Show Report From Washington Rep LAURENCE J. J BURTON In the past few years our country has made tremendous a Investment In the education of our young disadvantaged children children children chil chil- dren In the Operation Program This investment has been a wise one for It has helped thousands of youngsters to adjust to school But the time has come for us to make early childhood education a available available avail vail able to all American children not just to the disadvantaged We must help all children realize realIze realize real real- ize their full potential The psychologist J. J McVicker McVicker Mc- Mc Vicker Hunt demonstrated all too clearly in his research in Teheran Iran that a child can be literally stunted In even the most basic of growing In an orphanage in Iran he found children who at the age of two could not sit up and others who at the age of four could not walk These children were not I am sad to say exceptions within the or orphanage orphanage orphanage or- or but were in the major major- ity Physical or mental dis disabilities disabilities dis- dis abilities were not what made them so slow but rather the fact that no one had taken the time or trouble to teach them these basic skills skins We have learned from Mr Hunts Hunt's and other studies that intelligence is not fixed once and for all an at birth but can be shaped by experiences Therefore we should do our utmost to see that the experiences experiences experiences of the young are properly stimulating Educators are trying to discover discover discover dis dis- cover exactly what kind of educational educational educational edu edu- programs would best develop our young children I am working hard in the Congress to see that the proper funds are appropriated to allow for the research necessary to determine determine determine deter deter- mine the best educational methods for teaching the young Once a good program is de developed developed developed de- de a complete overhaul of our educational system must then be made For if preschool programs are to work we will have to revise the educational system upwards from the bottom bottom bottom bot bot- tom building the work of the primary grades upon that of early childhood education As matters stand now we are working backwards rather than trying to discern what three and four tour year olds are capable of learning we look ahead to what they will wUl learn in kindergarten kindergarten kindergarten kinder kinder- garten and first grade and water waterdown waterdown down preschool curricular content content content con con- tent to make sure that it remains easier asler than the lessons to come Clearly this approach is wrong The more preschool ed education education education ed- ed flourishes the more elementary school and later educational programs will wUl have to change We have learned from our programs that if a stimulating environment environment environment environ environ- ment is not maintained educational educational educational gains in children can be lost Throughout our entire educational educational educational edu edu- program then we must see that children are taught as early as possible what they can absorb and their education must Increase in stimulation as they grow older We must see that both boredom and frustration frustration frustration frus frus- is the result of being challenged too greatly Unfortunately Unfortunately once either of these two states of mind is allowed to crop up too often education education education tion will be trem tremendously re re- re Early education Is desirable for a reason other than the one that I have been discussing for forIt forit forit It not only helps stimulate the child into developing to his greatest potential but it also is isa isa isa a means of diagnosing and correcting correcting correcting cor cor- physical emotional and mental disorders that Impair learning and may never be overcome overcome overcome over over- come at later ages Early identification of problems In children can help eliminate the need for tor later remedial measures measures meas meas- ures which are costly and far too often orten hopeless As a former educator I believe believe be believe be- be lieve education should be one of our country's first priorities For if U our young people are stimulated by their environment environment environment environ environ- ment not bored or frustrated by it they will be able to lead full tuIl interesting and satisfying lives And if our citizens are properly educated many of Americas America's most pressing social ills will wUl be greatly alleviated |