Getting It Right From the Start

The Principal’s Guide to Early Childhood Education
Marjorie J. Kostelnik - University of Nebraska, Lincoln, USA
Marilyn L. Grady - University of Nebraska, Lincoln, USA
Getting It Right From the Start
March 2009 | 344 pages | Corwin
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Paperback
ISBN: 9781412949507
Available from January 0001

Description

"The day of preschool-aged children fully immersed in the public schools will be as common as kindergarten in the very near future. (And in many states, that day is here!) As principals prepare to embrace and successfully guide the addition of preschool children, families, and staff, they will need support and guidance in their new role as an early childhood/elementary principal. This book provides principals with exceptional support, guidance, and action plans to make their transition seamless."
—Ginger L. Zierdt, Director, Center for School-University Partnerships
Minnesota State University, Mankato

"In one relatively small volume, the authors have organized information on just about everything a school leader needs to get a well-designed program off the ground and make sure it will get better as time goes on."
—Harriet A. Egertson, Early Childhood Consultant
Early Childhood Assessment Consortium, Council of Chief State School Officers

"This book is a tremendous resource for principals. As a former elementary principal, I wish I had this book to help me better understand and support the preschool classrooms in my building! Now as an education program evaluator and researcher, I realize how little I knew then about best practices in early childhood. This book will help principals better understand the components of learning through play, intentional design of classroom environments to foster learning, and the value of partnering with families."
—Lisa St. Clair, Nebraska PIRC Director and Assistant Professor of Pediatrics
Munroe-Meyer Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center

Prepare our youngest students for future learning success with effective ECE programs!

To ensure that young children are ready to enter kindergarten, elementary schools are becoming increasingly involved in early childhood education (ECE), and more and more principals have to deal with ECE issues. Now this practical manual shows principals what successful ECE programs look like—and how to achieve quality results in their schools and communities.

The authors provide an inside view of the field, touching on key areas of operation and discussing ways to avoid common pitfalls. Blending research-based content with practical applications, this accessible guide helps principals and other administrators:

  • Gain a foundational understanding of how very young children learn
  • Create quality environments and practices for teaching early learners
  • Provide the kind of feedback staff need to improve
  • Work successfully with ECE agencies and providers
  • Easily implement the strategies outlined using reproducible forms, templates, and checklists

This comprehensive resource presents the information principals need to become key players in educating our nation's youngest learners!

