Research that Benefits Children and Families—Uplifting Stories

Dear Colleagues,

Let me share with you a study done in 2008 by a kindergarten teacher researcher, Aaron Neimark who decided to collect data on children's invented games and looked closely at how the formation and playing of the games reinforced the children’s sense of a social peer group. Some of you already know about it because this article was one of the resources for the second course in this masters program, called Early Childhood development.

Among the unexpected results of this study, we have this statement from Aaron:

" First, I learned that the ways that children used objects in the yard was an important element in the peer culture of some of the play groups. In many instances, the children used the objects in “goofy” ways—creative and imaginative ways rather than the objects’ typical or expected uses. My findings about a locally constructed “goofy culture” became essential to my study of peer culture in the yard. Second, for some children it seemed to be more difficult to find ways to enter peer group play activities in the yard than in the classroom. Outdoor play can send ambiguous messages to children about what they are expected to do (Perry 2001). There are not always clear areas outdoors that define for children what or how they may play, unlike the art area, block area, or dress-up corner, which are usually found indoors. This is partly why many children in the preschool created such interesting and inventive games".

He then said this:

"I came to view this aspect of peer culture—children excluding others from their play—as crucial in deepening the social connections of the children engaged in that play.

As a conclusion he stated this:

"Do our imposed solutions when facilitating social interactions really foster peer competence in children? Allowing children more space to develop their own authentic ways to interact can be more effective in strengthening collaborative play and building their social competence with peers. Teachers should use children’s peer culture to teach social skills more effectively and to help create a more harmonious balance between school culture and peer culture".

In my view, this study revolutionizes the way teachers and caregivers behave regarding children's play in the playground. For example, it tells them that they should not intervene when children argue.

Reference

http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/vop/Voices_NeimarkGoofy.pdf

Critical Consumers of Research—Standards and Guidelines

Dear Colleagues,

As many of you already know, my country Rwanda is preparing its early childhood program. I would like to participate in it by researching on how emerging economies have used education to achieve their goals. If you come across resources on this subject, please send or direct them to me. I will be grateful.

If I take Singapore as an example, and considering that development always goes side by side with education, I was amazed by their clear vision of education and how the Desired Outcomes of Education are translated into a set of developmental outcomes for each key stage of Singapore’s education system. For example, after preschool, children should:
• know what is right and what is wrong 
• be willing to share and take turns with others 
• be able to relate to others 
• be curious and able to explore 
• be able to listen and speak with understanding 
• be comfortable and happy with themselves 
• have developed physical co-ordination, healthy habits, participate in and enjoy a variety of arts experiences 
• love their families, friends, teachers and school.
I really found this interesting.

Course 5: Building Research Competencies

Dear Colleagues,
I am glad to have you as classmates in this journey aiming children's well- being.
Marlene.

International Early Childhood Field

Dear colleagues,

I am glad to be with you on this journey. I cherish our common constant in the early childhood field which is the commitment to the well- being of children, their families and the early childhood community. On my part, considering that I live in Eastern Central Africa, I have always been learning about this field from an international perspective.

The first thing that I will always thank this program for is giving us access to different research resources This is so valuable in my opinion.
The second thing is that I get comparative views of the subject. I am able now to clearly assess what needs to be done in my country to get to a quality early childhood education.
The last consequence is the fact that I get to acquire knowledge about the best practices.

One goal for the field that is related to international awareness of issues and trends is the opportunity to learn how to help as professionals.

I wish you all the best.
Marlene.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

UNESCO's "Early Childhood Care and Education"

Dear Colleagues,

I was very happy to see that the UNESCO's Early Childhood Care and Education webpage is filled with what we have learned in this masters program regarding the quality of education in this field. All the criteria to a quality curriculum are cited, like partnering with families in the children's education, play, children involvement, small ratio child- adult, well trained and well supported staff, to name but a few.

