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WorldExecutivesDigest.com | Early Learning: All You Need to Understand | A child’s most rapid phase of growth and development occurs during their early childhood. Early childhood is identified as the period between the child’s birth until they reach eight years old. During this period, the brain develops rapidly, and hence, parents should maximise their child’s developmental capabilities. In this period, meaningful learning opportunities would create a good developmental foundation for the child.
Parents can opt to look for preschools or schools with pre-kindergarten services since these places use a child-centred approach for teaching. However, this digital age also offers other means of providing early education since parents can also enrol their child in an online early learning centre.
Why Is Early Learning Important?
Early learning, or early childhood education, helps in enriching a child’s cognitive and social development. It focuses on creating a comprehensive program that aims to develop their social skills, cognitive skills, and sense of self. Some skills that can be effectively honed through early learning include fine and gross motor development, increased vocabulary, interacting with peers and adults, problem-solving, and many more. The child’s development of these skills would serve as their foundation towards learning newer and more complex skills throughout their life.
Is Early Learning the Same as Babysitting?
Most people would associate early learning or early childhood education with babysitting. This association may have risen since both activities require parents or caregivers who actively engage with the children. However, early learning is different from babysitting. Babysitting is when a caregiver or a guardian takes care of a child because their parents are not available. The practice of babysitting focuses on prioritising the child’s safety and comfort during their parents’ short-term absence. Babysitting tasks are also relatively simpler than early learning programs since they focus on providing for the child’s basic needs, such as food, clothing, and sleep.
On the other hand, early learning focuses on the child’s holistic mental and social development. Promoting the development of these skills requires a thorough program with a corresponding professional. Thus, early learning would require childhood educators with certification on childcare and who have undergone years of childcare training.
Involvement of Parents During Early Learning
As much as it is important that parents be continually present throughout their child’s development, it would still be beneficial to have qualified childcare professionals as support. The parents can discuss an arrangement where they can also engage with their child throughout or beyond the session. The childhood educator can also teach the parent how they can help further with their child’s development. However, there may be some cases wherein the parents may find it difficult or inconvenient to drop-off their child to an early learning centre. In these cases, they may opt for an online early learning centre and then choose to arrange their schedule based on the centre’s online program.
The parents should be keen on their child’s early childhood since their brains are growing and developing quickly. During this period, the child should have meaningful learning opportunities to improve their social skills, cognitive skills, and self-perception. With this in mind, parents should choose early learning institutions or qualified childhood educators who can bring out their children’s learning potentials.