Contents

Preface

Preface

About the Authors

  • 1. Early Childhood Education: An Expanding Enterprise!
  • Increasing Family Demand
  • Early Learning Imperatives
  • Children at Risk of School Failure
  • Reducing the Achievement Gap: Starting Early
  • Early Childhood Education: A Sound Investment
  • Principals’ Roles: Laying the Groundwork
  • 2. Quality Makes ALL the Difference
  • The Corrosive Impact of Poor Quality
  • High-Quality Defined
  • Leadership and High Quality
  • Becoming an Early Childhood Leader
  • Principals’ Roles: Achieving High Quality
  • 3. Breaking New Ground: Getting Involved in Early Childhood Education
  • What Exactly Is Early Childhood Education?
  • Becoming Familiar With Early Childhood Culture
  • School Principals as Culture Brokers
  • Principals’ Roles: Getting Involved in Early Childhood Education
  • 4. Early Childhood Education: Stakeholders
  • Identifying the Stakeholder
  • Collaboration
  • Give Voice to Stakeholders
  • Actions and Considerations
  • Principals’ Roles: Working With Stakeholders
  • 5. Developmentally Appropriate Practice
  • Fundamental Principles of DAP
  • Developmentally Inappropriate Practice (DIP)
  • Applying DAP Requires Judgment
  • The Sounds of DAP!
  • Empirical Support for DAP
  • Common Questions About DAP
  • Principals’ Roles: Supporting DAP
  • 6. The Principal’s Guide to How Young Children Develop and Learn
  • The Essential Nature of Young Children
  • How Young Children Develop
  • How Young Children Learn
  • What Children Are Learning
  • Principals’ Roles: Supporting Child Development and Learning
  • 7. Early Childhood Curriculum
  • What Constitutes the Early Childhood Curriculum?
  • ‘Goodness of Fit’ Between Early Education and Later Schooling
  • Implementing the Early Childhood Curriculum
  • Activities to Look for in Early Childhood Classrooms
  • Principal’s Roles: Curriculum
  • 8. Learning Centers & Classroom Routines
  • Typical Learning Centers for Young Children
  • Skills Teachers Need to Run Effective Centers
  • How Classroom Routines Support Curricular Goals
  • A Typical Day for Children
  • Principals’ Roles: Centers and Routines
  • 9. Early Childhood Assessment
  • Key Considerations
  • Authentic Assessment
  • Strategies to Guide Learning and Improve Instruction
  • Strategies for Identifying Children’s Special Needs
  • Assessing Early Childhood Programs and Learning Contexts
  • Pros and Cons of Standardized Assessment
  • The Principals’ Roles: Promoting Authentic Assessment
  • 10. Early Childhood Education: Family Involvement
  • Through the Eyes of the Families
  • Looking Inside and Looking Outside
  • Suggestions for Families
  • Through the Eyes of Teachers
  • Parents Want Communication With the School
  • Family Roles
  • Principals’ Roles: Family Involvement
  • 11. Early Childhood Teachers
  • Teachers Matter
  • The Critical Function of Principals
  • Characteristics of ‘Good’ Teachers
  • Formal Teacher Qualifications
  • Translating Teacher Standards Into Practice
  • Principals’ Roles: Supporting Early Childhood Teachers
  • 12. Finding and Keeping Good Teachers
  • Shortage of Qualified Early Childhood Teachers
  • Looking for Teachers to Support Diverse Children and Families
  • Reducing Staff Turnover
  • Principals’ Roles: Hiring and Retaining Good Teachers
  • 13. Physical Environments That Support Early Learning
  • Environmental Propositions
  • How Physical Environments Influence Child Development and Learning
  • Fundamentals of Environmental Planning
  • Physical Requirements of Activity-Based Instruction
  • Equipping Early Childhood Classrooms
  • The Great Outdoors!
  • Principals’ Roles: Creating Optimal Early Learning Environments
  • 14. Early Childhood Education: Funding
  • Funding Sources
  • History of Federal Funding
  • State Funding
  • Local Funding
  • Start-Up Costs
  • Administrator Voices
  • Principals’ Roles: Funding
  • 15. Action Summary
  • Tool A. Learning Center Checklist
  • Tool B. Key Instruments Used Nationally for Evaluation of Children in ECE Programs
  • Tool C. Daily Literacy Checklist P3
  • Tool D. Daily Numeracy Checklist P3
  • Tool E. Guidelines for Structuring Informative On-Site Observations
  • Tool F. Sample Interview Questions for Teacher Candidates
  • Tool G. Early Childhood Safety & Health Checklist
  • Tool H. Physical Requirements of Small Group Activity Centers
  • Tool I. ECE Classroom Equipment List
  • Tool J. Indoor Environment Checklist

References

References

Index

Index

Additional materials

Description

"The day of preschool-aged children fully immersed in the public schools will be as common as kindergarten in the very near future. (And in many states, that day is here!) As principals prepare to embrace and successfully guide the addition of preschool children, families, and staff, they will need support and guidance in their new role as an early childhood/elementary principal. This book provides principals with exceptional support, guidance, and action plans to make their transition seamless."
—Ginger L. Zierdt, Director, Center for School-University Partnerships
Minnesota State University, Mankato

"In one relatively small volume, the authors have organized information on just about everything a school leader needs to get a well-designed program off the ground and make sure it will get better as time goes on."
—Harriet A. Egertson, Early Childhood Consultant
Early Childhood Assessment Consortium, Council of Chief State School Officers

