Why Early Childcare Development Programs Are Deemed Important

By John Miller


Most experts in the field agree that the first eight years are critical formative years for any child. This is the time when very important foundations regarding cognitive ability, psycho motor development and social skills are laid. In the past the responsibility for laying these foundations was that of the parents, in many cases mostly the mother. Today, early childcare programs in Warren OH are offered by many formal and informal schools, care centres and even individual professionals.

Children start to develop important skills from birth. On the beginning they simply focus on becoming aware of their environments. However, they soon start to react to different stimuli and they definitely start to differentiate between colours, shapes, sounds and physical stimulation. This process can be enhanced if the parents make sure that their infants are exposed to a wide variety of such stimuli.

At first, young children do most of their learning when the play. They may think that the act of playing is purely for fun, but they nevertheless learn much in the process. Many parents spend fortunes on specially developed educational toys but the development process can proceed without such aids. A simple on line search will result in many sites that offer parents interesting and valuable ideas on how to stimulate their children without expensive toys.

Learning through playing remains an important learning opportunity throughout the first years. The games may become more complex over time, but the developmental value of those games remain very important. Children learn about interaction with others whilst playing, they learn how things work, they learn the basics of team work, they develop important motor skills and they encounter new knowledge all the time.

Erik Erikson, Jean Piaget and John Dewey, among many other eminent experts in this field recommend that children be enrolled in more formal development programs as soon as they reach the age of three. They agree that such programs should cover cognitive development, social and emotional skills, language ability and motor skills. They also agree that the majority of learning should take place through experiments and through interaction with other students.

There have been many formal studies regarding the benefits of early formal education and many more studies comparing the achievements of such children with those that were not exposed to formal development programs at a very young age. The results seem to be conclusive. Children that benefited from formal education are much more likely to excel in later life and they test consistently higher during IQ tests at age 5 and older.

Parents considering formal development programs for their offspring should conduct a little bit of homework. The institution or professional offering the program should be both qualified and experienced and they should enjoy a solid reputation. It may be worthwhile to communicate with other parents. In some cases it may even be advisable to have the needs of the child assessed professionally before choosing a specific program.

There is little doubt that almost all children can benefit significantly from early development programs. Modern life is competitive and stressful. The earlier a child learns to thrive in such an environment the better. Such development should always take place in a safe, loving environment, however.




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