emilia/main- principles/

Young, J. (2008). The Reggio Emilia Approach to Preschool Education.

Retrieved from http://www.youngschool.com/news-08.html#.V9dINjv4PzI