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Top Paying Jobs in Early Childhood Education

When it comes to early childhood education, those in the top jobs generally started their careers in the lower-paying jobs in this field. The elementary school principal was likely an early childhood education teacher at one time. Those who wish to advance from the classroom to school administration earn graduate degrees and work their way up. Pay is affected by location, as some states pay higher salaries to early childhood educators than others, and by the certifications and experience held by the individual.

Elementary School Principal

Average Income: $80,700

The principal is the highest-ranking administrator in an elementary school. In some private schools, the position is known as headmaster. In charge of the overall operation of the school, the particular duties of an elementary school principal are outlined in state statutes. Prior to becoming a principal the candidate should have several years of teaching experience, graduate from an accredited program for principals, and pass the state licensure examination. A master’s degree is required for the position in many school districts.

Director of Special Education

Average Income: $74,000

A director of special education must have all the necessary certifications and qualifications required by the state board of education. School districts may require that a candidate have prior school administration experience, along with several years of teaching special education. The director supervises all special education department personnel and plans, directs, and implements the special education program and curriculum. The director must ensure that special education department and programs comply with all state and federal regulations regarding special education delivery.

Assistant Principal

Average Income: $71,800

Known in some districts as a vice-principal, the job of assistant principal is the initial step on the career ladder in school administration. Some will go on to become principals, while many will remain in this critical role. Along with helping the principal run the school, the assistant principal works with teachers, students, and parents in various capacities. It is often the assistant principal’s responsibility to ensure the school meets all state and federal guidelines. Assistant principals usually serve as teachers for many years before moving into this position. While some jurisdictions will consider a candidate with a bachelor’s degree, most prefer to hire someone with a master’s degree for this job.

Special Education, Preschool/Kindergarten

Average Income: $46,300

Special education teachers at the preschool or kindergarten level work with children diagnosed as mentally, emotionally, or socially challenged. The teacher not only works with the students, but also deals with the parents more than in a traditional classroom. Collaboration with therapists and other professionals is frequent, both for determining the educational goals for each student and monitoring student progress. The teacher must help each student reach his or her potential and find ways for each student to progress based on their individual diagnoses and prognoses. The special education teachers must familiarize themselves with the various disabilities experienced by the children in their classroom, including side effects and possible medical needs. A bachelor’s degree is required.

Elementary School Teacher

Average Income: $44,600

An elementary school teacher teaches first through fifth grades. Along with teaching reading, math, social studies, and science, elementary school teachers also help students develop appropriate behavioral and social skills. Time after school ends is spent grading papers, developing lesson plans, meeting with parents, and pursuing continuing education. Teaching elementary school requires a bachelor’s degree.

Child Care Center Director

Average Income: $41,200

The duties of a childcare center director are similar to that of preschool director but the emphasis is on care rather than education. They hire and train staff, prepare budgets, manage finances, and create programs for the center. They are often in charge of the physical building and its upkeep. The director must make sure the center complies with all local, state, and federal laws regarding childcare facilities. Childcare center directors must have a bachelor’s degree and certifications such as the CDA, as well as licensure.

Preschool Director

Average Income: $40,800

The preschool director oversees the school’s daily operations. Duties includes staff supervision, educational program development, hiring and training new teachers, and meeting with parents. In some preschools, the director may continue teaching classes, though usually only part-time. A bachelor’s degree is required, and most states require certifications such as Child Development Associate (CDA), as well as licensure.

Kindergarten Teacher

Average Income: $40,600

For many children, kindergarten is their initial introduction to school. A kindergarten teacher not only prepares students socially and academically but teaches children how to behave in the classroom. Some school districts offer full-time kindergarten, the same regular school day as for older children. Other districts have half-day kindergarten programs and teachers will have different students in the morning and afternoon classes. Teaching kindergarten requires a bachelor’s degree. As with other teachers at the elementary school level, kindergarten teachers usually work nine to ten months of the year, with summers off and a week or more off during both winter and spring break.

Sources:

https://www.applitrack.com/WR68/onlineapp/1BrowseFile.aspx?id=76421

https://work.chron.com/role-preschool-director-3412.html

https://education.cu-portland.edu/blog/teaching-careers/early-childhood-special-education-teacher/

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Top 75 Best Early Childhood Education Colleges in the U.S.

Discover Early Childhood EDU, a leading provider of educational intelligence and insight, is pleased to announce its list of the top 75 Early Childhood Education Programs in the United States. Discover Early Childhood is known for providing accurate, objective rankings that assist students and their families when seeking out the best college program for them. To arrive at the rankings, researchers relied on a host of data points that were aggregated and analyzed for each program. These points were applied according to a proprietary ratings system so that students and their families can use this list to guide them toward the very best early childhood education program for them.

Discover Early Childhood EDU’s researchers were interested in providing prospective students with a list of schools that offer not only top-quality faculty and cutting-edge curriculum, but which also provide a great financial value. In order to achieve this, the website relied on independent numbers that would offer the most objective results.

Discover Early Childhood’s rankings are thus one way of approaching the question of where to pursue one's education; an objective, impersonal measure. Researchers hope that students and their families will use the rankings as a guide for making a more informed decision and not the sole deciding factor. This objective list can be applied in conjunction with personal factors such as budget, academic goals, and long-term professional aspirations so that students can discover the absolute best program options.

For example, the top early childhood education program was found to be at Harvard University. Since Harvard is perhaps the most competitive school in the nation, not every student will be able to attend. Furthermore, Harvard has a lower acceptance rate and some students may not be able to afford the price of education. Students might also find that some schools approach to ECE does not align with their views or long-term plans. Thus, they might use the list as a tool with which to find a program that is both philosophically and financially in-line with their needs.

To determine which programs made the list of the top 75, Discover Early Childhood EDU’s researchers looked at features such as retention rates, graduation rates, overall costs, and average salaries for alumni, among others. Such numbers are quantitative reflections of a program's overall value to their students. However, the question of where to study is not wholly quantifiable. Qualitative factors also affect this choice.

For instance, retention rates show how well a school can not only attract, but also engage new students. It measures how many first-year students return for their second year. Without strong academics, ample resources, and even a fun atmosphere schools are unlikely to retain contemporary students. Some students might highly value a strong retention rate, while others might be more interested in factors such as a student gym and a top-ranked football team. After all, today's students come into most situations armed with loads of information, including rankings from Discover Early Childhood EDU’s educational researchers.

Graduation rates tell an even deeper story. Once students return for their second year, the school gains more credibility when students continue on to earn a diploma from the school at which they started. Furthermore, students will likely have a more enriching experience when they are able to begin and end their college experience with a consistent peer group.

Since finances are an increasingly important part of most students' decision-making process, Discover Early Childhood surveyed each school's tuition and other expenses. Keeping costs low was a priority, but certainly not the only factor. The website researchers weighed the cost of education against the other factors to arrive at the overall value each school offered. For instance, the top school on the list, Harvard, is one of the nation's most expensive schools, but their academic reputation and innovations make the cost of tuition worth the investment for many.

On top of the initial costs, Discover Early Childhood factored in a school's overall return on investment (ROI.) They used average salaries from alumni to determine how current students will fare in their long-term financial futures. Since schools need to also show strong numbers in terms of retention and graduation rates, on top of outstanding online reviews, academic diversity, and more, it was not easy for any institution to rise to the top of this list.

To round out the rankings, researchers also looked at whether or not schools provide online courses. While some may offer an entire ECE degree online, Discover was interested in how well the schools provided for working students, or those who have scheduling issues that require flexible courses.

