what is earlychildhood in education

 Early Childhood Education (ECE) is the cornerstone of the foundation of educational development for all children. It is during this time when children have the best opportunity for long-term success in learning and developing. Early childhood education is defined as the education of children from birth through grade three, or age eight. Long gone are the days when starting your child off with education at kindergarten was considered a step ahead.

Today, children are already significantly behind in kindergarten if they do not attend preschool. Tomorrow, as more and more parents and public figures understand the importance of more comprehensive education at even younger ages, your child may begin learning fundamental social, cognitive, and academic skills in preschool. It is quickly becoming one of the most important steps in the academic success of children

Simply put, early childhood education is considered the official term for teaching young kids. More specifically, it refers to formal and informal educational programs that guide the growth and development of children throughout their preschool years (birth to age five). Children at these ages are entirely dependent on their adult caregivers, including parents, daycare providers, babysitters, extended family members and teachers.

ECE encompasses a wide variety of activities designed to promote children's cognitive and social development before entering kindergarten. Some programs primarily focus on school and academic readiness while others embrace a “whole child” approach that emphasizes mental and emotional preparedness.

One challenge that ECE educators face is the fact that their work is often dismissed or devalued as “simply playtime.” This could not be farther from the truth, according to Dr. Negussie.

“This misconception around what ECE teachers do is very common,” she shares. “Often, stakeholders, like parents, community members and even other educators, have the attitude that whatever happens in preschool doesn’t matter because learning only begins once they enter kindergarten.”

Young children have incredibly impressionable and elastic minds that are constantly soaking up information from their surroundings and learning from interactions and experiences. They are born to learn and hardwired to perceive, imitate, experiment and explore. This is one of the reasons why ECE is important.