Continuity among early childhood programs: issues and strategies from an international view. (Teaching Strategies).

While children's development is continuous, the same cannot always be said about their early childhood programs; young children can experience discontinuity due to gaps, overlaps, or mismatches when they move from one program to another (Barbour & Seefeldt, 1993). This issue of continuity among early childhood programs has been a longstanding concern. For example, the theme of the 1908 yearbook of the National Society for the Study of Education was kindergarten continuity. Continuity affects educators, parents, administrators, policymakers, and young children, and is a concern around the world. My recent visits to early childhood programs in several Pacific Rim countries and the discussions I had with early childhood educators there reinforced my understanding of the importance and pervasiveness of this issue. (Most of the examples used in this article are from Pacific Rim countries.)

Continuity between early childhood programs is a complex issue, affecting children and families as well as the programs themselves (Pianta & Cox, 1999; Rimm-Kaufman, Pianta, & Cox, 2000). Continuity can be defined as "the way and degree to which one program relates to and builds on another for the benefit of the children" (Mayfield, 2001, p. 416). It includes philosophical, curricular, developmental, physical, organizational, and administrative continuities. Continuity is an ongoing process, not a series of isolated events. Thus, strategies to foster continuity need to be addressed by multiple groups over time and across settings, including nursery schools, child care centers, kindergartens, and primary classrooms--from the first early childhood program a child experiences through the primary grades. Educators, administrators, parents, and policymakers must recognize the importance of and need for effective strategies to provide smooth and successful continuity between early childhood programs for young children.

Philosophical Continuity

Philosophical continuity is foundational and refers to underlying philosophies of early childhood programs, including the purpose of early education, concepts of childhood, and methods for teaching children. In most Pacific Rim countries, debates exist over the merits of a child-centered vs. an academically oriented philosophy. The desire to apply developmentally appropriate practice in early childhood programs sometimes conflicts with pressure from parents, policymakers, administrators, and educators to have a more academic focus, thereby making the preschool and kindergarten more like the primary grades. For example, in Taiwan it is not unusual for 4- and 5-year-olds to have academic homework and attend private "cram schools" in the evenings or on weekends for extra instruction in academic subjects such as English or computer skills (see, for example, Childhood Education, Volume 77, pages 360-366). In North America, early childhood educators often must explain their programs' philosophies to parents, administrators, policymakers, and other educators. In Indonesia, the Preschool Education Association and the Kindergarten Teachers' Alliance have sponsored inservice activities with the Ministry of Education to foster such communication and discussion (Thomas, 1992).

Educators with differing philosophies can still be advocates for such causes as providing more playspaces in urban schools, recognizing children's rights, or celebrating the National Child/Children's Day or Week of the Classroom Teacher (see www.acei.org for more information on the latter). Other advocacy strategies can include publishing newsletters on topics of interest to early childhood educators and/or families, writing materials for publication in local community newspapers or parents' magazines, and developing media service announcements. On an international level, the Association for Childhood Education International (ACEI) and the Organisation Mondiale pour l'Education Prescolaire/World Organization for Early Childhood Education (OMEP) have undertaken a project to develop global guidelines for early childhood programs (ACEI/OMEP, 1999).

Curricular Continuity

Curricular continuity refers to the continuity of curriculum across levels and programs. Some countries have a national early childhood curriculum (e.g., Japan), others have regional/local curricula (e.g., the United States), and some have a national curriculum with regional options (e.g., China). Some national curricula are planned specifically to foster curricular continuity from preschool/kindergarten through the primary grades. A national curriculum is more easily developed and implemented in a relatively homogeneous country such as Japan, or in a smaller country such as Singapore; it is more difficult in a large and vastly populated country with children from hundreds of ethnic and language backgrounds, such as China. For countries with more fragmented curriculum development, early childhood professionals and groups need to communicate, work together, and learn about curriculum at all levels of early childhood, not just their own.

One strategy for promoting such knowledge and understanding is to expand the focus of teacher education programs. For example, graduate students in the Early Childhood Education Masters of Education program at Victoria University, Australia, work in pre-schools, child care centers, kindergartens, the primary grades, family support programs, and colleges. Students frequently comment about how much they learn about each other's programs and concerns from discussions, both in and out of class. Similar graduate programs are available in the United States, New Zealand, South Korea, Singapore, and other countries. In addition, early childhood programs at both the undergraduate and graduate levels can increase students' knowledge of other programs through observations, practica experiences, and assignments.

Sharing professional development activities and resources also can promote curricular continuity. For example, I visited a very well-equipped teacher resource center in Seoul, South Korea, that is housed in one early childhood center but is available to other educators in the community. Such arrangements can promote ongoing formal and/or informal sharing of ideas, materials, and resources. Also, workshops, presentations, and conferences on topics of mutual interest are facilitated.

