Head Start Vs Non Head Start

Running Head: HEAD START CHILDREN VS. NON-HEAD STARTERS

Head Start Children vs. Non-Head Starters

[Name of the writer]

[Name of the institution]

Head Start Children vs. Non-Head Starters

Introduction

Today nearly one in every four children lives in poverty. Compared to the 1960s, the environments where they are raised include more homeless-ness, street violence, illegal drugs, and single-parent families; affordable health and child care services have become less accessible; and many schools in poor districts have become war zones rather than centers of learning. The AIDS crisis, which was nonexistent three decades ago, and the soaring incidence of prenatal drug exposure have jeopardized the futures of tens of thousands of poor children even before their births.

Although the face of poverty has grown uglier, most of the war's weapons have been blunted or dismantled.

An exception is Project Head Start, still standing on a foundation of hope that poor children can learn to succeed and that their parents can be empowered to improve their own life chances. Since 1965, over 13 million Head Start graduates have entered school healthier and better prepared to learn; their parents have acquired better child-rearing skills, become involved in their children's education, and many have gained job skills and employment through the program. These accomplishments have earned Head Start grass-roots support and zealous endorsement by policy-makers.

Hypothesis

Low-income children who attend head start programs are more adequately prepared socially and academically for kindergarten those low income children who did not attend a head start program.

Literature Review

Since Head Start began, the fields of early intervention, preschool education, and family support have blossomed and produced a wealth of knowledge that can help the program better meet the needs of today's economically disadvantaged population. The literature shows beyond a doubt that Head Start's basic concept, methodology, and goals are sound. That is, when young children receive comprehensive services, including physical and mental health care, nutrition, and a developmentally appropriate educational program, when their parents are involved in their activities, and when their families receive needed services and support, they do become more competent socially and academically. But the literature also shows that these services must be of high quality to achieve desired outcomes. (Gamel-McCormick, 2002)

If Head Start and other programs for economically disadvantaged children can be shown to make a positive difference in these children's school and life experiences, their impact can be very widespread. Schweinhart (2003) points out that one-fourth of all children under the age of six are living in poverty, and that three-fifths of the mothers of three- and four-year-old children now work outside the home. However, fewer than 20 percent of the nation's three and four-year-olds from poor families are currently enrolled in Head Start programs.

Kindergarten enrollment has also increased dramatically in recent years. While only seven states mandate kindergarten attendance, about 95 percent of all children currently attend kindergarten (Karweit 1999), and 23 percent of these attend full-day programs (Karweit 1999).

In addition to the generally recognized need to provide some kind of extra support to children from low-income homes, there is another reason for the dramatic increase in educational programs for children before first grade. This is the increase, alluded to above, of mothers in the workforce. Many parents who are not at home with their children in the daytime are not satisfied with unstructured day care or babysitting, preferring that their children participate in more formal learning experiences.

Head Start takes a comprehensive approach to helping children and families.

Unlike many other early childhood programs, Head Start helps the whole child. Its four components--social services, health care, education, and parent involvement--are each essential to preparing low-income children to enter school ready to learn. Head Start also addresses families' unmet needs (forhousing, job training, health care, emotional support, and family counseling) that may stand in the wayof a child's full and healthy development. (McKey, Ganson, McConkey and Planz, 2001)

Head Start is based on several common-sense principles: Children who have a good preschool experience will be better prepared for school and more likely to succeed. Children, who are provided breakfast, and enough to eat during the rest of the day, will be better able to concentrate in school and generally more likely to thrive. Children who are immunized