The importance of early childhood education

Sustainability in early childhood education influences every corner of a service’s practice. The National Quality Standard embeds environmental responsibility into Petit Early Learning Journey’s operations, everyday curriculum and the children’s learning program. In an article on The Spoke (May 2019), Dr Sue Elliot, an expert on early childhood education and sustainability, describes the topic as complex. Often thought of as “green issues”, Elliot emphasises how global climate change makes us think deeper about the four dimensions of sustainability which UNESCO illustrates as economic, natural, social and political. In “Ways of thinking, acting and relating about sustainability” (Research in Practice Series Volume 21 Number 3 2014), Tracy Young and Dr Sue Elliott encourage Educators to reflect deeply on the complexity of sustainability in early childhood education and what it means. Our Petit ELJ centre teams partner with their families, children and communities to embed local...

EDUCATION What is early childhood education and why is it so important? Understanding it’s impact  Print Article If you’re like most adults, you didn’t spend much time thinking about  early childhood education  (ECE) until you or a loved one had a child. You may have fond memories of your preschool days but can’t recall much besides taking turns in games, singing songs, getting dirty outside, making friends and napping on the floor. These activities often seem like merely fun and games, so it's easy to overlook the importance of early childhood education. But educators know the truth: Young children learn best through play, and starting early sets them up for success in life and school. In fact, children start learning from their parents and environment in utero, according to  Dr. Hawani Negussie , assistant professor of early childhood education at UMass Global. We enlisted Dr. Negussie’s ECE expertise to help answer some important questions, like “What is ECE?” and...

 

Social development   is the process through which children learn about their society and the proper ways to act within it. It is a process through which behaviours, perspectives, and attitudes are learned. For example, consider a child watching their sibling attempting to put a screw in a wall. The sibling cannot do it alone, so they ask a parent for help. With the parent's assistance, the sibling is able to affix the object to the wall. Thus, the observing child learns that while they are not able to screw things in by themselves, they   can   do it with assistance. The process of social development does not stop after childhood. In fact, it occurs continuously through all stages of life. Social development is made further complex as individuals learn that certain behaviour's are expected in some circumstances or settings, but not allowed or possible in others. For this reason, social development is extremely important to study and understand, in order to successfully na...

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  Early childhood education is important for many reasons. Not only does it help young learners with human development by incorporating the basic skills and knowledge they need to succeed, but it also helps build a strong foundation for future success. With early childhood education, children are learning how to problem solve, interact with others, regulate emotions, and think critically about the world around them. Early Childhood Education programs are also important because it helps children develop positive self-esteem, self-confidence, and a sense of security in the world. This will help them to be comfortable with their early childhood educators, other children, and school environment. Additionally, early education also builds a child’s social skills so they can interact with others in appropriate ways in their early years. Plus, schools today are increasingly recognizing the importance of early childhood education. They understand that educating children through play and exp...

  Early childhood education (ECE) is the period of learning that takes place from birth to eight-years-old, according to the   National Association for the Education of Young ChildrenOpens a New  Window.  Most commonly in teaching, however, it refers to the education of children between birth and kindergarten age – the preschool or “Pre-K” years. In these early years of infancy and toddlerhood, educational experiences – both formal and informal – are seen as fundamental to a child’s cognitive, physical, and emotional development. Early childhood education gives little ones the opportunity to learn, discover, and play in a safe, nurturing environment outside of their home. In ECE classrooms, children are encouraged to explore colours, letters, numbers, sounds, nature, art, and other topics, while simultaneously fostering curiosity and developing core motor and social skills. There are all types of early childhood education programs out there today, along with a variet...