"This book is a tremendous resource for principals. As a former elementary principal, I wish I had this book to help me better understand and support the preschool classrooms in my building! Now as an education program evaluator and researcher, I realize how little I knew then about best practices in early childhood. This book will help principals better understand the components of learning through play, intentional design of classroom environments to foster learning, and the value of partnering with families."
—Lisa St. Clair, Nebraska PIRC Director and Assistant Professor of Pediatrics
Munroe-Meyer Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center

Prepare our youngest students for future learning success with effective ECE programs!

To ensure that young children are ready to enter kindergarten, elementary schools are becoming increasingly involved in early childhood education (ECE), and more and more principals have to deal with ECE issues. Now this practical manual shows principals what successful ECE programs look like—and how to achieve quality results in their schools and communities.

The authors provide an inside view of the field, touching on key areas of operation and discussing ways to avoid common pitfalls. Blending research-based content with practical applications, this accessible guide helps principals and other administrators:

  • Gain a foundational understanding of how very young children learn
  • Create quality environments and practices for teaching early learners
  • Provide the kind of feedback staff need to improve
  • Work successfully with ECE agencies and providers
  • Easily implement the strategies outlined using reproducible forms, templates, and checklists

This comprehensive resource presents the information principals need to become key players in educating our nation's youngest learners!

Contents

Preface

Preface

About the Authors

  • 1. Early Childhood Education: An Expanding Enterprise!
  • Increasing Family Demand
  • Early Learning Imperatives
  • Children at Risk of School Failure
  • Reducing the Achievement Gap: Starting Early
  • Early Childhood Education: A Sound Investment
  • Principals’ Roles: Laying the Groundwork
  • 2. Quality Makes ALL the Difference
  • The Corrosive Impact of Poor Quality
  • High-Quality Defined
  • Leadership and High Quality
  • Becoming an Early Childhood Leader
  • Principals’ Roles: Achieving High Quality
  • 3. Breaking New Ground: Getting Involved in Early Childhood Education
  • What Exactly Is Early Childhood Education?
  • Becoming Familiar With Early Childhood Culture
  • School Principals as Culture Brokers
  • Principals’ Roles: Getting Involved in Early Childhood Education
  • 4. Early Childhood Education: Stakeholders
  • Identifying the Stakeholder
  • Collaboration
  • Give Voice to Stakeholders
  • Actions and Considerations
  • Principals’ Roles: Working With Stakeholders
  • 5. Developmentally Appropriate Practice
  • Fundamental Principles of DAP
  • Developmentally Inappropriate Practice (DIP)
  • Applying DAP Requires Judgment
  • The Sounds of DAP!
  • Empirical Support for DAP
  • Common Questions About DAP
  • Principals’ Roles: Supporting DAP
  • 6. The Principal’s Guide to How Young Children Develop and Learn
  • The Essential Nature of Young Children
  • How Young Children Develop
  • How Young Children Learn
  • What Children Are Learning
  • Principals’ Roles: Supporting Child Development and Learning
  • 7. Early Childhood Curriculum
  • What Constitutes the Early Childhood Curriculum?
  • ‘Goodness of Fit’ Between Early Education and Later Schooling
  • Implementing the Early Childhood Curriculum
  • Activities to Look for in Early Childhood Classrooms
  • Principal’s Roles: Curriculum
  • 8. Learning Centers & Classroom Routines
  • Typical Learning Centers for Young Children
  • Skills Teachers Need to Run Effective Centers
  • How Classroom Routines Support Curricular Goals
  • A Typical Day for Children
  • Principals’ Roles: Centers and Routines
  • 9. Early Childhood Assessment
  • Key Considerations
  • Authentic Assessment
  • Strategies to Guide Learning and Improve Instruction
  • Strategies for Identifying Children’s Special Needs
  • Assessing Early Childhood Programs and Learning Contexts
  • Pros and Cons of Standardized Assessment
  • The Principals’ Roles: Promoting Authentic Assessment
  • 10. Early Childhood Education: Family Involvement
  • Through the Eyes of the Families
  • Looking Inside and Looking Outside
  • Suggestions for Families
  • Through the Eyes of Teachers
  • Parents Want Communication With the School
  • Family Roles
  • Principals’ Roles: Family Involvement
  • 11. Early Childhood Teachers
  • Teachers Matter
  • The Critical Function of Principals
  • Characteristics of ‘Good’ Teachers
  • Formal Teacher Qualifications
  • Translating Teacher Standards Into Practice
  • Principals’ Roles: Supporting Early Childhood Teachers
  • 12. Finding and Keeping Good Teachers
  • Shortage of Qualified Early Childhood Teachers
  • Looking for Teachers to Support Diverse Children and Families
  • Reducing Staff Turnover
  • Principals’ Roles: Hiring and Retaining Good Teachers
  • 13. Physical Environments That Support Early Learning
  • Environmental Propositions
  • How Physical Environments Influence Child Development and Learning
  • Fundamentals of Environmental Planning
  • Physical Requirements of Activity-Based Instruction
  • Equipping Early Childhood Classrooms
  • The Great Outdoors!
  • Principals’ Roles: Creating Optimal Early Learning Environments
  • 14. Early Childhood Education: Funding
  • Funding Sources
  • History of Federal Funding
  • State Funding
  • Local Funding
  • Start-Up Costs
  • Administrator Voices
  • Principals’ Roles: Funding
  • 15. Action Summary
  • Tool A. Learning Center Checklist
  • Tool B. Key Instruments Used Nationally for Evaluation of Children in ECE Programs
  • Tool C. Daily Literacy Checklist P3
  • Tool D. Daily Numeracy Checklist P3
  • Tool E. Guidelines for Structuring Informative On-Site Observations
  • Tool F. Sample Interview Questions for Teacher Candidates
  • Tool G. Early Childhood Safety & Health Checklist
  • Tool H. Physical Requirements of Small Group Activity Centers
  • Tool I. ECE Classroom Equipment List
  • Tool J. Indoor Environment Checklist

