Disciplinary actions such as suspension and expulsion during early childhood can have significant negative impacts, particularly on children’s literacy development.
Suspension and expulsion practices refer to those that temporarily or permanently remove children from early childhood settings, often due to behavioral issues. These can be overt based on written suspension and expulsion policies or covert under the guise of doing what is best for the child, but actually involve deficit-based practices such as later start times, earlier pick-up times, attending fewer days per week or expulsion phrased as “our program isn’t a good fit” for your child. According to the U.S. Department of Education, preschool children are expelled at a rate more than three times that of K-12 students. This is particularly concerning given the crucial period of early childhood development. Furthermore, research has found that marginalized and underserved populations are disproportionately overrepresented in suspension and expulsion data which highlights how these practices contribute to inequitable education opportunities.
![](https://blogs.iu.edu/earlyliteracy/files/2021/11/Classroom-teacher-with-book-parallax-300x200.jpg)
Early literacy skills are comprised of those that precede formal reading and writing. These foundational skills include vocabulary breadth , phonological and phonemic awareness, alphabet knowledge, concepts about print, oral language and early writing skills which are essential to later academic success. Research indicates that early literacy development is strongly linked to future reading abilities and overall academic achievement.
Formal and Informal suspension and expulsion practices lead to:
Interrupted Learning: Suspension and expulsion disrupt children’s learning processes by removing them from their educational environments. When children miss out on classroom activities, they lose valuable opportunities to develop literacy skills. Regular attendance is crucial for consistent learning and the reinforcement of new concepts . Simply put, children cannot benefit from instruction they do not receive.
Limited Social-Emotional Opportunities : Early literacy development is not solely about cognitive skills but also involves social and emotional interactions. Children learn language and literacy skills by engaging with their caregivers and friends. Suspension and expulsion isolate children from social interactions, thus limiting their ability to participate in conversations, storytelling, and collaborative play .
Loss of Supportive Relationships: The relationships between children and their teachers impact their literacy development. High-quality, positive teacher-child interactions are linked to better language and literacy outcomes. Being suspended or expelled fractures these nurturing relationships, which can negatively impact children’s motivation and interest in literacy activities.
Psychological Stress: Being suspended or expelled can be traumatic for young children, leading to feelings of rejection and lowered self-esteem. This psychological stress can adversely affect their ability to concentrate and engage in literacy activities. Stress and anxiety are known to impair cognitive functions, including those involved in reading and writing .
The long-term consequences of early suspension and expulsion extend beyond the immediate implications. Children who experience these disciplinary actions are more likely to face academic difficulties and exhibit behavioral problems in later years. There is a documented correlation between early disciplinary actions and higher dropout rates, lower academic achievement, and increased involvement in the juvenile justice system.
So how do we address the issue?
Implement Supportive Practices: Adopting positive behavioral interventions and support systems to address behavioral issues such as the evidence- based Pyramid Model (https://challengingbehavior.org/pyramid-model/ ), providing teacher training, and offering classroom management strategies can help create classroom environments that reduce the behaviors that often precipitate suspension and expulsion.
Family Engagement: Including families in the educational process can help mitigate behavioral issues more effectively. When families engage their children in early literacy activities, such as reading together and engaging in conversations, it reinforces the skills learned at school and fosters a supportive home learning environment .
Policy and Advocacy: Creating and enforcing guidelines that limit the use of suspension and expulsion practices in early childhood settings and investing in programs that emphasize inclusivity and support for all children, regardless of behavioral challenges is critical to extinguishing the use of such practices. See NAEYC’s joint position statement Standing Together Against Suspension and Expulsion in Early Childhood here: https://www.naeyc.org/resources/blog/suspension-and-expulsion-early-childhood
Do you, or someone you know, have an early childhood suspension or expulsion experience to share? Check out this research study !
Do you have a child under the age of 8 who has had one of the following experiences with a childcare or preschool in Indiana:
- been sent home early more than once,
- suspended
- expelled
- told that they weren’t a “good fit” for the program
Earn $50 for a one-hour interview. You must be an Indiana resident and we can only pay by mailing a check to an Indiana address.
Use this link: https://iu.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV41pwCOLd30bgPBA or scan the QR code below to sign up:
![](https://blogs.iu.edu/earlyliteracy/files/2024/05/Early-Childhood-Suspension-and-Expulsion-Study.jpg)
Study #: 22292
Lynne Hall is a research associate at the Indiana Institute on Disability & Community’s Early Childhood Center. She holds a Master of Science in Education and an Indiana instructional teaching license (Early Childhood Education and Services; Elementary/Primary Generalist; Elementary/Intermediate Generalist). She formerly taught preschool in a variety of settings for over 15 years. Her expertise includes early literacy instruction, equity in early childhood education and inclusive classroom practices.
Email her at hallma@iu.edu
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