Developmental Continuity

Developmental continuity addresses how to foster continuity for individual children. According to Barbour and Seefeldt (1993), this practice includes basing decisions on each individual child's social, emotional, intellectual, and physical development, and then factoring these considerations into programs and instructional practices. Educators can plan options for easing individual children's transitions into a new program, such as gradual entry, orientation sessions, or mutual exchange visits. In Mexico, kindergarten teachers visit the preschools that their future students are attending, thus facilitating coordinated planning for the children's transitions between programs. Another strategy to help young children become more familiar with other early childhood programs and for educators to become more familiar with the children is to plan preschool-kindergarten-1st grade activities, such as magic shows, fun fairs, or service projects, as well as coordinated outings to local places, such as community recreation facilities or nature parks.

Physical Continuity

Physical continuity includes factors such as the design of classrooms, the materials and equipment available for the children, the proximity of the facility to their homes, and the physical size/design of the facility (many young children, for example, feel intimidated by large institutional buildings). In North America, kindergartens are often found in large buildings, typically in the same building as primary grades. In other countries (e.g., Singapore and South Korea), preschools and kindergartens are housed in smaller buildings in separate locations. However, these "separate" kindergartens can be quite large, attended by several hundred children. In Taiwan and China, the children typically are accustomed to going to programs in larger buildings with many other children before they begin primary school.

One strategy for fostering physical continuity is to situate two or more early childhood programs on the same campus (e.g., a child care center in or next to a primary school). Not only will the close proximity allow children to see where they'll be going, it also can foster communication across different levels. For example, I once taught in a public nursery school in England that was part of a complex containing the local primary and middle schools; thus, it was easy to meet other educators and observe their programs.

Organizational Continuity

Organizational continuity includes such factors as the length of the school day, length of the school week, child to educator ratios, and other structural variables. While kindergartens in North America are typically half-day programs, kindergartens in many Pacific Rim countries are full-day, and some in China are overnight/boarding schools (see Mayfield, 1994). In some Asian countries, children attend preschool, kindergarten, and primary programs for six days a week, although there is a trend in some countries (e.g., South Korea and Hong Kong) to reduce the school week to five days for young children. The number of children per teacher can have a significant effect on continuity, as some children move from a program with a ratio of 8:1 to one with a ratio of 25:1, as is common in the move from child care to kindergarten in North America. In other countries, the change may be from a program with a ratio of 30:2 to one of 60:1, as I observed in primary classrooms in some parts of China.

Professional organizations must coordinate their advocacy efforts in lobbying for more continuous standards across early childhood programs. Some countries have found that one broad-based coalition or umbrella organization can unite and represent various types and levels of early childhood programs. In Hong Kong, for example, the umbrella organization is OMEP, which advocates and lobbies for early childhood programs.

Administrative Continuity

Administrative continuity includes how programs are governed and what agency/agencies are responsible for regulations, licensing, and enforcement. In some countries, more than one national ministry or department is responsible for early childhood programs, while in other countries provincial/state departments or ministries hold authority. In New Zealand, however, early childhood programs (from pre-school through elementary school) are under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Education. One trend in the United States, and to a lesser extent in Canada, is to include programs for 4-year-olds in public school systems. In most Asian and many European countries, kindergarten has long included children from ages 3 to 5 or 6. Children in these programs may spend three or more years in the same setting with the same people.

Summary

In conclusion, the challenge to maintain continuity among early childhood programs has been both a longstanding and an international concern. Fortunately, early childhood educators can find many strategies for fostering continuity among programs for young children.

References

Association for Childhood Education International/World Organization for Early Childhood Education. (1999). Early childhood education and care in the 21st century: Global guidelines and papers from an international symposium hosted by the World Organization for Early Childhood Education (Organisation Mondiale pour l'Education Prescolaire) and the Association for Childhood Education International. Olney, MD: Authors. (Also available at www.acei.org)

Barbour, N. H., & Seefeldt, C. (1993). Developmental continuity across preschool and primary grades. Olney, MD: Association for Childhood Education International.

Mayfield, M. I. (1994). Changes in China's boarding kindergartens. Canadian Children, 19(2), 28-31.

Mayfield, M. I. (2001). Early childhood education and care in Canada: Contexts, dimensions, and issues. Toronto: Prentice Hall.

National Society for the Study of Education. (1908). Co-ordination of the kindergarten and the elementary school. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Pianta, R. C., & Cox, M. J. (Eds.). (1999). The transition to kindergarten. Baltimore: Paul Brookes.

Rimm-Kaufman, S. E., Pianta, R. C., & Cox, M.J. (2000). Teachers' judgments of problems in the transition to kindergarten. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 15(2), 147-166.

Thomas, R. M. (1992). Early childhood teacher education in Indonesia. In R. Evans & O. N. Saracho (Eds.), Teacher preparation in early childhood education (pp. 85-94). Philadelphia: Gordon and Beach Science Publishers.

Margie I. Mayfield is Professor of Early Childhood Education and Literacy, Faculty of Education, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.