Early Childhood Education

executive summary By Varadharajan R

Characteristics of early childhood:

• It is a problem age or troublesome age for parents since most of them are centered around the baby's physical care. In childhood, behavior problems become more frequent and more troublesome than the physical care problems in babyhood. Since the behavior problems dominate the early childhood, the young children develop distinctive personalities and aspire for independence.
• The dependency during babyhood changes to independence on attaining childhood age. Anyhow, when alone, the children are seen to play with toys.
• It is the pre gang age during which the children learn the foundations of social behavior. As a general rule, during the pre school years, children find social contacts with members of their own sex more pleasurable than those with members of the opposite sex.
• It is an imitative age. Imitative nature develops creative talents.
• The other children, by contrast, are relatively silent who are named as `Silent Sams'
• It is an ideal age to learn various skills by repeated trials and adventurous attempts. The skills are learned easily and quickly.
• Moral development is on a slow level. This is because the intellectual development has not reached the point where the children can learn or apply the abstract principles of right and wrong.
• Question asking behavior is another important concern.

The Value of Imagination in Early Childhood
Executive summary By Kari Hoopes

A child's imagination is an important learning tool in their growth. Through imaginative play they learn in-directly about real-life situations, develop their vocabulary, and develop the ability to create, organize and perceive.

When a small child holds a doll or stuffed animal in their arms and pretends it is a baby they are learning about a real life situation. Place stuffed animals and pictures of animals all around the house to be discovered. Teach the child new animal names, count how many animals you find, look up fun facts about the animals on the computer or in a book. Through developing their imaginations, children also become capable of creating a concept, organizing their thoughts about it, and then perceiving it into their play. It has been said that "A child's work is play."

Early Childhood Education: The Key to Success in Life

Nelson Mandela, the well-known statesmen, once said, "Education is the great engine to personal development. It is through education that the daughter of a peasant can become a doctor, that the son of a mineworker can become the head of the mine, that the child of a farm worker can become the president of a great nation."

The truth of this statement can only be fully appreciated if one considers the enormous importance of preschool education. The famous Japanese violin teacher and educationist, Shinichi Suzuki, once expressed a great truism when he said, "The destiny of children lies in the hands of their parents." The direction and the quality of this destiny are largely determined — by the parents — in the first seven years of the child's life.

A study by High/Scope Educational Research Foundation of Ypsilanti, Michigan, showed the significant value of early learning. From 1962-1967, 123 African Americans, all aged 3 to 4 and born in poverty, and therefore at a high risk of later failing in school, were randomly divided into two groups. One group was exposed to a high-quality preschool program while the control group was not exposed to any preschool programs. The program that the experimental group was exposed to was based on High/Scope's active learning approach. In the study's most recent phase, 95% of the participants were interviewed at age 27. Additional data were gathered from the subjects' school, social service and arrest records. The most significant findings of this study were:

Almost a third as many of those attending the preschool program, opposed to those with no preschool exposure (71% vs. 54%) graduated from regular or adult high school, or received their General Education Development Certificate.

At age 27, four times as many of those exposed to the preschool program, opposed to those with no preschool exposure (29% vs. 7%) earned $2,000 or more per month, and they also scored higher on home and car ownership.

At age 27, only one fifth as many of those with proper preschool exposure, opposed to those with no preschool exposure (7% vs. 35%) had been arrested five or more times, and significantly fewer arrests for drug dealing were made under the preschool program group members. (7% vs. 25%)

The rate of out-of-wedlock births was lower among the group that had received preschool exposure. (57% vs. 83%)

There is a proverb that one never gets too old to learn. This, however, is only partially true. There are indeed certain aspects of learning that can only be acquired effectively during the first seven years of life. Parents, who are desirous of offering their child an adequate preschool education, should therefore take care to concentrate on these aspects of learning.

Why Should Parents Be Involved in Early Childhood Education?

