U.S. Education Secretary Promotes Pre-K for Latinos

Posted on May 31, 2013 by Katherine Leal Unmuth

This week during a meeting with journalists, U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan raised concerns about the low enrollment rates of Latino children in preschool.

“Less than half of Hispanic children attend any kind of preschool — that’s kind of staggering,” Duncan said Wednesday, according to an article in The Washington Post. “This is the fastest-growing population and a lower-than-average participation rate.”

According to The Annie E. Casey Foundation’s annual Kids Count report, about 63 percent of Hispanics who were three and four year olds between 2008 and 2010 did not attend preschool. That’s a lower rate than the 53 percent average of students not attending preschool. It also was the lowest rate when compared with Asian, white, black, and Native American children.

Duncan said the roots of the problem can be attributed to challenges such as a lack of access to preschool, but also because Latino families are reluctant to enroll their children.

According to the Learning the Language blog, Duncan shared that when he led the Chicago Public Schools, evening kindergarten classes between 3-6 p.m. were offered in Latino communities where there were waiting lists for earlier classes.

“People thought we were crazy,” Duncan said, according to the blog. “But we had a huge take-up on that. You have to be creative about how you provide the opportunities.”

Duncan’s comments come as President Obama pushes for universal preschool for 4-year-olds. In his proposed budget, he wants the federal government to help pay for preschool for the states by increasing the federal tobacco tax. According to the Post, that could generate $75 billion over ten years.

A separate Washington Post article reported that several hundred business leaders sent a letter to Congress and the White House supporting more federal spending on preschool.

- “Business community shows support for preschool expansion in letter for Obama,” The Washington Post.

- “Education secretary says preschool is key for Latino success,” NBC Latino.

- “Arne Duncan Touts Advantages of Bilingualism,” Learning the Language Blog/Education Week.

- “Report: Fewer than Half of U.S. Children Attend Preschool,” Early Years Blog.

Ads Promote Autism Awareness Among Latinos

Posted on May 23, 2013 by Katherine Leal Unmuth

A new ad campaign from the group Autism Speaks is reaching out to Latino and African-American parents to generate greater awareness about autism and encourage earlier identification.

The “Maybe” PSA campaign includes TV and print ads in both English and Spanish. The ads outline key warning signs and behaviors a child with autism may exhibit, such as a preoccupation with objects and avoiding eye contact.

Last year, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) released a study showing large increases in the number of Latino and black children identified as autistic. The CDC estimated that there were about 7.9 diagnosed cases of autism per 1,000 Latino children, an increase of 110% over 2002. Despite that increase, prevalence is much higher among white (12.0) and black (10.2) children. The report noted that the wide variation between groups could be attributed to awareness levels in the communities.

The average age of diagnosis is four to five years. But the average age of diagnosis is higher among Latino, black and low-income children.

“Earlier diagnosis [is] so important because if we can get a child by 2 years old, in most cases, with help that child can go to regular kindergarten,” Liz Feld, president of Autism Speaks, told NBC Latino. “The window between 2-5 years old is the most important time to deal with treatment.”

- “Autism Cases Identified Among Hispanic Children on the Rise, CDC Says,” Latino Ed Beat.

- “Autism Speaks launches new campaign to reach Latino, black parents,” NBC Latino.

- “Prevalence of Austin Spectrum DIsorders in Hispanic and non-Hispanic White Children,” Pediatrics.

- Autism Speaks

Researchers Examine Dual Language Early Ed Learners

Posted on May 15, 2013 by Katherine Leal Unmuth

Researchers from the Center for Early Care and Early Education Research – Dual Language Learners at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, recently reviewed many studies to drawn conclusions about English language learners. The center’s research is funded in part by the Administration for Children and Families in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Researchers examined children ages zero to five who are learning two languages.

They found that dual language learners are not hurt by being exposed to two languages as they develop. However, their ability in each of the languages will vary based on when they were exposed to each and how often they are able to use the language.

Additionally, the dual language learners are behind other children in phonological skills as infants, but progress during preschool, and then catch up to other children.

Researchers also noted that while the bilingual childrens’ vocabulary in each separate language was smaller than that of children who spoke only one language, when the vocabularies of both languages are combined they become equal. Evidence also suggested that the dual language children began preschool with fewer literacy skills in English than the monolingual children.

