Blog Twenty-Three - Early Education
On average, students in America complete their high school years at around age seventeen or eighteen, with over 60 percent attending college as a next step once they graduate, as reported by the “Immediate College Enrollment Rate” from the National Center for Education Statistics. Many consider these years to be the formative years of a a student’s educational and professional career. Emphasis is often placed on high school, as it is both a time where students shape and explore their interests and also a time where students build up their college applications. College is where students are allowed to delve into their passions to a more advanced degree, further defining their interests. However, the early years of students’ lives are often overlooked, especially in the United States, where the emphasis on early childhood education is not always as robust as in other developed nations. The fact that the United States has one of the lowest rates of OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) countries in enrollment for 3-4 year olds in some form of schooling, as reported by the National Center for Education Statistics, illustrates how it is not seen as a priority or necessity.
Yet early childhood education is crucial for laying the foundation for a child’s academic and emotional development. Preschool students learn the foundations for developing healthy interpersonal relationships and making a positive contribution to society, like learning to share, resolving conflicts, and constructively expressing their emotions.
Additionally, preschool is the first exposure to a structured learning environment. Children learn to be away from their parents for an extended period of time, easing anxiety early before they get to kindergarten. This structured learning environment continues well into further schooling years, where students are expected to be able to thrive in a classroom environment for the duration of a school day (around seven hours in the USA). Besides preparing students for the structure of formal education, early childhood programs also provide essential cognitive and academic development, teaching students critical skills and concepts that will serve as the foundation for their future learning, like their letters and numbers.
While students develop early peer-to-peer social skills in preschool, many may be better suited to a one-on-one environment at home. Growing children require a lot of attention and supervision, especially compared to older students who can be more independent. Preschool teachers have the challenge of managing large groups of young children, while parents can provide a more personalized and nurturing environment during these formative years.
Overall, it depends heavily on the needs of each specific child. If a child seems to thrive in a structured environment, preschool may help. Or, if they need a little more preparation before the rigors of formal schooling, staying home with a parent or caretaker may be the better option.
