Early childhood is the period from birth to 8 years of age. In recent years early childhood education has emerged as an area of high priority. Early childhood education has been included as a specific target in the context of a sustainable development goal. The first six years of life are critical in any child’s lifespan since the date of development is more rapid than any other stage of development. The brain is more flexible and adaptable to learning during these early years.
According to recent research in neuroscience, 90% of the brain’s growth occurs by the time the child is five years of age. The growth is influenced not only by the child’s nutritional and health status but also by the psychosocial experiences and environment the child is exposed to during these early years. Therefore, investing in the early years in preschool settings, provisions, and programs is extremely important.
Early childhood education is defined as any setting in parting education to children between 3 to 6 years. Pre schooling ensures the child’s holistic development by attending to his or her social, emotional, cognitive, and physical needs, which in turn provide its solid foundation for lifelong learning and well-being. Experiences are provided in a natural, joyful, and stimulating environment using a non-formal play way and activity-based approach. Preschool education ensures a smooth transition from preschool to early primary classes, leading to better performance and better retention rates.
Listening, speaking, reading, writing, and numeric are among the most important skills children learn. Earlier literacy was taught to be reading and writing, which was taught to children when they were ready for it. Today, it is understood that literacy emerges gradually in the early years. When young children hear sounds and have them repeated and encourage by sensitive, caring adults. Later, when children get an opportunity to see print in their environment, handle books, listen to stories, looking and talking about pictures, and making marks or signs on paper, the literacy skills get refined and improved.
Preparing your child for education from a young age will help them perform better in college later on. It reduces the special attention and instruction the child may need when they first begin attending academic school. Early Childhood Education will help kids build a healthy foundation physically, mentally, and emotionally thus improving social development to prepare for a lifetime. Early Childhood Education proves to be beneficial for kids as well as for the parents as it reduces the unnecessary burdens that they might experience when sending their children for elementary school.
