The Pre-K Home Companion: Learning the Importance of Early Childhood Education and Choosing the Best Program for Your Family

(Hardback)

Publishing Details

Classifications

Physical Properties

Description

This book is a one-stop resource for parents and families facing decisions about how to provide their children the best educational experiences before kindergarten. We know that early childhood learning experiences have a dramatic impact on the success and well-being of children, the community, and the country. Children who have positive early childhood experiences develop cognitive and socio-emotional abilities that lead to positive school performance, income, family stability, and health, in turn producing particularly robust educational, social, and economic benefits for your community and our country. This companion offers background on why early childhood education is important in your childs life. It provides an overview of current research about how young children learn. It suggests questions you may ask potential service providers about a programs policies and practices. It empowers you to make the critically important decision about the best learning environment for your child. A companion makes a journey more enriching, while providing support and perspective. We hope that this book will be helpful to parents and families as they make vital decisions about the welfare of their children, and their community.

Reviews

Rooted in solid research this book will serve as a practical guide for parents seeking to find the best programs and schools for educating their preschoolers. Timely and accessible, it will be an invaluable resource for parents who want to ensure that their children receive a quality early education they need and deserve. -- Pedro A. Noguera Ph.D, distinguished professor of education UCLA Graduate School of Education & Information Studies
The Pre-K Home Companion is an outstanding resource for parents making the ever so important decisions about how best to provide their children with the early learning experiences that promote their success in school and later in life. It covers the typical topics of costs, discipline, program philosophy but also others less often discussed like diversity, dual language and inclusion. The Companion really does serve as a critical companion for parents, providing information and guidance that enables parents to make the best decisions about their childs early learning and development. -- Jessie Rasmussen, president, Buffett Early Childhood Fund
Every parent I know has agonized over the pre-K process, carefully analyzing and weighing each option using every scrap of (often conflicting) research they could track down. This book is a game-changer, providing clear and objective information about everything from costs of various programs to the importance of diversity in the classroom to technologys role in early childhood developmentall in one place. As the authors write, The early years last forever. This book will help parents put their children on their best path forward. -- Heidi Stevens, author, Chicago Tribune Balancing Act Column; author, Balancing Act: More than 50 essays on Juggling Life, Love and Work in a Not-always Obliging World (Agate 2014)
The Pre-K Home Companion is an invaluable resource for every family. The renowned authors do a masterful job of presenting a wealth of evidence demonstrating the critical importance of early learning environments to a child's lifelong success and well-being. They carefully present a remarkable amount of research, experience, and best practices in a clear and compelling way. They lovingly take families by the hand and help them to navigate the shifting landscape surrounding early childhood education programs and to choose the best program for their children. This book will fast become every parent's best friend. -- Dana Suskind, MD, professor, Surgery and Pediatrics; director, Pediatric Cochlear Implantation Program, Founder and Director, Thirty Million Words Initiative; author, Thirty Million Words: Building a Child's Brain (Penguin Random House 2015)

Author Bio

Sherelyn R. Kaufman, J.D., M.A.T., is a Professor on the Adjunct Faculty at the Erikson Institute Graduate School of Child Development. She has practiced education law in private law firms and the United States Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights, has taught students in virtually every grade level, has served as the director of an early childhood education program, and has provided expert consulting to many early childhood programs. Michael J. Kaufman, J.D., M.A., is Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, Professor of Law, and Director of the Education Law and Policy Institute at Loyola University Chicago School of Law. Dean Kaufman has written countless books and countless articles regarding education law and policy and has served for many years on the Board of Education of a large, diverse public school district in the Chicago area. Elizabeth C. Nelson, J. D. M.A.T., is a Professor on the Adjunct Faculty at Loyola University Chicago School of Law, specializing in education law and policy, as well as professional skills development. She has practiced law in the Office of the Attorney General for the State of Illinois and taught third grade in the city of Chicago.