LINC Workshop: Leadership and the Learning Continuum Early Childhood Breakout Session Joyce Weiner – Ounce of Prevention Fund Robin Miller Young – Indian Prairie School District # 204

The Early Years Matter: Children Learn How To Learn Key ingredients of successful, life-long learners: Confidence Self-Control Curiosity Self-reliance Persistence Ability to Communicate Cooperativeness These are not just “soft skills”. The early years from two to five is when children are beginning to develop as a person who gets either gets along with, respects, and enjoys others or a person who does not. This developmental stage has significant consequences for each child’s social abilities, mental health, and compliance with social norms as they grow older.

Variables That Put Children At-Risk For Poor Developmental Or Academic Outcomes :  Low socio-economic status  Parent’s education level, employment, income, age  Adverse health circumstances  Limited English proficiency  Social conditions

Development Affected by Environmental Stress Early Experiences Affect the Architecture of the Developing Brain The first few years of life, our brains are creating 700 new synapses every second. Significant growth takes place in cognitive, linguistic, social, emotional and motor skill domains between birth and five. The quality of brain development during those early years creates a foundation for future learning, development and behavior patterns. That is why the environment in which a child develops is so important. Remediation later in life is not as effective as prevention interventions like high-quality early learning experiences. The more the brain is engaged, in the context of responsive relationships, the stronger the developing brain becomes. (National Scientific Council on Developing Child) Healthy Development Development Affected by Environmental Stress Nurturing, active, and challenging experiences: Thicken the cortex of an infant’s brain Develop more extensive and sophisticated neuron structures Create the neurological foundations that support lifelong learning

Professional parents Working class parents Welfare parents Developmental differences appear very early -- in this case, differences in vocabulary growth between children in low socio-economic households and high socio-economic households begin to appear as early as 18 months. As the children grow toward school age, and enter school, the differences, or gaps, only get larger without intervention. The roots of language, literacy and school achievement are all embedded in the linguistic and social exchanges that occur very early in life. We know from decades of research that the language and literacy rich environment of high-quality early education promotes subsequent academic success.

Cycle of Promise Multiple areas of scientific study including early childhood development, linguistics, neuroscience and economics, have collectively come up with similar findings. When different sciences reach the same conclusions, that makes the findings particularly powerful.

High-quality early learning opportunities provide a higher economic rate of return than later interventions such as: Reduced pupil-teacher ratios Tuition subsidies  Adult literacy programs  Public job training  Criminal rehabilitation programs  Expenditures on police James J. Heckman, PhD – Nobel Laureate in Economic Sciences, 2000 University of Chicago

Children with access to high-quality early education:  Have stronger academic skills  Are more likely to stay in school & graduate  Are less likely to repeat grades  Are less likely to need special education remediation  Are less likely to be arrested  Have higher earnings as adults Multiple studies and decades of research have repeatedly produced these similar findings. There are abridged summaries in your packets citing the most best-known studies.

As Educational Leaders, Principals: Foster collaborative relationships With families Among staff Horizontally and vertically

"If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.“ --JQ Adams

Who is involved in these collaborative relationships? Children . . . Parents and Families . . . Staff members . . .

Children . . . Common Educational Needs 1. Ambitious early learning standards. 2. Rich and stimulating environments. Adults who intentionally engage children in self- initiated and teacher-directed activities. Unique Instructional Needs 1. Boys and girls. 2. Learning rate; cognitive and problem-solving skills. 3. English Language Proficiency. 4. Background knowledge; opportunities to practice .

Parents and Families . . . Common Expectations and Desires 1. First schooling experience . . . child  student. 2. Safe and nurturing environment. Monitor progress and prepare for kindergarten, and beyond. Unique Goals and Dreams 1. Unique cultural expectations.; self-help skills. 2. Families of “Entitled” children (grants, federal $s). 3. Families who are paying for a service.

Staff Members . . . Common Characteristics Women . . . nurturers. Passion for working with young children and their families. Unique Qualities Training, certification, qualifications, etc. Philosophical orientation to children’s development. Typically, not “systems” thinkers. 4. Educators and therapists.

-Theodore Roosevelt (with apologies!) "The best principal is the one who has sense enough to pick good people to do what she wants done, and self-restraint to keep from meddling with them while they do it." -Theodore Roosevelt (with apologies!)