Early schooling allows students to enter primary school with a visibly superior set of skills in reading, writing and mathematics. What are the benefits of early schooling?
Although it is not a mandatory stage, it is an important phase in the establishment of neural connections in children, in their development, empathy and socialization.
Objectives of early schooling
Early schooling is defined as the first cycle of early childhood education, i.e., from zero to three years of age. The objectives of this first cycle are focused on progressively addressing the children’s affective development, body control habits, communication, language and basic guidelines for coexistence and social relations.
This is a stage where monitoring and early detection of possible signs regarding the development of the youngest children is a delicate period for learning, when we have the opportunity to shape their brains thanks to brain plasticity.
Learning experiences are one of the main advantages of early schooling. The dynamics and resources used in the classroom are planned to stimulate cognitive development.
7 Benefits of early schooling
- Neural connections. It is during the early childhood years that children build neural connections that they will later use as a foundation for intellectual, social and emotional development.
- Stimulation. Experiences and early stimulation replace the physical structures of the brain. Science proves it. The youngest children have great potential to develop and quality stimulation is the difference between optimal development and becoming competent adults with intellectual opportunities throughout their lives.
- Children are naturally curious to learn. Schooling helps to further develop this skill so that children feel confident in new situations and can overcome any challenge.
- Multiple intelligences. Early schooling favors children’s innate curiosity and also enhances their different intelligences.
- Early stimulation. Thanks to the schooling process, we can work in a preventive and sensitizing way to avoid future school problems so that children are capable and able to develop their intelligence.
- The school plays a fundamental role in supporting and collaborating in the growth needs of children’s eating and sleeping habits.
- Socialization. Schooling from 0 to 3 years of age complements the role of the family. Thanks to the school, the children have the opportunity to interact with other adults and children. This fosters self-knowledge and they learn to relate to others. They gain autonomy and security by learning to manage social and coexistence rules.
Add your header text hereThe role of the teacher in early schooling
Throughout the day, early childhood teachers play different roles.
- Accompanying children’s development by having a deep knowledge of their needs and enhancing their talents and interests. In this way, a progress in their skills and an adequate response for each evolutionary moment is ensured.
- Creating a safe and nurturing environment where the teacher’s main goal is for children to grow up happy and being themselves.
- Counseling and guidance for families. The teacher must go hand in hand with the families at every moment of schooling, being empathetic, a good communicator and transmitting security and confidence to the parents.
- Planning of learning experiences. It is essential to create stimulation sessions in each of the areas of development, encouraging experimentation, participation, creativity… in each of the children.
- Observation. This aspect is fundamental when it comes to recognizing strengths and areas of improvement in students in order to be able to respond to all their needs and, in more specific cases, to be able to provide adequate early attention.
