Something Better for My Children: The History and People of Head Start - Hardcover

Mills, Kay

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0525943285 ISBN 13: 9780525943280

Publisher: Dutton Adult, 1998

Synopsis

A look at the operations of the Head Start program and the teachers, social workers, and parents involved in it assesses its benefits for the children of the poor

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Reviews

Head Start was established in 1965 by President Lyndon Johnson as part of his War on Poverty, which, according to Mills (This Little Light of Mine: The Life of Fannie Lou Hamer), "turned out to be a skirmish in what should have been a lifelong, countrywide crusade but never was." Designed as a development program for preschoolers, Head Start has the mission to prepare poor children for elementary school by teaching them skills and providing access to basic health-care services. Mills visited several thriving Head Start centers, including one on a Montana Indian reservation and another that assists children of California migrant workers. And for a school year, she tracked the children's progress at the Head Start Center in Watts Tower, Los Angeles. In addition to recounting success stories of the youngsters she observed, Mills draws on studies to provide a history of the effectiveness of the 30-year program and points out areas that need improvement, such as better teacher training and more parental involvement. This comprehensive study is objective and carefully researched.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

``In Defense of Head Start'' could also be the subtitle of this exploration of the preschool program that is one of the few surviving programs of Lyndon Johnson's War on Poverty. Mills (This Little Light of Mine: The Life of Fannie Lou Hamer, 1993) mixes extensive observations at Head Start centers from the inner-city Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles to affluent Montgomery County, Md., with pointed summaries of the history and policies of the program that exemplified the slogan ``A hand up, not a handout.'' The Watts Towers center is Mills's home base; for a year, she is a frequent visitor, watching the children master not only colors and numbers in two languages, but brushing their teeth, eating their vegetables, and getting along with their peers. A federally funded program, Head Start has hadand still hasa struggle to maintain its independence and community roots in the face of would-be state and local government takeovers. Despite the infamous third-grade fadeout effect, the program, which began as a summer introduction to school for a few thousand children, has now served more than 15 million children and established the importance of preschool and parent involvement as a precursor to later school success. What differentiates Head Start from other preschool programs even now is its emphasis on health and social services for the children and on parent involvement. The latter is a stumbling block: Many parents whose stories are told here have used Head Start training and job opportunities to establish themselves; other programs struggle to involve parents and the community and recruit adequate staff. Money alone is not the answer, says author Mills in summing up; quality control and a ``war on the real causes of poverty'' should be new goals. A champion of Head Start brings readers into the classrooms and the homes where the program helps turn foundering families into resourceful citizens. (16 pages b&w photos) -- Copyright ©1998, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

To explore the human side of the enduring and successful Head Start educational program, Mills (From Pocahontas to Power Suits, LJ 3/15/97) visited centers around the country, from inner-city Los Angeles to a Native American reservation in Montana. By talking with the people involved with Head Start, she provides a revealing look at its history and its strengths and weaknesses. Readers will be encouraged to learn about the successes of Head Start students, whose stories are presented with the love, joy, and hope that have inspired these programs. To continue its success, Head Start needs Congressional support instead of fault-finding, she argues. At a time when debate is focusing on how much government should invest in caring for children, Mills's important and timely book should be read by all members of Congress. Recommended for all libraries.?Samuel T. Huang, Northern Illinois Univ. Libs., DeKalb, Ill.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Dutton Adult
• Publication date: 1998
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0525943285
• ISBN 13: 9780525943280
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 338