Further research has shown that children who learn literacy at home in their first language are more successful in acquiring a second language. They also concluded that successful children are taught by teachers proficient in the child’s first language.

“Problems with DLLs’ development arise when they are not provided sufficient language learning opportunities and support for both languages,” the study says. “When [early childhood education] classrooms place emphasis solely on English development, DLLs’ development in their first language can decline and their abilities in English continue to fall behind those of their English speaking grade level peers.”

Researchers also concluded that bilingual children have many strengths as well, including an ability to focus more while working on nonverbal tasks such as math problems. They also found that bilingual children gain problem solving and memory skills because they must face the challenge of navigating between two languages.

- “Dual Language Learners: Research Informing Policy” Report, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

- Center for Early Care and Education Research – Dual Language Learners

California Migrant Pre-K Program Makes Inroads

Posted on April 4, 2013 by Katherine Leal Unmuth

The Central California Migrant Head Start programs can serve as a model of how to effectively welcome Latino families, reports EdSource Today. Children are taught in Spanish and English.

Latino families are less likely to enroll their children in preschool programs than other ethnic groups, but some programs are making inroads. In 2011, the program became one of ten early childhood programs from across the country to be named a Head Start Center of Excellence by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

“We know from 20 years of research that a lot of Latino parents prefer to use home-based care, and that preschools appear to be excessively formal and sometimes not inviting institutions,” University of California, Berkeley education professor Bruce Fuller told the media outlet.

The story describes how 3- and 4-year old children listened to the story of the three little pigs in Spanish–but discussed the story in both English and Spanish. Classroom tools are labeled in both English and Spanish as well.

The program also recruits parents at venues as diverse as churches, flea markets and on farm job sites.

Berta Sanchez said her three-year-old daughter is doing well in the program.

“My daughter knows her ABCs, she knows the song about the ‘little star’ and she can write her name,” Sanchez told EdSource Today.

Other programs making inroads with Latino families and improving early learning opportunities include Abriendo Puertas, HIPPY (Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters), and Avance.

Are school districts in your community involved in any similar efforts?

- “A winning Head Start: Program for children from migrant families gets national recognition,” Santa Cruz Sentinel.

- “NCLR Spotlights Four Pre-K Programs Successful With Latino Children,” Latino Ed Beat.

Program Educates Spanish-Speaking Childcare Providers

Posted on February 5, 2013 by Katherine Leal Unmuth

Many Latino children who are not yet of school age do not attend preschool–they spend their days in the care of family members, friends or neighbors.

With that in mind, the United Way of Weld County, Colorado, began offering the Providers Advancing School Outcomes, or PASO, program.

PASO targets Spanish-speaking childcare providers who care for children ages zero to 5 in their homes. The program works with providers who have little or no training in early childhood education. The goal is to provide them enough training so they can better prepare children for school and future academic success.

PASO is modeled after the Child Development Associate program, and includes 130 hours of training over a 15-month period. The training deals with topics including cognitive, language, social and motor skills.

The women also receive home visits from mentors known as “tias” (aunts) twice a month, to check on their progress with the children, each of which lasts about 90 minutes.

One example is Mexican immigrant Cecilia Carro, who watches her grandson Charlie and four other children.

“Since I’ve arrived here, I’ve always taken care of kids,” she told KUNC radio. “They grow up; younger ones come to take their place.”

Despite her years of caring for children, before she took part in the PASO program, she didn’t think about reading or teaching activities. Now, things have changed. She tries to focus on writing, reading and making crafts.

Programs such as this one are especially important given the recent emphasis on the importance of early education. According to the Annie E. Casey Foundation, between 2008 and 2010 about 63 percent of Hispanic three- and four-year olds were not in pre-K programs.

I found PASO an interesting twist on programs that work with Hispanic immigrant mothers to teach them how to become their child’s first teacher (such as AVANCE and HIPPY). The instruction models are very similar. But this program takes into account the fact that many immigrant mothers work. The mothers then turn to informal childcare providers who provide care for free or at a low cost, because they can’t afford professional daycare services.

