The Good Starts Project
Revealing patterns of children’s understanding based on the values and contexts of culture.
The Good Starts Project is a qualitative research study that explores how young children learn to think beyond themselves. Using qualitative research methods (interviews), we are pursuing two main research questions: how children aged four to seven conceptualize "I," "we," and "they;" and what major stakeholders, including educators, administrators, policymakers, parents, and guardians, believe to be the purpose of early childhood education.
Our long-term goal is to reveal patterns of children’s understanding of I/we/they based on the values and contexts of their cultures, and also the alignment among different stakeholders about the purpose of early childhood education. Based on our findings, we ultimately hope to produce frameworks, strategies, practices, and materials that are useful to educators, families, and policymakers for fostering “Good Starts” that lead to engaged, excellent, and ethical pursuits.
Read the latest posts and insights from the Good Starts team.
Howard Gardner and Mara Krechevsky weigh in for Better Magazine.
Meet the Good Starts Team
Thank You to Our Funder
This project is made possible thanks to the generosity of The Saul Zaentz Charitable Foundation.