Early childhood education is so important as it helps children make sense of the world

THE years from birth to five years old are pivotal in the life of a child, laying the groundwork for all future learning and development, both socially and academically. That is why early childhood education is so important as it helps children make sense of the world and provides them with a solid foundation on which to grow and flourish into healthy and happy adults.

When it comes to early learning, play is the key. Children can play anywhere, even in the most difficult and deprived circumstances,including in the midst of poverty and in war zones.

In fact, play is considered to be so important in a child’s development that the UN Convention of the Rights of the Child (1989) established is as the right of every child.

The Convention also states that all children have the right to an education that lays a foundation for the rest of their lives, makes the most of their ability and respects their family and cultural identities and languages.

Neuroscientific research unerlines the power of play in brain development. The brain grows fastest in the first five years of life and makes complicated neuron connections that have an impact on our future ability to learn and be happy.

Play helps the brain to make these connections through multiple tasks, activities, problem solving and interaction with others in an atmosphere of fun and enjoyment.

In Ireland, both Aistear, the national curriculum framework from the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment and Síolta, the national quality framework from the Department of Education, emphasise the important of play in the home and in early education settings.

According to Early Childhood Ireland, play is good for children’s health and well-being. It is a way of creating community so that children develop a sense of identity and belonging.

It is a method of communicating,exploring and thinking, which Aistear says are the most important learning outcomes in early childhood.

To facilitate play in early childhood care and education centres, children need companions, time, space and materials, allowing them to choose where, what and with whom they want to play.

They benefit from easy access to props and materials so that they can develop ideas, experiment, design, build, create stories and stretch their imaginations and skills.

According to Early Childhood Ireland, adults are there as an additional resource, to offer help and guidance when required.

‘Walking into a playgroup where children are learning through play, you will see them playing with sand, water, bricks, paints, puzzles and books. They will be talking, laughing, reading, writing, building, dancing, singing and pretending, demonstrating what they have learned about the world around them’.

Early childhood education teaches children social skills that prepare them for pre-school and big school, boosting their confidence, their ability to build healthy relationships and helping them adapt to new enviromnments and expectations.

Under the Early Childhood Care and Education Programme (ECCE0, all eligible children in the Republic of Irland are entitled to free early childhood care and education in the period before they start primary school.

Children can start in free preschool in the September, January or April after they reach their third birthday and remain until they transfer to primary school(provided they are not older than five and a half years at the end of the preschool year).

This means that the vast majority of young children in Ireland will attend at least one type of out-of-home care and education setting before they start primary school.