Show Cong Burton Commends National Operation Program In the pas past t few years year r sour our country has made a tremendous investment in the he education of off our young disadvantaged children children children chil chil- dren in the Operation Program This investment has been a wi wise s e one for it has helped thousands of youngsters to adjust to school But the time has come for us to make early childhood education available t tall to all American children not just to the disadvantaged We must help all children realize their full potential The psychologist J. J McVicker er 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 ex ex- ex In an orphanage in Iran he found children who at atthe atthe atthe 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 orphanages orphanages orphanages orphan orphan- ages but were in the majority Physical or mental disabilities were not what made them so slow but rather the fact that no one had taken the time or trouble to t tea teach e a c h them these basic skills We have learned from Mr Hunts Hunt's and other stud studies es that intelligence is not fixed once and for all at birth but can be shaped by experience Therefore Therefore There There- fore lore we should do our utmost to see that the experiences of the young are properly Educators are re trying to dis dis- dis- dis cover exactly what kind of educational programs would best develop our young chil chil- dren I am working hard in inthe inthe inthe the Congress to see that the proper funds are appropriated to allow for the research ary to de determine t e r m in e the best educational methods for teaching teaching teaching teach teach- ing the young Once a good program is developed a complete overhaul of our educational system must then be made For if preschool programs are to work we will win have to revise the educational system upwards from the bottom bottom bottom bot bot- tom building the work of the primary g grades r a d des e s upon that of f fearly early childhood education As matters s stand tan j now we are working backwards rather than trying to discern what three and four year olds are capable of learning we look ahead to what they will learn in kindergarten kindergarten kindergarten kinder kinder- garten and first grade and water waterdown waterdown waterdown down preschool curricular content con con- tent to make sure that it it re remains remains remains re- re mains easier than the lessons lessons lessons les les- sons to come Clearly this approach is wrong The more preschool education flourishes the more elementary school and later educational programs will have to change We have learned learn learn- ed fro from m our programs programs programs pro pro- grams that if a stimulating en environment environment en- en viro ment is not maintained educational gains in children can be lost Throughout our entire educational educational educational program then we must see that children are taught as early as possible what they can absorb and th the their e i r education tion must increase in stimulation as they grow older We must see that both boredom and frustration frustration frustration frus frus- are minimized for both impair the educational process Boredom is a result of being un stimulated and frustration is the result of being challenged too greatly Unfortunately once either of these two states of mind is allowed to crop up too often education will be tremendously retarded Early education is desirable for a reason other than the one that I have been discussing for it not only helps stimulate the child into developing to his greatest potential but it also is a means of diagnosing and correcting physical emotional and mental disorders that impair impair im impair im- im pair learning and may never be overcome at later ages Early identification of problems problems problems lems in chi children e n can help eliminate the need for later remedial measures which are costly and far too often hopeless hope hope- less As a former educator I believe believe be believe be- be lieve education should be one of our country's first priorities For if our young people are stimulated by their environments environments environments environ environ- ments not bored or frustrated by it they will be able to lead full interesting and satisfying lives And if citizens are properly educated many of Americas America's most pressing social ills will be greatly alleviated |