ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the current state of early childhood education mostly in the English-speaking Caribbean countries. Parents and teachers have early developmental expectations of children and strongly endorse academic training during the early childhood years. Most programs are of a drill-and-practice nature with signs of the emergence of developmentally appropriate practices in some cultural communities. Data on the impact of preschool enrollment are scant and show that a complex set of factors within the home, community, and early childhood environments are linked to early cognitive skills. Policy initiatives should place emphasis on teacher training, technology use, special education, and partnerships between parenting programs and early education.
