Native Hawaiian Early Education, Development and Care. Hearing before the Committee on Indian Affairs To Receive Testimony on Early Childhood Education and Development. United States Senate, One Hundred Seventh Congress, Second Session (Honolulu, Hawaii).

A Senate committee hearing received testimony on the educational needs of Native Hawaiian families and young children and on existing programs that serve them. Oral and written statements were presented by Senators, parents, teachers, school and program administrators, and organizations concerned with Native education and culture. These statements discussed the need to improve the school readiness of Native Hawaiian children, the role of parents and extended families in teaching young children, the importance of maintaining Hawaiian culture and revitalizing the Hawaiian language, the need for culturally sensitive teachers with training in Hawaiian Studies, preschool programs that require parent participation and provide parent training, programs that immerse young children and their parents in Hawaiian, experiences with special needs children and welfare reform, community play groups, the need for outreach programs that provide health education, a mentoring program that pairs elementary students with young adults trained in Hawaiian culture, the role of business-community partnerships, a model for aligning culturally relevant early childhood education with state goals and standards, and needs for federal aid. (SV)