A child’s early years have the most significant impact on their development and growth. It is during these initial years that a child learns and absorbs information readily. And so, parents must pay keen attention to the quality of education their child receives.
Hold on; this doesn’t imply that you should immediately start browsing the best tutor Perth or Melbourne services (depending on your city of residence). Academics are not the only type of education that matters during your child’s early years. You should also focus on aspects such as emotional and social skills development.
Do you feel confused already? Well, do not worry. We understand how confusing things can be as a new parent.
So, in today’s post, we have brought all the fundamentals about early childhood education together. Read more to unravel!
Understanding Early Childhood Education
Early childhood education refers to a broad term used for any learning received by a child from birth to 8-years of age. This particular timespan is the early year’s stage of a child, in which the learning potential is quite high.
Now, a child receives two fundamental types of childhood education during these years;
Informal Education
Informal education refers to the learning done from birth till 2-years of age. A child spends this period with his parents and primary caregiver. All the things taught in these years impact the child’s sense of self and relationship with parents.
You don’t have to teach lessons or things like a teacher would do in school. Instead, the child learns everything from the behavior of parents, environment, and things happening around him. A child learns all this from observation.
Formal Education
When a child turns 3, he starts receiving formal education in form of school. There are several early childhood education programs available today, such as:
- Montessori
- Waldorf
- Reggie Emilio
These programs utilize different approaches to develop cognitive, social, physical, and other skills.
Your child may receive formal education in various settings. These include daycare, nursery, preschool, and even kindergarten.
Read next: Best Free Educational Online Courses
Importance & Significance
When a child’s born, he is like a blank canvas. He knows nothing of this world except what you expose him to and teach.
And so, whatever paints you’ll use on the canvas will form its foundation. Then, no matter how many new colors you try to paint, the base color will remain the same and impact the shade of that new color.
Similarly, whatever a child learns during his early years forms the foundation and affects his life. The things a child learns after this early years period do affect much intensely.
Here are some benefits of providing your child with proper early childhood education:
- The brain of a child develops by 90-percent before entering kindergarten. Hence, early childhood education is an effective way to benefit from this high-learning time for a successful future.
- Early childhood education programs expose your child to new children and people. It helps the kid develop strong socializing and interaction skills.
- These educational programs cater to a child’s curious nature and allow him to explore newer environments. Meanwhile, the programs also teach focus and concentration skills. Thus, when your kid enters school, he can follow guidelines and complete chores with unwavering focus.
