The Harvard Family Research Project separated from the Harvard Graduate School of Education to become the Global Family Research Project as of January 1, 2017. It is no longer affiliated with Harvard University.
March FINE Newsletter: New Developments in Early Childhood Education
March 15, 2012
In this issue of the FINE Newsletter, we highlight new developments in early childhood education (ECE). We explore what current research and practice are telling us about the importance of involving families early on, and we look at how organizations such as the U.S. Department of Education and the Office of Head Start are reshaping the way ECE programs across the country are thinking about the role of families.
This issue’s Commentary explores how these new developments reflect a national “coming together” around the importance of early childhood experiences and their role in later school success. Voices from the Field features contributions from three authors who represent perspectives from the areas of ECE policy, practice, and research. From the policy standpoint, Jacqueline Jones from the U.S. Department of Education discusses the recent Race to the Top—Early Learning Challenge grant program. In the practice area, Kiersten Beigel from the Office of Head Start shares how programs are using research-based tools to engage parents and families. And, from the research perspective, Anne Duggan from Johns Hopkins University discusses the importance of organization- and individual-level factors (such as home visitor–family relationships) in the delivery of effective home visiting services.
As part of our ongoing commitment to highlighting leaders in the family engagement field, we feature an Emerging Leader profile of Ken Smythe-Leistico, from the University of Pittsburgh’s Office of Child Development, who discusses Ready Freddy, a transition program for incoming kindergartners that brings together children, families, teachers, and community members.
We also highlight related HFRP Resources & Research including an ECE resource guide for Early Learning Challenge grant recipients, a collection of teaching cases focused on early learning, and a review of a new book on community organizing. And we feature a new research digest from Susan Landry about her work with colleagues at the Children’s Learning Institute at the University of Texas on a study about a responsive parenting intervention. And, as always, we highlight news in the family engagement field.
Read more and access the complete FINE Newsletter online.