Gone are the days when "infant-toddler education" was something that was only needed for children with disabilities or family risk factors.  Most children in the U.S. are in the regular care of a non-parent prior to the age of three.  So, although we don't support any efforts to "push down" traditional education on all infants and toddlers, we strongly believe that those who are in the care of non-parents should have the highest quality experiences possible. Unfortunately, the quality of educaring at the infant-toddler level is even lower, on average, than it is for preschoolers.   A "perfect storm" exists considering  the cost of infant-toddler care, the need for additional support, better training, and better working conditions, and the particularly rapid and vulnerable state of brain development in the first three years of life.  MIELL is working toward innovative solutions to this complex problem on multiple fronts.  Read Dr. Moreno's testimony to the Federal Departments of Education and Health and Human Services on this issue.  View the summary page on " Learning through Relating" (LTR), a comprehensive curriculum, assessment, and professional development system co-developed by Dr. Moreno and colleagues at Clayton Early Learning.  Initial evidence suggests that the authentic LTR assessment can be validly employed by infant-toddler caregivers with or without college degrees.  Finally, we are preparing to conduct a study of the effects of community-delivered coaching on the quality of teacher-child interactions in infant-toddler settings, both center- and home-based.

 

It is now well-understood that the cognitive and emotional functions of the brain are not separate, and indeed, cannot do well without one another.  This is most clear in early childhood, when development progresses in a global, "non-compartmentalized" manner.  Thus, setting a foundation for lifelong learning occurs not by teaching young children specific content, but by providing them with supportive experiences and practice in the development of executive functions, including self-regulation (EF/SR).  In short, EF/SR allows children to find and use relevant information (both cognitive and emotional), make decisions, and carry out actions based on those decisions.  These skills are best developed through good old-fashioned play, with periodic support from an adult when necessary or to facilitate expansion. 

It is concerning to us that the quickest way to tell the difference between a preschool classroom and kindergarten classroom is the existence or absence of a dramatic play area.  Human beings cannot "decide to learn", or make a conscious decision to absorb content until certain brain reorganizations have taken place.  Since this transition can occur in normal children anywhere between preschool and third grade (not to mention the gradual and episodic development that will occur all throughout this period), it is appropriate to treat learning as primarily experiential during the early grades.  At the Marsico Institute, we strongly believe that all teachers need more training and support in the application of these principles of child development.  Moreover, teachers and families need relief from the pressures of the "accountability movement", which has had the unintended consequence of creating classroom practices in direct contrast to what we know about brain development, such as increasing compartmentalized content and "drill and kill" strategies, and decreasing play and experiential learning.  (See our Issue Brief on the relationship between standardized testing and this issue.)  We are currently developing research proposals that will examine the best ways for teachers to support the development of EF/SR.

 

"If you wanted to create an environment that is directly counter to what the brain is good at doing, you might create something like a classroom." -- John Medina, author of Brain Rules for Baby

 

Among other things, Dr. Medina is referring to the history under which humans evolved, which involved solving unpredictable problems in the outdoors.  Related to our concerns about the best ways to develop EF/SR, indoor settings where children sit at isolated, teacher-facing desks are not conducive to optimal brain functioning  when you consider humans' evolutionary history.  At MIELL we are interested in the symbiotic relationships among physical health, outdoor play, nutrition, stress, and learning.  In projects with foundations and informal learning settings, we are developing and researching ways to "open doors" to optimal child development through innovative programs targeting physical health.

 

We are firm believers in the idea that there is no substitute for human interaction when it comes to teaching and learning.  In fact, "baby genius products" including videos and computer games not only do not generally live up to their promise (see Amanda's blog post on bogus baby genius products including Titzer's "Your Baby Can Read")  but could actually cause harm if they replace time spent in interactions.  However, as a learning enhancement or complement, many well-researched learning technologies show promise, for example, in motivating children, or in "diagnosing" learning gaps that might otherwise be missed.  Our partners in the Math Department, Alvaro Arias and Mario Lopez , have developed a series of touch-screen math games for preschoolers designed to close the achievement gap in this crucial area.  This work is funded by the Head Start Bureau.  We are working with Drs. Arias and Lopez on the evaluation components of their projects.

In addition, web-based and other forms of digital learning for adults are here to stay. In the field of early childhood, feedback through web-based coaching and e-mail have been shown to have positive effects on teacher practices.   In partnership with Dr. Toni Linder, Professor in the Child, Family and School Psychology Program and author of the Transdisciplinary Play-Based Assessment, we developed a professional initiative intended to help reduce "math phobia" in early childhood teachers, and deliver early math training through an innovative, web- and video-based system.

The new building in which the Morgridge College of Education and Marsico Institute are located (Katherine Ruffatto Hall) is equipped with the most current telepresence, videoconferencing, and interactive white board technology.  We are exploring the possibilities of increasing professional development opportunities (such as coaching) to rural and other marginalized communities using such technologies.