Discover Early Childhood EDU provides educational guides that cover the nation's top professions, academic programs, and more. Students and working professionals seek them out for sound advice and guidance pertaining to educational and career matters. Originally published on Access Wire - Top 75 Early Childhood Education Schools

Check out the Top 10 Best ECE List here.

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Coronavirus for Early Childhood Educators

Coronavirus for Early Childhood Educators was first seen on Discover Early Childhood HQ

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First Day of Preschool & Kindergarten: Organization and Preparation

  The first day of preschool or kindergarten is one of the most important. No matter if the students are in preschool or college, that day sets the precedent for everything that is to come. On the first day of kindergarten or preschool, students are introduced to a whole new world of learning. For preschoolers that means learning their new teacher's name, where to find the crayons, and how to ask to use the bathroom. They are also learning to function in the world apart from their parents and are joining a community of peers, often for the first time.

Kids of this age are still early in their development. Some may have already advanced in some important ways cognitively but may still be struggling socially. Other kids may display great physical dexterity but aren't caught up with the other kids when it comes to art or music. Regardless, a safe and welcoming first day of preschool will help to even the playing field for all students.

Teachers should take all the time they need to prepare for this important day. It's best to have a set of classroom rules in mind, but also be open to collaboration with the students. Helping them discover how to self-govern is an important developmental task, but also one that will help make the rest of the school day more fun and productive.

Table of Contents:

Having a Plan

Organization

Time Management

Classic Tradition

Shift Things if Needed

Having a Plan

The first day of kindergarten or preschool can be stressful for children. Often that day is one of the first days where they've been separated from their parents. They are suddenly thrust into a strange room with strange adults and even stranger children. However, if the teacher has a plan, they can soothe everyone and have a productive day.

Teachers need to first be highly organized. That means they need to have plotted out how children should enter the room, direct them to their cubby holes, and help them otherwise become oriented to the room. Much of this can be done in advance with the parents during an orientation session. Since this is the first day, teachers will need to review the rules of the classroom, though this will likely need to happen several more times throughout the year, either as a class or one-on-one with certain children.

It may be helpful to include the children in the rule-making process, since it is their classroom, after all. They may not quite grasp the concept, but the idea is to help the children gain a sense of ownership in the classroom.

– First-Day Blues On the first day of preschool or kindergarten, you will want to make the child's transition into the classroom atmosphere as quick and seamless as possible. In order to do this, you might try to make their parental goodbyes as quick as possible. Teachers can prep parents for this during orientation and with an email that reinforces the need for a sweet but short farewell.

Once the children are all in the classroom, try to occupy them as quickly as possible. It may help to engage them in a group activity where they can familiarize themselves with the room, their teachers, and fellow students. There may still be a few lingering tears from children who are having a difficult time with the separation, but a series of fun activities may be what is needed to quickly integrate them into the new situation. Consider activities that revolve around transitions to new experiences and that acknowledge the feelings students might be experiencing.

– Providing Information Prior to the first day of school, you will want to fully prepare the parents. When parents are engaged with the process and can support their children through the transition to preschool or kindergarten, the teacher's job will be all the easier. One of the most important parts of this process is an orientation session. If parents and their kids can explore the classroom prior to the first day, it will be a friendlier place for the little ones when it's time to go it alone.

Parents also need a checklist of items their children will need for school. This can include backpacks, art supplies, a change of clothes, and more. The school should encourage parents to go shopping with their children and let the kids pick out the items they like the best. Parents also need a list of school rules so that they can begin to discuss them with their kids and even apply some to their days prior to the first day of school in order to get them used to the concept within a well-known environment.

When the kids are given adequate lead time to become familiar with the idea of attending school, they will have an easier time adjusting to the newness.

– Staying in Touch Make sure that parents receive regular correspondence regarding their child. This can include emails home, access to apps that contain all the information kept on a child throughout the day including their performance, or regular blog posts. When possible, teachers should also engage with parents at pick-up time. When parents are fully informed and engaged with their child's education, the children will have a more fruitful preschool or kindergarten experience.

With new technology, parental engagement is made all the easier. If a child has a particularly difficult time, they might be able to video chat with their parents. Teachers can also make notes regarding a child's progress that can be accessed in real time. Another great way to engage with parents is to ask them to come volunteer as teacher aides from time to time. This can be extended to grandparents, as well, who will love the extra time with their grands.

Organization

Student Belongings

Each child will need a space for their belongings. For this, you can make sure that everyone has a cubby hole or basket where they can stow their hats, gloves, backpacks, and whatever other items they may need during the day. One great first-day activity is to have each child decorate a name card or other decoration for their cubby. Teachers can write the child's name on a notecard and then the child can illustrate it as they see fit. This will help them remember where their belongings are stowed and will help them learn to read their own name.

Since preschoolers are prone to all sorts of spills and other accidents, you might consider having parents bring a change of clothes for their young ones. Schools may also have laundry machines so that soiled clothing can be attended to immediately.

Classroom Supplies

Each classroom needs to be fully outfitted with paper, safety scissors, glue, and all the various items necessary for preschool art and learning activities. Keep these items stored in a consistent fashion so that students can retrieve them when appropriate. Be sure to monitor certain items, such as the safety scissors, which might cause problems.

Since the school day can get hectic, supplies have been known to become disorganized. Try to avoid this with labeled, clear plastic tubs. You can also implement protocols for the students that will help you as the teacher remain organized. For instance, teachers can walk around with a tub for crayons and children can place what they've used back where it belongs.

Organization not only keeps teachers from tearing their hair out when they're trying to find something in the midst of class, but it also helps the students. When students see that their teachers are well-organized and in control of the classroom, they will have more confidence in the teacher and school in general.

Use and Cleanup Procedures

Clean-up time is a very important part of the school day. On the first day of school teachers should start instructing new students on how to help with cleanup. When each student is responsible for their own workspace, they gain a sense of ownership and will help keep it clean. In a preschool classroom, where students are in an age range, the older and more experienced children can model cleanup procedures for the younger ones.

It can also help to engage the students by appointing a clean-up leader. Each week a new student can take on this role and can help the others organize their workspace. This ownership exercise will encourage students to think of the classroom as their own. Further, the added responsibility will bolster student esteem in themselves and their peers.

It can also help to follow the same order for each cleaning, having a specific process that can be followed each time you clean up. You could begin by putting away the materials you were just using, then check under desks for things that may have fallen, then wipe down surfaces, etc. Maintaining consistency will help children remember what to clean and how to clean it, plus they are likely to do a better job.

Time Management

Time management can make the difference between a good and a bad day. Teachers need to know approximately how much time each activity will take, and factor in the preschooler's attention span. Consider not only the duration of each activity but how much preparation and clean-up is required. Teachers should also give students cues regarding how much time they have in their activity. Soon, students will understand how to start wrapping up an important painting when the teacher indicates that they only have five minutes remaining. Regularly scheduled events will help everyone organize their time.

When planning a day, teachers can use certain fixed events to help plan their activities. For youngsters, nap time, snack break, and lunch can make for excellent boundaries for other activities. Teachers can also become familiar with the needs of their classroom and plan accordingly. It can be important to include transitions into the schedule as well. After nap time the kids might need a gentle activity such as a sing-along or story time prior to venturing outside for unstructured play.

Behavior Feedback

Preschoolers are learning. In fact, preschoolers are literally learning everything, including how to behave. Teachers need to be aware of their students' behavior and provide helpful feedback on a regular and consistent basis. However, the specific approach used for this feedback will make the difference between a learning moment and a damaging event.

