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Child Care Centers on Saipan

Formal Child Care before Entering the First Grade

Chelsea Encio
5/04/2015
English 202 Section 03
Northern Marianas College

Authors Note:
This paper was prepared for an English 202 class taught by Dr. Kimberly Bunts-Anderson about
the importance of having Child Care Facilities on the island of Saipan.

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Formal Child Care before Entering the First Grade

This research paper explores the impact of having children attend schools prior to the
mandatory age requirements to attend first grade in public schools here in Saipan. Proponents
claim daycares on island are a fresh start for toddlers, students can learn to get along with other
children their age and be sure they are being cared for. Preschool is where children can transition
and would be able to learn educational subjects that they will carry on to the next level.
Kindergarten is considered where children, usually within the ages of four to six will be prepared
to advance to the first grade. Saipan has many daycares, preschools and kindergartens. Many
students start the first grade in a public or private school with no educational background. It
appears it would be difficult for elementary teachers to start classes fresh. The teachers would
take their time to help these new students who may have no previous experience inside a new
classroom or school environment. These new students would be mixed with other students that
have school experience and have developed some social and academic skills.
Child care centers on Saipan have given many opportunities for children on island.
Within the CNMI, there are some instances where children go straight to the first grade or second
grade without having any learning experience. This issue is important because not every student
will be on the same level prior as the others. These students will be behind the others and these
variations would be the cause of young students self-doubting themselves at a very young age.
Child care is there to help fix those issues by allowing families such as parents, single parents,
teen parents, and even grandparents or guardians to work and take care of things while their child
is safely under the care of trustful child care centers. According to Gov. Eloy S. Inos and Lt. Gov.

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Jude Hofschneider, they have signed a proclamation encouraging everyone to recognize the
wonderful work that child care providers do for our children in the CNMI. They added, We
want all children in the CNMI to reach their full potential and start school ready to learn and
succeed (Marianas Variety Web May 2013).
When it comes to finding child care on Saipan, there are 33 licensed centers that were
developed to help benefit families in need of one (Saipan Tribune Web July 2011). These
professional child care facilities help these children learn before entering school so it would not
be difficult for them. With the help, children would not fall behind and teachers would not have a
difficult time teaching them. Even if there are different ways to care for the child and to teach the
child, Saipan has many opportunities for children on island to have a good learning experience.
With a good learning experience, a child would need an educator with the right qualifications.
Having a good educator or education system on Saipan is what the island needs. Without
the teachers, students would not be able to have inspiration or motivation to continue on with
learning something new. Depending on the physical environment, daily activities and routines,
and even interactions from one student to another, student to teacher, and student to parent, it is
going to be the most challenging yet fun years of the childs life. The first three years of life are
considered crucial, with brain development occurring most rapidly during this period
(Encyclopedia 2003). There are many teachers are very passionate about their job. Helping a
child learn is very important, especially here on Saipan. Just because it is a very small island,
does not mean that resident parents cannot help their children succeed educationally.
Child care facilities on the island of Saipan are needed to help the students have
educational background and experiences as they advance to the next grade level. When children

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are attending these facilities, they learn to adapt and they will know what is expected when they
start attending the upper schools. What the island needs is more benefits from these facilities for
children to be educated and to be safe when families are busy or in need of help. Child care
centers are a fresh start as a toddler develops, education is important in the island of Saipan. The
island needs these centers so the future will be bright with the help from children with good
educational experience who will become future leaders. Without these facilities, the island would
not be able to advance because it depends on the future of the children.
Literature Review
This research is about the importance of having child care centers on Saipan through the
perception of a student teacher by a Northern Marianas College student as part of an English
research project. The student researcher began exploring the topic by doing a search on google
scholar for articles and books that involved child care relating to the island. On the day of March
10, 2015 with the keywords "early childhood education" were found 2,230,000 results popped up
on google scholar. The majority of the academic articles are about child education and how
children learn more at a young age due to having a fresh and strong mind. Data was collected
through surveys given out to the parents, teachers, and students, as well, as interviewing teachers
and principals to gather more information on the topic. This essay shows a short review of
literature on the topic of the importance of child care centers on Saipan.
Using Google Scholar search located a book called Early Childhood Education by
Barbara Bowman. The book helped the student researcher transition from the importance of child
education to the importance of child development, which support the theories of development
and learning of children below the age of seven. This source greatly helped the research project

