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  3. (1) Preschools—educational programs for children who are under the age of five—differ significantly from one country to another

(1) Preschools—educational programs for children who are under the age of five—differ significantly from one country to another

admin2022-03-02  56
问题     (1) Preschools—educational programs for children who are under the age of five—differ significantly from one country to another according to the views that different societies hold regarding the purpose of the early childhood education. For instance, in a cross-country comparison of preschools in China, Japan, and the United States, researchers found that parents in these three countries view the purpose of preschool s very differently. Whereas parents in China tend to see preschools primarily as a way of giving children a good start academically. Japanese parents view preschool educational program primarily as a way of giving children the opportunity to be members of a group. And in the United States, in comparison, parents regard the primary purpose of preschools as making children more independent and self-reliant, although obtaining a good academic start and having group experience are also important.
    (2) While a lot of programs designed for preschoolers focus primarily on those social and emotional factors, some are geared mainly toward promoting cognitive gains and preparing preschoolers for the formal instruction they will experience when they start kindergarten. In the United Stated, the best-known program designed to promote future academic success is Head Start. Head Start was established in the 1960s when the United States declared the War on Poverty. This program has served over thirteen million children and their families. The program, which puts emphasis on parental involvement, was designed to serve the "whole child”, which includes children’s physical health, self-confidence, social responsibility, and social and emotional development.
    (3) Whether Head Start is seen as successful or not depends on the lens through which one is looking. If, for instance, the program is expected to provide long-term increases in IQ (intelligence quotient) scores, it is a disappointment. Although graduates of Head Start program tend to show immediate IQ gains, these increases do not last. On the other hand, it is clear that Head Start is meeting its goal of getting preschoolers ready for school. Preschoolers who take part in Head Start are better prepared for future schooling than those who do not. Furthermore, graduates of Head Start program have better future school grade. Finally, some research suggests that ultimately Head Start graduates show higher academic performance at the end of high school, although the gains are modest.
    (4) In addition, results from other types of preschool readiness programs indicate that those who participate and graduate are less likely to repeat grades, and they are more likely to complete school than readiness program, for every dollar spent on the program, taxpayers saved seven dollars by the time the graduated reached the age of 27.
    (5) The most recent comprehensive evaluation of early intervention programs suggests that, taken as a group, preschool programs can provide significant benefits, and that government funds invested early in life may ultimately lead to a reduction in future costs. For instance, compared with children who did not participate in early intervention programs, participants in various programs showed gains in emotional or cognitive development, better educational outcomes, increased economic self-sufficiency, reduced levels of criminal activity, and improved health-related behaviors. of course, it is clear that not every program produced all these benefits, and not every child benefited to the same extent. Furthermore, some researchers argue that less-expensive programs are just as good as relatively expensive ones, such as Head Start. And still, the results of the evaluation were promising, which suggests that the potential benefits of early intervention can be very substantial.
    (6) However, not everyone agrees that programs that seek to enhance academic skills during the preschool years are a good thing. In fact, according to developmental psychologist David Elkind, United States society tends to push children so rapidly that they begin to feel heavy stress and pressure at a very young age. According to Elkind, not only does this cause the child emotional distress, it also fails to bring the intended cognitive gains. Elkind argues that academic success is largely dependent upon some factors out of parents’ control, such as inherited abilities and a child’s rate of maturation. Consequently, children of a particular age cannot be expected to master educational material without taking into account their current level of cognitive development. In short, children require appropriate educational practice when they grow up, which is education that is based on both typical development and the unique characteristics of a given child.
According to Paragraph 5, which of the following is true about the benefits of early intervention programs?
选项 A、These programs produce good short-term benefits but few long-term benefits.
B、Only the most expensive programs provide substantial benefits.
C、The Head Start program provides a range of benefits that no other programs can provide.
D、Some children benefit more than others do from these programs.
答案D
解析 推断题。文章第五段指出，关于早期介入项目的最新综合评估表明，总的来说，学前项目可以带来巨大的收益，政府在早期投人的资金最终会减少未来的花销。当然，不是所有的项目都能产生这样的收益，也不是每个孩子都能得到同等程度的提高。故选D。
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