But what made me happier is to find responses to some of the questions that were still trotting in my mind. Concerning the importance of a small ratio child- staff in a classroom, here is what is said : 

"The notion of a reasonable ratio differs across countries, but fewer numbers help children to generate peer communication and engage together in project and group work according to their affinities and interests. The presence of sufficient numbers of staff also ensures that each group can enjoy the support of a trained professional who will lead children toward the attitudes, skills and knowledge valued in a particular society. In Sweden, for example, national statutory requirements for child-staff ratios do not exist, but the average across the age group 1- 6 years is 5.6 children per trained staff member. In the preschool class for 6-7 year olds, the national average is one teacher + assistant for 13 children. Such ratios and conditions are generally difficult to bring together in developing countries, but this should not be a reason for discouragement. To reach the levels of formal training found in richer countries may not be possible, but through the mobilisation of local mothers by community educators, programmes for young children can be generated at local level that enjoy satisfactory child-adult ratios and are highly relevant to the needs of participating children (Ball, 2002)". 

What means that my country Rwanda has a solution regarding the high number of children in classrooms.

Another thing that I found interesting is in the following paragraph:

"Early childhood care and education programmes should emphasise the child’s holistic development and extend beyond assisting the child’s transition to formal schooling. High quality childcare, particularly for children from disadvantaged backgrounds, promotes motivation, confidence, good cognitive and linguistic development and school readiness". Yes this is true because while children in developed countries spontaneously attend school, in developing countries, due to the poverty culture, children have to be motivated, especially through their families or parents by giving them food in exchange of allowing their progeny to go to school.

The Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA) and UNESCO's Regional  Office in Dakar are launching "Childhood Culture", an inter generational African series of children's books. Through the experiences of Bouba and Zaza, the main characters of these series, children, young and older, parents and teachers are developing life and socialization skills outside the family context. These series bring on the table subjects affecting the lives of African families which parents sometimes are reluctant to address such as war and conflict, the HIV Aids Pandemic, the issue of water resources and environmental protection. These series address the issue of glaring shortage of children's books adapted to African contexts, when it has been demonstrated by a study that African children from 0 to 4 years of age generally have no books at home, especially in rural areas.

I find that this will play a crucial role in the journey to the quality of early childhood education in Africa.

Sharing Web Resources

Early education programs must respond to the needs of diverse families. This requires responsive caregivers and teachers, knowing that responsiveness, warmth and support from caregivers influence the development of important capabilities in children (National Scientific Council on the Developing Child. 2004).

As a culturally competent communicator, a caregiver has to be able to value diversity, to conduct a self- assessment, to manage the dynamics of difference, to acquire and institutionalize cultural knowledge and to adapt to diversity and the cultural contexts of individuals and communities served (Goode, 2001, p.1).

The World Organization for Early Childhood Education made available a scale as a tool and a self- assessment tool for professionals. Where the scale is used by a single practitioner within their own setting, it can be applied to support curriculum development through identifying priorities, setting targets and managing change without difficulties. But wherever any form of comparison is involved between settings, there will be a need to ensure inter-rater reliability. It is important that users recognize the need for external or collective validation and that their ratings are to be collaboratively moderated. This should be achieved through:

• training to understanding the use and the role of the scale;

• training to ensure common understandings of the quality criteria (definitions and cultural variations) and in;

• in many cases a ‘critical friend’ should also be involved to provide support and validation (this may be a local authority adviser or an academic who has applied the instrument in other contexts.

References

National Scientific Council on the Developing Child. (2004). Young children develop in an environment of relationships (Working Paper No. 1). Center on the Developing Child, Harvard University. Retrieved fromhttp://developingchild.harvard.edu/index.php/resources/reports_and_working_papers/working_papers/wp1/

Goode, T. (2001). The role of self-assessment in achieving cultural competence. Retrieved fromhttp://nccc.georgetown.edu/documents/selfassessment.pdf

The World Organization for Early Childhood Education. http://www.worldomep.org/en/esd-scale-for-teachers/

Issues of Equity in Early Childhood Development

Can we speak of an issue of equity in early childhood development in Rwanda? I don't even think that's a valid question since 90% of children from 3 to 6 years of age cannot access any form of early learning opportunities. And those that do are usually in privately operated pre- schools and these services lack an overarching application of standards, curricula, learning materials (UNICEF ECD Strategic Plan. June 2015).

But "good seasons start with good beginnings" according to Sparky Anderson and in Rwanda,  a new season for early childhood development has begun with 12 ECD and Family model centers built in selected communities in 12 districts. There are even plans to expand with an additional 18 centers to make it one center for each of Rwanda's 30 districts.

Rwanda's government recently reconfirmed its commitment by setting the target to provide quality community- based and family- based services for every young child and family in Rwanda by the end of 2017 (UNICEF ECDF Programme Summary. 2015).

