Benefits of Early Childhood Education Programs
Some people would argue that education really starts in kindergarten or first grade, with everything that comes before being no different than daycare. While nobody is disputing the importance of kindergarten and grade school, many studies show that early childhood education - education that begins before kindergarten when children are as young as three years old - is far more beneficial than many people realize. The largest study of this kind examined children and adults up to 28 years old and found that those who were enrolled in pre-kindergarten were more likely to attain a higher level of education, income, and socioeconomic status.
Enrolling your child in an early childhood education program such as Tender Care Learning Centers clearly has great benefits that last well into adulthood, but what exactly are those benefits? Why is it important that a child be started in his or her education sooner rather than later? Let’s take a look.
Social Development
Early childhood education programs provide young children with the opportunity to interact with adults and other children. This allows children to become more comfortable in learning and social environments, especially if they attend the same program throughout their early years. Young children learn primarily through play, and a good early childhood education program will provide children with plenty of opportunities for structured and unstructured play.
Cognitive Development
Early childhood education programs will also provide a safe and nurturing learning environment to aid in a child’s cognitive development. This is very important, even for children as young as three years old. This is when children begin to really analyze the world around them, learn by observation and actively seek the answers to questions. All of this is important for preparing a child for kindergarten and beyond.
Language Development
Anybody who has ever been around a young child knows that language skills develop rapidly in the first five years of life. Children pick up language skills simply by listening to their parents or older siblings, but they can learn even more by interacting with teachers and classmates in an education program. Early childhood education programs allow children to engage in daily group discussions, songs and games that all serve to improve a child’s language skills.
Preparing Your Child for the Future
Finally, the best benefit of early childhood education programs is that it prepares children for their future. We’ve established earlier that the benefits of early childhood education last well into adulthood, but those thinking in the short term will be happy to know that their children will be prepared for kindergarten and elementary school thanks to what they’ve already learned. Children may not learn the “important” lessons before kindergarten, but they do learn a lot about how to socialize with others, follow directions and engage in structured play. These are the foundations of education, and children will carry them throughout their lives.
Many people still see early childhood education as no more than daycare, but it is clearly more than that. It provides children with the tools they will need to succeed in school and beyond, and it does so in a safe, nurturing, and fun environment. Early childhood education is far more important than many realize, and it should never be discounted.
