Wednesday, December 11, "Early Childhood Education: The Word Gap & The Common Core"

Print this Article | Send to Colleague

Given states' difficulties in implementing the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) thoughtfully, many early childhood educators have begun to worry about what the NAEYC refers to as "a downward pressure of increased academic focus and more narrowed instructional approaches." But, as the NAEYC's statement on the CCSS also observed, that "threat also provides an opportunity" for early education to exert more positive, "upward pressure" on the K-12 system.

Could the recent attention to the "30 Million Word Gap," by Hillary Clinton, The New York Times, the Bloomberg Foundation, and others, including the Shanker Institute, represent one such opportunity? Could a focus on oral language development and a systematic, developmentally-appropriate approach to building background knowledge in the early years be the key to moving the nation closer to the goals of the Common Core?

Panelists:

Helen Blank, Director of Childcare and Early Learning, National Women's Law Center (Moderator)

Barbara Bowman, Cofounder and Interim President of External Affairs, Erikson Institute; former Chief Early Childhood Education Officer for Chicago Public Schools

Susan Neuman, Professor of Early Childhood & Literacy Education, Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, & Human Development at NYU; former U.S. Assistant Secretary of Elementary & Secondary Education, US Department of Education

Deborah Phillips, Professor, Department of Psychology, Georgetown University

To be held from NOON to 2:00 p.m. at AFT Headquarters,

555 New Jersey Ave., N.W., Washington, D.C.

Lunch will be served; Seating is limited;