“We have to meet families where they are, that’s the key,” Jeannine Truswell, president of the United Way of Weld County, told KUNC. “As agencies and organizations, we can’t expect to be sitting here and have people come to us.”

- “United Way, child care providers to increase Latino students’ success rates.” Greeley Tribune.

- FFN PASO Program.

Latino Preschoolers Show Social Strengths

Posted on January 25, 2013 by Katherine Leal Unmuth

Latino children may tend to begin preschool with a smaller vocabulary than white children, but some researchers say that doesn’t necessarily mean they lack social and emotional skills.

Part of that could possibly be traced back to the often warm and nurturing home environments that they come from. NPR reporter Claudio Sanchez recently reported on a University of California, Berkeley, and UCLA study that examined 4,700 Latino children when they were between the ages of two and five years old.

“We found that Latino kids bring to school strong emotional skills and strong social skills, which means they know how to share with their peers,” said Claudia Galindo, a sociologist at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, about the report‘s findings. “They know how to follow instructions. They know how to listen. And one other thing that we found is that these kids are being raised in very supportive and warm family environments.”

Bruce Fuller, one of the authors and an education professor at the University of California, Berkeley, said that it’s a mistake to view Latino children as slow or deficient. Education policy-makers mistakenly believe that the issue is “we need to fix the parenting skills,” he told NPR

In a commentary piece in The Next America written by study authors Fuller, Galindo and Alma Guerrero, the three described the childrens’ strengths. They observed that Mexican-American kindergartners “display robust cooperative skills, respect adults, and eagerly participate in classroom tasks, whether their behavior is judged by parents or teachers.”

Despite the parents’ nurturing skills, the children lagged. The researchers noted that Mexican mothers did not read as often to their children, which held back the children’s language and cognitive skills.

- “Study: Mexican American Children Don’t Lag in Social Skills,” Latino Ed Beat.

- “Opinion: Mexican-American Kids Have Better Social Skills, Misunderstood by Institution,” National Journal, The Next America.

- “Mexican American toddlers lag in pre-literacy skills, but not in their social skills, new study shows,” UC Berkeley News Center.

CDC Study Finds Obesity Common Among L.A. Preschoolers

Posted on January 18, 2013 by Katherine Leal Unmuth

A new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention finds that between 2003 and 2011, obesity rates among poor preschool-aged children in Los Angeles rose at one point to a high of 21 percent, according to a story by the Associated Press.

The study found that at the same time obesity rates among children in New York fell from 19 percent to 16 percent.

Sadly, the reason given for the higher rates in Los Angeles is that obesity rates among Mexican-American children are particularly high when compared with other groups, the AP reports.

The study found the obesity rate in LA was initially 17 percent, peaked to 21 percent in 2009, and then dropped to 20 percent.

The AP reported that researchers focused on three- and four-year olds who were enrolled in the WIC government program, which provides food vouchers to low income families. About 85 percent of children in the L.A. study were Hispanic, most of whom were Mexican-American. In New York, just 46 percent of the children studied were Hispanic, including not many Mexican-Americans.

According to the CDC, about 12 percent of all preschool-aged children are obese.

Study: Mexican American Children Don’t Lag in Social Skills

Posted on December 12, 2012 by Katherine Leal Unmuth

Mexican-American children may significantly lag behind white children in their early language and cognitive skills–but that doesn’t mean that they are struggling with social skills, according to findings by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, published this week in the Maternal Child Health Journal.

In fact, they find that there are no distinguishable differences in social skills between the two groups, despite economic disparities. They urge that educators and others to “not assume social-emotional delays, even when language or cognitive skills lag somewhat behind.”

According to a press release from UC Berkeley, the researchers included pediatricians, psychologists and a sociologist. The findings are from a sample of 4,700 children tracked for three years between the ages of two and five.

In previous findings, researchers have discovered that concluded that Mexican American children are read to less by their parents than white children and lag in their language skills as early as age two. They also found that despite the developmental gaps, Hispanic mothers have nurturing and warm interactions with their children.

- “The Social Organization of Early Education: Serving Latino Children and Families.” UC Berkeley Graduate School of Education.

- “Study finds Mexican mothers nurturing, but less likely to emphasize education.” Latino Ed Beat.