Sharing Web Resources

Dear all,

World Organization for Early Childhood Education (OMEP) is getting people interested in a conference where they will share innovative practices (http://www.worldomep.org/en/early-childhood-education-innovators-share-your-practices-open-call-for-applications/. This is a topic that is relevant for me because i am new in this field and it is always good to learn from professionals ways they used and from which they got satisfying results with children. 

In a new OMEP project they want to support early childhood practitioners, trainers, researchers and advisers in their practical efforts to empower young children to escape some of these disadvantages that they face due to an accident of birth into poverty, abuse or discrimination. They are putting together a web site (http://www.ecesustainability.org) to provide resources and links to support the development of these practical projects, and it will also provide a means of sharing good practice in these areas.

Teacher training resources for Education for Sustainable Development is a positive initiative that aims to teach to members: October 15, 2014:  National Committee Presidents, or their designees, submit a letter of interest to me atIngrid.Pramling@ped.gu.se. February 1, 2015:  Submissions due at Ingrid.Pramling@ped.gu.se.

My ECD and Family Contact

My Early Childhood Development and Family Contact is a specialist at UNICEF Rwanda. His name is Michael Banda. UNICEF Rwanda's purpose is to make immunization, maternal care, stimulation and readiness accessible to children aged 0 to 6 years. It is a continuum of services delivered by the partnership with the government of Rwanda.

Rwanda is a developing country with 44% of the population living below the poverty line.

The importance of human development has been addressed in Rwanda’s second five-year Economic Development and Poverty Reduction Strategy, launched in July 2013. As one of the pillars of this strategy, human development encompasses the arenas of health and nutrition, education, ECD, social policy and child protection. As noted by UNICEF, ECD has been identified as a national priority for the implementation of this strategy[1]. While 96% of children are enrolled in primary school, only 12.7% of children are enrolled in formal pre-primary education[2]. An analysis of ECD in Rwanda identified that the major constraints in the sector are lack of coordination, allocation of ECD budget and insufficient supply of affordable ECD services.[3]

As part of its commitment to improving ECD outcomes, the Government of Rwanda has increased the budget allocation for pre-primary education for 2013- 2018; while until 2009 ECD funding represented only 0.005% of the education budget, the figure for 2013-2014 was 2%.[4]^,[5]

I appreciate the work of organizations like UNICEF whose purpose is the well- being and development of children worldwide. Thank you.

---

[1] UNICEF 2013 UNICEF Annual Report 2013- Rwanda, http://www.unicef.org/about/annualreport/files/Rwanda_COAR_2013.pdf

[2] Rwanda Statistical Yearbook 2014, National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda, Government of Rwanda, November 2013

[3] UNICEF 2013 UNICEF Annual Report 2013- Rwanda, http://www.unicef.org/about/annualreport/files/Rwanda_COAR_2013.pdf

[4] Save the Children 2013 Laying the Foundation: Early Childhood development in Rwanda http://www.rencp.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Laying-the-Foundations-Rwanda-Brief-7th-Jan_final.pdf

[5] UNICEF 2015 ToR - Analysis of the costs of pre-primary Education in Rwanda http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/files/ToR_Analysis_of_the_costs_of_pre_primary_Education_in_Rwanda.docx

Sharing about OMEP

The World Organization for Early Childhood Education (OMEP) is an international, non- governmental and non- profit organization concerned with all aspects of early childhood education and care (ECEC).

OMEP defends and promotes the rights of the child to education and care worldwide and supports activities which improve accessibility to high quality education and care.

OMEP is currently established in over 70 countries and is represented at meetings of UNESCO, UNICEF and other international organizations with similar aims.

OMEP is providing education and care for Syria's littlest refugees who represent an example of the issue of demographic change. There is a very big refugee camp in Jordan where Syrians have already spent three years. Today, Syrians are massively taking refuge in Europe and soon in the United States  of America which promised to grant asylum to ten thousand Syrians.

http://www.worldomep.org/

Establishing Professional Contacts

Hello everyone,

I am glad to have you on this masters journey.
I tried to contact the new UNICEF Early Childhood specialist in Rwanda, but i will be meeting him during the week.
I also contacted a consultant who worked on the new Early Childhood Education Policy in Rwanda, and i will meet her next week too.

In Rwanda, just over 12% of children between the ages of 3- 6 have access to any type of early learning and development services, and these tend to be in urban areas because it is too costly for poorer parents.

