Early childhood education is a field growing every day with more opportunities for people who want to make a difference. It is during this stage of a child's life that she is most enthusiastic about learning. It is also the time when learning disabilities can be best identified and treated in order to ensure that a child has the best chance for success in the future.
Significance
Early childhood education has received more attention every year because of the results of research which continuously report that a child will be a more successful student throughout his school years and in college if he has been positively affected in the primary grades. Early childhood education encompasses preschool and kindergarten through the third grade. If children's learning needs and styles are not addressed during these years, some students will slip through the cracks of the educational system throughout middle and high school and the consequences will follow into college and adult life.
Misconceptions
Early childhood education is still misunderstood by some people who think it just involves a lot of fun activities, not serious learning.Certainly, making learning fun in order to appeal to and reach children is important, but fun is not the only desired result. The beginning of reading, math, social studies and science instruction start at this critical stage. Early childhood is where the foundation is laid for all future learning. Coloring, painting and singing are used as tools to impact learning--not empty activities to fill the day.
Benefits
The benefits of quality early childhood education are immediate and long-term. When a child is taught effectively, he is placed on a structured path to knowledge, no matter the subject. The social benefits have just as much impact as the academic ones. A good early childhood program will teach and reinforce conflict resolution and cooperative strategies to enable students to learn to get along with others.
Features
A quality childhood education will feature the following components:
Academic: Reading instruction from alphabetic principle to reading fluently and for meaning
Number concepts from recognition to basic operations
Science and social studies through concepts and themes that include hands-on experiences
Social: Conflict resolution strategies, cooperative learning and student interaction during informal activities
Considerations
People who are considering careers in early childhood education needs to asks themselves these questions:
1. Do I like being around children and interacting with them?
2. Do I want to help children with any learning difficulties they may have to the point where I may have to utilize extra time
and resources to make sure it gets done?
3. Will I be an advocate for my children even if it means making decisions that may not be popular with the administration
of my school? Will I fight for the things they need?
4. Do I want to make a difference, not just in what children learn but in how they think about others and relate to them?
Tags: childhood education, Early childhood, childhood education, early childhood, Early childhood education, make difference