chapter 1

Question 1

Accountability

Answer 1

The process of holding teachers, schools, or programs responsible for meeting a required level of performance.

Question 2

Accreditation system

Answer 2

NAEYC’s voluntary system for identifying high-quality early childhood centers and schools serving children from birth through kindergarten.

Question 3

Alignment

Answer 3

Coordination of the curriculum from one level of education to the next in order to build on what children have already learned and to ease transitions for students between schools and school levels.

Question 4

Child care licensing standards

Answer 4

Minimum requirements, legally established by each state, for a child care program to operate.

Question 5

Child Development Associate (CDA) credential

Answer 5

National competency-based credential for entry-level early childhood educators.

Question 6

Common core standards

Answer 6

Rigorous national standards in English language arts and mathematics for kindergarten through grade 12 developed by the Council of Chief State Officers (CCSSO) and the National Governors Association (NGA).

Question 7

Developmentally appropriate practice

Answer 7

Ways of teaching that engage children’s interests and adapt for their age, experience, and ability, to help them meet challenging and achievable learning goals.

Question 8

Dual language learners

Answer 8

Children who are learning to speak two languages at the same time – usually their home language and English.

Question 9

Early childhood education

Answer 9

Education and child care services provided for children from birth through age 8.

Question 10

Early intervention

Answer 10

Services for infants and toddlers who are at risk of developmental delay and their families.

Question 11

Early learning standards

Answer 11

Describe what children should know and be able to do before entering kindergarten.

Question 12

Head Start

Answer 12

Federally funded, national program that promotes school readiness by enhancing the social and cognitive development of children ages 3,4, and 5 through providing educational, health, nutritional, social, and other services to the nation’s poorest children and families.

Question 13

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)

Answer 13

Federal law governing provision of services for children with disabilities and special needs.

Question 13

Inclusion

Answer 13

Participation and services for children with disabilities and special needs in programs and settings where their typically developing peers are served.

Question 14

Intentional teachers

Answer 14

Teachers who have a purpose for the decisions they make and can explain that purpose to others.

Question 15

National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)

Answer 15

The world’s largest organization of early childhood educators, whose mission is to act on behalf of the needs and interests of children from birth through age 8. NAEYC establishes standards for teacher preparation and accreditation of early childhood programs.

Question 16

Preschool

Answer 16

Educational programs serving 3-and 4-year-olds delivered under various sponsorships.

Question 17

School readiness

Answer 17

Children’s competencies related to success in kindergarten, including physical development, health, and well-being; social-emotional development and learning; cognitive development and general knowledge such as mathematics and science; positive approaches to learning such as curiosity and motivation; and language development and early literacy skills.

Question 18

Structural quality

Answer 18

Features of an early childhood program, such as maximum group sizes, teacher/child ratios, and teacher qualifications, that are relatively easy to quantify and measure.

Question 19

Family childcare home

Answer 19

Child care in which care-givers provide care in their own homes for a small group of children, often multi-age groups.

Question 20

Laboratory schools

Answer 20

School operated by colleges and universities that usually serves children of students and faculty and also acts as a model of excellent education for student teachers.

Question 21

What factors have contributed to the rise in status of early childhood education?

Answer 21

Increasing public recognition, respect, and funding.

Question 22

How can we attempt to narrow the gap between children from low income families and those from middle or high income families?

Answer 22

Having low-income families put their children in high-quality early childhood programs so that they begin kindergarten with higher achievement.

Question 23

Primary purpose of prekindergarten

Answer 23

To prepare children for kindergarten by developing their cognitive, social, and emotional skills through activities that focus on early literacy, math concepts, self-regulation, and social interaction