Children's Agency in Pre-K Programs (Poster 3)

• In Event: AERA Poster Session 9
  In Poster Session: Critical Issues in Early Childhood Education (San Diego)

Abstract

Advocates justify public PreK to equalize educational opportunities for young children before kindergarten. Researchers have studied PreK costs and benefits, program elements, child short- and long-term outcomes, teacher beliefs and practices, and curricula. But little attention has been paid to children’s perspectives on their PreK experience. In this paper, we explore the experiences of two PreK children in New Jersey and Wisconsin. We use the notion of agency to explore the question, “How do some children find the cracks in PreK classroom practices to create spaces for their learning and development?”

Authors

• M. Elizabeth Graue, University of Wisconsin - Madison

• Sharon Ryan, Rutgers University