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as it provide information on better understanding how a childs brain works at a young age. A
textbook called Child Development by Laura E. Berk has many theories on how different child
developments process. The theorists, such has Jean Piaget for example, explains that a child has
four stages of development. Within his research and expertise of these stages, it gives a better
understanding on how child care providers will help teach their students. From this literature
search, the student researcher presents the project by asking:
Primary Question:
Are child care facilities effective in the island of Saipan?
Secondary Question 1:
If the children of the island of Saipan attend a child care facility, will it help improve their minds
before they advanced to the first grade?
Secondary Question 2:
What helps children develop the skills and behavior to learn within a classroom environment?
These questions would help benefit the primary question because it gives more detailed and
specific data and information regarding the child care facilities in the island of Saipan. As the
student researcher explored a review of secondary literature, the sources that were found
provided more information about the topic, there were news articles found in the Marianas
Variety that talked about child care funds for the centers on Saipan that would help families in
need. It helps current news items support the research essay because the funding for child care
are important to the islands parents of young children, and the residents who need the

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educational centers to be affordable for their children to learn and grow in a fun, safe, and
healthy environment. Another article found in the Saipan Tribune was the completion of Infant
and Toddler Care Training program from Northern Marianas College. It supports this research
because the program helps child care providers and teachers to become more professional and
have more skills and knowledge of caring for young children.
Methodology
The NMC student survey was distributed to collect general information from the student
researchers peers on the effectiveness of childcare centers in Saipan. Having a methodology to
gather data is an important step for the student researcher. There are three methods that were
used to help gain information for this research project, one is a survey, the other is an interview,
and the last one would be an observation. Some questions were moved to the demographic
questions to provide room for additional questions as the free survey service limits questions to
ten (See Appendix C). Having a survey would allow the student researcher to gain important
information from interviews with experienced educators. The observation method would also
help answer the survey questions the student has provided to see evidence about child care
learning within the centers and classrooms. These three methods are a great way to gain more
specific and generalized opinions and data from the community.
The first method was a survey that was distributed to the Saipan community. This survey
has helped provide a generalize opinion on child care centers. Surveys are used in order to allow
the parents and other people answer questions and write down their opinions on the proposed
topic. The survey would be based on the experiences of the participants with child care centers in
the island of Saipan. This has been done online in social networking sites such as Facebook, sent

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through Google Docs, and hardcopies as well was handed out to parents, teachers, and students
in the CNMI to get more information within a certain time.
The second method would be interviewing parents of children who attend and did not
attend the child care centers and a one on one interview with principals and teachers of
elementary schools that have expertise on child development and learning. The interviews are
helpful because it provides more specific and coming from someone with years of experience
with formal child care and child learning. One of the child care centers had a teacher that was
very informative when it comes to the interview (See Appendix B and C). When interviewing the
teachers, it is easy to find out what is being taught from their point of view to see if the child is
actually learning. At the same time when interviewing the parents, it would have a second hand
opinion on if they see that their child is getting the educational knowledge they need to move on
to the next grade level.
. The last method would be an observation between the different schools and child care
facilities in Saipan. This method will be the most effective one because being in the classroom or
child care facility to see and gain experience on how children behave and learn would provide a
first person point of view information for the student researcher. Watching the children learn and
how the teachers teach the subject should be entertaining for everyone in the room. Having the
experience and extra notes will provide much more data on the topic (See Appendix C).It will
help collect much more data and information by note taking and participating in what the
children are doing. Observing a class and a facility would see the differences and similarities that
a child will go through during their time.

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As a conclusion, all three methods managed to help the student researcher find the
information needed about child care facilities. Each method has given specific information on the
topic chosen. There were a variety of answers from different views and opinions from
professionals, parents, and students. Comparing and contrasting the answers gives more
understanding about whether or not child care facilities are helpful or important in the island of
Saipan. The methods were very effective for the research project because it allows the researcher
to learn new things about the topic. There are other methods the student could do but having a
survey, an interview and an observation of the classes and facilities are more beneficial to this
research project.

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REFERENCES
Berk, L. (2013). Child development (9th ed.). Boston: Pearson.
Day care providers complete NMC training - Saipan News, Headlines, Events, Ads | Saipan
Tribune. (2014, February 14). Retrieved March 11, 2015, from
http://www.saipantribune.com/index.php/day-care-providers-complete-nmc-training/
DCCA fears lower child care fund for next 3 years. (n.d.). Retrieved March 11, 2015, from
http://www.mvariety.com/cnmi/cnmi-news/local/38390-dcca-fears-lower-child-care
fund-for-next-3-years
HARRIS-SOLOMON, AMY. "Child Care." Encyclopedia of Education. 2003. Retrieved
February 16, 2015 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2
3403200105.html
NMI to recognize child care providers. (n.d.). Retrieved February 16, 2015, from
http://www.mvariety.com/cnmi/cnmi-news/local/55666-nmi-to-recognize-child-care
providers
NMI has 34 licensed child care centers - Saipan Tribune. (2011, July 12). Retrieved February 16,
2015, from http://www.saipantribune.com/index.php/bcce0216-1dfb-11e4-aedf
250bc8c9958e/
(n.d.). Retrieved March 11, 2015, from
http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/1167341?sid=21106095360923&uid=3738600&u
d=2&uid=4