References

References

Index

Index

Additional materials

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Getting It Right From the Start

The Principal’s Guide to Early Childhood Education

Marjorie J. Kostelnik , Marilyn L. Grady
Cancel Print

March 2009 | 344 pages | Corwin

Format Published Date ISBN Price
Paperback 27/02/2023 9781412949507 $45.95

"The day of preschool-aged children fully immersed in the public schools will be as common as kindergarten in the very near future. (And in many states, that day is here!) As principals prepare to embrace and successfully guide the addition of preschool children, families, and staff, they will need support and guidance in their new role as an early childhood/elementary principal. This book provides principals with exceptional support, guidance, and action plans to make their transition seamless."
—Ginger L. Zierdt, Director, Center for School-University Partnerships
Minnesota State University, Mankato

"In one relatively small volume, the authors have organized information on just about everything a school leader needs to get a well-designed program off the ground and make sure it will get better as time goes on."
—Harriet A. Egertson, Early Childhood Consultant
Early Childhood Assessment Consortium, Council of Chief State School Officers

"This book is a tremendous resource for principals. As a former elementary principal, I wish I had this book to help me better understand and support the preschool classrooms in my building! Now as an education program evaluator and researcher, I realize how little I knew then about best practices in early childhood. This book will help principals better understand the components of learning through play, intentional design of classroom environments to foster learning, and the value of partnering with families."
—Lisa St. Clair, Nebraska PIRC Director and Assistant Professor of Pediatrics
Munroe-Meyer Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center

Prepare our youngest students for future learning success with effective ECE programs!

