Introduction
Laredo, Texas was chosen as the new region. Total population of this city is 260,571 people. Median household income in the area is $51,120. This city was chosen because it has one of the largest number of children aged 0 to 5 compared to adults in all of America – 18,516. At the same time, a relatively small number of early childhood education centers are located here, teaching on various models, such as project approach, head start, high scope and montessori, which can give our company a chance to succeed and bring good childhood education to this region. In addition, this region demonstrates the pace of economic growth, which in the future will allow to develop and create new opportunities.
School models
Choosing a school model, organizing the environment, and developing a program plan that is responsive to the needs of children in that particular area will maximize the success of both the company and meet the needs of society in the best possible way. To do this, consider the different models that our educational center can implement, such as project approach, head start, high scope, Montessori: Reggio Emilia and Waldorf, and choose the most relevant for this particular case.
Project Approach
The project approach entails a thorough study of a subject that can be started by a student or a teacher and can involve a single student, a small group of students, or the full class. Depending on the kids’ degree of interest, the project might be either short-term or long-term. The development of a tangible outcome is prioritized; this outcome may be an oral presentation, a multimedia presentation, a poster, a demonstration, or a display (Beneke, 2019). The project method allows kids the chance to be in charge of their own learning and to express that learning by making objects that are important to them personally.
This model supports the development of the whole child allowing physical and creative development through interaction with research materials including real things, books, magazines, newspapers, music, and other items. Develops in the child alternative and creative ways to approach the project. Developing analytical skills through by gathering data or images from predetermined sources and using communication and information as a creative tool.
Head Start
A federal program called Head Start helps low-income families’ young children, ages zero to five, prepare for school by fostering their cognitive, social, and emotional growth. Head Start is the leading national government sponsored early childhood education program (Morris et al., 2018). The requirements of young children are met holistically via Head Start. The four primary parts of Head Start are education, health, parent participation and social services. Education give children a range of learning opportunities to support their intellectual, social, and emotional development.
Health: The delivery of health services such vaccines, dental, medical, mental health, and dietary services, as well as the early identification of health issues. Parent Participation: Including parents in the creation and execution of events. Parents engage in workshops and seminars on child development, serve on political boards and committees that make administrative decisions, and volunteer for the program. Social services: Make contact with families to find out what kind of help they require.
High Scope
Teachers at High Scope encourage kids to explore learning materials and engage with classmates and adults in order to pique their interest in learning.
The program is focused on active learning. Through their natural play and interactions with the outside world, things that happen, and other people, young children acquire the majority of what they know. In order to promote learning, teachers collaborate with kids and interact with them both vocally and non-verbally. Sharing control with children, collaborating with them, encouraging their play, using encouragement rather than praise, and utilizing a problem-solving approach to help children in dispute resolution are important techniques for adult-child relationships. To encourage kids to be independent and to go for their goals, the room is labeled and structured. A balanced, varied experience and learning opportunities are guaranteed by the day’s continuous schedule. Children engage in both solo and cooperative play, small- and big-group activities, assist with household chores, interact with one another while eating, learn how to take care of themselves, and work both their small and large muscle groups. The plan-do-review sequence, in which kids decide what they’ll do, put their plans into action, and then reflect on their experiences with adults and other kids, is the most crucial part of the daily schedule. In this approach, children acquire higher-order thinking abilities linked to the growth of executive functions, which are essential for success in both school and life.
Montessori
The Montessori method of education emphasizes individual work, experiential learning, and group play. Children in Montessori classrooms are free to choose how they want to learn, with the class and teacher providing age-appropriate activities to help them along. Children explore and learn about the environment both independently and in groups.
Beautifully made surroundings, Montessori classrooms are created to satisfy the requirements of kids in a certain age range. A stronger grasp of language, arithmetic, physics, music, social relations, and other subjects results from learning in this kind of classroom.
Each object in a Montessori classroom aids in a certain area of a child’s growth. Children may learn at their own rate and via experience. They may react instantly to human beings’ innate natural curiosity and lay a solid foundation for lifelong learning.
Reggio Emilia
The approach seeks to educate children by providing the appropriate surroundings and social network. Children are the focal point of their own learning and the process’s creators according to the Reggio Emilia method. They are therefore viewed as an active part of their learning and do not adhere to a rigid curriculum. Teachers are therefore viewed as friends and guides who support kids in discovering their interests and learning. Teachers at Reggio Emilia plan classes but make adjustments in the moment. Because of the focus on teamwork, learning and projects are typically completed in groups in the classroom. Children are encouraged to focus on learning and what interests them while collaborating is also seen between teachers and students. Classes are an essential part of a child’s learning.
Waldorf
This approach is predicated on the notion that every kid is an individual with learning and growth aspirations. It comprises knowledge of how a kid develops from birth to age seven, taking into account the special relevance of a child’s ability to walk, talk, and think throughout the first three years of life. The method’s emphasis on autonomous play with straightforward playthings, a knowledge that young children learn by imitation, exposure to a range of sensory stimuli, and the ability to safely take risks and find solutions to issues are all provided by the environment, along with boundaries, order, and protection.
Both practical hobbies like cooking, baking, gardening, handicrafts, and household chores that promote human development and artistic interests like storytelling, singing, sketching, rhythm games, and modeling are significant. Here, rather than on the outcomes of learning, the focus is on life’s processes.
Conclusion
After analyzing all educational programs, as well as the market of existing institutions in the selected area, the best solution is the High Scope education model.
This program provides the necessary preparation, combining various approaches to the development of the personality and talents of the child. In this model, the role of the teacher allows you to adapt the program and thus give not only early physical, emotional, intellectual and social development of children, but also provide them with the skills of independence and self-government, which is becoming increasingly important in modern society and the future career of the child.
References
Beneke, S., Ostrosky, M. M., & Katz, L. G. (2019). The Project Approach for All Learners: A Hands-On Guide for Inclusive Early Childhood Classrooms. Brookes Publishing Company.
Morris, P. A., Connors, M., Friedman-Krauss, A., McCoy, D. C., Weiland, C., Feller, A. & Yoshikawa, H. (2018). New findings on impact variation from the Head Start Impact Study: Informing the scale-up of early childhood programs. AERA Open, 4(2). Web.
Lino, D. M., & Parente, C. (2018). Play and learning in early childhood education: The contribution of High Scope, Reggio Emilia, and Montessori Pedagogical approaches. In Early childhood education from an intercultural and bilingual perspective (pp. 147-163). IGI Global.
Aljabreen, H. (2020). Montessori, Waldorf, and Reggio Emilia: a comparative analysis of alternative models of early childhood education. International Journal of Early Childhood, 52(3), 337-353.