Early Childhood Philosophy and Theory of Education

The publicly funded Head Start educational program in the United States is premised upon the belief that children begin learning aggressively much sooner than had been previously understood. If given the proper nurturing beforehand, children entering kindergarten and primary school will have a much higher chance of success socially and academically. This belief dovetails with other educational theories that indicate a person's learning potential reaches its apex post-adolescence.

What Can Preschoolers Learn?

Children's brains are hardwired for language acquisition from infancy. Auditory decoding and verbal encoding of language begins almost immediately after, if not before, birth. The popular and successful television series "Sesame Street" capitalizes upon the mimicking reflex of preschoolers and takes this instinct one step farther by associating shapes and symbols with auditory cognitive cues. Pedagogical techniques that focus upon student-centered modalities of learning, such as sight, sound and motion, are employed for maximum effect and retention.

Making the Most of Baby's Brain

A great deal of education involves repetition and reinforcement followed by assessment. Reading to very young children teaches them to associate the sound of words with symbols on the written page. Part of the reason children like to hear their favorite bedtime stories repeatedly is because they have successfully decoded the meaning and feel empowered because of their knowledge and understanding of a familiar story line. A good way to improve upon this skill is to ask children to creatively add to the story line using their own words. The same educational practice works with basic math skills. Show a preschooler how one ball plus one ball equals two balls, then ask him to add more balls and verbalize the equation.

The Significance of Structure

Educational theory, by its very essence, entails organization and structure. Academic goals are devised, and pathways are established toward those objectives through pedagogical techniques. Progression is carefully monitored. Children thrive on structure, order and security, whether they exhibit it in their behavior or not. This is not to say that creativity and spontaneity in learning should be discouraged, but neither should these behaviors be completely repressed, or the natural desire and curiosity that we are all born with die also.

Emotional IQ

Social development is also a paramount goal of early childhood educational philosophy. Children abruptly separated from their caregivers in primary grades may become anxious and unwilling to respond to teachers or to interact with their peers. A student's emotional well-being in the classroom concerns educational theorists at all levels in the kindergarten-through-grade-12 curriculum. Very young children need exposure to playmates and other trustworthy adults.

The Importance of Problem Solving

Teaching children, especially very young ones, to think critically instead of just becoming rote learners is a lifetime skill that cannot be disregarded. A mind and body can be trained relatively easily, but developing, educating and nourishing an intellect that can think creatively to solve problems is a challenge worthy of the effort. Let kids, even preschoolers, make an attempt at solving problems, and they just might grow up to surprise you and everyone else.

Resources

• U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services: Office of Head Start
• K12 Academics: Educational Philosophy