Importance of Early Childhood Education

Importance of Early Childhood Education Brain in early childhood takes what environment offers and learning environment that challenges and motivate children is the first preparation of child education. The education given in early childhood shapes foundation of the life and helps mental and academic development of child. It is very essential to recognize importance of early childhood education and how it effects to persons life. Effective curriculum and education in early childhood encourage and develop language skill and ability to acquire vocabulary. Throughout the play and education, children learn social skills along with how to deal with others and develop their own values. Importance of Early Childhood Education In old days, people used to think that children dont have ability to distinguish what is right and wrong so there is no need to educate them in their early ages. However, even though it is true that they cant differentiate right or wrong, it is also true that children absorb everything what they hear and see like sponge and therefore early education is essential. The education given in early childhood shapes foundation of the life and helps mental and academic development of child. It is very essential to recognize importance of early childhood education and how it effects to persons life. Research and study on brain development shows how closely they connect to development of emotional, physical, and social capability of individuals. If these fundamental capabilities are not developed in early ages, it would affect to childs learning potentials. Early childhood is defined as first eight years of life of individual. Eighty-five percent of brain develops by age of five and brain of child in age of three have 2.5 times more active brain than adults (McCarthy, 2011). The learning experience of diverse areas in early childhood makes number of childrens brain connection and such brain cell connection strengthens by continuous new stimulation from the environment (McCarthy, 2011). Brain takes what environment offers and there is prime time that brain absorbs new information like sponge especially in the first three years of life (Bouchard Gilles, 2011). By proving proper education in early childhood, children learn basic foundation of their whole life and also develop social, mental, and academic activities. Among many benefits of early childhood education, most fundamental reason is that education provided in five to eight years is very influential to what kind of person a child would grow up and is vital for academic and mental development of an individual. Effective curriculum and education in early childhood encourage and develop language skill and ability to acquire vocabulary. According to early childhood education research journal, most capacity of language skill of learning vocabulary, which is a foundation for literacy, develops by ages of three (Bouchard Gilles, 2011). Bouchard and Gilles have studied the importance of encouraging language skills in early childhood and argued that educators who are in daycare services by age of five have lots of opportunities of stimulating practice that helps children to acquire language skills (Bouchard Gilles, 2011). Studies show that how educational setting and specific training of language skills can develop and promote language skills of children. The studies were conducted at daycare center with 22 educators and 174 children and language skills practice have been divided into three parts; educator wait and listen, educator follows childs lead, and educator adjusts childs sentence. Practice that educators adjust childrens language shows rather few instances than educators wait and listen. Children in groups that educator waits and listens what they say and educator follow childs lead tried to use new vocabulary and to finish their sentence while children in group that educator makes correction when they use wrong grammar or vocabulary didnt use any new words and some werent even to start to talk later. Children learn language skills by interacting with immediate environment and training or simple structural changes can improve language skills of children (Bouchard Gilles, 2011). Development in early childhood does not only affect to academic and physical activities, but also involves relationship with other people and emotional and cognitive development. People easily think children struggle to find their ego in adolescence; however children actually start to realize their identity in first eight years and inner capacity of imagination and self-image of gender roles start to develop. In that age, they learn how to associate with friends and start to look people around them. Throughout the play and education, children learn social skills along with how to deal with others and develop their own values. Teaching language or academic skills in early ages is not only education, but rather child-directed play and interacting with them is most important education (Webster-Stratton Reid, 2010). Webster-Stratton and Reid conducted experiment to show difference and its effects between child-directed play that lets children to play what they want to do and express feeling and adult- directed play that parent or educator specifically asks to how they should play. In the therapy, five years old boy, Dylan who had multiple tantrums and aggressive behaviors to other people and no friends, was asked to child-directed play with his parents. First, he rejected his parents attempts to play with him, but gradually started to interact and invite them into his play. These child-directed plays enable to establish ego and practice how to express and control (Webster-Stratton Reid, 2010). Throughout the play and education, children learn social skills along with how to deal with others and develop thei r own values. Brain takes what environment offers and learning environment that challenges and motivate children is the first preparation of child education. Parents and educators should understand that children also have own thinking and proper education based on care and attachment is potent influence to them. Society and community should also recognize education given in these ages is very critical to childs mental and intellectual development and therefore provide more productive education program not only for the children, but for parent, since early childhood education is most efficient investment for society.