When it comes to bad behavior, a gentle Socratic approach might help. Asking children questions about their behavior can offer an opportunity for self-reflection and empathy. If they hit another student, teachers can ask how they'd feel if someone did that to them. Remember, empathy is learned.

It can also help to encourage students to give each other feedback. Such peer interactions can be very helpful and often will allow students to gain a sense of community. In a case where one student has harmed another, it can be beneficial for the harmed student to express their pain while also accepting the other's apology.

Consistency

Consistency is a dominant theme when it comes to teaching and parenting. This is all the more important for the very young. Kids need to understand that their good behaviors can receive positive responses and that their negative behavior will get them the same (negative or at least not positive) responses over time.

Thus, a teachers needs to stay on the same page with each of their students when it comes to how they respond to certain behavior. Each child may need an individualized response, but when the same sorts of punishments and rewards are meted out on a daily basis then children will know that they are in a safe, reliable space. Though your students may test the borders of your rules, when it’s consistent, the kids will respect them more.

Classic Tradition, or Something You Can Skip?

School Tour

Taking preschoolers on a tour is often an invitation to chaos. Little ones who have not yet had the chance to learn the rules of school, don't yet grasp how to maintain an orderly line, wait patiently, or listen attentively to a lengthy explanation. Rather than bombard little ones with a comprehensive school tour, try introducing each aspect of school individually. Breaking things down into digestible chunks will give them time to learn the rules, meaning you get to avoid herding cats on the first day of school, and will help them integrate each one into a larger picture of the whole.

Having a First-Week Theme

During the first week of school students will need to learn everything from scratch. After all, they've never done much of what school is asking of them. The first week of school should thus begin at the beginning, with things like classroom organization and cleanup. Teachers can make a game that helps student orient themselves to the classroom or introduces them to each other.

However, this may not be the time to introduce a theme, read a long book, or try to keep the kids attention on one thing for too long. It may take the whole first day just to explain each activity of the day, and it will likely take several days of the first week for kids to learn to do each step of an activity with any speed: putting away their stuff in the morning, lining up, cleaning after a project or snack time, etc. If there must be a theme, it might be best to keep it simple.

Having Everything in Your Classroom Available on the First Day

On the first day, every classroom should be fully equipped. However, it might be helpful to keep some things off limits and integrate various supplies and tools over time. There's no need to bombard students with a full arsenal of supplies and toys on the very first day. Teachers can help students by starting with simpler activities and tasks for the first week and then build from there. By the time the students are at week five or six you’ll likely be able to have integrated the full range of what is available. This starting slow will help you maintain order until the kids learn how to get things out, put them away, and follow other important safety rules, like how to carry and use scissors.

Don’t Be Afraid to Shift Things Around if Necessary

Things change, especially preschoolers. When a set of rules and procedures isn't working, there’s no need to hold onto consistency for its own sake. As Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of small minds." So, don't be foolish, change if you need to. Flexibility is a requirement if you plan to work with children.

When things aren't working well, teachers and administrators should discuss the problems and find solutions. Depending on the situation, it might be valuable to include the students in the process. They should at least be informed when classroom rules and procedures change. Though you will be changing the classroom, if you take a mindful approach, the students should respond just fine.

For instance, if the classroom organization isn't working or needs to change for some outside reason, teachers can explain the situation to the students. Then, teachers can revisit what they did on week one and re-teach the students where to find necessary items in the classroom or how to complete the changed procedure. If the class includes older students, those kids may be able to adapt to the changes quicker than their younger friends. Teachers can use their adaptability to teach the younger ones. Soon, the older students will say things like, "Remember? It used to be here, but now it's over there."

First Day of Preschool & Kindergarten: Organization and Preparation is courtesy of discover dec

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Do Kids Need Preschool?

  The child is the father of the man, noted poet William Wordsworth. While that 19th century observation may sound sexist, what Wordsworth meant remains true. What happens in childhood has a huge influence on the man or woman that youngster eventually becomes. Preschool can make a profound difference in the life of a child. The answer to the question, “Do kids need preschool?” is a resounding “Yes!”, but there are equally viable alternatives to traditional preschool.

Preschool is not synonymous with daycare; the key word is “school.” Preschool offers an academic curriculum geared to 3- to 5-year-olds. During preschool, they learn the basic skills to prepare them for further education, along with how to play well with others. With daycare, the emphasis is on care. It is a place for parents to leave their children in a safe environment while they work. Daycare does offer socialization opportunities, but educational opportunities are more limited if they exist in any formal capacity.

Preschool hours adhere to those of other schools, while daycare hours do not follow a school schedule. Kids in daycare may range in age from infants to those in elementary school, coming in after school hours, rather than the 3- to 5-year-old preschool range.

  Negatives

Positives

Kids Gain From Preschool

Long-Term Benefits

Preschool Alternatives

Negatives

– Costs Standard preschool is not cheap. While the costs vary according to the region and type of preschool, the average parents can expect to spend between $400 and $1,000 per month on private preschool. For many families, spending that kind of money on preschool isn’t possible. Daycare is also costly, with the average family spending $972 per month for Monday through Friday full-time care in a licensed facility. However, most children attend preschool for about three hours in the morning or three hours in the afternoon, not the entire day.

– Short-term benefits While studies show that children who attended preschool have an advantage over those who did not in kindergarten through second grade, the Fade-out Effect then sets in. The Fade-out Effect refers to studies showing that the advantage that preschool gives children over those who do not attend preschool fades out by the third grade. As time passes, the academic benefits enjoyed by children who attended preschool tends to diminish. However, much depends on the quality of the child’s further education. Attending a good quality preschool is not going to make as much of a difference if the child’s subsequent schooling is inadequate. One issue is that, in kindergarten teachers may have to spend a lot of time helping children who did not go to preschool learn what preschoolers already know. Having to go over a lot of material they have already mastered is not helping the child who has attended preschool move forward.

Positives

– What Kids Learn in Preschool Kids are learning all the time. At this age, they are curious about everything and ready to soak up knowledge. Preschool allows children to develop and boost their language, cognitive, social, and emotional skills, along with an introduction to academics. Preschool is a child’s introduction to this type of educational structure and promotes later school readiness.

While in preschool, expect your child to learn:

Numbers

Counting

Colors

Shapes

Letters

Preschool also aids kids in developing fine motor skills, refined as they work on arts and crafts projects. Outdoor play and dancing boost gross motor skills, while spending time away from parents and in the company of kids their age increases their social and cooperation skills.

Children may learn to perform basic tasks, giving them a sense of responsibility. That may entail watering a plant, setting the table for snacks, or being asked to help another child who needs help with a task with which your child is familiar. Kids learn simple but essential things like washing their hands before eating their snacks, sitting in a circle and paying attention to the teacher, raising their hands to ask a question, and waiting their turn for various endeavors. This structure will serve them well as they move on to kindergarten.

Early Child Development Theories to Learn More About:

The Theory from Jean Piaget

The Theory from Lev Vygotsky

Kids Gain From Preschool What They Can’t at Home

Some parents may dismiss preschool as just kids playing, singing, and the like. However, playing allow kids to interact with other children and learn important social skills, while singing helps them develop language and enhance their communication abilities. When playing games, kids learn about teamwork and sharing. While kids can learn some of these skills at home, experienced preschool teachers help reinforce what parents teach their children while adding enriching learning experiences. Kids also need other children their age with whom to play and learn. Most parents cannot repeat these critical opportunities regularly with their child’s peer group. Keep in mind that during a child’s first five years their brains make connections that affect them throughout their lives.

Preschools should include play areas that children may not have at home, as well as lots of toys and props. In play kitchens, with stoves and sinks at their level, kids can pretend to cook and serve meals to each other. They can set up a pretend store and sell items to their classmates, taking turns as buyers and sellers. The only limit is their imagination.

