As states stress the importance of early childhood education, the nonprofit organization EdReports plans to expand its free, Consumer Reports-style reviews to include prekindergarten learning materials.
The organization鈥攌nown for its reports that measure how closely K-12 curricula match learning standards in subjects like math and reading鈥攚ill assemble a team of teachers to review whether various early childhood materials align with research-based priorities, it announced July 10.
Organizers hope to launch the first reviews by the end of 2025 and contribute to growing conversations about what the youngest learners need, said Shana Weldon, the director of pre-K at EdReports.
鈥淓arly learning has been overlooked for a long time,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e know how critical it is to long-term success for children, and we are excited to have an impact in that space.鈥�
Though there are about 1.6 million children enrolled in state-funded pre-K programs, there is no agreed-upon set of model national pre-K standards. Rather, many individual states set their own standards that center on skills necessary for school readiness and healthy development, like executive function, early literacy, and motor development, Weldon said.
EdReports plans a 鈥渓istening tour鈥� to collect educator feedback on how it should analyze pre-K learning materials, focusing on domains highlighted in a by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. That report emphasized materials that include 鈥渨ell-designed learning experiences, intentional and responsive teaching strategies, well-defined objectives and outcomes, embedded formative assessments, and differentiation based on understanding children鈥檚 ability levels, cultural and linguistic backgrounds, interests, and dispositions.鈥�
That report also called for attention to inequities created when children鈥檚 learning experiences vary widely depending on the quality of materials and instruction in their pre-K program.
EdReports hopes its work will raise the profile of that conversation and help programs make wise purchasing decisions, Chief Academic Officer Courtney Allison said.
Research on effective pre-K programs stresses the importance of qualified, engaged educators and the kinds of interactions they have with young children. While the reviews won鈥檛 gauge implementation, EdReports will analyze whether materials provide teachers with the practical support they need to effectively teach necessary concepts, Allison said.
鈥淚t鈥檚 our intention that folks can make more informed purchasing decisions,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e want to provide a clearer understanding about what quality looks like that is informed by educator voices.鈥�
