Abstract:

Abstract
This paper will outline and analyze current misconceptions that perpetuate the status quo of inappropriate practices in early childhood education in the United States (US). In this paper, a holistic approach to moving past current practices toward a creative, democratic vision of early childhood education will be examined in detail. Implications gleaned from the research for early childhood programs in the US will also be compared with implications and research in other countries.
Immigration policies, increasing numbers of immigrants in the US, and a recently enacted law in the State of Arizona has stirred up controversy about immigrants and their families. The children of the majority of immigrants, both legal and undocumented, are language minority students or children whose native language is not English (Garcia et al., 2009). Many of these children are limited in English, not ready to learn when they enter kindergarten, and at risk of academic failure. In a speech on July 1, 2010, President Obama outlined a multitude of concerns about immigration policies and the increasing number of undocumented immigrants in the United States (U.S.). Many children of immigrants, both legal and undocumented, are language minority students: Children whose native language is not English (Garcia et al., 2009).

The number of language minority children in the U.S. has been estimated at more than 14 million from kindergarten through 12th grade (August & Shanahan, 2006). Researchers have found that the number of children from immigrant families is growing faster than any other population of children in the U.S. (Hernandez et al., 2008). Many of these students are English language learners (ELLs): Their English proficiency is not sufficient to enable them to learn to their full potential in a mainstream English classroom. Most children from immigrant families are considered English language learners at some point in their lives particularly those that are ages three to ten (Garcia et al., 2009). Recent statistics from the U.S. Department of Education estimate that more than five million school-age children in the U.S. are English language learners which is ten percent of all kindergarten through 12th grade students (National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition, 2006).

This paper will examine current misconceptions that perpetuate the status quo of inappropriate practices in early childhood education. A second purpose is to propose a holistic approach to moving past current practices toward a more global and holistic vision of early childhood education.

Keywords:

Early childhood, research, early childhood education.