At a good preschool, the teacher should give you a daily report on your child, including areas in which they excel and those in which they need a little more work. A third party, such as a preschool teacher, may notice things about your child of which you are unaware. Perhaps the teacher sees that your child does not know how to join a playgroup with other kids, and can recommend ways in which he or she can start playing with the others. Parents meet regularly for parent/teacher conferences for more in-depth updates on your child’s progress.

Long-Term Benefits

There is no question that the preschool experience benefits children going into kindergarten because these kids are already exposed to what is expected of them in a group setting and the classroom. The question is whether preschool offers children any benefits beyond kindergarten and first grade, and the answer is affirmative. These benefits extend over a lifetime.

The HighScope Perry Preschool study tracked two groups of youngsters, half of whom attended preschool and half who did not, until age 40. Preschool attendees entering middle age were more likely to graduate from high school, hold a job, and were less likely to have a criminal record.

When it comes to the national Head Start program, a preschool program for children from low-income families, data shows participants were nearly 9% more likely to enroll in college, and 19% more likely to receive a degree. In adulthood, Head Start participants also had lower levels of obesity, depression, and fewer criminal convictions than their peers who did not enter a Head Start program.

Preschool Alternatives

Good preschools are not cheap. Not every family can afford the costs, but there are less expensive preschool options for your consideration. Sometimes, a parent may replace part or all of preschool tuition via volunteering. Parents can get together and form their own preschools based on approved curriculum.

Parents can substitute much of what a child learns in preschool with other viable options. Here are just a few possible preschool alternatives:

– Preschool Co-operatives Parent volunteers run co-operative preschools, so they are less expensive than standard preschools if you can spare the time. While the co-operative preschool employs teachers, parents do much of the other necessary work, including administration, cleanup, and preparing snacks. This lowers operational costs, keeping the need for paid staff at a minimum. For parents with flexible schedules, preschool co-operatives are a good alternative to traditional preschools. Those whose schedules don’t offer flexibility will probably find a better fit elsewhere.

– Home School Co-operatives (That Include Preschoolers) Home school co-operatives for preschoolers are inexpensive options if parents can find a suitable group. Although there is a curriculum for home-school co-operatives, such groups do not necessarily have certified teachers involved. Instead, these co-ops consist of parents with similar-aged children who meet regularly, usually at one another’s homes, and the parents work with the children on academic skills and let them play together. Home school co-operatives are informal and less structured than other types of preschools.

– Structured At-home Play Sometimes, preschool isn’t a possibility for financial or other reasons, but that doesn’t mean a parent cannot impart some of what their child would learn at a preschool in the home. Structured play, also known as play with a purpose, are activities teaching youngsters specific skills through play. The parent or another adult serves as the instructor, helping the child reach the desired goal. Structured play may also include puzzles, board games, or incorporating play and learning into daily household tasks. When a preschooler takes specific lessons from a teacher, such as dance or music, or is involved in sports activities, those are also versions of structured play.

– Online Programs Online programs can help prepare your child for school. Popular programs like ABC Mouse teach not only the basic academic skills like letter and number recognition, but also help kids learn life skills such as getting dressed and toothbrushing. They also learn more about the world around them. Such programs are generally available by subscription, starting at about 10 dollars per month.

– Learning Programs, CDs, DVDs, Apps Today’s parents have access to all sorts of early childhood education learning programs, ranging from CDs and DVDs to apps. Companies such as LeapFrog offer a variety of educational tools and toys that teach kids while they’re having fun. Apps, ranging in price from approximately $10 to $25, offer learning activities in reading, math, and science through games. There is certainly no shortage of CDs and DVDs available with wonderful songs and stories for kids to experience.

– Library or Community Programs The local library is usually a treasure trove for preschool-age children, offering special programs and introducing children to books and other media. Story Time is a perennial favorite, along with arts and crafts, puppet and similar shows, and reading aloud for kids. Along with libraries, check out community programs in your area. Churches and other houses of worship may offer special programs for preschoolers, as do organizations such as the YMCA.

– Public School Preschools In some states, public schools offer free preschool education for eligible children. Such preschools are generally geared toward kids deemed to need enrichment before entering kindergarten, so there is extra emphasis on language, physical, and other skills to help them catch up to peers. (Note – my son attended such a preschool in NJ and he grew up to be a lawyer!)

Final Thoughts

Your child is not one-size-fits-all, and neither is a preschool. The right preschool for one child is not the best choice for another. Much depends on the child’s personality, the preschool location, other family obligations, and your budget. Get recommendations from other parents for good preschools in your area. Do your research concerning the type of curriculum offered by individual preschools. Visit potential schools and learn how they operate and trust your gut when it comes to choosing the best alternative for your child.

For some parents, preschool is not an option for their child. That does not mean your child can’t thrive if he or she didn’t go to preschool. There are ways in which to substitute parts of the preschool experience for your youngster. Build language skills by reading to your child every day and encouraging discussion. Provide lots of paper, crayons, coloring books, and similar items to stimulate your child’s creativity and aid their fine motor skills development. Take your kids to interesting places, such as the park and library. While preschool can help, it never replaces a devoted parent’s time and attention.

https://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2017/03/17/the-preschool-fade-out-effect-is-not-inevitable.html

https://www.verywellfamily.com/cost-of-daycare-616847

The blog post Do Kids Need Preschool? is republished from #discoverearlychildhood

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Play That Supports Children’s Development

  An infant is smiling and looking up at a mobile. A toddler is playing with building blocks. A child is participating in his first little league game. All of these things have one thing in common: a child at play. But there is also another common denominator. Each of these children is gaining valuable skills they will need in the future, all while they are engaging in their favorite activities. Children’s development isn’t something that is taught in a classroom, it is initially learned through play. So yes, playtime is important and should be encouraged before, during, and after formal educational training starts. Your infant is actually learning something while staring at the shapes hanging over her crib.

    What is Child Development?

Child development is thought of as stages that children go through.

Childhood is generally defined as lasting from birth to 12 years old and is broken down into the following stages:

Child Development Birth Year Sensorimotor birth to 18 – 24 months Preoperational 2 years to 7 years Concrete Operational 7 years to 11 years Formal Operational 12 years and older

Some children spend more time in certain stages than others. If a child is developmentally delayed, they could be stuck in a stage until the delay is dealt with. This is a time when play can be an ideal indicator of developmental stages.

What Is Play?

Play happens when children interact with things, people, other beings, and even themselves. It’s a child’s way of exploring the world. As the child ages and his world expands (from the crib to the bedroom to the back yard, for example), how they play and what they desire to play with evolves. This, in turn, allows their play skills to evolve. When interactions with other children become more complex, children gain another set of valuable skills that they will develop and hone throughout their life.

Types of Play

– Unoccupied Play This might not look like play. As a matter of fact, it might not look like the child is doing anything. But believe it or not, for infants and older babies, rolling around, kicking legs in the air, and waving their arms is a type of play. They’re exploring their space and taking in the sights and sounds around them. Toys that can stimulate an infant to enjoy playtime even more include mobiles with sound, crib-safe items of different colors and textures, and quiet soothing music. As a parent, you can watch your baby play and talk to him or her as they do. This lets the child know that what they’re doing is okay and that you are willing to play with them.

– Independent of Solitary Play This is commonly referred to as the stage where toddlers sit quietly and play by themselves. However, not all toddlers engage in independent play in this fashion, especially the quiet part. Many kids, even from a young age, act out playtime and vocalize it. For instance, they might make the sound of a truck when then push one across the table or floor. Ideal toys from this age including interactive books, and things as simple as a box or a pan and a wooden spoon.

