CHAPTER 7: An American Educator’s Exploration of the Early Childhood Education System in China

Both China and America continue to be in pursuit of global economic success. Although at the time of this writing, one country’s economy is developing rapidly as the other struggles. However, both demonstrate a level of investment in the early childhood system. The purpose of this chapter is to examine through the lens of two educators, what is known about the American early childhood education system and the Chinese early childhood system as well as provide educational and cultural descriptive accounts of the recent visit to various provinces within China.

Early childhood education varies greatly among different cultures, and the overall availability and quality within a particular country can be quite diverse (Ball, 2011). High quality preschool programs are more accessible in urban areas than in rural, and enrollment rates for children from upper or middle class families exceed those for children in poverty (Boocock, 1995). Children from different social backgrounds have a wide variety of abilities when they enter school. Because of this disparity in abilities, the majority of early education and care programs strive to enhance and strengthen young children’s necessary skills in order to be successful in school. By fostering the developmental needs in the early years, educators aim to ensure that all children, regardless of their social background, have the prerequisites for a successful start at school.