Importance of Early Childhood Education

Video Break-Down on the Importance of Early Childhood Education

If you’re in the childcare industry, it’s most likely because you love working with kids and enjoy helping them learn and grow. What you may not know, though, is exactly how important early childhood education truly is. Research has shown that the early stages in a child’s life represents a critical window of opportunity to develop a child’s full potential. We believe child care providers need to understand exactly how important early education is for children so they can continue to enforce a strong education in their center.

Early education gives children a bright start. Hard to believe, but the brain grows the most during a child’s first 3 years of life. Because of this, most of our education efforts need to be put to work before a child even turns 4 years old. Children who do get necessary attention before the age of 4 have shown to do better in school and are more likely to have higher earnings in the long run. Not to mention, a happier life in general.

While in these early years, parents and child care providers need to talk to their children as much as possible. Babies are hearing more than you think. 1 and 2 year old children hear an average of 1,440 words per hour and 90 questions per hour. So, don’t stop having conversations with your little one! One of the main things that an early education does is it increases the chances that child will graduate from high school and have higher earnings throughout their lifetime. If a child learns in their early stages of life, they are given a better foundation to learn later on in their life. By investing in early education, you’ll increase productivity for years to come.

Early education also helps children do better on standardized tests. One study found that Michigan fourth graders who had attended early childhood education programs ended up passing the state assessment tests at a higher rate than those who didn’t attend.Early childhood education also lowers the rates of teen pregnancy and reduces crime and delinquency. Strong communities are also created through early childhood education. For every one dollar invested in early childhood education, seven dollars are saved by the taxpayers. These savings come from a reduction in special education, welfare and criminal justice services.

As you can see, the importance of early childhood education is huge. Investing in our children is one of the smartest things we can do. As child care providers, we have control over the curriculum we teach. Let’s not forget the importance of early childhood education when working in our centers.

If you enjoyed this video and found it valuable, check out some of our other posts on How to Start a Home Daycare and a Checklist for Opening a Child Care Center.