If you are writing an early childhood education essay, examples can be very useful to aid you in your research. How did this concept develop? What are the current principles of schooling for children? And what is the importance of early childhood education? The essay on this page aims to answer these questions.
The following importance of early childhood education essay will tell you about the significance of learning institutions, organizations, and programs. Also, we’ll look at the key aspects that form the foundation of a child’s development. This sample will make it easier for you to cope with writing your own paper. So, you’ll write a “Why Is Early Childhood Education Important Essay” successfully.
Early Childhood Education is the field of practice, research, and study that deals with children’s experiences during their early stages of life. During childhood education, young children receive formal education and are under the care of professionals who may not be family members. Children receive this kind of education outside their homes. The term early childhood is used to refer to children below the age of regular schooling, which, according to many nations, is five years. However, this is not always true. For instance, in the U.S., it includes children below the age of eight years.
The educator should be aware of the physical, social, and cognitive development stages of preschoolers, toddlers, and babies. He/she must also cooperate with their parents to bring the child up in a good way.
According to Blenkin and Kelly (1996), the study of early childhood is important because it is the time during which the body and brain of a child are undergoing rapid development. During this stage, children develop skills and abilities like motor skills, language, psychosocial cognition, and learning.
Exogenous factors like the environment to which children are exposed from birth to eight years are said to affect the psychosocial, cognitive, and learning of the child (Cascio, 2021). Early childhood education builds a strong foundation for academic success in children. Its studies prepare the child for primary school education, contributing to the academic excellence of the child later in life.
Studies have shown that the readiness that children get from early childhood education has positive social and economic impacts during their adult life. Such children have limited chances of engaging in criminal behaviors and attaining good results in schools, which secures them good places in employment, resulting in higher earnings. Based on the significant role that childhood education plays, the content of this paper will emphasize the topic.
Historical Development of Early Childhood Education
The philosophy of early childhood education can be traced from the works of scholars like John Locke, Jean Jacques Rousseau, and John Amos Comenius. Sociologists like Jean Piaget, Erik Erikson, and Sigmund Freud concentrated much on the developmental stages of children (Su & Yang, 2022). The scholars approached the discipline in different ways, but they all held the belief that early childhood education played a major role in developing the interests and abilities of children as they grow up.
The first and largest early childhood program was Kindergarten, which was developed in the United States between 1782 and 1852 by Friedrich Froebel. The program was later adopted in Europe and other countries (Cascio, 2021). The movement was accelerated by the Industrial Revolution and the absorption of women in large numbers to work in factories. Between 1870 and 1952, another early childhood program developed by Maria Montessori was also adopted in many countries (Cascio, 2021). However, the role of early education as the first step in the system of education came to the knowledge of many nations after the Second World War.
Blenkin and Kelly argue that Kindergarten was the first training institution to offer training skills for teachers of young children. The first training school was begun in Boston by German kindergarteners Matilda Kriege and her daughter in 1868. The term “kindergartener” was used to refer to children attending school and their teachers.
The kindergartens were started by German immigrants who were running away from the Russian Revolution in which Germany was defeated, and that’s why they were initially German-speaking. Today, the role of early childhood education is recognized worldwide. Public institutions have been established to offer training to these teachers because children at this stage are sensitive, and teachers should know how to deal with them.
Current Principles of Early Childhood Education
To enhance early childhood education, the program is based on various principles aimed at making the system effective for improving the level of education. The program necessitates trained personnel, with teachers acquiring adequate training in early childhood education centers to be equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills to interact and train young children successfully.
Early childhood education serves not only to assist working parents but also to help children acquire physical, cognitive, social, and emotional experiences away from their homes (Jalongo, 2021). During this period, children learn skills such as counting, playing, interacting, and socializing with others. Parents should understand that the purpose of sending their children to school is to gain the required knowledge and skills. According to Beneke and Helm (2003), the program is based on the principle that all childhood education programs should be licensed, and the teaching methodologies used should align with the interests and developmental needs of children.
Licensing ensures security and addresses the health needs of children. Teachers should ensure that the environment in which children live is secure and healthy, as children learn best when they feel free and secure (Macrides et al., 2021). Therefore, it is important for teachers to ensure that children are comfortable with enhancing their learning. Resources and programs needed in education centers should be coordinated by the government to prepare children for elementary and secondary education. The government should fund these institutions so that they can purchase materials and cover all expenses necessary for the successful learning of children.
Institutions should be provided with reading and writing materials, as well as good feeding programs for children (Redondo et al., 2019). Recreational facilities are also crucial, as playing is vital for young children. Coordination between parents, teachers, and the government is important.
Finally, the system is based on the principle that all children have the opportunity to access early childhood education, and parents are encouraged to enroll their children in the program as it creates a strong academic foundation.
Professional Organizations
Intensive research has been conducted concerning early childhood education because of its importance. It is argued that if interference in the fundamental development of skills and abilities of a child occurs during the early stages, this is likely to affect their learning potentiality in the future, and the damage may be long-lasting.
Various organizations have been established worldwide advocating the role played by early childhood education. Professional organizations support early childhood professionals by providing them with guidance and resources needed to better educate young children.
Examples of such organizations include The New York City Association for the Education of Young Children (NYCAEYC), the World Organization for Early Childhood Education, and the National Association for Childhood Education International (ACEI), among others (Jalongo, 2021). World Organization for Early Childhood Education is a worldwide non-profit and non-governmental organization operating in more than 60 countries. The organization includes parents, teachers, health officers, activists, researchers, social workers, and students. The goal of the organization is to ensure that children between the ages of zero and eight years access their rights to education in all the member countries.
