learningenglish.voanews.com Open in urlscan Pro
2a02:26f0:480:ba3::131b  Public Scan

Form analysis
2 forms found in the DOM

GET /s

<form action="/s" class="srch-top__form" id="form-topSearch" method="get" role="search"><label for="txtHeaderSearch" class="sr-only">Search</label>
  <input type="text" id="txtHeaderSearch" name="k" placeholder="search text ..." accesskey="s" value="" class="srch-top__input analyticstag-event"
    onkeydown="if (event.keyCode === 13) { FireAnalyticsTagEventOnSearch('search', $dom.get('txtHeaderSearch')[0].value) }">
  <button title="Search" type="submit" class="btn btn--top-srch analyticstag-event" onclick="FireAnalyticsTagEventOnSearch('search', $dom.get('txtHeaderSearch')[0].value) ">
    <span class="ico ico-search"></span>
  </button>
</form>

GET /s

<form action="/s" class="srch-bottom__form d-flex" id="form-bottomSearch" method="get" role="search"><label for="txtSearch" class="sr-only">Search</label>
  <input type="search" id="txtSearch" name="k" placeholder="search text ..." accesskey="s" value="" class="srch-bottom__input analyticstag-event"
    onkeydown="if (event.keyCode === 13) { FireAnalyticsTagEventOnSearch('search', $dom.get('txtSearch')[0].value) }">
  <button title="Search" type="submit" class="btn btn--bottom-srch analyticstag-event" onclick="FireAnalyticsTagEventOnSearch('search', $dom.get('txtSearch')[0].value) ">
    <span class="ico ico-search"></span>
  </button>
</form>

Text Content

ACCESSIBILITY LINKS

 * Skip to main content
 * Skip to main Navigation
 * Skip to Search




Next
Close Previous Next

This image contains sensitive content which some people may find offensive or
disturbing. Click to reveal


PRINT OPTIONS:

 * Images
 * Multimedia

 * Embedded Content
 * Comments

Cancel Print
Link has been copied to clipboard
 * About Learning English
 * Beginning Level
 * Intermediate Level
 * Advanced Level
 * US History
 * Video

FOLLOW US

Languages
Search
Education
Search
 
Early Childhood Education Programs at Risk
share
 * 
 * 
 * 
 * 
 * 
 * 
 * 
 * 

Previous Next
Breaking News
Education


EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION PROGRAMS AT RISK

January 02, 2024

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


FILE - Elijah Rollings, 2, plays with a train set at Bumble Art Studio daycare
center in Astoria, Ore., Friday, Sept. 2, 2022. (AP Photo/Craig Mitchelldyer)
Share
 * 
 * 
 * 
 * 
 * 
 * 
 * 
 * 

See comments

Print

Embed share

EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION PROGRAMS AT RISK

by VOA - Voice of America English News
Embed share
The code has been copied to your clipboard.

The URL has been copied to your clipboard
 * Share on Facebook
 * Share on Twitter
 * 
 * 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------




No media source currently available

0:00 5:09 0:00

Direct link
 * 128 kbps | MP3
 * 64 kbps | MP3

Pop-out player

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
says “The period from birth to eight years old is one of remarkable brain
development for children.” The organization adds that it represents an important
time for their development and education.

The U.S. National Institutes of Health says that supporting children’s early
learning can lead to higher test scores and a better chance of staying in school
and going to college. Studies even suggest early learning can lead to fewer teen
pregnancies, improved mental health, and a longer life.

Early learning in OECD countries

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) is made up of
38 democracies with market-based economies. The organization aims to build
better policies for better lives.

In a recent education study, the OECD found that most of its member countries
provide care or education for children under 5. In countries, including Belgium,
Denmark, France, Hungary, Iceland, Israel, Norway, Spain and Britain, at least
95 percent of 3-year-olds are enrolled in an early education program.

However, within OECD countries, there can be a large difference in enrollment.
In the United States, for example, 80 percent of 3 to 5-year-olds in the capital
city of Washington, D.C. are enrolled in early education programs. That is
compared to 46 percent in the western state of North Dakota.

