It’s the roots that define how strong a tree will be in future and if it will be able to sustain in future. The early days of a child are so important and if nurtured in a suitable way, the child grows, adapts and thrives.
Early childhood education has an important role to play in the development of a child and how their thinking process develops. All in all, early childhood education (ECE) helps children gain the necessary academic, emotional, and social skills to prosper in school and beyond. Well-established research continues to emphasize the importance of early childhood education as an essential building block of a child’s future success.
UNESCO has put it very beautifully:
“Early childhood care and education (ECCE) is more than preparation for primary school. It aims at the holistic development of a child’s social, emotional, cognitive and physical needs in order to build a solid and broad foundation for lifelong learning and wellbeing. ECCE has the possibility to nurture caring, capable and responsible future citizens.
In this way ECCE is one of the best investments a country can make to promote human resource development, gender equality and social cohesion, and to reduce the costs for later remedial programmes. For disadvantaged children, ECCE plays an important role in compensating for the disadvantages in the family and combating educational inequalities.”
A child’s early years are the foundation for his or her future development, providing a strong base for lifelong learning and learning abilities, including cognitive and social development.
More benefits of educating children before they enter kindergarten:
1. Acquiring Social Skills
Early socialization requires parent/teacher participation and modeling. Learning how to share, give and cooperate is an integral part of social life. When it’s done with professional guidance, children can benefit greatly.
Socializing with people other than family is an integral part of childhood education. Learning how to interact with others, be it peers or teachers, can simplify the education process in the future. The skills gained in a safe learning environment won’t just help children socialize in school. They can improve their relationship with parents and go a long way toward gaining self-confidence.
2. Fun of Learning
Children are always learning, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be hard. If children aren’t prepared for the process, they can lose all their natural enthusiasm. They won’t enjoy the future learning process as much in that case.
Early childhood education teachers and parents should know how to give lessons in a fun and exciting way. Once children figure out that learning can be exciting, they can accept the challenges that the process brings and enjoy being active learners.
3. Improving Concentration
Concentration is a lifelong skill and it’s built starting right at an early age. Young children have short attention spans. Their desire to explore new things often leaves them unable to concentrate on one specific thing for a long time. Early childhood education give them the opportunity to discover new environments, experiences, and suitable skills while working on their ability to focus.