Head Start was created during Johnson's War on Poverty in the 1960's. What previous programs or research provided the necessary foundation to encourage leaders of the time that project Head Start might help serve this population?
Programs arise from the social, political, economic and scientific influences of the time. Head Start rested on a historical foundation of child development, child study, and research. It reflects the principle of community action. Child development scholars provided research approches upon which to build the new Head Start program. The maturationist theories of Gesell,Robert Sears's personality and social development theories, and child anthropology theories impacted the Head Start program. Hunt and Bloom described how enriching early experiences might help to increase intelligence and this was used to justify early direct intervention in the lives of young at risk children. Cynthis and Martin Deutsch also demonstrated that preschool programs for young disadvantaged children were beneficial. There had been previous federally funded programs that were short-lived, but these programs did provie a precedent for federally funded child care programs. The civil rights movement had an increasing set of demands for quality education. Psychologists of the 1960s made people aware about the influences of the environment upon the intellectual development of young children. Health, malnutrition, and parental neglect headed the list of problems to be tackled.The thought was that if children from disadvantaged homes could enter school on a more even footing with middle class children they would experince more success in their schooling. (Jan)
It appears that early childhood programs grow from political, economic, social and scientific in societies. Under President Johnson's War on Poverty and Sargent Shriver's leadershp, Head Start began in the Office of Economic Opportunity. With historical foundations steeped in child development and research, both locally and nationally, community action refected the emergency of Head Start. As noted in other chapters of Lascarides & Hinitz, other nursery schools, and child care had emerged. As many theorists researched approaches and models especially during the insurgence of World War II and the Industrial Revolution, women left home to go to work and children needed to be cared for. Maturationist theories of Gesell, behaviorists, Sear's personality and social development and child anthropology theories laid the foundation for the Head Start program. Hunt and Bloom wrote how intelligence could increase with enriched early experiences. Hunt's work on intelligence interrelated environment and the quality of mothering. Bloom's work centered on the critical periods of intellectual development and added to the body of research on at risk children. Maria Montessori was represented as well in Bloom's work. Piaget's work on cognition became accepted in the United States at this time as well. Martin and Cynthia Deutsch's work with disadvantaged children and preschool programs paved the way for Head Start. Group dynamics theory of Lewin,and the historical interest in child development to the child welfare movement were all precursors to the formation of Head Start. Such programs as the WPA Depression Era Nurseries and the Lanam Act Child Care, although short lived, provided a precedent for Federally funded child care programs. The need was there for a program that supported young children who were disadvantaged, special needs and at risk. The social, cultural and economic problems of the 60's led the civil rights movement into an educational movement as well. Quality, integrated educational programs for children were increasing in demand. The statement by Winschel (Lascarides & Hinitz, 2000, p.403) "politico-educational complex blinded in one eye by prejudice and in the other by do-goodness-both equally detrimental to the welfare of children and society" described compensatory education. The Economic Opportunity Act (EOA) created an office in the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare that was designed to help poor people improve their lives through new resources and technical assistance. Child development experts were flown into Washington, D.C. for meetings. As a result of local government opposition and a budget surplus, the federal government recommended local community action agencies coordinate programs for young children. Head Start was born.
References
Lascarides, V.C., & Hinitz, B. (2000). History of early childhood education. New York: Falmer Press.
In the summer of 1965, the early childhood preschool program, Head Start began in the United States. This program for economically disadvantaged children, created as part of Johnson’s War on Poverty during the 1960’s, not only focused on creating opportunities for children to participate in academic related activities but also incorporated other services that encouraged the well-being of the “whole child” by providing medical, dental, parenting and other social programs for these children and their families. Several events contributed to the foundation of this program including the success of other early childhood programs, new research relating to the development of the intellect, and other federally funding programs targeting this age group.
Kindergarten and nursery schools were part of the educational landscape prior to the creation of the Head Start. These early childhood programs provided support to the benefits of educating children prior to first grade. In addition, nursery school programs indicated the need to provide quality care to children from low-income families. Although these programs were familiar to Americans, the federal government had not provided money to help support these early childhood activities.