– Onlooker Play This is the point in a child’s development when they like to see how others play. They’ve been playing themselves for several years at this point, but now they want to know what other children are doing. Not only are they interested in watching other children play, but the activities of adults are of interest to them too. They may or may not join in but seeing how others play helps them develop new ways for them to play. Take your child to the playground and let him or her watch the other children. Let your child watch you do things you like to do for fun. If they discover that the piano makes a really cool sound when you press down on the keys, play a song and let them see it and allow them to try out the keys, too.

– Parallel Play At this stage, a child will play next to another child, even if they don’t choose to play with that child. This is the stage just before children start actually playing together. In an environment such as this, it’s good to have toys that can be shared easily, such as a big bag of blocks, a large container of crayons or plenty of playdough or clay. This will cut down on the number of meltdowns from toddlers who wanted to play with the toy the child next to them has.

– Associative Play This is when kids start to play together, albeit still not in a collaborative way. By the age of three or four, kids will chase balls together, build things with Legos together, and even play games and do activities that require each child to take turns and wait for their turn to come around again.

– Cooperative Play At this point, children are playing together in a variety of ways. Team sports, dance classes, and even at the playground, kids will play together and take turns waiting for the swings or the slide. It is also around this time that you’ll start to get glimpses into your child’s personality. They may be a team player, prefer to play in smaller groups, or like to play alone.

What Children Can Learn Through Play

Learning takes place in a plethora of ways, so it should come to no surprise that children actually learn and attain valuable skills while playing.

Some of the areas that are most influenced by a child’s ability and desire to play include:

– Cognitive Skills These are the skills that help children problem solve. Matching colors and shapes and figuring out how to complete a task require cognitive ability. Play at all levels helps children develop skills so that when they reach an age where the ability is needed, it’s already there.

– Social and Emotional Skills Learning through play allows children to gain the ability to cooperate, learn to negotiate, and develop the skills needed to navigate in society. It also helps a child strengthen their emotional skills since disappointment and compromise are things every person needs to know about.

– Physical Skills Running, jumping, and climbing are all skills learned through play. As children get older, more of these skills are used and the abilities are fine-tuned, but even the infant kicking their legs and reaching for the mobile is working on physical skills.

– Communication Skills Children learn to communicate by hearing other children or adults and doing the same or similar things. through play, communication is a fun and easy activity for you to work on and a child will develop skills that they will need later in life.

– Connections Between Previous Experiences and Current Engagement Children will remember their best interactions and their worst and, to a certain degree, they will remember how they behaved. If a current situation is similar to a previous one, a child will remember and act accordingly, whether it was a good or bad interaction.

– Decision-Making and Consequences Through play, kids will learn that actions have consequences. If a child breaks a rule and has to sit in timeout, or if a child is good and gets a reward, playtime can be used to teach these lessons.

- Self-Control Learning to control one’s actions is a vital skill and children can begin to exercise self-control during playtime. An example is how a child reacts when another child is mean to them, or a teacher or another adult tells them they cannot do something.

- Confidence As children spend more time at play, they become confident in the skills they are using. Running, skipping, the ability to throw a ball, and many other skills are learned and honed during playtime. This helps to boost the confidence of the child, making them more apt to try new things as they get older and other opportunities present themselves.

- Critical Thinking Critical thinking is the ability to break down a concept, understand it, and make a decision or judgment. Children use critical thinking at all levels, from not touching a hot stove to running to first base after hitting a ball. As children grow older, they are more capable of dealing with more complex issues, but the groundwork is laid during play.

- Creative Innovation Children can find countless ways to play with a single toy, and two children might approach the same toy very differently. The ability to see things from different perspectives and find new and innovative ways to accomplish tasks starts with kids playing.

Additional Social and Stages of Development

Jean Piaget

Lev Vygotsky

Different Methods of Teaching That Are Popular

Sources:

https://www.healthline.com/health/parenting/types-of-play#2 https://presidentscircle.childcare.utah.edu/_documents/children-learn-thru-play.pdf https://www.brighthorizons.com/family-resources/power-of-play-how-play-helps-children-be-successful-in-life

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A Comparison of Piaget, Vygotsky, and Montessori

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A Comparison of Piaget, Vygotsky, and Montessori

Three psychologists of the 19th century developed three different theories of child and cognitive development. Two of these (Montessori and Piaget) said that children learn and develop in sequence. Vygotsky said that children learn using their social environment. He believed that a child’s community holds a major role in how children learn to “make meaning” of the world around them.

Each psychologist’s theory has had a strong impact on the education of today’s children. Montessori said that children should be allowed to direct their learning to the point that, if they are in an independent work period, they should not be required to interrupt it for a group activity.

Piaget said that the cognitive development of a child involves changes in their cognitive process and abilities as they age. Early cognitive development influences later progression into how the child adapts their mental operations as they get older.

  Piaget’s

Vygotsky’s

Montessori

Versus

Common

Constructivism

Piaget’s Theory of Development

Jean Piaget, a Swiss psychologist, developed several key concepts. First, “schemas” involve the physical and mental actions in learning, understanding, and knowing. Schemas involve anything a child is learning about. If the child’s family has a cat, they develop a schema about felines: small, fluffy, cute, makes purring sounds.

If the child goes to the zoo with their family and they see the tigers’ cage, they may be surprised at the size of those cats. This forces them to modify an existing schema about cats. Now, they need to add new information about the large size of tigers and lions. Mentally, they will modify that previous schema so they can easily include the new information.

Next, Piaget said that children who are adding new information to a schema are assimilating that information. Children try to modify information or their experiences so that they fit into beliefs they already hold.

Next, they attempt to create a comfortable balance between assimilation and accommodation, using a process called equilibration. As children move through each stage of cognitive development, they work at keeping that balance between using new knowledge and changing their behavior/schema to account for new knowledge they have learned (assimilation and accommodation). By using equilibration, children can progress more easily from one developmental stage of thought and into the next one.

Vygotsky’s Theory of Social Development

Vygotsky’s theory differs a little because he says that social interaction has a strong influence on how children develop cognitively. Children rely on people or devices with knowledge they don’t yet have.

The adult, more experienced peer, or (in today’s world) an electronic learning device is referred to as the More Knowledgeable Other or MKO. A teen or adult child can be an MKO to an adult who wants to learn something new about teen culture or a new electronic device.

Learners work within a Zone of Proximal Development or ZPD. This zone consists of three circles, with 2 inside the outermost circle. Within the smallest, interior circle, is what the child already knows. The next, larger circle contains information that the child still doesn’t know but is capable of learning with assistance from an MKO. The largest, exterior circle consists of information, skills, or knowledge that the child can’t yet learn, even with help.

Vygotsky believed that the MKO should teach the learner only what is within reach, in the zone of proximal development, with guidance and encouragement. The MKO demonstrates the new skill, then begins to guide the child through each step, and then the student can progress to more complicated skills that were previously out of range for them.

Montessori Theory

After Montessori was able to successfully treat mentally disabled children who were thought to be impossible to educate, she decided she wanted to determine the potential of regular children who had no problems learning.

Working with children living in the San Lorenz slum, she developed her own theory, which is based on Periods of Development. She proposed the idea of Conducive Learning, where children were grouped based on periods of development. Children are grouped in three-year or six-year spans and work with the same teacher during this period.

The youngest group (Nido) is aged 0 to 1, or until the child is walking. The second group is the Infant Community, aged 1 to about 2 and a half or three. Group three is the “Casa dei Bambini,” aged 2.5 or 3 to 6.

