Effective%20Language%20For%20Promoting%20Policies%20In%20Early%20Childhood%20Care%20And%20Education

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Effective Language For Promoting Policies In
Early Childhood Care And Education

• Nancy White
• Full Circle Associates
• njwhite_at_halcyon.com
• http//www.fullcirc.com/rlc/rlcindex.htm

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Lakoff-Grady Suggestions

• Parents and early educators as partners
• Reframing the first six years learning from
  birth
• Natural Learning vs. Study
• Moral and Social Foundations of the Child

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More

• The Science frame Early Investment/Investment in
  the Future
• ECE as solution to education problems
• ECE as first step in education process

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Focus Group Goals

• Test reactions to metaphors, frameworks and
  labels
• that help convince people to support ECE policies
• which excite and motivate audiences
• which bridge between the needs to work childs
  development

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Focus Groups

• African American/Seattle, mixed socio-economic
  and age
• Caucasian/Kent, middle socio-economic, slightly
  older and more conservative

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Framing

• The Importance of Parental Roles
  Responsibilities
• The Understanding and Support of Quality ECE
• Quality Assurance and Financial Issues

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Parental Responsibility

• Parents are responsible for
• childs developmental educational growth
• choosing and monitoring care
• communicating and partnering with teachers
• Some parents dont know --gt parent education
• Moral and Social Foundation triggers strong
  response -- family responsibility

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Importance and Support of ECE

• Recognized supported value of full range of
  education
• Understood learning from birth
• Scientific information helpful, but not too much
  detail
• Some skepticism of new approaches to learning
• Understood developmental importance of early
  experiences

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More

• Supportive of Natural Learning
• Experiences could be given in a range of settings
• Feel early investment is important to childs
  success
• ECE can be part of the solution to education
  problems,
• Do not feel ECE alone assures success

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Finance and Quality Assurance

• No consensus
• AA - support for community government
  accountability
• C - desire for more parental input on standards
• Both support business involvement
• Many in both support some form of public spending
  
• Pessimism about community support

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Labels and Language

• No inspired phrase
• Prefer learning over education
• Dislike slogans like educare and foundation
  learning
• Keep it simpledistrust new slogans for old issues

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Conclusions

• Emphasis on parental responsibility
• Understanding, interest in and support of early
  learning development issues
• No consensus on quality assurance or funding