The world is technologically developing, and in all other aspects day by day. This has led to an increase in the demand of skilled professionals. There is therefore a lot of emphasis on education as a necessity for each and every child so that they are able to cope up with the advancing world. The primary level of any educational system is early childhood education. This is the basic learning children go through up to the age of eight years. It is all about setting a base for understanding more complex ideas as they grow up.
The first eight years of a child’s life are the most important part of their life. Whatever they experience at this stage of life goes a long way to impact their future. Quality early education is therefore instrumental in laying foundation for the child’s future. The brain development of a human being is fastest during the first decade of life. This is the right age to impart basic knowledge about the environment, behavioral mannerisms and basic concepts of formal education. This is because any knowledge they acquire at this point is bound to be part of them for their entire lives.
Forms of early education
Early education is not just a general learning class. It is divided into a number of subgroups depending on the age of the children, what they are learning and the teaching methods applied by the teachers. Here are a few of them.
Preschool
The preschool level is often confused with day-care. However, as opposed to day-care, preschool focuses on the educational aspect and not just the physical development of the child. This is the point at which the child is separated from the home environment and introduced to a new learning environment.
This is the level at which the child’s curiosity is aroused. Explore & Develop emphasizes that curiosity leads to learning. This is done by exposing this child to activities such as playing games and child- teacher interaction sessions. The children are also exposed to pictures, letters and numbers written on the charts. This is to create a lasting visual impression of these ideas.
By being left to figure out a few things on their own during their games, it boosts the child’s imaginative skills. It also enables the child to know how to interact with other people in their environment. They learn core values such as being polite to each other, sharing and also get a hint on how to work together to achieve certain goals.
The element of a classroom is also imparted in the child’s mind at this stage. The classroom is decorated and furnished in such a way that it serves as a play area and a learning environment as well.
Kindergarten
In this stage, the child is introduced to a more formal perspective of education. It is considered as the first step of the elementary school system. The teachers in kindergarten help to build on concepts of application about the numbers and alphabets that they got exposed to earlier on.
Children are taught how to count objects and perform basic arithmetic that involves addition and subtraction. They are also exposed to knowledge of language. They are taught how to spell simple words, naming objects and constructing simple sentences. As they progress, they learn to correlate letters with certain verbal sounds and pronunciation. This Is where they learn how to read.
Montessori schools
This system of early childhood education is pretty unique. In this system, children are not separated into smaller age brackets. Children of different ages are put in the same class. It is meant to impart a sense of autonomy as much as the younger children learn a few things from their older colleagues in the same class.
It also has an emphasis on group work. It creates an environment where the child explores and discovers things on their own. The teacher has the duty to guide the child in the right direction of thinking since self exploration is subject to fallacious knowledge sometimes.
There are many other systems out there that are recognized as early childhood education systems. But one thing that is common in all of them is that the teacher is a key element in ensuring that the children learn effectively.
Have you ever considered, an early childhood education teacher? It goes without saying; it is an extremely demanding job. So, what kind of qualifications that you require to get into this profession? Different states have different qualification requirements. In some states, you will need a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education to be a preschool teacher. In other states, all you need is an associate’s degree.
For the kindergarten level, you must have a bachelor’s degree. This is because it is considered as part of the elementary level of education which is under the control of the government. Other degrees such as a masters and doctorate give you a deeper understanding of child development. They also make you more suitable for bigger job opportunities in the field.
Educational qualifications are however not enough to make you a good teacher of young children. You must have the heart for it. If you do not like being around kids, you are definitely not cut out for that profession.
You need to be humble enough to stoop to the children’s level. Engage them in their games and be able to relate with them such that you can hold a simple conversation with them. You have to portray a character that does not intimidate them. Be friendly to the extent that they can trust you.
Being a teacher at this level is all about being able to create a replacement for their parents in a school environment. Besides that, you must have a keen and cognitive mind such that you can take of behavioral changes in a child and know how to go about it.
As a teacher, your key purpose is facilitating learning. You need to know how to present knowledge in such a way that the child can understand and create a mental image which they can reflect on for memory.
The role of parents in a child’s life cannot be ignored. Parents have a responsibility to ensure that their kids get the best education they can afford. They should take time to what kind of education system to enroll their children in. They have to weigh the pros and cons of each system.
Besides that, parents have an oversight role in their children’s education. They should take time to reach out to teachers to inquire about the progress of their children. It is also their duty to encourage their children to develop a positive attitude towards school.
Every child has a right to quality education. This education is meant to make them useful members of the society and to enable them fully exploit their potential. This is can only be achieved by ensuring that the children get the best foundation in their earlier years. Truly, early childhood education is of utmost importance to a child.
