As we strive to find the best experience for our early aged children, we are reminded of the underlying motivation? What is the importance of early childhood education and why should we focus much of our time on this topic. It was not that long ago when much of what we knew or thought we understood about the best practices for improving early childhood education revolved around much of the foundation laid down by individuals like John Locke, Jean Jacques Rousseau, Friedich Froebel (think kindergarten), and Maria Montessori. You are probably unfamiliar with most of these people, save one. Later, Freud, Piaget, and Erik Erikson came on to the scene to provide their contributions on the subject. While all of these individuals brought with them their own sense of how early aged children should be taught, the one underlying principle that takes precedent over everything is that each child is unique and requires an adaptive approach in which the learnings are a reflection of the early child’s maturing needs, interests, self image, and innate abilities.
The Importance Of Play
If the importance of early childhood education is to be best understood, then we should pull back a few of the layers and examine the key points. Certain things just jump of the page when one tackles this question. First and foremost, it very well accepted by essentially every researcher and scholar (and everyone else for that matter) that the youngest of our breed are in the most formative and receptive stages of their lives. This is where things can go wonderfully right if the proper childhood education is employed and is also where things can lead down some of the wrong paths. There are many areas of a young child’s development that require nurturing and support and without a structured early childhood education program, these areas may not receive the level of attention needed.
Another interesting reason for why early childhood education is of such importance is somewhat more abstract, but make no mistake, it is a compelling reason. Think of it as the butterfly effect. You have probably hear this term before. It is well known in scientific circles whereby an event far across the globe can effect something else far removed. We see the butterfly effect in action everyday given the rapid growth of technology in our lives. The rapidity in which communication occurs and rumors gets started or conflicts. Weather systems demonstrate the butterfly effect each and every hour. How effective we are in educating our children in effect can have a substantial impact on society someplace and somewhere later. It is a very complex thing to think about given the number of variables. But consider the possibility of millions upon millions of our children being developed to their fullest potential everywhere. Think about how this could positively impact society in so many ways further down the road.
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