Programs designed to improve Early Childhood Education

 Importance of Early Childhood Education Programs 

When searching for an early childhood education program that is right for your family, it is important to consider the goals of an ECE program on two fronts: how an ECE program is designed to meet a child’s developmental needs, and how the program flows into the upper elementary years and beyond in order to cement and maintain early learning achievements. 

The goals of an early childhood education program can be split into four main development themes:

• Social 
• Emotional
• Physical
• Intellectual and Academic  

Social Development

Considered to be “the cradle of social cohesion,”an early childhood education program will strive to support a child’s understanding of themselves as individuals who live in relationship to others. In addition to delivering what many parents consider foundational skills like sharing, using respectful language like, “please” and “thank you,” and contributing to shared efforts like cleaning up and following directions, early childhood education programs have the potential to help children see themselves as leaders for a better future. An early childhood education program that focuses on instilling the attitudes and values of equality, peace, and collaboration engenders in children the belief that they can make a positive difference in the lives of others. 

Emotional Development 

In the early years, children develop essential emotional skills like self-confidence,  self-regulation of their emotions, self-expression, self-respect, and positive self-belief. These skills are essential for later activities like problem-solving and healthy risk-taking. Small class sizes and lots of teacher interaction time help children learn these skills in an environment in which they are known, cared for, and encouraged to practice these skills. By establishing a strong emotional foundation where children understand their value as friends, learners, and individuals, and where they have confidence in themselves and their ability to express their ideas, emotions, and needs, children are prepared for increasingly complex social-emotional and academic challenges.

Physical Development

An early childhood education program overlaps with a child’s development of gross and fine motor skills, physical coordination (hand-eye coordination, biking, running, etc.), and their understanding of healthy skills like hand-washing, regular exercise, and balanced eating. 

An early childhood education program should develop these skills through free and planned play, engaging activities like sensory tables, building, painting, playing instruments, etc., and coordinated games where children practice running, pulling, pushing, hopping, and working together while having fun!

These activities should build on each other through each year of the ECE program, from improving fine motor control to support their writing development, to children gaining more independence in activities like putting on their coats and shoes, moving from velcro strap to laced shoes, packing their lunch bags and backpacks. 

Intellectual and Academic Development

While an early childhood education program should have carefully researched goals for literacy and numeracy, the foundations of academic success are only one part of a child’s intellectual development during the early years. 

It is essential that a child sees themself as a capable learner, who can grapple with new topics that may seem tricky at first, and resist giving up when a topic or task becomes difficult. Here, a child’s intellectual development extends far beyond the classroom; supported by an early childhood education program, students come to see the whole world as an opportunity for learning.

Early years programs that promote a strong intellectual curiosity and lead children to a life of observing, wondering, questioning, and discovery often include play-based learning or outdoor learning, and a focus on self-directed learning and responsive curriculum. These aspects of an early childhood education program allow the classroom environment to engage with and incorporate a child’s interests into the learning journey.