Rwanda approved its ECD Policy and Strategic Plan in 2011. Its goal is to ensure all Rwandan children achieve their potential, are healthy, well- nourished and safe, and their mothers, fathers and communities become nurturing caregivers through receiving integrated early childhood development services. Nine ECD and Family Centers have been launched in 2013 with Imbuto Foundation in partnership with UNICEF.

The journey of developing the early childhood field in Rwanda has just begun.

Thank you.

My Supports

Being a citizen of a developing country, i will always thank the Lord God that i always have food for my children. I had a friend who used to lack food or even a small banana for her child. I will never forget her pain.

My supports are reflected in this scripture: " And my God will meet all my needs according to the riches of His Glory in Jesus Christ". God bless you all. 

My Supports

Being a citizen of a developing country, i will always thank the Lord God that i always have food for my children. I had a friend who used to lack food or even a small banana for her child. I will never forget her pain.

My supports are reflected in this scripture: "And this same God who takes care of me will supply all my needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus".

Amen. God bless you.

Childhood Connections to Play

"Play is the highest form of research" Albert Einstein.



Now, you probably do not see much in this picture but for me, it represents my childhood. Albert Einstein once said that "play is the highest form of research" and this was particularly apparent during my childhood. One day at my house, a chicken got six chicks but the smallest was very weak. Its mom used to bite on the face and seeing the small cuts around its eye made me feel awful. Looking back at it now, i think that all the chicken wanted to do was encourage its chick to walk faster. But at the time, i decided to take the chick with me into the house to protect it and maybe even heal it. Even at six years of age, i felt perfectly capable to be the chick's doctor.

"Children need the freedom and time to play. Play is not a luxury. Play is a necessity" (Kay Redfield Jamison).
These pictures represent my childhood: friends, freedom, games. I am sure that this period of my life contributed a lot to make me what i am.

My childhood left me with a sweet taste in the mouth as i always had a lot of freedom. We did not have a television, all we needed to do was shower, eat and play outside. The houses in my neighborhood had passages in their fences where we could pass and find ourselves in our neighbors' houses without going on the road. That allowed us to play in numbers and have a lot of fun. Today this has become impossible given parents' fear of strangers. I experienced friendship, respect for others, and many other values which are still present in me.

Significant relationships

Before the birth of my children, i never imagined how children were of great value in my eyes, except once, when i was taking care of my little niece who died from a heart problem. As my children were growing up, i learned how important it was to have a good relationship with people caring for them. I almost wanted them to tell me all the details of the day. This quest for the welfare of children, mine and those of others, made me realize my passion for little ones. I have a friend who shares this passion. We share our views on different topics regarding the early childhood education in our country and even if she is not aware of that, our relationship is very significant because through our conversations we share a lot of insights which, i am sure, will determine how i am going to use my current studies effectively.

When I think of Child Development...

When I think of Child Development I think of Education. A quote from Jean Piaget sums it up. He said that "the principle goal of education in the schools should be creating men and women who are capable of doing new things, not simply repeating what other generations have done". This is what i really hope education in my country will achieve one day. 

Testing not by intelligence

I really believe in what Piaget and Vygotsky said that educators should focus on "the children's thought processes and not just on the outcomes"(Berger. 2012) because, and this is very true, children do not come from the same environment, have not been exposed to the same things supposed to foster their learning skills like books or technology, and have not rub the same people like parents, instructors and other children. All of this being intimately connected to the culture. Vygotsky believed that cultures teach (Berger. 2012). 

STAR test is an online testing in maths, reading and literacy and it is a good way of knowing the level of a child. It helps teachers know which children need more help than others, and how to challenge those who do good.

Consequences of Stress on Children's Development

Being a citizen of Rwanda, i could easily choose to talk about war as a child stressor. Although Rwanda is considered by the international community as a stable country with a democratic system of government and the largest percentage of female law makers of any nation in the world, it went through a dark period with the genocide against the tutsi and the war in April 1994. 

Children lost their parents and siblings and were confronted to other stressors like poverty and lack of housing or food. 

Fortunately, my immediate family and i did not experience it because we were outside the country. I have some relatives and friends who survived the killings. A lot has been done to help them psychologically and financially. 

