Saturday, March 17, 2012

How Early Childhood Education Affects A Child

Parents who are thinking of enrolling their children in an early childhood education may encounter a lot of issues regarding the appropriateness. There is an on-going debate with regards to sending children to school before they even reach 5 years old. Some people believe that kids are better off playing and enjoying their childhood, while others think that children need to be taught early on. Both of these may be due to the fact that they just want their children to enjoy, while others simply want to take advantage of the intelligence they possess during this stage.

While there may be some facilities offering educational activities for children below 5 years old called day care, this is not really the formal early childhood education. It is simply much like a baby sitting service since it usually offers toys and other activities that incorporates fun and learning. In this facility, education is not much emphasized. In the recent times, early childhood education puts its focus on the formal learning process as well as the other vital operations.

According to research, some children can benefit from an early childhood education. There is a lot of effective curriculum for kids all over the world. Basically, the schools give the parents a guarantee that they will keep the children safe in the school. Aside from the facilities, the pupils will be able to learn and enjoy the educational programs offered. This usually covers playing, learning, as well as socializing. These aspects are integrated together in preparation for primary school. As expected, some children will excel in other areas, while others will simply show average result. Nevertheless, these children are expected to stand out in academics in so far as the age group is concerned.

Amongst the primary purposes of early childhood education is the early onset in introducing the learning process to them. Before even reaching pre-school age, some parents think it is appropriate to expose them little by little to what their life will be in a few years. During this phase, the child will not just experience the regular brain development, but they are also given the chance to enhance their physical and verbal abilities, too.

The skill of the teacher is crucial in early childhood education. Patience and variety are needed in keeping these little children interested. They will not just use the conventional lesson plans, but they will also prepare the resources for their pupils. Creativity is a must since they need various types of teaching styles in keeping their attention span, and energy at bay.

The concept of early childhood education is fairly new, and has been increasingly popular amongst families with the goal of ensuring their child excels as they grow up. While this idea is appropriate for some children, chances are, this will not do well with other kids. Before having your child sign up to one, make sure you do the necessary research. Furthermore, assess whether your child is mature enough to handle this much stress. Above all, let your child realize that you will always be there every step of the way.

Benefits of Early Childhood Education

There are so many benefits of early childhood education that many parents are of the opinion that it should be made essential and not just an option. The beneficial abilities children develop and the existing ones they improve, these two attributes alone make the case for Early Childhood Education and its huge positive impact on a child.

In today's article, we will shed some light on the benefits of enrolling children in school early on. Parents considering early education or those unsure if their little ones are ready for school just yet will find this information very useful.

1. The Ability to Learn

Perhaps the single best ability a child develops and embraces in an early childhood education program is the ability to learn. The first small step towards education, prosperity and a overall successful life. All children are curious by nature and whatever they will react to whatever they see, hear and touch. This ability to learn and adapt must be carefully supervised early on in order to mold the child into a better person in the long run and make him a successful human being in society. Preschool Education is instrumental in putting a child on that path.

2. The Importance of Communication

Children will communicate by any means necessary. It is important for their voice to be heard. Preschool education will engage the child head on and improve his or her communication with the world. Children will learn how to express themselves properly and how to understand what is being told to me. This ability to communicate effectively helps them in their daily tasks and provides them with better understanding of the world they inhabit.

3. Emphasis on Teamwork

It is commonly understood that children are most comfortable with peers their age because in their own minds they see them are someone "equal" that they can interact with. The classrooms in preschools have numerous children of the same age group interacting with each other and performing tasks and engaging in learning and recreational activities. Preschool education teaches the child the importance of teamwork and how everyone in the group has to put in the effort to make it to the finish line.

4. Improved Health and Well Being

Children demand time and attention. Parents find it hard to make time for time due to work and other family duties. Early childhood education is essential in this regard as it gives children plenty of room to develop both mentally and physically. Preschool education puts great emphasis on the importance of sports and recreational activities. A healthy body keeps a healthy mind and early education programs strive to keep children in shape for their age and height and keep developing at a steady pace both mentally, physically, socially and emotionally.

Monday, March 12, 2012

The Importance of Play in Early Childhood Education

The Oxford dictionary describes play as: to fulfill, to occupy oneself, to have the ability to perform, to undertake or exercise activities for pleasure.

Not any particular child, but every child in any nation, environment or circumstance needs play. It is vital that a child exercises play in order to all themselves to express socially emotionally and to perform physically. Play allows itself to be an individual creation or to be shared with others, it can be pulled in any direction letting it be turned into anything a child would like, preparing a healthy start to a lifetime of learning. Play is so special that its generosity even includes having fun; in fact that is one of the most important things about it. It has so many benefits that head off in every direction developing all the important ingredients for strong head start in a child life.

It is the adult's job to explore the conditions which are best for maximizing the potential benefits of play for children to develop these social skills. This can be done by exercising various games that are exciting, fun, and positive for children. Many social skills are learnt through co-operative activities allowing the child to learn how to confidently form stronger friendships and relationships with siblings and parents.

Activities that involve interacting with others teach children not only about themselves but also about other children's feeling needs and wants. They can use these skills for future confrontations and conflicts as they have been exposed and taught the skill of valuing others emotions.

As well as being socially and emotionally equipped a child need to develop physical strengths. Play has a huge impact in this development for children of varying ages, abilities and interests. Through physical play a child's fine body movement (fine motor skills) such as eye, mouth, wrist, finger and toe stimulation and large body movement (gross motor skills) like arms, legs, and full body exercise are being strengthened. This motor play provides critical opportunities for children's overall strengthening of muscles, nerves and brain stimulation.

Play involves social, emotional, and physical learning. Cognitive development comes hand in hand with all three of these developments and play is an important vehicle of this. Play gives children the opportunity to understand the world, interact with others in social ways and to express and control emotions. Play provides an opportunity for children to practice newly acquired skills and attempt or challenge tasks, they start to solve complex problems that they would not or could not otherwise do

All the above paragraphs are vital for a child to develop a healthy start in life. But there is one paragraph missing perhaps the most important, this one is about fun! Play and fun are very close friends in they are in fact family. Without play, fun doesn't exist and without fun play can't exist. "Children do not play for reward, praise, money or food. They play because they like it."