The impact of portage early education program on the development of 3-6 year old children

Child development refers to the changes that occur in the child as a whole in terms of physical, emotional, cognitive, linguistic, psychological and social aspects under the influence of environmental and genetic factors. In this respect, the brain develops very rapidly in early childhood, which is vital, and the physical development of the brain is largely completed before the age of five. The periods when the rate of development is highest are between the ages of 2-5. Developmental characteristics of children can occur at different speeds and periods in each developmental stage. However, in general, developmental characteristics are the same in every child. The direction of development can be changed with early intervention programs. Early stimulation, conscious support and assistance that children receive in the areas of social, emotional, physical, cognitive and language development in their early childhood years are important for children to become healthy, successful, high levels of interest and curiosity, eager to learn, with developed communication skills, harmonious and productive adults in the following years. are considered as prerequisites. If children are not supported during this period, they may be exposed to developmental disabilities that cannot be compensated for in the future. During the early childhood period, which covers the ages of 0-6, pre-school education institutions play a preventive role in supporting the development of the child while preventing negative situations. Various programs are implemented for developmental differences that require early intervention. However, the number of children who cannot benefit from pre-school education institutions or cannot receive continuous education is significant. The rate of children who can benefit from pre-school education in Turkey is below the world average. In such cases, the importance of family participation in education becomes evident. The Portage early education (early intervention) model, which began to be developed in a small town in America in 1969, proposes to involve the parents of preschool children in the education process. With this model, it is aimed for children in need of special education to continue their education uninterruptedly with the contribution of their families. In this way, it was requested to contribute to the long-term education required for the child to complete his/her anticipated development, meet his/her own needs or participate in social life. Research shows that the unique attitudes and behaviors of children who do not exhibit normal development cause some problems and that parents need educational, psychological and social service support for themselves and their children. In this context, children need educational support to cope with these difficulties they face. Since the process is carried out under the leadership of the family, a program for parents is observed. Various scales and materials are needed for the proven Portage training model, which is still used effectively today. Programs and scales that are prepared by taking into account the needs of children and the cultural situation of the family and that pay attention to individual and social changes are indispensable parts of the model. The evaluation stages of the team with different areas of expertise are carried out within the framework of certain rules. When the literature is examined, it is noteworthy that there are various studies evaluating the factors affecting the development of children in the Portage Early Education Program both at home and abroad. While some of these studies consider early intervention programs, some focus on family-strengthening foundations. Most of the studies in question were conducted with disabled children. The Portage early education model was initially applied to children and their families who were disadvantaged not only in socio-economic terms but also in terms of development. However, over time, it began to be applied to children without developmental problems. In this study, Portage early intervention program scales; It was applied to families without special needs and with high socio-economic levels. Thus, it has been tried to demonstrate that the model can be successful in a wider area and can be applied to every child, as it is applied in various countries of the world. It has been proven that the participation of families, whose place is at the forefront in the context of development, in professional training within certain early intervention programs creates positive changes. For healthier child development, it is necessary to strengthen the family's participation in education. Although it is seen as a necessity for children with special needs, the family should be included in education without any discrimination. During periods of isolation and trauma such as pandemics or natural disasters, necessary antisocial situations may arise. In these and similar cases, loss of gains should be prevented and target behaviors should be determined. It is thought that it is necessary and important to reveal the impact of the preschool Portage Early Education Program on children's development. It is expected that the findings obtained in the research will contribute to the literature.