Head Start promotes the school readiness of young children from low- income families by enhancing their cognitive, social, and emotional development.​​

Peter Masters created National Head Start logo in 1965.

• Building blooks represent common toys/learning tools - metaphor for the development and growth of children

• American Flag - represents program operated by government

• Red and white stripes and an arrow, printed in reverse on a blue background - a common denominator of all antipoverty programs and symbolizes upward mobility.

• The two squares represent early childhood by suggesting building blocks.

• The arrangement of the blocks represent stairs by which this can be accomplished.

• The vertical stripes represent the child and parent.

• The arrow pointing upward represents the direction out of poverty and on to the future.

• The colors, red, white, and blue represent the United States and the many opportunities it provides for its citizens.

  -source www.thegravelygroup.com

• Early Head Start Home Base

• Early Head Start Center Base

• Head Start - Preschool Home Base

• Head Start - Preschool Center Base

• Performance Standards give guidance to all Head Start Agencies on how to operate - making a standard approach no matter where the agency's location is

  • Regulations describe requirements for funding, enrollment, operation, curriculum etc.

  • Individual agencies then design their operational procedures to align to the performance standard requirements. These OPs also include any other regulations from state and local authorities around operation.

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Curriculum: Implementing research-based curriculum and teaching practices

Screening & Assessment: Using screening and ongoing assessment of children's skills

Individualized Support: Embedding highly individualized teaching and learning

Families: Engaging parents and families

Equality-Focused Practices: Promoting high-equitable learning environments

Source: ELCKC website

Physical well-being & Motor Development

Social & Emotional Development

Approaches to Learning

Language and Literacy

Cognition

You are correct!

Head Start definition: "... views school readiness as children possessing the skills, knowledge, and attitudes necessary for success in school and for later learning and life." - ECLKC website

Ohio Department of Education definition: "Children develop many key concepts and skills between the ages of birth and age five that are critical to building a solid foundation for learning."

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• Child Development

• Content Knowledge

• Planning

• Instructional Strategies

• Family Input

• Supports knowledge of DAP subject matter.

• Provides focus on knowledge, skills & concepts important for children to acquire.

• Supports typical learning progression in all content areas

  
  

• What to teach

• When to teach

• How to teach

• Provides valuable insight into child in home setting

• Families are the experts on their children

• Teachers are the experts in Child Development

• Demonstrates collaboration between home & school

• Lays the foundation for future relationships with educators/schools.

Program Must:

• Conduct standardized & structured assessments for each child

• Results provide ongoing information to evaluate child's development level & progress in outcomes aligned to HS ELOF

• Result in usable information for teachers, home visitors & parents

• Conduced with sufficient frequency to allow for individualization within the program year

Programs must:

• Regularly use information from informal observations & information from families to:

  • Determine a child's strengths & needs

  • Inform & Adjust strategies to support individualized learning

  • Improve home visit strategies in home-based models

(a) Curricula. (1) Center-based and family childcare programs must implement developmentally appropriate research-based early childhood curricula, including additional curricular enhancements, as appropriate that:​

(i) Are based on scientifically valid research and have standardized training procedures and curriculum materials to support implementation;​

(ii) Are aligned with the Head Start Early Learning Outcomes Framework: Ages Birth to Five and, as appropriate, state early learning and development standards; and are sufficiently content-rich to promote measurable progress toward development and learning outlined in the Framework; and,​

(iii) Have an organized developmental scope and sequence that include plans and materials for learning experiences based on developmental progressions and how children learn.​

(2) A program must support staff to effectively implement curricula and at a minimum monitor curriculum implementation and fidelity, and provide support, feedback, and supervision for continuous improvement of its implementation through the system of training and professional development.​