Home » ExchangeEveryDay » Poor Behavior Linked to Time in Care



ExchangeEveryDay Past Issues


<< Previous Issue | View Past Issues | | Next Issue >> ExchangeEveryDay
Poor Behavior Linked to Time in Care
March 30, 2007
The most wasted of all days is one without laughter.
-e. e. cummings

A New York Times article, "Poor Behavior Is Linked to Time in Day Care," (March 26, 2007) reported..."the largest and longest-running study of American child care has found that keeping a preschooler in a day care center for a year or more increased the likelihood that the child would become disruptive in class �" and that the effect persisted through the sixth grade. The effect was slight, and well within the normal range for healthy children, the researchers found. And as expected, parents’ guidance and their genes had by far the strongest influence on how children behaved. But the finding held up regardless of the child’s sex or family income, and regardless of the quality of the day care center...On the positive side, they also found that time spent in high-quality day care centers was correlated with higher vocabulary scores through elementary school."

The article generated high interest -- it was the second most downloaded article in the Times for the day it appeared. And, early childhood experts were quick, and of many voices, in responding.

Long time vocal child care critic Jay Belsky, now at the University of London, observed, “This study makes it clear that it is not just quality that matters,” That the troublesome behaviors lasted through at least sixth grade, he said, should raise a broader question: “So what happens in classrooms, schools, playgrounds and communities when more and more children, at younger and younger ages, spend more and more time in centers, many that are indisputably of limited quality?”

Others experts were quick to question the results. The researchers could not randomly assign children to one kind of care or another; parents chose the kind of care that suited them. That meant there was no control group, so determining cause and effect was not possible.

Ellen Gallinsky, president of the Families and Work Institute, noting the recent pressure on centers to focus on academics, noted, “What the findings tell me is that we need to pay as much attention to children’s social and emotional development as we do to their cognitive, academic development, especially when they are together in groups.”

Loudell Robb, program director of the Rosemount Center in Washington, which cares for 147 children ages 5 and under at its main center and in homes, said she was not surprised that some children might have trouble making the transition from day care to school. “At least our philosophy here is that children are given choices, to work alone or in a group, to move around,” Ms. Robb said. “By first or second grade, they’re expected to sit still for long periods, to form lines, not to talk to friends when they want to; their time is far more teacher-directed.”


What do you think?

We invite ExchangeEveryDay readers to share their views on this report. All you have to do is click on the "Comment on this article" button below and tell us what you think. Your views will be shared with all ExchangeEveryDay readers.

ExchangeEveryDay

Delivered five days a week containing news, success stories, solutions, trend reports, and much more.

What is ExchangeEveryDay?

ExchangeEveryDay is the official electronic newsletter for Exchange Press. It is delivered five days a week containing news stories, success stories, solutions, trend reports, and much more.

A New Career Helping Young Children Develop and Learn
Learn how to give a young child the very best foundation possible �" with a Bachelor of Arts Early Childhood Development at National University.



Comments (95)

Displaying 5 of 95 Comments   [ View all ]
Melissa Peacock · February 18, 2011
United States


I totally disagree with this article. I can speak from experience because I am a mother of three. Child care is very important because it helps the children grow in all areas (socail, emotional, physical and cognitive). There are some children that do not have the chance to go to a child care center. If the children are having "difficulties" in school then they need to be looking at the teacher's ways of teaching and their classroom schedule.

L Parks · February 19, 2010
United States


I work at a headstart program and I deagree with this article. I feel a child in a childcare facility will develop socially and emotionally. Some children do not have a chance to experience being in childcare. Once these children go into school they have to learn how to share, get along with other children, and learn a routine. This may cause some disruption in the classroom.

Nellie Birden · February 17, 2010
Goldsboro, NC, United States



I would have to disagree with the article. In my opinion, keeping a preschooler in a day care center will give them the opportunity to interact with other children. At day care, children can develop positive social and emotional skills. They can also learn how to share, listen, respect other people and property. Day care allows children a lot of and imaginative play which helps develop their language skills. While at day care, preschoolers can learn how to make choices for themselves and learn how to feel good about the choices they made. I work at a day care and I see how the children have developed socially and emotionally. As an child care provider, I play an important role in helping children take the initiative and explore their environment. I do believe, allowing a child to attend preschool will improve their social skills and help make their transition to kindergarten easier.

Stephanie Miller · October 01, 2009
United States


I disagree, having children attend a preschool/daycare will give them the opportunity to interact with children their own age. The children can also develop positive social and emotional skills. In my class we do second -step activities. These activities are mental health activities. The children have the opportunity to discuss emotions and how they would handle certain situations. The children seems to enjoy talking about why they shouldn't call people names or hitting other people. The children also seems to enjoy telling me why they like helping other people.

M Mcnair · September 30, 2009
United States


I degree, a child bening in a childcare center until kindergarden enhants their physical, social, emotional, and cogniyive developments, preparing them for elementary. How ever I do believe that teachers as well as parents guidance and the child enviroment play a big part on a child behavior. It is a big transition for a child when he or she move from daycare to elementary this is a big step for them, a whole new enviroment and it take a child a while to gey use to changes.



Post a Comment

Have an account? to submit your comment.


required

Your e-mail address will not be visible to other website visitors.
required
required
required

Check the box below, to help verify that you are not a bot. Doing so helps prevent automated programs from abusing this form.



Disclaimer: Exchange reserves the right to remove any comments at its discretion or reprint posted comments in other Exchange materials.