Group four covers a wider age range, from 6 to 12. The children in this group have the same learning habits and tendencies. Their emotional and physical growth tends to be steadier, and their intellectual work is strong. In this group, the younger children are inspired by and learn from the older children. Finally, the next grouping is 12 to 15-year-olds. Montessori proposed a farm school for this age group, giving the children real farm work to do.

Stages vs. Planes of Development

Piaget based his theory on what he saw as a child’s stages of development. These included:

Sensorimotor, from birth to 2 years. They use their senses to learn about the world.

Preoperational Period, from 2 to 7 years. They learn and develop language and learning skills, but are self-centered, and can’t understand abstract reasoning or logic.

Concrete Operational Period, from 7 to 11 years. Now they think logically and organize their knowledge. They classify objects and work on thought problems.

Formal Operations Period, 11 to 15. The child starts reasoning more realistically about their future and deals better with abstractions.

Montessori worked using her own Planes of Development. These included:

Birth to 3 years: An absorbent mind, learning from the sensory

18 months to 3 years: Begins muscle development and working on coordination - Likes smaller objects

2 to 4 years: Refines movements - Focuses on truth and reality - Develops awareness of order sequences in time and space

2.5 to 6 years: Sensory refinement

3 to 6 years: Becoming susceptible to adult influence

3.5 to 4.5 years: Works on writing

4 to 4.4 years: Tactile senses begin to mature

4.5 to 5.5 years: Works on reading

Piaget vs. Vygotsky

Piaget didn’t spend much time thinking about a child’s social context. Instead, he believed that their cognitive development revolves around changes in the cognitive process and the child’s abilities. Early cognitive development uses processes based on actions, then progresses to changes in mental operations.

He used schemas or categorization to explain how children learn, using both the physical and mental in learning. Within schemas, assimilation and accommodation also take place. Children also place already-known information with newly learned information in a process called equilibration. In his theory of child and human development babies, toddlers, preschoolers, children, teens, and young adults progress through four stages of learning and development. He said that the early cognitive development of a child involves processes that are based on actions. This development then progresses into changes in mental operations.

Vygotsky believed that social interactions have a big influence on the development of cognition. He also felt that the community surrounding a child holds a role in how children make meaning out of everything they see, learn, feel, and hear.

He introduced the More Knowledgeable Other as a source of experience and learning for a child. This MKO can be a parent, teacher, or relative of the child. This person can also be a younger child or teen who teaches an older adult or family friend about using electronics or learning a new dance, for instance.

Next, he introduced the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) in where the most sensitive guidance should be provided, allowing the child to learn by practicing.

What Do They have in Common?

Between Piaget and Montessori, both psychologists believe that young children begin to work on the refinement of their movements early. At 3.5 to 7 years (covering the developmental periods for both professionals), children begin to develop drawing and writing skills.

While Vygotsky didn’t divide child development into age groups, he did believe that a child could progress to this stage if that was what was culturally expected of him. If the majority of children in a certain age group know a certain skill, then one of them, or a teacher-figure, will act as the MKO for that child and he will inevitably also learn that skill.

In all three theories, the psychologists say that every child begins to learn about their world by using their senses. Vygotsky calls it “making meaning.” Piaget says that children obtain knowledge or their environment through the five senses.

Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) is similar to Montessori’s Planes of Development and Piaget gives each developmental stage a name (sensorimotor, preoperational, formal operations).

Likewise, Vygotsky’s ZPD has an outer ring that denotes all the information that a child is not yet ready to learn. Montessori’s planes of development show that some learning may be out of reach of children at various stages. Piaget does the same thing, noting that there are things children can’t learn until they reach a certain cognitive level.

How These Theories Manifest in the Classroom

Children are social creatures. When they start school, they are one of 20 or more other students who are ready to begin formal learning.

Montessori created a model for learning that is known the world over. Montessori-based schools exist in most communities around the world. Individual classrooms and teachers in a Montessori school don’t teach traditionally. Instead, they are based on conducive learning, with multi-aged groups. The teacher doesn’t actively teach the entire classroom. Instead, they have a more generalized lesson plan. They introduce children to a concept using a book, lesson, or lecture. As the children learn, individually and with older children, they process the information, then “know” the knowledge and demonstrate this by passing a test, completing a project, expressing what they have learned, or by teaching another student.

Montessori said that children are always learning something new, which prepares them to learn another new thing. This is indirect learning. The entire class isn’t learning the same thing as classmates; they are working at their own pace, using the environment, and working with other classmates. The teacher teaches one child at a time. All areas of study link together and students can work on them in the order they choose.

In Piaget’s theory, assimilation, accommodation, and equilibration all work in a classroom setting. Children learn something new in the primary grades; as they progress grade by grade, they encounter the same information at a higher level of difficulty.

Vygotsky’s theory relies much more on the social interactions between children, adults, and society in general. Because of the social networks between children and their families, children can go to someone they know to ask for help in learning something new.

Constructivism Explained

“Constructivism” is a learning theory that says humans construct their knowledge using hands-on experience rather than being taught abstract concepts from books. The teacher who uses constructivism in teaching students does everything they can to give students hands-on experiences, using people and objects. The teacher also asks students to use any skills they have already learned.

It’s a constructivist learning process to use materials to learn about assembly lines and what working conditions were like when assembly lines were most in use.

When the teacher has students use wrapping paper to determine whether it’s sufficient to wrap two cans, students put together a mathematical formula to determine a cylinder’s area.

It’s also constructivist to have students read persuasive articles, decide which of the articles have features that make them the most effective, and then create a rubric that includes all of those qualities for their own persuasive papers. Once they have written their reports out, they will be assigned to read more persuasive papers so they can fine-tune their criteria even more.

Maria Montessori was a constructivist. She wrote, “Education is not something which the teacher does, but a natural process which develops spontaneously in the human being. It is not acquired by listening to words but in virtue of experiences in which the child acts on his environment.”

Lev Vygotsky was another constructivist. He wrote, “A child’s play is not simply a reproduction of what he has experienced, but a creative reworking of the impressions he has acquired. He combines them and uses them to construct a new reality.”

Jean Piaget was also a constructivist and said, “Each time one prematurely teaches a child something he could have discovered himself, that child is kept from inventing it and consequently from understanding it completely.”

https://www.thelearningweb.net/chapter07/page264.html

https://sites.google.com/site/tourosgottesman/theories-of-early-childhood

https://www.lorecentral.org/2018/06/piaget-vs-vygotsky-similarities-and-differences-between-their-theories.html

https://www.cultofpedagogy.com/constructivism/

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Lev Vygotsky’s Social Development Theory

What is the Theory?

Russian psychologist Lev Vygotsky developed the Social Development Theory at about the same time Jean Piaget developed his Theory of Cognitive Development. Vygotsky died when he was just 37, which was at least partially responsible for his Social Development Theory not becoming as well-known as Piaget’s theory. Also, his work was written completely in Russian, needing painstaking translation so it could be presented to the majority of psychology and education professionals at the time.

By developing exposure to new psychological and educational constructs, professional psychologists and teachers slowly altered styles of both psychology and education, benefiting clients and students.

Vygotsky’s work stresses how social interaction helps children develop cognitively. It also states that the community at large has a major role in “creating meaning” for young children. He said that “learning is a necessary and universal aspect of the process of developing culturally organized, specifically human psychological function.”

By developing exposure to new psychological and educational constructs, professional psychologists and teachers slowly altered styles of both psychology and education, benefiting clients and students.