Scholars like J. McVicker Hunt and Benjamin S. Bloom published books refuting Americans notions about intelligence. Hunt believed there was not only a biological component to intelligence but also an environmental aspect, which indicated that a child’s interactions with the environment influenced this development (Vinovskis, 2005). Bloom “claimed that one-half of a person’s intelligence was determined by age five and that intelligence gradually became more fixed by age eighteen” (Kagan, 2002, p. 526). In addition, Kagan (2002) suggests that Bloom believed in education for mothers. Furthermore, according to Kagan (2002), Bloom and Hunt “both identified the quality of parenting, particularly mothering, as the most crucial factor in child development” (Kagan, 2002, p. 526).
Prior to the 1930s, the federal government was not actively involved in the education of young children. In the fall of 1933, this changed when the government provided funding to low-income children for nursery school programs. The emergency nursery schools first were funded through the Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA) but then the Works Progress Administration (WPA) provided the money for this social program. These programs not only included educational activities for the children but also encouraged parents to participate in these schools and education for the parents. The quality of educational services provided by these schools was not equal to their private counterparts and with the nation’s focus changing to World War II the program ended in 1943 (Vinovskis, 2005).
With a shortage of male workers, many women filled these openings during World War II. Despite some controversy, some of these women were mothers of young children who did not have appropriate childcare options. To alleviate this problem, the federal government stepped in with funding in the form of the Community Facilities Act of 1941, also known as the Lanham Act. This money helped to fund childcare for six hundred thousand children until after the war when this funding ceased (Vinovskis, 2005).
With these prior successes with early childhood programs and new information about intelligence, the government had the support it needed to create an educational program for young children living below the poverty line. With the support of Johnson’s administration, Head Start began in the summer of 1965 when the first group of children participated in this early childhood program that continues to support these children and their families today.
References Kagan, J. (2002). Empowerment and education: Civil rights, expert-advocates, and parent politics in Head Start, 1964-1980. Teachers College Record 104(3), p. 516-562. Vinovskis, M. A. (2005). The Birth of Head Start. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press.
3 comments:
Programs arise from the social, political, economic and scientific influences of the time. Head Start rested on a historical foundation of child development, child study, and research. It reflects the principle of community action. Child development scholars provided research approches upon which to build the new Head Start program. The maturationist theories of Gesell,Robert Sears's personality and social development theories, and child anthropology theories impacted the Head Start program. Hunt and Bloom described how enriching early experiences might help to increase intelligence and this was used to justify early direct intervention in the lives of young at risk children. Cynthis and Martin Deutsch also demonstrated that preschool programs for young disadvantaged children were beneficial. There had been previous federally funded programs that were short-lived, but these programs did provie a precedent for federally funded child care programs. The civil rights movement had an increasing set of demands for quality education. Psychologists of the 1960s made people aware about the influences of the environment upon the intellectual development of young children. Health, malnutrition, and parental neglect headed the list of problems to be tackled.The thought was that if children from disadvantaged homes could enter school on a more even footing with middle class children they would experince more success in their schooling.