The NYCAEYC advocates for and promotes the quality of education offered to children below the age of eight years and their larger families, as well as enhancing their well-being by supporting professional development. The ACEI is a global organization whose aim is to support and promote optimal education and children’s development from birth till puberty. In addition, the organization encourages people to train and become professionals who would then bring change to society by passing acquired knowledge to children. The organization sees to it that all children access quality education.
In the modern world, some of the best practices employed by teachers in childhood education centers include play, songs, and dances that form the basic form of entertainment (Macrides et al., 2021). Play is crucial for young children because their brains are not fully developed, so they cannot retain large volumes of information. It is, therefore, essential for the teacher to allocate enough time for children to relax their minds.
Since they cannot concentrate for a long period of time, the teacher should have several breaks in between the classes during which children should go to the field and play. The teacher should accompany them and be in charge. The teacher directs the children during the activity (Su & Yang, 2022). In addition to plays, children can also engage in dances and songs, mainly aimed at refreshing the mind.
Children should be taught how to conduct the songs themselves. Finally, other forms of entertainment, like watching television, can be of great help. The teacher should ensure that the programs enhance the academic work of the children.
Technology in Early Childhood Development
In the modern world, people are always striving to find solutions to their problems. Technology is a major problem-solving tool in education, increasing academic skills, reducing the number of school dropouts, and discouraging racial discrimination in schools. Improvements in technology have made it easier for teachers to execute their duties.
Studies have shown that children in the modern world know much more than children of their age some time ago. Current generations are more advanced than the previous ones (Su & Yang, 2022). For instance, children can easily access books of all kinds whenever they need them in libraries, helping in the rapid and easy expansion of knowledge.
The use of computers, tablets, laptops, and smartphones has increased rapidly in childhood education programs. Through technology, the qualities of educational programs have been modified in interesting ways. Computers are used by teachers to teach children and keep records of class performance. Children between the ages of three and eight effectively use computers today. Now that children know how to make use of the above electronics, they have a lot of information at their fingertips. For instance, they only need to “Google” on the computer and search for answers to their questions.
For children whose parents own computers at home, they have a greater advantage because they can access computer services at home. Some mobile phones can also be networked and provide similar services. The media has improved early childhood education. Modern television channels offer more quality programs than traditional ones (Timmons et al., 2021). There are many educational programs displayed on different channels for children to watch. There are so many that children can never watch them all. The radio offers educational programs for children in which children are allowed to answer questions.
For instance, the questions are asked by the radio presenter, and children answer through a phone call. The presenter then says whether the child is right, and if not, he provides the correct answer (Macrides et al., 2021). The knowledge is passed to all children who happen to be listening, making this a way of enhancing education. Other technological advancements that have eased early childhood education include the use of printers, scanners, digital cameras, and video recorders.
Blake and Taylor argue that the application of technology in early childhood education will increase even in the future. However, less fortunate children from poor families will be disadvantaged (Macrides et al., 2021). These electronics are very expensive, and accessing and using them will be difficult for children from poor families. Improvement in technology is likely to increase immorality rates among school children.
The more children know how to operate computers, the more they will get in touch with sites not fit for their stage. Research has shown that many children visit pornographic sites on computers. As much as technology is going to affect early childhood education positively, it will also have its side effects.
Improvements
There are many challenges that children encounter during their studies, which should be well-known to their teachers and other educational employees who interact with them directly. These individuals are the right people to determine the areas that require improvements. In order for children to learn well, their physical, social, emotional, and learning needs should be met. Failure to satisfy one of these needs makes it hard for the child to study effectively. The performance of children improves when they are encouraged and supported by adults. Teachers should ensure that they make the necessary improvements to help children succeed in their studies whenever they identify points of weakness among students.
Challenges
Among the challenges facing early childhood education is the lack of enough funds. Early childhood education is mainly offered in the private sector at very high costs. Lack of finance makes it hard for some parents to enroll their children in schools. Accessibility of such institutions may be a challenge. People may have to travel for long distances before getting to the learning institution.
Other challenges include lateness at school, a lot of homework given to children that cannot be completed overnight, competition in class, lack of enough playing grounds, competition with neighboring schools, and lack of enough sleep for children.
Controversial issues
The list of controversial issues in early childhood education is long. Some of the debatable issues include whether young children should use computers, whether viewing television leads to violent behavior among children, whether homework improves the performance of children, and finally, the correct age at which young children should join kindergarten, among other issues.
Conclusion
The study of developmental stages of young children is a vital topic. I personally chose the topic because I like interacting with young children and helping them whenever it’s necessary.
My desire is to see children live comfortably and succeed in their studies, and that’s why I have chosen to pursue a course in early childhood education, which will help me understand the concept better. My goal is to see that I help children pursue and succeed in their studies once I become a professional in the field.
References
Cascio, E. U. (2021). Early childhood education in the united states: What, when, where, who, how, and why. NBER.
Jalongo, M. R. (2021). The effects of COVID-19 on early childhood education and care: Research and resources for children, families, teachers, and teacher educators. Early Childhood Education Journal, 49.
Macrides, E., Miliou, O., & Angeli, C. (2021). Programming in early childhood education: A systematic review. International Journal of Child-Computer Interaction, 100396.
Redondo, B., Cózar-Gutiérrez, R., González-Calero, J. A., & Sánchez Ruiz, R. (2019). Integration of augmented reality in the teaching of English as a foreign language in early childhood education. Early Childhood Education Journal.
Su, J., & Yang, W. (2022). Artificial intelligence in early childhood education: A scoping review. Computers and Education: Artificial Intelligence, 3, 100049.
Timmons, K., Cooper, A., Bozek, E., & Braund, H. (2021). The impacts of COVID-19 on early childhood education: Capturing the unique challenges associated with remote teaching and learning in K-2. Early Childhood Education Journal, 49(5).