To ensure that young children are ready to enter kindergarten, elementary schools are becoming increasingly involved in early childhood education (ECE), and more and more principals have to deal with ECE issues. Now this practical manual shows principals what successful ECE programs look like—and how to achieve quality results in their schools and communities.

The authors provide an inside view of the field, touching on key areas of operation and discussing ways to avoid common pitfalls. Blending research-based content with practical applications, this accessible guide helps principals and other administrators:

  • Gain a foundational understanding of how very young children learn
  • Create quality environments and practices for teaching early learners
  • Provide the kind of feedback staff need to improve
  • Work successfully with ECE agencies and providers
  • Easily implement the strategies outlined using reproducible forms, templates, and checklists

This comprehensive resource presents the information principals need to become key players in educating our nation's youngest learners!


Table Of Contents:

  • Preface
  • About the Authors
  • 1. Early Childhood Education: An Expanding Enterprise!
  • Increasing Family Demand
  • Early Learning Imperatives
  • Children at Risk of School Failure
  • Reducing the Achievement Gap: Starting Early
  • Early Childhood Education: A Sound Investment
  • Principals’ Roles: Laying the Groundwork
  • 2. Quality Makes ALL the Difference
  • The Corrosive Impact of Poor Quality
  • High-Quality Defined
  • Leadership and High Quality
  • Becoming an Early Childhood Leader
  • Principals’ Roles: Achieving High Quality
  • 3. Breaking New Ground: Getting Involved in Early Childhood Education
  • What Exactly Is Early Childhood Education?
  • Becoming Familiar With Early Childhood Culture
  • School Principals as Culture Brokers
  • Principals’ Roles: Getting Involved in Early Childhood Education
  • 4. Early Childhood Education: Stakeholders
  • Identifying the Stakeholder
  • Collaboration
  • Give Voice to Stakeholders
  • Actions and Considerations
  • Principals’ Roles: Working With Stakeholders
  • 5. Developmentally Appropriate Practice
  • Fundamental Principles of DAP
  • Developmentally Inappropriate Practice (DIP)
  • Applying DAP Requires Judgment
  • The Sounds of DAP!
  • Empirical Support for DAP
  • Common Questions About DAP
  • Principals’ Roles: Supporting DAP
  • 6. The Principal’s Guide to How Young Children Develop and Learn
  • The Essential Nature of Young Children
  • How Young Children Develop
  • How Young Children Learn
  • What Children Are Learning
  • Principals’ Roles: Supporting Child Development and Learning
  • 7. Early Childhood Curriculum
  • What Constitutes the Early Childhood Curriculum?
  • ‘Goodness of Fit’ Between Early Education and Later Schooling
  • Implementing the Early Childhood Curriculum
  • Activities to Look for in Early Childhood Classrooms
  • Principal’s Roles: Curriculum
  • 8. Learning Centers & Classroom Routines
  • Typical Learning Centers for Young Children
  • Skills Teachers Need to Run Effective Centers
  • How Classroom Routines Support Curricular Goals
  • A Typical Day for Children
  • Principals’ Roles: Centers and Routines
  • 9. Early Childhood Assessment
  • Key Considerations
  • Authentic Assessment
  • Strategies to Guide Learning and Improve Instruction
  • Strategies for Identifying Children’s Special Needs
  • Assessing Early Childhood Programs and Learning Contexts
  • Pros and Cons of Standardized Assessment
  • The Principals’ Roles: Promoting Authentic Assessment
  • 10. Early Childhood Education: Family Involvement
  • Through the Eyes of the Families
  • Looking Inside and Looking Outside
  • Suggestions for Families
  • Through the Eyes of Teachers
  • Parents Want Communication With the School
  • Family Roles
  • Principals’ Roles: Family Involvement
  • 11. Early Childhood Teachers
  • Teachers Matter
  • The Critical Function of Principals
  • Characteristics of ‘Good’ Teachers
  • Formal Teacher Qualifications
  • Translating Teacher Standards Into Practice
  • Principals’ Roles: Supporting Early Childhood Teachers
  • 12. Finding and Keeping Good Teachers
  • Shortage of Qualified Early Childhood Teachers
  • Looking for Teachers to Support Diverse Children and Families
  • Reducing Staff Turnover
  • Principals’ Roles: Hiring and Retaining Good Teachers
  • 13. Physical Environments That Support Early Learning
  • Environmental Propositions
  • How Physical Environments Influence Child Development and Learning
  • Fundamentals of Environmental Planning
  • Physical Requirements of Activity-Based Instruction
  • Equipping Early Childhood Classrooms
  • The Great Outdoors!
  • Principals’ Roles: Creating Optimal Early Learning Environments
  • 14. Early Childhood Education: Funding
  • Funding Sources
  • History of Federal Funding
  • State Funding
  • Local Funding
  • Start-Up Costs
  • Administrator Voices
  • Principals’ Roles: Funding
  • 15. Action Summary
  • Tool A. Learning Center Checklist
  • Tool B. Key Instruments Used Nationally for Evaluation of Children in ECE Programs
  • Tool C. Daily Literacy Checklist P3
  • Tool D. Daily Numeracy Checklist P3
  • Tool E. Guidelines for Structuring Informative On-Site Observations
  • Tool F. Sample Interview Questions for Teacher Candidates
  • Tool G. Early Childhood Safety & Health Checklist
  • Tool H. Physical Requirements of Small Group Activity Centers
  • Tool I. ECE Classroom Equipment List
  • Tool J. Indoor Environment Checklist
  • References
  • Index

