Early Childhood Care & Education

What is it like to be a Child Care Service Owner? In this Career Q&A video interview, Jean Hawks talks about her career path, what she does on the job, and the keys to success in child care services. She also offers candid advice on breaking into the profession as well as insight into the industry’s biggest challenges and how the field may change in the next ten years.

In the year 2000, producers for the BBC began documenting the growth and development of 25 newborn children from a wide range of social, ethnic, and geographical backgrounds. This 12-part series shows viewers the results so far, capturing pivotal stages in each child’s learning process, manner of socialization, and physical development. Students of child psychology, early childhood education, and multicultural education will encounter detailed information and numerous case studies in these programs, while course instructors will find a wealth of material with which to launch lectures and discussions. A BBC/Open University Co-production. Original broadcast title: Child of Our Time. 12-part series, 60 minutes each.

In Boston public schools, 3, 4 and 5-year-olds are getting their first introduction to math. Before they walk through the kindergarten door, the Building Blocks curriculum is designed to encourage very young children to think and talk about math concepts throughout the days, by providing lessons through innovative games. Special correspondent Cat Wise reports.

Eating, napping, playing, exploring objects and people—all infants and toddlers do these things but have varying personal routines from day to day. When caregivers provide consistent but flexible daily schedules and caregiving support, they let children know their needs are met, freeing the children to investigate their world. This program begins with an overview of an infant-toddler daily schedule that includes arrivals and departures, group times, feedings and mealtimes, personal care times, and choice time. It offers strategies for creating a daily schedule that is stable yet flexible enough to meet young children's needs. It also shows caregivers supporting children throughout the daily schedule in a series of un-narrated scenes.

Although preschool can provide children with a vital foundation for success later in life, only 43 percent of four-year-olds nationwide have access to public preschool. The rate varies widely, with no options available in some rural and low-income areas, sometimes called "childcare deserts." But a community outside Denver has found an innovative way to bring education to kids. Amna Nawaz reports.

A study suggesting the benefits of pre-K may not be long-lasting has sparked debate in Tennessee, where proposals for state-funded, universal programs are an issue in this year's governor's race. What’s behind the finding, and what are the keys to quality early education? John Yang reports from Memphis.