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Brief: What Do You Want to Be Called? Practitioners Speak Up About Language When asked what they do for a living, second grade teachers can answer and be immediately understood. However, people involved in the education of younger children might give any number of answers to that same question, and their response might be interpreted in different ways. With this in mind, the Center for Early Childhood Leadership conducted a survey of early childhood practitioners in Illinois to find out what professional terms they prefer. The study indicates that the child care workforce has a strong preference for certain titles. For instance, 69% respondents preferred the name "assistant teacher" to "aide" (11%). Of those questioned with direct responsibility for the care and education of a group of children, 93% preferred to be called a "teacher, " while only 4% wanted to be known as a "caregiver." When asked what term they would like the media and public to use when referring to the field, 77% of practitioners stated they preferred the phrase "early childhood education." When respondents were asked how they would like a full time program in a center or school to be described, 32% preferred "preschool," 28% preferred "child care," 17% "day care," and 16% "prekindergarten." Why do these terms matter? Representatives of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) suggest that although the different names used to describe programs with different curricula and funding sources demonstrates the field's diversity, they also may prevent the American public from recognizing the common challenges and issues facing the field. By using one set of terms to describe early childhood programs and job titles, advocates may be better able to argue their positions in a way that's understandable to the public. Source:
For
more information: Facts in Action, October 2001 |
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