ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses brief history of early education and child study in the United States (US) and describes important curricular approaches and programs. It covers early care and education (ECE) research and evaluation, teacher preparation and professional development, and future directions. The Creative Curriculum and Tools of the Mind models are also commonly employed in Head Start and other kinds of ECE classrooms. Compared to other ECE programs in the US, childcare programs are likely to be challenged by insufficient resources for adequate teacher compensation and other program needs. These institutional and fiscal challenges in turn lead to unsettling compromises in the key areas of caregiver qualifications, validated curriculum, parental outreach, and regular assessment. In the course of their career ECE teachers benefit from considerable support and encouragement; in-service or professional development opportunities are commonplace and differentiated by type of ECE setting and age/grade level served, and sometimes by content area.
