What is Early Childhood Education Exactly?

The brain develops most of its neurons between birth and 3 years old, early childhood education is defined as the period of birth through 9 years old. The importance of early childhood education can’t be overstated. The most important part of early childhood education to me is learning. My motto in my preschool class is don’t go through life Grow through life. The meaning of that is we should strive to learn something new every day. Learning is important because 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.

This time of life is about so much more than learning the necessary skills and preparing for K-12 education. In preschool programs, children learn how to interact with their classmates, teachers, and parents. They also start to discover interests that they hold for a lifetime. Seeing a toddler’s glow on their face when they learn something new is amazing. Just to know I’m a part of a child’s early development makes my heart melt. Learning should be consistent for the development of young children.

Schedules and routines help children learn classroom activities. Children can predict what will happen next and this helps them feel secure and prepared. Helping a young child feel safe while learning new things is most important as well. Learning is the best way to grow. I tell my students that we grow in different ways. We grow our bodies, our souls, and most importantly our minds.

A mind is a terrible thing to waste, and we will not waste it. Some of these facts are why I love the learning part of early childhood education.

Juanita Washington