Publications :
Consortium Connections
In this Issue - Winter 2007-08
There is little doubt that the beginnings
of educational disparities occur well before children enter Kindergarten,
and even before birth. With young children’s brains developing
at such a rapid rate in their early years, it is critical that parents,
caregivers, communities and society maximize the opportunities to
strengthen children’s learning capacities, and that public
and private policies support them in this effort.
Minnesota has been a leader in early childhood education for many
years. Yet school readiness studies in Minnesota indicate that as
many as half of Minnesota children enter Kindergarten not fully prepared
to learn. Why is this? One significant reason is that, while there
are many excellent early childhood programs and child care settings
statewide, a very high number of families, particularly those in
lower income brackets, do not have access to them. These children
start school behind their more advantaged counterparts, and often
stay behind throughout their school experience.
This issue of Consortium Connections focuses on early childhood,
using the enclosed Circles of influence framework as a guide. Articles
explore early childhood from the perspective of four the circles
of influence – the child, informal supports, communities and
policy.
Articles in the print version of Connections do not contain citations.
When they have been used, citations are included in the web version
of Connections, along with additional resources related to the articles.
As always, your feedback is encouraged and welcome!
