Class sizes in Early Childhood

 

Class size reduction is one of the most popular school improvement topics in the United States. Parents like the idea of smaller class sizes because they believe their child will be able to get more attention during class and it gives the teacher an opportunity to practice each parent’s favored educational method. Teachers agree to smaller class sizes because it reduces the effort they must expend in order to deliver instruction. Teachers’ union may like class size reductions because it increases the demand for teachers. Administrators benefit because class size reduction increases the size of their domain. Although it may seem that class size reduction is beneficial to more than the students, it has been a subject complicated to study. Most studies done on class size reduction have been based on researcher bias.

Project STAR is a well recognized study that ignited numerous studies that present influential evidence that major class size reductions at early ages can have significant short and long-term benefits. Although Project STAR is well known and shows the benefits of smaller class size in Early Childhood years, it is still a topic being discussed in the United States.

My question to those reading, what do you think about smaller class sizes? More about Project STAR to follow.

Wan't more information on class size? Just follow the links below:

The effects of class size on student achievement

Class size in early years: Is smaller really better?

Field experiments in class size from the early twentieth century.