Importance of Parent Involvement in Early Childhood
Parents’ positive involvement in the early childhood stage can help in their child’s cognitive development as well as school readiness and achievement. Parenting can also influence the child’s social skills and emotional maturity. The influence of parents in young children’s lives is much greater than early childhood schoolteachers and programs.
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Background
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Early childhood is the developmental stage for children from 2 to 6 years old. This is the period of fast growth and development. Children in this stage learn mainly through playing and other hands-on activities. This stage prepares them for more complex tasks and learning in the later stages. Being the first adults that children are exposed to, parents must be able to understand how crucial this stage is in the later development of their children.
Cognitive
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Parents should be able to provide opportunities for children to maximize cognitive learning by conducting simple activities with them. Imaginative toys, music and art materials and rich language exposure enhance the child’s cognitive skills. Parents should spend time in creating an atmosphere that motivates the child to discover and create new ideas. It is also the responsibility of the parents to provide a nutritious diet for their children with enough protein, vitamins and minerals vital for the development of the brain’s nerve cells.
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Education
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An article on the Harvard Research Project website stated that parents’ active involvement in the children’s school-related learning and activities has positive impacts in their academic performance. This involvement also improves children's social skills that help them cope with the dynamic school environment. The article further stated that when the child attends kindergarten, parents who read at home facilitate greater reading comprehension ability.
Emotions
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According to an article written by Noboru Kobayashi, MD on the website newhorizons.com, when a child is reared in an environment full of distress and emotional traumas, he can experience a delay in growth and development in both the physical and mental aspects. This condition is called “Emotional Deprivation Syndrome.” This condition usually occurs when children are raised in orphanages or in dysfunctional homes. This theory states that the biological growth of the child is linked with emotions. Dr. Kobayashi states that children already possess inherent biological programs such as walking when they are born. Activating this program within the child is influenced by the kind of emotional exposure they go through. Children that are exposed to a loving and encouraging home can hasten and maximize the processing of such biological programs.
Considerations
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Dr. Marian Cleeves Diamond in her article on the website newhorizons.com warns parents that excessive stimulation is also detrimental to the child’s brain development. The child’s brain needs adequate time to process information. Overstimulation will just cause stress and unnecessary fatigue on the child. With regards to early education, programs that recognize and strengthen the parents’ role in the child’s learning should be established. The parents and the child care professionals should constantly communicate and work hand in hand for the child’s optimal learning.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit Child image by Serenitie from Fotolia.com
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Comments
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serve as guide for the upcoming parents.