(Jan)
It appears that early childhood programs grow from political, economic, social and scientific in societies. Under President Johnson's War on Poverty and Sargent Shriver's leadershp, Head Start began in the Office of Economic Opportunity. With historical foundations steeped in child development and research, both locally and nationally, community action refected the emergency of Head Start. As noted in other chapters of Lascarides & Hinitz, other nursery schools, and child care had emerged. As many theorists researched approaches and models especially during the insurgence of World War II and the Industrial Revolution, women left home to go to work and children needed to be cared for. Maturationist theories of Gesell, behaviorists, Sear's personality and social development and child anthropology theories laid the foundation for the Head Start program. Hunt and Bloom wrote how intelligence could increase with enriched early experiences. Hunt's work on intelligence interrelated environment and the quality of mothering. Bloom's work centered on the critical periods of intellectual development and added to the body of research on at risk children. Maria Montessori was represented as well in Bloom's work. Piaget's work on cognition became accepted in the United States at this time as well. Martin and Cynthia Deutsch's work with disadvantaged children and preschool programs paved the way for Head Start. Group dynamics theory of Lewin,and the historical interest in child development to the child welfare movement were all precursors to the formation of Head Start. Such programs as the WPA Depression Era Nurseries and the Lanam Act Child Care, although short lived, provided a precedent for Federally funded child care programs. The need was there for a program that supported young children who were disadvantaged, special needs and at risk. The social, cultural and economic problems of the 60's led the civil rights movement into an educational movement as well. Quality, integrated educational programs for children were increasing in demand. The statement by Winschel (Lascarides & Hinitz, 2000, p.403) "politico-educational complex blinded in one eye by prejudice and in the other by do-goodness-both equally detrimental to the welfare of children and society" described compensatory education. The Economic Opportunity Act (EOA) created an office in the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare that was designed to help poor people improve their lives through new resources and technical assistance. Child development experts were flown into Washington, D.C. for meetings. As a result of local government opposition and a budget surplus, the federal government recommended local community action agencies coordinate programs for young children. Head Start was born.
References
Lascarides, V.C., & Hinitz, B.
(2000). History of early
childhood education. New York:
Falmer Press.
Head Start Foundations
In the summer of 1965, the early childhood preschool program, Head Start began in the United States. This program for economically disadvantaged children, created as part of Johnson’s War on Poverty during the 1960’s, not only focused on creating opportunities for children to participate in academic related activities but also incorporated other services that encouraged the well-being of the “whole child” by providing medical, dental, parenting and other social programs for these children and their families. Several events contributed to the foundation of this program including the success of other early childhood programs, new research relating to the development of the intellect, and other federally funding programs targeting this age group.
Kindergarten and nursery schools were part of the educational landscape prior to the creation of the Head Start. These early childhood programs provided support to the benefits of educating children prior to first grade. In addition, nursery school programs indicated the need to provide quality care to children from low-income families. Although these programs were familiar to Americans, the federal government had not provided money to help support these early childhood activities.
Scholars like J. McVicker Hunt and Benjamin S. Bloom published books refuting Americans notions about intelligence. Hunt believed there was not only a biological component to intelligence but also an environmental aspect, which indicated that a child’s interactions with the environment influenced this development (Vinovskis, 2005). Bloom “claimed that one-half of a person’s intelligence was determined by age five and that intelligence gradually became more fixed by age eighteen” (Kagan, 2002, p. 526). In addition, Kagan (2002) suggests that Bloom believed in education for mothers. Furthermore, according to Kagan (2002), Bloom and Hunt “both identified the quality of parenting, particularly mothering, as the most crucial factor in child development” (Kagan, 2002, p. 526).
Prior to the 1930s, the federal government was not actively involved in the education of young children. In the fall of 1933, this changed when the government provided funding to low-income children for nursery school programs. The emergency nursery schools first were funded through the Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA) but then the Works Progress Administration (WPA) provided the money for this social program. These programs not only included educational activities for the children but also encouraged parents to participate in these schools and education for the parents. The quality of educational services provided by these schools was not equal to their private counterparts and with the nation’s focus changing to World War II the program ended in 1943 (Vinovskis, 2005).
With a shortage of male workers, many women filled these openings during World War II. Despite some controversy, some of these women were mothers of young children who did not have appropriate childcare options. To alleviate this problem, the federal government stepped in with funding in the form of the Community Facilities Act of 1941, also known as the Lanham Act. This money helped to fund childcare for six hundred thousand children until after the war when this funding ceased (Vinovskis, 2005).
With these prior successes with early childhood programs and new information about intelligence, the government had the support it needed to create an educational program for young children living below the poverty line. With the support of Johnson’s administration, Head Start began in the summer of 1965 when the first group of children participated in this early childhood program that continues to support these children and their families today.
References
Kagan, J. (2002). Empowerment and education: Civil rights, expert-advocates, and parent politics in Head Start, 1964-1980. Teachers College Record 104(3), p. 516-562.
Vinovskis, M. A. (2005). The Birth of Head Start. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press.
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