Recent Product Reviews:

"As a former principal, I was informed one year that I would open four 4-year-old classrooms in August of the next year. I understood developmentally appropriate practices and the abiding need to hire terrific early childhood teachers and teaching assistants. What I did not have in my toolbox were the structural components, such as how to create a daily schedule; how and where to provide for students' personal needs (eating, toileting, playing, transporting, etc.); and how to assess student progress and communicate effectively with parents. This guide would have supported my own learning and eased my sense of frustration in not providing adequate leadership for my team. This book offers school leaders a foundational resource of best practices and research that can support an immediate need."
Christi Roach, Executive Director, Oklahoma Association of Elementary School Principals
"Provides administrators with an easy-to-follow, detailed road map for a better understanding of early childhood education. For some quick information for the meeting, check out the Principal’s Role section. It is a superb resource, while the chapter provides the entire substance of developing the program."
Ramona Miller, Principal, Mahnomen Elementary School, MN
"The day of preschool-aged children fully immersed in the public schools will be as common as kindergarten in the very near future. (And in many states, that day is here!) As principals prepare to embrace and successfully guide the addition of preschool children, families, and staff, they will need support and guidance in their new role as an early childhood/elementary principal. This book provides principals with exceptional support, guidance, and action plans to make their transition seamless."
Ginger L. Zierdt, Director, Center for School-University Partnerships, Minnesota State University, Mankato
“This book is a tremendous resource for principals. As a former elementary principal, I wish I could have had this book in my hands then to help me better understand and support the preschool classrooms in my building! This book will help principals better understand the components of learning through play, intentional design of classroom environments to foster learning, and the value of partnering with families.”
Lisa St. Clair, Nebraska PIRC Director and Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Munroe-Meyer Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center
"In one relatively small volume, the authors have organized information on just about everything a school leader needs to get a well-designed program off the ground and to make sure it will get better as time goes on. A particular strength of the book is its effectiveness in defining the years of preschool through third grade as a cohesive unit within the school. This is especially evident in the extensive chapter on assessment. The book will have value for both current practitioners and those preparing to become elementary administrators."
Harriet A. Egertson, Early Childhood Consultant, Early Childhood Assessment Consortium, Council of Chief State School Officers

Recommendations