I have a friend who survived with her three sisters and one brother, having lost her parents. She said that what made her feel strong was her siblings because she did not have the choice to be sorry for herself and at the same time, her little brother who was aged four at that time received support from his sisters. He is a big boy now holding a unusual past but strong enough to live his life. His body must have increased stress hormone levels as an activation of response to stress but they have calm down with the support of his sisters. Without the care of adults, the stress response would have stayed activated which would cause his neuro connections to reduce when there should have been growing new ones (Center on the Developing Child–Harvard University). Another friend of mine had a nephew who survived the genocide but who had witnessed the killing of his parents. For many years after this period, depression led him to flee his home. He is in mental imbalance. With the psychological help he received, he does not disappear from his house but he cannot study. His biosocial, cognitive and psychosocial development slowed down.

Child Development and Public health

Hello,

I would like to tell you about the phenomenal efforts made by my country in reducing infant and maternal mortality these past years. According to the Rwandan Ministry of Health and the United Nations Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA) office in Rwanda, improved surveillance and accountability have played a big role in this reduction, and increase of the number of assisted deliveries. Surveillance improvement has allowed new policies, strategies, road maps and programs to emerge. 
Infant mortality has reduced from 107 in 2000, to 62 in 2008, target being 28 in 2015.
Deliveries attended by skilled health workers increased from 38% in 2005, to 52% in 2007, 63,5% in 2010. Maternal mortality has reduced from 1071 in 2000, 750 in 2005 mothers per 100,000, the number reduced to 383 in 2010 and by 2015, the number is expected to reach 268.
The efforts made have an impact on the early childhood development future because it increases the number of healthy toddlers being raised by healthy mothers, mothers who are ready to give them the appropriate care important for the physical, cognitive and emotional development. 

Child birth in my life

Dear all,

I am the mother of four children, a boy and three girls. I thank the Lord for giving me these children.
When it comes to their births stories, i can only compare my country's health system to that of a developed country. At home, hospitals do the bare minimum. I got my first two children in Rwanda, my country, and the last two ones in South Africa. I had health problems and i was advised to go there for better care. The two are incomparable experiences. In South Africa, private hospitals are nice, you have different specialists caring for you, all the details of your health are taken into account, you are in good hands. Although we have good doctors and a little bit of improvement these years, we have a very long way to go before getting where developed countries are already in the health care system. We need qualified people and the required equipment in our hospitals. But compared to the hospitals when i was born 40 years ago, i can only be proud of my nation.

Thank you for your encouraging words...

Dear colleague,

I do not know about you but this course taught me a lot about this early childhood field.
I acquired knowledge about the influence of relationships, of culture, of neighborhood, of health services and other elements in the young children’s development. I learned the importance of families being involved in the school life and the positive impact on the child, the importance for caregivers to take into account the child’s environment, the importance of the different contributors to the field through research, head start, childcare and others and the importance of investing in the early years of the child emotionally and financially because it generates returns on the long term.

Thank you for your kind and encouraging words throughout the course and all the best for the rest of the program.

Codes of Ethics

Dear reader,

All ideals and principles of the NAEYC and DEC codes of ethics in the early childhood field, have great value for me. I chose these three ideals for their character reflecting respect and justice towards children. 

"We shall demonstrate in our behavior and language respect and appreciation for the unique value and human potential of each child" (DEC Code of Ethics) similar to ideal I-1.3 "To recognize and respect the unique qualities, abilities and potential of each child"(NAEYC Code of Ethics. These ideals reflect the importance of giving value to each child without prejudices.

"We shall recognize our responsibility to  improve the developmental outcomes of children and provide services and supports in a fair and equitable manner to all families and children" (DEC Code of Ethics). This ideal gives to the professional the responsibility to excel in helping all children without any injustice or preference towards children and their families.

"Above all, we shall not harm children. We shall not participate in practices that are emotionally damaging, physically harmful, disrespectful, degrading, dangerous, exploitative, or intimidating to children"(NAEYC Code of Ethics). This is a reminder to everyone that it is prohibited to reduce the esteem of the child in any way. We must do everything to increase his self- confidence.

