Early Childhood Education

As per the National Association for the Education of Young Children, a kid goes through rapid development & growth before the age of 8 and this period is also known as early childhood. These years are found to be critical because in this duration a child’s developing brain gets moulded by events, education and skills into a developed brain. Nursery Teachers and Primary Teachers along with parents have a lot of input in this phase. To comprehend this early education, understanding Child Development and Pedagogy is equally important. Read on to our exclusive blog is going to tell you the importance of this field!

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Why is Early Childhood Education Important?

In the beginning, the initial teachers of a child are their parents. Kids learn and see the world around them as taught them. Parents teach them how to speak, how to feed themselves, how to walk, how to pronounce names and how to identify shapes and colours. For healthy development, children need to be constantly stimulated by their surroundings or by interacting with others. This is why Early Childhood Education is the most helpful. In the classrooms, children apply what their parents taught them at home in a practical setting. Children have their first interactions with people outside of their family and with other kids of the same age.  Children starting from the age of 2, get guided by the teachers. As a teacher of young children, you become somewhat the child’s surrogate parent. They are guided by the teacher in playing with others and forming friendships. Teachers teach them early life skills like sharing and respecting one another. 

Importance of Early Childhood Education

ECE’s goal is to arm kids with the tools they need to grow into lifelong learners by fostering their emotional, social, and cognitive abilities. The following abilities are thought to be the most crucial for young learners to master by the Zero to Three Foundation:

• Language and literacy: The foundation for the growth of literacy skills is language. A child’s interest in — and later comprehension of — books and reading is increased by learning to communicate through gestures, sounds, and words.
• Children have a natural desire to comprehend how things work. They apply math skills like sorting and counting, as well as other skills like problem-solving, in their daily lives and grow to understand them.
• Self-control is the capacity to express and regulate one’s emotions in appropriate ways. It is crucial for academic success and overall healthy development. Children can use it to cooperate with others, deal with frustration, and settle disputes.
• Children are more willing to take on new challenges when they have self-confidence and feel competent. Self-confidence is also crucial for navigating social challenges, such as sharing, competition and making friends.

Questions to Ask Before Diving in the Early Child Education Curriculum

A course in Early Child Education can be demanding and challenging and thus not built for all. So one has to ask oneself some questions before diving in both feet. These are-

• Do I like children? This is a very crucial question because children under the age of 8 are the most notorious hell-raiser.
• Do I have the patience to carry out the same information multiple times? As these are the formative years of children, they grasp the knowledge a little later than any kid between the age of 12-14 would. So, a little patience will go a long way.
• Am I creative and adaptive? To make the children understand the material but also have a little fun with it they must have the skills to be creative and also adaptive in situations. The first teacher making the Alphabet song to make the kids memorize it must have been the most creative teacher of that time, or maybe the only one. Other than that, there are block-building exercises, fitting exercises, drawing, singing, dancing and so on. Because not a lot of material is required at this age. Also, one has to be adaptive because without taking sides, the teacher also has to act as a mediator. Other than that, the teacher may have to change her teaching style as per the kids’ needs.

Relevant Read: Importance of Value Education

How can I become an Early Childhood Teacher?

You must have the proper temperament if you want to teach young children. Possibly some of the most crucial qualities are the ability to connect with children and the qualities of patience, creativity, sensitivity, and communication skills. Although each state has its own requirements for certified teachers, you are also expected to have the necessary training and credentials. You should research the requirements for your state or the school where you want to teach before starting your path to becoming an early childhood educator.

Some schools demand a degree in early childhood education or child development because working with young children requires such a high level of specialisation. Most schools demand a Bachelor’s degree, and many preschools set their minimum requirement at an associate’s degree.

If you have a Bachelor’s degree in early childhood education, you can typically teach up to third grade. Of course, having a graduate degree in this field—say, a master’s in education or teaching—only enhances your skills, employment prospects, and opportunities for advancement.

Once you have earned your degree, you should research the requirements in your state to obtain a teaching credential. The Childhood Development Associate (CDA) credential is offered in a variety of early childhood education fields by the Council for Professional Recognition. National certification is also provided by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education.

Top Universities for Early Childhood Education

Let’s take a look at some of the universities offering the course worldwide:

University	Course
University of Georgia	BSEd in Early Child Education
Arizona State University	BA in Early Childhood Educational and Special Education
New York University	BS in Early Childhood education-Dual Degree
Florida Gulf University	B.A. in Early Childhood Education
Georgia Gwinnett College	B.S. in Early Childhood Education

Relevant Read: Bachelor of Education

Early Childhood Education- Career Prospects

Explained below are some of the choicest career pathways for candidates willing to make opt for this field:

Preschool Teacher

Preschool is the child’s first learning environment. It is different from daycare as it is a formal environment. Here the children learn through toys, curiosity and imagination, sharing-caring and interacting with teachers in any way they can. It is also called pre-kindergarten and children are generally less than 4 years of age.

Kindergarten Teacher

Kindergarten is then a little more advanced than pre-k. It comes under state law and it is the beginning of formal education in primary school and high school. Children between the ages of 5-7 come under kindergarten, and though it is not compulsory for parents to send their kids here, it is highly advised. Here, the kids somberly learn their early childhood education, unlike an elementary school. It is considered early childhood education because the kids are under the age of 8. For example, if in preschool the kids learnt about numbers, in kindergarten, they would learn to add and subtract. 

Personal Teachers

Some students are special and they require a little more personal attention than at kindergarten or preschool. There are lots of children there and sometimes it can become chaos. That’s when personal teachers are hired by the parents for their kids under the age of 8.

Must Read: Career in Child Development

FAQs

So, through this blog, we are sure you understood how crucial Early Childhood Education is and how demanding the field can be. There is something beautiful in teaching little kids and shaping their minds for the good. Register yourself today at Leverage Edu to know more and also to receive the best career counselling from our mentors.