Early childhood education provides planned experiences and activities that meet the special learning needs of children from birth through age 8. All early childhood education programs encourage emotional, intellectual, physical, and social development. Good programs expand a child’s ability to learn about the world, organize information, and think. Such programs strengthen children’s feelings of self-worth, their interest in challenging tasks, and their ability to work with other people.
Sources.
Young children learn constantly from everyone and everything around them. But planned learning occurs chiefly in (1) activities planned by families, (2) formal education programs, and (3) child-care programs.
Activities planned by families
give children a foundation for a lifetime of learning and exploring their interests. Some activities are planned at home as part of everyday routines. For example, many families set aside a time each day to read to their youngest members. Other family activities may involve trips to museums and zoos, or concerts and plays geared to young children.
Many resources are available to help families plan educational activities for young children. Parents, people who plan to become parents, or other family members may attend parent education classes or participate in family support programs. These programs not only teach families how to encourage the development of their children but also help them gain access to community resources and social services. Many books, websites, and other resources also provide information and suggestions for family learning activities.
Formal education programs
include (1) infant and toddler programs; (2) preelementary programs, such as those offered by nursery schools and kindergartens; and (3) elementary programs. The best such programs are staffed by people with special training in educating and nurturing young children.
Most infant and toddler programs serve children from birth through age 2. Participants learn by working with toys, equipment, and other materials specially selected to stimulate babies and toddlers. Interacting with adults and other children forms another important part of these programs.
Nursery schools provide learning experiences for small groups of children who are usually 3 or 4 years old. Many public elementary schools offer prekindergarten programs for 4-year-olds and, in some cases, 3-year-olds. Many public and private schools offer kindergarten for 5- and 6-year-olds during the year before they start first grade. Most preelementary programs place great importance on developing self-confidence and encouraging social and emotional growth. Some kindergartens also include activities to develop beginning skills in reading, mathematics, and other traditional academic subjects.
Children age 7 or 8–and some 6-year-olds–attend one of the first three grades of elementary school. Programs in elementary schools begin to emphasize language and mathematical skills and basic concepts of the arts and sciences. But elementary programs also continue to place importance on social development.
Child-care programs
exist chiefly to provide care for the children of working families. The best such programs provide a safe environment, skilled adult supervision, and a wide range of activities, including educational experiences. Some child-care programs are offered in individual homes. These programs, which care for small groups of children, are known by the names family day care, family child care, and home day care. Educational experiences in these programs are often similar to activities planned by families.
Other programs are provided at larger, nonhome facilities called day-care centers. These sites are also known as child-care centers. Some day-care centers are operated by states, communities, or social service agencies. Others are run as businesses. Many such centers have separate programs for children of different ages. The activities and educational experiences offered are geared to the needs of each individual age group.
One national program in the United States is Head Start, which is sponsored by the federal government. Head Start provides educational experiences and health, nutritional, and psychological services for children of low-income families.
Techniques.
Early childhood educators believe that a young child’s intellectual, social, emotional, and physical abilities are closely connected and should be developed at the same time. They believe that the development of each of these abilities depends on the development of all the others. Skilled early childhood teachers create learning experiences appropriate for each child’s stage of development and individual needs. They often use special techniques to help children understand new words and ideas. The teachers lead some learning activities. In other cases, they support an activity a child has chosen by asking questions or offering suggestions and materials as the child needs them.