Course Resources

Part 1: Position Statements and Influential Practices

• NAEYC. (2009). Developmentally appropriate practice in early childhood programs serving children from birth through age 8. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/dap
• NAEYC. (2009). Where we stand on child abuse prevention. Retrieved May 26, 2010, fromhttp://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/ChildAbuseStand.pdf
• NAEYC. (2009). Where we stand on school readiness. Retrieved May 26, 2010, fromhttp://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/Readiness.pdf
• NAEYC. (2009). Where we stand on responding to linguistic and cultural diversity. Retrieved May 26, 2010, fromhttp://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/diversity.pdf
• NAEYC. (2003). Early childhood curriculum, assessment, and program evaluation: Building an effective, accountable system in programs for children birth through age 8. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/pscape.pdf
• NAEYC. (2009, April). Early childhood inclusion: A summary. Retrieved May 26, 2010, fromhttp://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/DEC_NAEYC_ECSummary_A.pdf
• Zero to Three: National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families. (2010). Infant-toddler policy agenda. Retrieved May 26, 2010, fromhttp://main.zerotothree.org/site/PageServer?pagename=ter_pub_infanttodller
• FPG Child Development Institute. (2006, September). Evidence-based practice empowers early childhood professionals and families. (FPG Snapshot, No. 33). Retrieved May 26, 2010, fromhttp://community.fpg.unc.edu/sites/community.fpg.unc.edu/files/imce/documents/FPG_Snapshot_N33_EvidenceBasedPractice_09-2006.pdf
• Turnbull, A., Zuna, N., Hong, J. Y., Hu, X., Kyzar, K., Obremski, S., et al. (2010). Knowledge-to-action guides. Teaching Exceptional Children, 42(3), 42-53.
  Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

Part 2: Global Support for Children's Rights and Well-Being

• Article: UNICEF (n.d.). Fact sheet: A summary of the rights under the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Retrieved May 26, 2010, fromhttp://www.unicef.org/crc/files/Rights_overview.pdf
• Websites:
• • World Forum Foundation
    http://worldforumfoundation.org/wf/wp/about-us
    This link connects you to the mission statement of this organization. Make sure to watch the media segment on this webpage
  • World Organization for Early Childhood Education
    http://www.omep-usnc.org/
    Read about OMEP's mission.
  • Association for Childhood Education International
    http://acei.org/
    Click on "Mission/Vision" and "Guiding Principles and Beliefs" and read these statements.

Note: Explore the resources in Parts 3 and 4 in preparation for this week's Application assignment.

Part 3: Selected Early Childhood Organizations

• National Association for the Education of Young Children
  http://www.naeyc.org/
• The Division for Early Childhood
  http://www.dec-sped.org/
• Zero to Three: National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families
  http://www.zerotothree.org/
• WESTED
  http://www.wested.org/cs/we/print/docs/we/home.htm
• Harvard Education Letter
  http://www.hepg.org/hel/topic/85
• FPG Child Development Institute
  http://www.fpg.unc.edu/
• Administration for Children and Families Headstart's National Research Conference
  http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/opre/hsrc/
• HighScope
  http://www.highscope.org/
• Children's Defense Fund
  http://www.childrensdefense.org/
• Center for Child Care Workforce
  http://www.ccw.org/
• Council for Exceptional Children
  http://www.cec.sped.org/
• Institute for Women's Policy Research
  http://www.iwpr.org/
• National Center for Research on Early Childhood Education
  http://www.ncrece.org/wordpress/
• National Child Care Association
  http://www.nccanet.org/
• National Institute for Early Education Research
  http://nieer.org/
• Pre[K]Now
  http://www.pewstates.org/projects/pre-k-now-328067
• Voices for America's Children
  http://www.voices.org/
• The Erikson Institute
  http://www.erikson.edu/

Part 4: Selected Professional Journals Available in the Walden Library

Tip: Use the Journal option under Search & Find on the library website to find journals by title.

• YC Young Children
• Childhood
• Journal of Child & Family Studies
• Child Study Journal
• Multicultural Education
• Early Childhood Education Journal
• Journal of Early Childhood Research
• International Journal of Early Childhood
• Early Childhood Research Quarterly
• Developmental Psychology
• Social Studies
• Maternal & Child Health Journal
• International Journal of Early Years Education

Early Childhood News. The professional Ressource for Teachers and Parents (2008). http://www.earlychildhoodnews.com/earlychildhood/article_view.aspx?ArticleID=400

United Nations Rwanda

http://www.rw.one.un.org/what-we-do/human-development/education-early-childhood-development-gender-based-violence-nutrition

Early Childhood Education Program

http://ece.berkeley.edu/