USING RESEARCH TO TRANSFORM EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION PROGRAMS

This paper will examine and analyze current misconceptions found in the research literature that perpetuate the status quo of inappropriate practices in early childhood education in the United States (U.S.). A second purpose is to propose a holistic approach to moving past current practices toward a more holistic vision of early childhood education. In this paper, an approach to moving past current practices toward a creative, democratic vision of early childhood education will be examined in detail. Implications for appropriate programs are gleaned from the research for early childhood programs in the U.S. Immigration policies, increasing numbers of immigrants in the US, and a recently enacted law in the State of Arizona has stirred up controversy about immigrants and their families. Most young children of the majority of immigrants, both legal and undocumented, are language minority students or children whose native language is not English (Garcia et al., 2009). Many of these children are limited in English, not ready to learn when they enter kindergarten, and at risk of academic failure. In July 2010, President Obama outlined a multitude of concerns about immigration policies and the increasing number of undocumented immigrants in the United States. Many children of immigrants, both legal and undocumented, are children who come from homes in which the native language is not English (Garcia & Cuellar, 2006). The number of language minority children in the U.S. has been estimated at more than 14 million from kindergarten through 12th grade (August & Shanahan, 2006). Researchers have found that the number of children from immigrant families is growing faster than any other population of children in the U.S. (Hernandez et al., 2008). Many of these students are English language learners (ELLs): Their English proficiency is not sufficient to enable them to learn to their full potential in a mainstream English classroom (Zehr, 2010). Most children from immigrant families are considered English language learners at some point in their lives particularly those that are ages three to ten (Garcia & Jensen, 2007). Recent statistics from the U.S. Department of Education estimate that more than five million school-age children in the U.S. are English language learners which represents ten percent of all kindergarten through 12th grade students (National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition, 2006).