Executive Summary By Jane Bartlett

Being involved in your child's early education experiences at their Brookline preschool or Brookline childcare center benefits both you and your child, not just academically, strengthening skill development for instance, but by strengthening parent child bonds and making the transition between leaving home and attending a preschool in Brookline easier for the child.
Fortunately, parents can stay involved when their Brookline infant attends child day care in Brookline or their toddler heads off to a preschool in Brookline in a number of ways, from being a classroom helper to reading to your child at night and talking to your child about the school day.
As a parent of a child attending Brookline childcare or a Brookline preschool, becoming involved also benefits you by providing opportunities to interact with your child's teacher or caregiver on a regular basis and gives you a better understanding of your child's daily activities. Some of the most important of these skills and aspects of learning are discussed in this link

GLOBAL GUIDELINES FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION AND CARE IN THE 21ST CENTURY

OVERALL PHILOSOPHY, GOALS, AND POLICIES

Every child should have the opportunity to grow up in a setting that values children, that provides conditions for a safe and secure environment, and that respects diversity. Children must receive appropriate nurture and education within and outside their families from birth onward if they are to develop optimally.

Attention to the health, nutrition, education, and psychosocial development of children during their early years is essential for the future well-being of nations and the global community.

The new century offers opportunities to consolidate recent gains and respond to new challenges that lie ahead. We urge that members of the global community:

• Assess the extent to which it has carried out previously made commitments to support the education and development of young children
• Develop and implement a range of policies to advance the provision of an interrelated and flexible continuum of early childhood services
• Allocate resources from national governments, development agencies, governmental and non-governmental organizations, and private and voluntary groups to provide quality services
• Collaborate reciprocally across nations to advance the interests of young children and families.

The following areas must be considered in providing a comprehensive network of early childhood services that offer learning and care for children in the next century:

• Environment and Physical Space of Settings for Children
• Curriculum Content and Pedagogy
• Early Childhood Educators and Caregivers
• Partnership With Families and Communities
• Services for Young Children with Special Needs
• Accountability, Supervision, and Management of Programs for Children

Within each area, special attention must be directed toward:

• Services with equal attention to all children
• Linkages among programs and services for optimal effectiveness and utilization of resources
• Recognition of the value of those who care for and teach young children, including working conditions and appropriate remuneration
• Intergenerational approaches whenever feasible
• Empowerment of communities, families, and children
• A mechanism for adequate and uninterrupted funding
• Cost analysis, monitoring, and evaluation of program quality.

A Review of Early Childhood Education Programs

Executive summary By Morgan Hamilton

Pre-school years are a fun time in your child’s life. Nowadays early childhood education programs are available for children at this age. It would be wise to consider an early childhood program for your pre-school children.

The earlier a child is taught the brighter the future for that child will be. It prepares the child for the learning process and the curriculum that are offered in public schools. Many children experience problems as they adjust to the public school environment.

The World-Wide-Web is packed with children’s games that can enhance their learning capacity in a fun filled environment. This inventive technology can help your child develop learning and understanding skills.

If you are planning early childhood program for your child, then you should consider trying the Internet for games that can help your child.

Early Childhood Education Philosophy

Philosophy of Early Childhood Education

As administrators and educators of young children, we must acknowledge and value the differences in our children. Although many children follow a general pattern of development, each child is unique unto themselves.

Young children need a warm and inviting atmosphere to learn. Children must have their basic needs met before any learning can take place. It is through group play, role modeling, and through supportive teaching that children grow socially and emotionally.

These group activities teach young children how to live, work and play together. Independent and guided problem solving and independent exploration help children gain greater independence. Children need both independent and teamwork skills to become a well rounded person.

All children can learn.

Save Your Child From a Developmental Disorder With Child Clinical Psychology

Executive summary By Margaret H. Amanda

This article will discuss a little about Child Clinical Psychology and how it has become a vanguard against developmental disorders in children all over the world. You gain an insight into their collective philosophy, as well as what exactly falls under their purview - their core competencies and what they have done so far to aid in the progression and perhaps complete elimination of child developmental disorders.

As a child psychologist, they must have certain competencies at their disposable. Looking around the many Psychological Associations all over the world, the description behind the field remains to be a speciality of professional psychology which utilises and focuses the basic principles of psychology and synergises them with good knowledge of child and family development, as well as developmental psychology.

The research and practices of this field relate directly to children - focusing on the prevention, understanding and of course diagnosing of the many different learning and developmental disorders that exist in the world today.