Vygotsky’s work stresses how social interaction helps children develop cognitively. It also states that the community at large has a major role in “creating meaning” for young children. He said that “learning is a necessary and universal aspect of the process of developing culturally organized, specifically human psychological function.”

  Terminology

Scaffolding

Development

Applications

Terminology

MKO (More knowledgeable Other)

This refers to someone who has greater knowledge or a skill, which a child needs to learn. They are the more knowledgeable other.

At first, the MKO slowly does a task for the child. Soon, the MKO “talks” the child through each step of a task, such as tying their shoes:

Place one lace over and under the other lace and pull them tight

Create a loop with one lace and hold it with one hand

Create a second loop with the second lace, with the second hand, and hold it

Then, place one loop through the hole in between both laces and pull them tight

Eventually, the child does this on their own without needing to be talked through it.

ZPD (Zone of Proximal Development)

The zone of proximal development refers to the difference between what a child or new learner can already do on their own and what they can do with encouragement and guidance from someone who has more skill.

If a child wants to learn how to play checkers, someone who already knows how to play the game can guide and encourage them in learning how to move their checkers so that they defeat their opponent and win the game.

The person giving guidance should only help as much as the child needs, allowing the child to take independent steps as they learn.

Scaffolding

Scaffolding fits in closely with the ZPD. It’s the temporary learning support that an MKO gives to the child as they learn a new activity. As the child learns more and more of the new skill, the MKO gradually and almost imperceptibly begins to withdraw instructional support until the child can complete the new skill, fully independently.

If the child is learning how to complete addition problems in math, the MKO shows the child a few problems, then allows the child to work more and more independently, until the child is doing the work completely on their own.

Sociocultural Theory of Cognitive Development

This theory covers the More Knowledgeable Other (MKO) and the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD). Children and adults are social creatures, so they rely on social interaction to encounter new experiences and activities, which they then learn.

Thinking of the ZPD, imagine three circles with 2 surrounding the innermost, smallest circle. The central circle is the “I can do this by myself” circle. The next circle is “I can do this with some help,” or the ZPD. The final, largest circle is the “I can’t do this, even if I get help”. Because we are social creatures, our ability to learn a new skill is greatly affected by the presence of someone who already knows the skill. Vygotsky might have simply stated, “We learn by watching.”, though, of course, it’s more complicated than that.

Social Interaction is Central to Cognitive Development

The first concept of Vygotsky’s theory is that, “Social interaction plays a central role in cognitive development.” We all look for meaning in everything around us. If you look at the wonder, excitement, and curiosity of a young child, you may think they have begun to see meaning in snow falling or the sweet face of a kitten.

However, it takes more than just noticing new things for a child to learn. Once the child sees a young kitten, they need to become involved in learning about the kitten—the soft fur, the purring sound, rough tongue, and the sharp claws. This is the “discovery” process.

This young child is beginning to discover, not only the cold snow and soft kitten, but their own interaction between themselves and society. Even more, the relationship is mutual. The child affects society, and society impacts the child.

If a child is kept from stimulating sights or experiences, their learning will be stunted. It’s when the parents (a child’s first teachers) teach him new words, steps, how to interact with others, and how to use a potty that learning takes hold and becomes real for the child.

Social Learning is Required for Development

Vygotsky believed that social interaction has a positive impact on learning. Social learning is just the first in several processes of learning.

There are two levels which are vital in learning:

Social or interpsychological learning: Two people interact with each other and make a connection, then reach out to others.

Individual or intrapsychological learning: This is within the child. After passing the social level and learning social skills, the child repeats the same functions. However, they will be more developed, expanding the child’s cognitive development.

Without the social and then the individual learning, the child will not be able to function normally and develop into their own person. Even so, children are born with elementary mental functions that develop after birth and with continued growth.

These functions are affected by external stimuli (they are involuntary, and don’t require any thought on the child’s part):

Sensation: heat, cold, bitter, or sweet

Hunger: When the child experiences hunger, they cry or become restless until they are fed

Memory: This is natural memory—recognizing the taste of a food or the voice of their mother

Language Supports Cognitive Development

We need language, whether we use it to hear someone’s voice, understand their visible reactions, and to express ourselves verbally or nonverbally. When a child watches and listens to a parent, they begin to learn new words. They also learn that those words have meaning.

First is social or “external” speech. This is when the child is younger than three and still unable to express their thoughts through complete sentences or messages. Because their language is so limited, they rely on gurgling, crying, laughing, or shouting. As they grow, they use simple sentences: “Make potty” or “Gimme cookie.”

There are several types of speech children use:

Egocentric Speech: Used to control the behavior of others. It’s also spoken as a way for a child to direct their own behavior. “Put train on the tracks.” At this age, a child may talk to themselves, giving themselves a running commentary.

Private Speech: This is speech that the child directs to themselves, not to other people. They use it to self-regulate and remind themselves of what they need to do

Inner Speech: Now, the child is closer to adulthood. This inner speech directs their thinking, then their behavior or specific actions. Inner speech is just what it sounds like, it doesn’t have to be spoken aloud. This helps children look at a problem from all angles before they come to a decision.

Self-Initiated Learning and Collaboration Supports Cognitive Development

Piaget said that learning involves a child initiating discovery and development. The child begins this process and uses a hands-on approach to learning. He says this is the best way for a child to learn.

Vygotsky mostly agreed with Piaget. Only, Vygotsky believed that the setting in which a child learns requires social interaction and communication. He thought that children need social interactions to learn. In using social interactions, children learn and develop new skills. They also become aware of the culture around them, and this shapes their learning in other ways.

Because this is the point where Vygotsky’s theory separates from Piaget’s, it’s time to learn about “collaborative dialogue,” where a child may hear and learn their first words, a nursery rhyme, a song, or the alphabet. As the child grows, they will next communicate with classmates, teachers, daycare teachers, grandparents, and tutors.

While Piaget’s theory makes sense, it also makes sense that a child needs social interactions with others for the learning to be solidified, so it can become a base for the child to learn even more advanced knowledge.

Applications in the Classroom

This theory applies to classroom learning in two important ways. First, “scaffold” learning, previously covered. Next, “apprenticeship” allows a more advanced peer-student to help structure a task so that a younger, less experienced child can begin working on the new knowledge. The teacher would help the older peer to structure the new task in a way that the younger child will be able to understand the new material.

The difficulty of the errand is vital. If the task is too easy for the younger child, they won’t feel challenged. They will become bored and lose interest. On the other hand, if the new material is too difficult or advanced for them even to attempt, they will become intimidated or frustrated, so the task must stay within the ZPD.

Teachers also use reciprocal learning, in which children learn skills from written text. The teacher structures their lessons so their students can practice four important skills:

Summarizing

Questioning

Clarifying

Predicting

At first, the teacher will play an active role in guiding their students through this set of skills. As the students become more familiar with these skills, the teacher will gradually step back and observe their students as they work on solidifying their knowledge.

Final Thoughts

As we use social learning to teach students, we need to keep in mind that cultural differences and realities will affect how children from other cultures learn. New educators or psychologists should avoid the mistake of assuming that the developmental experiences of children from one culture can be applied as a whole to children of other cultures. This is an important point made by social development theory and one of the biggest take-aways.

Children from Asian countries use different cultural practices and stimuli than children from Middle Eastern cultures. The same applies to children from Europe and South America. Children from the same national culture who are in different social classes may also experience differences in learning. Cultural competence is a vital requirement for those who want to teach children using Vygotsky’s social development theory.

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Applying Piaget’s Stages of Development in the Classroom

What Are Piaget’s Stages of Development?