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Appendix A Schedule
What I did
Observation at
Koblerville
Elementary School
On the phone
interview with a child
care center owner.
(Childrens World
Daycare)
Gathering Notes from
observation and
working on essay.
Started making a
survey on survey
monkey.
Observation at San
Vicente Elementary
School
Observation at San
Vicente Elementary
School
Gathering notes from
observation and
working on essay
Observation at
Childrens World
Daycare
Observation at
Loving Hands
Daycare
Gathering notes from
observation and

Date
February 20, 2015

Time
8:00 AM 11:00 AM

How Many Hours

3 Hours

February 23, 2015

Morning

30 Minutes

February 23, 2015

8 PM 9PM

1 Hour

February 24, 2015

10 PM 12 AM

2 Hours

February 25, 2015

10:15 AM 11:15
AM

1 Hour

February 27, 2015

10:23 AM 11:23
AM

1 Hour

February 27-28, 2015

11 PM 1 AM

2 Hours

March 4, 2015

9AM 12 PM

3 Hours

March 11, 2015

9AM 12 PM

3 Hours

March 13, 2015

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Appendix B Letters to Experts

Rizalina Liwag, Principal
Koblerville Elementary School
Dear Mrs. Liwag,
Hello, my name is Chelsea Encio and I am a student attending Northern Marianas College and I
am working on my Bachelors Degree in Elementary Education. Relating to my major, I am
currently doing a research project on whether or not child care centers on Saipan are effective. I
am now collecting data. Your contact information was suggested by my mother, Edna Encio,
who thought, I should ask you, a few questions regarding your experience with student
education. As the principal of Koblerville Elementary School, you have many experiences and
much expertise on early childhood education; I would like to stop by for an interview at your
convenience. Please email or call me if possible. Thank you for your consideration.

Best Regards,
Chelsea Encio, NMC Student
Chelsea.encio@my.marianas.edu
(670)-783-2533

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Lynn Mendiola, Principal

DanDan Middle School
Dear Mrs. Mendiola,
Hello, my name is Chelsea Encio and I am a student attending Northern Marianas College and I
am working on my Bachelors Degree in Elementary Education. Relating to my major, I am
currently doing a research project on whether or not child care centers on Saipan are effective. I
am now collecting data. Your contact information was suggested by my mother, Edna Encio,
who thought I should ask you a few questions regarding your experience with the student
education. As the principal of DanDan Middle School, you have many experiences and much
expertise on early childhood education; I would like to stop by for an interview at your
convenience. Please email or call me if possible. Thank you for your consideration.
Best Regards,
Chelsea Encio, NMC Student
Chelsea.encio@my.marianas.edu
(670)-783-2533

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Cherrie Lovejoy, Teacher

Northern Marianas College

Dear Ms. Lovejoy,

Hello, my name is Chelsea Encio and I am a student attending Northern Marianas College and
am working on my Bachelors Degree in Elementary Education. Relating to my major, I am
currently doing a research project on whether or not child care centers on Saipan are affective. I
am now collecting data. I am student currently taking your class in Child Development, I would
to ask you a few questions regarding your experiences in early education. As a teacher and
advisor, you must have many experiences and much expertise on how children learn and behave.
If possible I would like to stop by for an interview at your convenience. Please email or call me
if possible. Thank you for your consideration.
Best Regards,
Chelsea Encio, NMC Student
Chelsea.encio@my.marianas.edu
(670)-783-2533

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Appendix C Surveys

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Appendix E Analysis
Twelve out of twenty agreed that child care centers are effective in the CNMI, while seven said
only some of the centers are effective. One person said they would not know because there are
no child care centers in the island of Rota.
81% of the people responded no for not being aware that there are children attending the first
grade without any education related experiences.
90% of the people think that child care centers are just baby sitting businesses and nothing
more. While 10% think that they are not baby sitters they are an educational place for children
to learn.
PROS

CONS

Parents can go to work 18/20

Too Expensive 19/ 20

Students can interact with each other 15/20

Help kids be ready for school 10/20
99% had said that child care centers were too expensive as a con. At the same time they were all
agreeing about the same benefits that they have thought on their own.