The differences also exist in European countries like Greece, Lithuania, and
Switzerland. Places with higher rates of women in the workforce usually have
higher rates of enrollment for children under 3.

Child care and kindergarten

During the pandemic, the U.S. government provided an additional $24 billion to
help child care programs nationwide. The funding finally ended last October.

The Century Foundation is a research organization in New York City. It estimates
that one-third of the programs could close as a result. That affects more than
2.2 million children. The organization says that child care is important for the
economy at large since child care permits parents to stay at work.

Around the world, governments invest little in early childhood education, UNESCO
says. About 6.6 percent of education budgets are put toward early education
programs, 2 percent in poor countries. That is well below the target of 10
percent by 2030 suggested by the children's organization UNICEF.

In the U.S., parents can choose to put their children at age 5 in kindergarten
or a child care program.

Kindergarten enrollment has dropped since the COVID-19 pandemic. Concerned about
the virus or wanting to avoid online school, hundreds of thousands of families
delayed the start of school for their young children.

The Associated Press found that kindergarten enrollment remained down 5.2
percent in the 2022-2023 school year compared with the 2019-2020 school year.

Deborah Stipek is a former head of the Graduate School of Education at Stanford
University. She said kindergarten is where children learn to follow directions,
learn good behavior, and get used to learning. Stipek said missing that year of
school can put kids at a disadvantage.

Last year, Aylah went to a children’s program that met mainly outdoors instead
of enrolling in kindergarten in the state of California. Aylah now has to adjust
to being inside a classroom and learning the right way to hold a pencil.

“It’s harder. Way, way harder,” Aylah said of the new way she learned to hold a
pencil.

Still, her mother Hannah Levy says it was the right decision to skip
kindergarten. She wanted Aylah to enjoy being a child. There is plenty of time,
she reasoned, for her daughter to develop study skills.

I’m Dan Novak.



Dan Novak wrote this story for VOA Learning English, with additional reporting
from the Associated Press.




QUIZ - EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION PROGRAMS AT RISK

START THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Start Quiz

_________________________________________________




WORDS IN THIS STORY

remarkable — adj. unusual or surprising

teen — n. someone who is between 13 and 19 years old

enroll — v. to enter as a member of or participant in something

kindergarten — n. a school or class for very young children

behavior — n. the way a person or animal acts or behaves

disadvantage — n. something that makes someone or something worse or less likely
to succeed than others

adjust — v. to change in a minor way so that it works better




FORUM


Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.


RELATED

 * FUNDING CUTS THREATEN REFUGEE’S CHILDREN EDUCATION IN RWANDA

 * THREE YEARS AFTER PANDEMIC, STUDENTS STILL FAR BEHIND

 * STUDY: STUDENT LEARNING DECREASED IN MATH AND READING WORLDWIDE

Back to top
 * Follow Us
    * 
    * 
    * 
    * 
    * 
    * 
    * 

 * About Learning English
    * About Us
    * Contact Us
    * Terms of Use and Privacy Notice
    * Accessibility
    * Request Our Content
    * Sign Up For Our Newsletter
    * Subscribe to Podcast/RSS
    * Find Us on Satellite TV
    * Learning English Word Book
    * Our Policy About Comments

 * Video Programs
    * English in a Minute
    * English @ the Movies
    * Everyday Grammar TV
    * Let's Learn English with Anna
    * Let's Learn English - Level 1
    * Let's Learn English - Level 2
    * Let's Teach English
    * News Literacy
    * News Words
    * VOA60: Watch & Learn
    * How to Pronounce

 * Audio Programs
    * America's National Parks
    * America's Presidents
    * American Stories
    * Arts & Culture
    * As It Is
    * Ask a Teacher
    * Education
    * Everyday Grammar
    * Health & Lifestyle
    * VOA Learning English Podcast
    * Science & Technology
    * Teach Us about Ukraine
    * U.S. History
    * What It Takes
    * Words & Their Stories



XS
SM
MD
LG