Why Early Childhood Education Is More Important Than Ever

By using a 21st century lens for contemporary learning.

Dr. Margaret Quinn
Associate Professor, Department of Teaching, Learning and Culture

Through generations of early childhood educators, one challenge has remained the same: The difficulty of preparing young minds for a world we don’t yet know.

This concept inspires Dr. Margaret Quinn’s interest in children’s experiences and skills in a 21st century context, driving her quest for approaches that enable preschool-age learners to thrive contemporaneously and in the future. “The skills relevant for life in the 21st century have shifted from the past, so my research focuses on the underlying foundations children will need to be successful, such as written communication and computational thinking.”

For future Aggie educators, Quinn’s courses incorporate practical tools for establishing and encouraging a firm foundation of development, specifically regarding writing composition and algorithmic thinking and sequencing—a way of solving problems by breaking them down into ordered, step-by-step instructions to get the desired result. “I don’t see these skills ever becoming obsolete,” she said. “It’s difficult to predict the demands of the future, but we know there will be an increase in technology and a need for strong, meaningful ideation.”

Originally planning to teach at the high school level, Gillian Higgins ’26 said Quinn’s class ignited a passion for teaching the basics, prompting her switch to early childhood education. “Dr. Quinn does an excellent job of putting us in our students’ shoes and often gives exercises we can use in our future classrooms,” Higgins said. “She encourages us to incorporate technology into our lessons and walks us through ways to keep an emphasis on critical thinking and learning rather than just getting the right answer.”
 

By identifying language and reading disabilities—early.

Dr. Marc Goodrich
Associate Professor, Department of Teaching, Learning and Culture

When it comes to bilingual speakers, research shows that children are typically misidentified for language and reading disorders in both directions, often under-identified in early childhood and over-identified in adolescence. This contradiction is heavily influenced by factors that Dr. Marc Goodrich dedicates his research to improve.

“Teachers and practitioners typically don’t have tools to accurately determine a disability,” he said. “Most assessments have been developed for monolingual children, and those scores can’t be interpreted the same way when evaluating bilingual children.”

Therefore, Goodrich’s research analyzes existing assessments to refine strategies based on what’s most effective, informing decision-makers and equipping the workforce with tools to subsequently increase English proficiency in bilingual learners. As a professor, he leads coursework focused on early childhood development and reading instruction, where he prepares students to recognize the influence of bilingualism on language development and comprehension.
 

By supporting inclusive classrooms.

Dr. Laci Watkins
Associate Professor, Department of Educational Psychology

Considering 1 in 36 children are diagnosed with autism today, the modern-day classroom is experiencing an increased need for support. As a former special education teacher, Dr. Laci Watkins is addressing this vital demand through research that advances school-based services for children with autism and other developmental disabilities, as well as their teachers and peers.

“My team and I develop and assess interventions that improve academic, social and behavioral outcomes for children on the spectrum with emphasis on strategies that can be used in real-world, everyday classrooms,” she said.

As part of her curriculum, Watkins emphasizes the benefits of inclusive environments. “Inclusive education is mandated in our federal policies and considered a best practice in education, but it’s also really hard to do well without training and support,” she explained. “However, it has big benefits for kids both with and without disabilities—especially when implemented early—so I try to teach my students about neurodiversity and give them real tools they can use in the classroom to support these students’ success.”

As a full-time teacher and hybrid master’s student, Amy Harrell ’26 witnessed the effect of Watkins’ instruction in real-world application, stating that her use of Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions—an approach that teaches young children, especially those with autism, essential skills like communication and social interaction through play and everyday activities—is already making an impact in her classroom.

“Approaches like these help me support my students’ development meaningfully and contribute to a more inclusive future in early childhood education,” Harrell said.