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Appendix F Observation Notes

Daycare centers on Saipan have given many opportunities for children on island. One of the
daycares on island is called Little Angel Daycare Center. I stopped by for an interview of the
owners daughter the other day and I saw that there are many children that are having a fun and
safe environment to learn in. They accept children from the age of one month to twelve years
old. I watched and observed what they do for a while and they would call the adults teacher.
As an example, they were calling me Teacher Chelsea. In this daycare, they have a monthly
tuition fee and it is $350 per child. (J. Reyes. Personal Communication, February 9, 2015) I
understood why it was so expensive, they had many curricular activities and mini clubs for the
children to experience and have fun in.
In this child care facility, they separate the infants, toddlers and older children. In one
room there are cribs, soft toys, a television, and many baby toys. That would be where the infants
and toddlers are at from the age of a few months till the age of three. The teacher explained to me
that during those ages, they would be able to teach the children how to walk and start talking,
even in different languages. Until they reach the age of three, they will begin to transition to the
next room, which has the ages four to six. In that room there is a board with many colorful letters
and numbers that children can learn to say and read out loud. Since it is a daycare, the teachers
are like their second set of parents that will make sure they are being fed and that they are being
taken cared for. From here, they learn the alphabet, count from numbers one to ten, and the
different shapes and colors by listening to songs, visualizing it and doing hands on activities that
involve learning it. This helps them because it is useful to know when they move on to
preschool.

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For Saipan, there is a preschool called CNMI Head-Start Program. In this program they
have the ages from four to six years old in a bigger learning environment that feels more like a
school to them rather than a daycare. I remember from experience when I enter the class for
observation, they had cubbies, a carpet area with easy books to read and blocks to play with, and
there are small rows of desks in groups so the children can get along, and learn while their
teacher teaches them with the board. When asking the teacher aide how the experience was to be
with the children she said It is just like a normal elementary school, to get the feel of it and they
would learn the same thing they will be learning when they advance to kindergarten and first
grade (H. Palacios, Personal Communication, February 06, 2015) This is a public preschool so
it is free to attend to and just like the daycare, they have curricular and fun clubs as well as
activities for the children.
Just like regular schools, they give out homework and have classwork so they can be better
prepared for kindergarten and first grade. They treat the children as if they are in the first grade

already, but they are still in the learning process. In this preschool program, they would be the
ages they advanced to a new learning environment. The difference between preschool and
daycare is that in daycare, the teachers are being parents and somewhat like babysitters who
teach children the basics of education while in preschool the teachers are themselves who teach
children on expanding their learning experiences. From here they would again learn about the
alphabet, numbers, colors, shapes and all sorts of things that is to their age level. It is easy for
children to get along at this age and they will learn how to communicate and remember names
and familiar faces doing a daily routine every week. They would continue learning the basics
when they move on to kindergarten but just on an easier level.

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In Koblerville Elementary School, they have a kindergarten section that is separated from
the rest of the school. From there, the child can see older children and they will learn to interact
with different age groups, not just their own. Since it is part of an elementary school, it will be
easy for the kindergarten teachers to teach them what they need to know before moving on to the
next grade level which is the first grade. This kindergarten class, being part of an elementary
school would show the students how the school programs and activities are. According to one of
the special education teacher aides, I asked her what is the difference between daycare,
preschool, and kindergarten, she said Unlike daycare and preschool, it is only within their age
group, while kinder is where they can have fun with older children (G. Espinosa, Personal
Communication February 10, 2015). When learning in class, they have already planned learning
activities throughout the year, and children this age love learning new things.
This is when the real learning starts, it will help them in the future and it will be easier for
them to understand at their age. The children will be learning not just the alphabet, but how to
read and write simple words as well. They would learn how to add numbers together and they
will be able to count more than ten numbers throughout the school year. They would explore and
see the different plants and animals and more about the islands culture. At this age they would
be able to remember what they have learned and will continue by memorizing until they have
understand what they are learning. They would be following the teachers instructions and they
will always have many questions to ask because this is the curious age.
On island, there are some issues where children go straight to the first grade or second
grade without any learning experience. These professional child care facilities help these children
learn before entering school so it would not be difficult for them to not fall behind and it will be

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hard for the teachers as well to help the student that is not advancing like the rest. Even if they
are different ways to care for the child and to teach the child, Saipan has many opportunities for
children on island to have a good learning experience. I have observed and watched teachers who
struggle with students and teachers who have a great time with their students. It is all about the
teachers on Saipan that this island relies on. Without the teachers, our students would not be able
to have inspiration or motivation to continue on with learning something new. I want to be a
teacher someday, and I see that many teachers are very passionate about their job. Helping a
child learn is very important, especially here on Saipan. Just because we are a very small island,
it does not mean we cannot let our students succeed.