Are toddlers ready to learn at their age?
Firstoftwoparts WHEN is the right time to subject a child to education, either non-formal or formal? Is it possible to introduce an infant to the world of education at a very young age?
Yes, from conception or cellular birth of a child, the mother has
of certain qualities of the young and yet-to-be-born child. It is said that the formative years of a child is from birth to age 5.
Research results showed that genetic make-up, training and environment are contributory factors for the development of the child. As to the genetic make-up, the parents both contribute 50 percent each to the child. Hence, the inherited genes of a child are there already and just need to be enhanced.
child’s intelligence is developed at the age of four, another 30 percent by the age of eight and the remaining 20 percent by the age of 17. This implies that an early childhood education is a must to fully make use of the formative period of children.
Between the child’s physical birth and social birth (attendance to preschool education), there is what we call psychological birth — from actual birth to age four among children.
This is the period where the
- ronment will enhance the early childhood education. Hence, during this period, the child is already being for the world of formal education.
During the period, Erickson’s Theory of Man’s Psychological Development must be understood and given full attention and consideration by parents. The healthy process of man’s psychological development by age, the process involved and the possible positive or negative outcomes are as follows (please take note that the
to the age of retirement from work or until death of an individual):
For age 0 to 2, the child has needs for food, love, rest, recreation, security and stimulation from caregivers. At these ages, the child develops trusts in others, feels valued, a sense that life is good — there is hope in life. If deprived of these needs — when he feels hungry, cold, abandoned and pain, the child develops mistrust, a sense that he is not important — he cannot depend on others.
At age 2 to 3, the child discovers control over himself through the bladder and bowels, saying “no”, choosing certain food, etc. During the period, the child develops
as an individual, discovers “I” and “Me” — the development of will in himself. Otherwise, when the child is punished for wetting, soiling his pants — child is yelled at or abused for not behaving, the child develops shame or doubt, a sense that there is something bad about him.
Dr.AntonioG.Papaisaretired universityprofessorattheCollege ofEconomics,Managementand DevelopmentStudiesattheCavite StateUniversityinIndang,Cavite. Afterretirement,healsoservedas ascientist1andconsultantatthe MarinduqueStateCollege,nowa UniversityinBoac,Marinduque. HeisagraduateofbothMasterof ScienceandDoctorofPhilosophy theUniversityofthePhilippines LosBañosin1986and1991, respectively.