EARLY CHILDHOOD CARE AND DEVELOPMENT

EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT & EDUCATION 3(2+1)

Lesson 01: Early childhood period

Significance of early childhood period

Children go through physical, mental and social growth during this period. It is a critical and foundation period for later development. They need an enriched stimulating environment for the optimum development.

• Since it is a pre gang age, children need the company of other children. In an early childhood education center a child gets an opportunity for playing with other children. In the process, he learns to share things with others, wait for his turn, cooperate with others and acquire several other social skills.
• ECE is a must for the children of working mothers living in nuclear families as there is no one to take care of their children at home.
• Most mothers, both educated and uneducated, are not aware of the significance of growth in early childhood.
• A child who goes to an ECE center before joining the primary school adjusts himself much better than those who did not and also performs better in the class. They learn to control their emotions better and also develop proper habits of eating because of their earlier ECE experience. Hence, preparation in the ECE center helps the child considerably in his mental readiness and subsequent education.
• Early environmental stimulation helps in the cognitive development of the children and also enhances their creative abilities. Research also showed that if the children are provided early formalized experiences through play, their creative abilities also will be enhanced.