5 Reasons Why Early Childhood Development Matters

Entering the education field is a high calling and only the best of the best are equipped to handle the responsibility of educating other people’s children. Teachers do far more than simply understanding and teaching core subjects like Reading, Social Studies, Math and Science. As important as an academic education is, learning doesn’t only happen within the pages of a book.

Social Emotional Learning

Children must also gain proper social and emotional knowledge that will help them succeed throughout their lifetimes. Because our brains experience the greatest development and growth between the ages of birth and eight years old, the role of teachers is especially important. For Early Childhood Education teachers, their jobs require a much more creative approach. The demands are great, but the rewards are immeasurable.

1. Learning starts from birth. From the time they are born, children begin learning. Most of what they will learn how to do socially, emotionally, academically and behaviorally will come through imitating others. Early Childhood teachers play an important role in helping to shape young minds early, with important skills that will help them be successful in their educational careers.
2. Early Childhood Development impacts children’s social and emotional health. Early Childhood educators have the important responsibility of helping children learn key social and emotional coping skills. First time separation from parents, group participation and cooperation, problem solving through compromise, and sharing are important traits that children need to learn. Teachers can help young minds develop a sense of independence and curiosity as they grow in their love for learning. Relationship bonds, learning experiences and emotional interactions all affect childhood development. The impact that these teachers make is immeasurable.
3. A focus on Early Childhood Development lays a foundation for a child’s future educational career. Research continually shows that children who receive early childhood educational opportunities are more successful on average as they continue in their educational and professional futures. Many of the skills that children social, academic and behavioral skills that children develop in their early years lay the foundation for how they view education throughout the remainder of their lives.
4. Early Childhood educators can help parents identify a child’s learning concerns and needs early on and find the appropriate mediations from the start. When it comes to your children, there is no one-size-fits-all learning style that will guarantee academic success. As the education system continues to adapt and improve to better assist students with the learning process, the need to address special learning needs and accommodations becomes more evident. Early interventions can help reduce the learning gap that so many children experience later on. By identifying learning difficulties early, the associated cumulative effects (i.e. behavioral difficulties, social and emotional deficits, etc.) can be curved or reduced before they become entrenched in a child’s way of thinking and processing.
5. An early childhood education has long term benefits for children from disadvantaged and low-income households. Research on early childhood development shows that early childhood education programs have positive impacts on a child’s readiness to learn once he or she enters school. This is especially important for children from low-income families or those living in disadvantaged communities, who often enter primary school academically unprepared and lagging behind their peers. Early Childhood Education programs like Head Start have been shown to increase graduation rates, college attendance, and future employment earnings for children who often fall into this category.

Helping to teach and empower the next generation for success is an important job should never be underestimated. At Athena Career Academy, we take great pride in offering a comprehensive Early Childhood Education program that provides teachers with the training needed to begin a successful career in education. Contact us today to get started.