IMPORTANCE OF EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION FOR CHILDREN

By Adeseluka Tolulope Tomiwa 

Early childhood education is the education given in an educational institutions to children between the ages of 1 to 5 years of ages.

Right from the womb, child receives education, which is called informal education, from the womb up to 11moths ,the child need to have good and balanced diet that is essential for proper growth and development, as it was stated in the first 6 months of every child. 

Breast milk is essential because it makes there brain to connect well with there body tissue, which enhance proper growth and development between that age bracket and help them to function well when they start early years education which are creche, nursery and kindergarten. 

Kindergarten is the first stage  that a child will attend before moving to primary level of education.

In early childhood education, there are three domains that is important to the development of a child before moving to primary level of education which are cognitive domain, psycho motor domain and affective domain,  all these domains must be acquire by a child before moving to primary level of education. 

Cognitive domain deals with the intellectual aspect of a child which will facilitate easily learning ability and at the stage,  the work of early childhood educator is to ensure that he or she uses a method known as play way method, because the only language child understand is play and through it,  they imitate what u do. 

As an educator that is why when dealing with child you must be conscious about the attitude and behavior you exhibit in there present both as parent and educator or facilitator, give them activities that will enhance there imaginative view e.g story telling,  outdoor play like swing, slide etc involve them in activities that will bring out the curiosity in them which will make them to ask questions. 

Story telling will also be useful because when you tell them story they will be curious to knw what will happen next and start asking questions, with all these, as a facilitator you are preparing there intellectual abilities for primary education. 

 Psycho motor domain which deals with the manipulation of hands and fingers, legs and toes, as a facilitator your work is to engage them physical activities like play with toys,  play with sand, do slides swing, etc all these activities will allow them to have proper coordition and balancing. 

Affective domain is important for a child because it is useful in the society,  as an early childhood educator or facilitator,  emotion, cooperation, sympathy, love, caring ,sharing, involving them in group work, make them to play with each other etc are ways you can help them. 

According to National policy on education 2012, stated that the important of early childhood education both for parent, facilitators for the development of individual and for the country at at large includes: to effect a smooth transition from home to school, preparing the child for primary level of education, providing adequate care and supervision for the children while their parents are at work, inculcating social norms,  Inculcating in the child the spirit of enquiry and creativity through the exploration of nature and the local environment, teaching cooperation and team spirit,  teaching the rudiment of numbers, letters,  colours, shapes etc through play,  teaching good habits especially good health habit. 

Adeseluka Tolulope Tomiwa,  a 300 level student of Adekunle Ajasin University studies Early Child Education.