- “Hispanic Immigrants’ Children Fall Behind Peers Early, Study Finds.” The New York Times.

“Abriendo Puertas” Program to Expand in Chicago

Posted on November 26, 2012 by Katherine Leal Unmuth

The “Abriendo Puertas” program aims to empower Hispanic parents to be their children’s first teacher. The initiative, which stands for “Opening Doors” in English, targets parents in Spanish who have children ages zero to five years old.

The Latino Policy Forum recently announced an effort to expand the program’s reach in the Chicago area. The Forum, which has offered the program since 2010, plans on training 1,000 parents in the region by the end of its third year. About 540 parents have been trained since its inception.

Nationally, the program has sites in 31 states serving more than 22,000 families. Parents learn in ten sessions about topics including nutrition, parents as advocates and communication.

The Forum has tracked the attitudes of participating parents. Among the findings:

About 22 percent of parents were not confident about teaching their children language before going through the program, compared with 83 percent afterwards.
About 18 percent of parents said they knew “little” to “nothing” about school expectations at first, compared with 74 percent after completing the program.
About 98.5 percent of the parents felt confident about teaching their children before they enter kindergarten, after completing the program. This included basic skills such as counting, learning colors and letters.

A recent study by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, surveyed hundreds of parent participants and found that they improved their knowledge about early learning and brain development , developing literacy and helping their children be successful at school. They also came away more confident about their parenting skills.

The Policy Forum will be offering a workshop on how to train parents from Nov. 26-28 in Chicago. The group expects 14 organizations that serve Latinos to attend, including schools districts and nonprofit groups.

Other programs focusing on Latino parents with similar parent involvement models include HIPPY and AVANCE.

- “Abriendo Puertas” Program Gives Latino Parents a Boost. Latino Ed Beat.

- “Abriendo Puertas/Opening Doors Network.” National Head Start Association.

San Antonio Moves Forward With Pre-K 4 SA initiative

Posted on November 14, 2012 by Katherine Leal Unmuth

San Antonio is moving forward with plans to dramatically expand access to pre-K for low-income children, in hopes that the investment will result in raising the city’s education levels over time.

Last week, voters approved a one-eighth cent sales tax increase to fund the Pre-K 4 SA initiative.

The measure is a passion project of Mayor Julián Castro. He campaigned hard for its passage, even mentioning the importance of pre-K as a smart investment in a keynote speech he gave at the Democratic National Convention. Castro proposed the initiative after a city-commissioned task force recommended that expanding early learning would have the greatest positive impact on improving education levels in the city.

According to the mayor’s office, there are about 5,700 4-year-olds in San Antonio who are eligible for state-funded pre-K but are not enrolled in full-day programs. Some are not enrolled in any programs and others are in half-day programs. Officials estimate that the funding raised by the tax increase could provide full-day classes to more than 22,000 children over the next eight years. The city plans to open four education centers of excellence with classrooms, rooms for use by parents and teacher training space.

The San Antonio Express-News reported that the tax should generate about $31 million a year, which could serve about 3,700 children each year.

The San Antonio initiative represents a substantial commitment to improving access that Hispanic children have to pre-K classes. Hispanic children lag other groups in participation rates in preschool.

Latinos comprised about 91 percent of the roughly 55,000 students attending the San Antonio Independent School District in 2011. About 93 percent of the district’s students are classified as economically disadvantaged. The district plans on working with the city on carrying out the plan.

The Express-News reported that voters in more heavily Latino and black precincts tended to favor the measure far more than those living in areas with mostly white voters. Voters from low through middle income levels supported the measure more than those in affluent areas. The measure passed with about 54 percent of the vote.

“Folks from across the city made a great decision to invest in education today so that we can be more economically prosperous tomorrow,” Castro told the newspaper. “I am proud of the broad coalition behind the effort. It showed that in San Antonio, we’re working well together to accomplish important things for our city.”

Related Links:

- Pre-K 4 San Antonio

- “Pre-K wheels are turning in election’s wake.” San Antonio Express-News.

- “Pre-K plan stimulated important decision.” San Antonio Express-News.

- “Pre-K support was tied to income.” San Antonio Express-News.

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Category Archives: Early Childhood and Preschool