Continuity and change in the visions of childhood in head start: Implications for early childhood teacher educators

Abstract

This article explores continuity and change in the dominant social constructions of childhood, using a case study of Head Start, and examines their implications for the content of teacher education programs. I argue that it is important to understand how young children are viewed by society, because these understandings shape early childhood policy and practice, including the practice of teacher education. The main research questions are: What are the dominant views of childhood that have shaped the development of the Head Start program? What explicit attention might programs of early childhood teacher educators give to these views? After providing a brief history of the origins of Project Head Start during the War on Poverty, I discuss how the goals for Head Start, and for the children it serves, have evolved over the past several decades. I argue that there has been a shift from a holistic view of children's early development and learning to a more narrow view that prioritizes the acquisition of literacy and numeracy skills. While there have been dramatic changes, there also have been aspects of continuity in how Head Start children have been portrayed over time. In particular, a deficit orientation in the conception of poor children's capacities and the perceived need for a compensatory approach to address their needs has persisted since the program's inception in the 1960s. The article concludes with possible implications of this analysis for early childhood teacher education.