Jean Piaget proposed four stages of cognitive development. These stages help teachers assess and best serve students in the classroom. That is, if we can discern that a student is significantly over or under-developed with regard to their particular phase of development, we can seek out support for that child. We can also work with children who are in a transitional phase from one stage to the next. When we understand what their next stage is supposed to entail, we can help them master those skills or abilities.

The four stages are:

Sensorimotor – 18-24 months

Preoperational – 18 months to 2 years

Concrete Operational – 7 years to age 11

Formal Operational – approximately age 11 through the rest of life

Table of Contents:

Terminology

Four Stages

Teachers Use

Philosophy & Work

One key part of Piaget's theory of cognitive development is his emphasis on adaptation. That is, he saw that young people did not yet have the tools that were available to fully developed adults. Rather, children undergo a lengthy process in which they find moments of disequilibrium with their world but then apply old lessons, schema to Piaget, to assimilate the new information or situation.

All Our Resources

Different Styles of Teaching

Popular Alternative Teaching Methods

Terminology

- Schema

Piaget's cognitive theory posits schemas as the core of one's ability to build mental models of the world. As we develop, our schemas become more intricate, detailed, and numerous. We have schemas to help us navigate our lives. For instance, one's schema for commuting to work would involve things like starting and driving a car, boarding a train, navigating a route, and arriving at the destination. Within each of these basic stages we have sub-schema such as shifting gears, purchasing a ticket, reading a map, using alternate routes, etc.

In a developmental context, we see that these schema begin as rudimentary and simple ideas that largely concern basic behaviors, shape, color, and perhaps smell. After approximately 18 months, we begin to see how various items work together to form complex systems, etc.

- Assimilation

This is a part of Piaget's all-important notion of adaptation. When we assimilate, we take new information, objects, or situations and apply them to preexisting schema to understand them. For instance, if one knows French but then finds themselves in Spain, they might see that Spanish has many similarities to French. Thus, they assimilate the two in order to navigate the new culture. We use assimilation all the time when we visit new restaurants, drive new cars, or even meet new people.

- Accommodation

Accommodation is another vital part of adaptation. In the example above, a traveler to Spain might rely on their knowledge of the French language to navigate the new culture. However, while French and Spanish have many things in common, they will still have to adapt their schema so that they can learn the nuances of Spanish. Similarly, game players change their strategies to meet the unique demands of a new opponent or game.

- Equilibrium

In Piaget's developmental theory, the need for equilibrium is what drives cognitive development. That is, when a person encounters a new situation that cannot be easily assimilated, disequilibrium occurs. This triggers frustration and other negative emotions until the new information can be accommodated/assimilated. Once a person adapts to the new situation, growth and development occur.

What Are the Four Stages?

Sensorimotor Stage

This first stage of development begins at birth and continues until 18-24 months. This pre-linguistic stage involves adaptation to the world of objects and simple motor skills. During the early months of this stage, infants are unaware that objects continue to exist when they are out of sight. Thus, a key moment of equilibrium is when they gain object permanence. From this point, children understand that a toy or other object will remain in a chest, for example.

At the same time, children must learn to navigate their environment by rolling over, crawling, and finally walking. At about the same time that they are beginning to walk, children expand on the abstract lessons of object permanence and begin to represent objects and ideas with language. Once a child can understand that food is still in the cupboard, she can ask for it. Thus begins the next stage.

Preoperational Stage

At approximately age 18 months to two years, a child enters the Preoperational Stage, which lasts until around age seven. This stage is characterized by the increasing ability to use language. Verbal skills progress at what may seem like a rapid pace. Imagination and abstract thinking progress at a fast clip as well, and their expressions become more and more mature as the need for equilibrium with adults and siblings drives increasing adaptation.

Growing children in this stage will notably lack strong logic skills. They might struggle with abstractions such as time, distance, and how to compare and contrast items. It is also difficult for children in this stage to solve problems mentally, and they must still rely on physical representations. Further, they will be incapable of seeing things through the eyes of another. Thus, younger children might often seem to behave cruelly towards their peers, animals, and even adults. This egocentrism does not last forever, thankfully.

Concrete Operational Stage

During this stage, which begins around age seven and lasts until age 11, children begin to implement operational thought. They can represent operations in their minds and solve problems for items or situations that are far removed from their physical space. Another important cognitive ability is what Piaget termed conservation. This is the ability to understand that an object might retain its quantitative values (mass, weight, etc.) even though it has changed its appearance. Thus, they can now grasp the idea that the same volume of water fills both a tall, skinny container and a short, squat cup.

Children also begin to loosen their bonds of egocentrism. They begin to see that their thoughts and feelings are their own and are not necessarily shared by others. They can also begin to see how others might experience an event and are more aware of external events and situations that don't necessarily involve them.

Formal Operational Stage

This is the final stage of Piaget's theory of cognitive development, and it lasts from approximately age 11 through the rest of life. This stage is characterized by the ability to think abstractly, create hypothetical situations, and then test those hypotheses. We begin to see how seemingly disparate concepts or objects relate to one another, and the world becomes one of increasing possibility.

Though this is Piaget's final stage of cognitive development, human cognition continues to mature and grow. That is because Piaget saw that, by this point in life, people generally have the core abilities they need to navigate the world. From age 11 onward, people continue to respond to the need for equilibrium and have the ability to adapt and grow.

How Can Teachers Use This?

Developmental theories are a large part of what drives a teacher's approach to the classroom. In fact, every teacher-prep program requires courses on childhood development so that teachers have an understanding of where their kids are or should be from a psychological view. Most of these theories focus on our emotional and social lives. One of the most popular theories of human development, the Ericksonian model, addresses cognition and information processing almost as an afterthought.

What makes Piaget's model stand out in the field is its specific attention to cognitive development. It focuses on how human beings process information and how that processing changes throughout a lifetime. In particular, his theory focuses on the mechanisms that help us adapt and learn new concepts or skills.

In the classroom, teachers can apply Piaget's notions of assimilation and accommodation when introducing new material. They can help students approach a new idea through the lens of what they have already learned. When they can achieve what Piaget called equilibrium, they can then move forward to again advance their knowledge.

One key element for teachers to be cognizant of is their students' particular age and relative development. Preschool teachers can look at Piaget's Sensorimotor Stage and help children learn to recognize simple shapes and colors.

Teachers who have classrooms for Preschoolers through approximately grade 2 should take a close look at the Preoperational Stage. It's important to note that children in this stage will not have a grasp of logic. Rather, their thoughts and behaviors will be egocentric and more intuitive. Teachers can thus put their lessons and student interactions in this context. Later in the stage, educators can integrate more abstract thinking, non-egocentric concepts, and advanced language skills. Some students will be able to adapt more quickly to the increasing complexity and can be encouraged to model their adaptive methods for their peers.

Teachers can approach the two later stages, Concrete Operational and Formal Operational, in much the same way. They can assess where their students are within the age-appropriate stage and then help them transition to the next. For older students in the final stage, teachers can build on the basic tools of adaptation and build lesson plans that ease the acquisition of new knowledge and skills.

Criticism

No theory is without its criticisms. Piaget's theory of cognitive development is no stranger to detractors who find that it does not hold up to professional scrutiny from researchers or pure theoreticians. In particular, Piaget's theory is attacked based on his research, sample bias, and a seeming underestimation of children's abilities.

Many point to the fact that Piaget based his work on a very small sample size that included his own children and their peers. Not only is this a very small group from which little data could expect to be culled, but the children involved were also all from privileged backgrounds. Further, since Piaget didn't clearly define his variables, it is nearly impossible to replicate his study. For any study to be considered valid, it must be subject to easy replication.

The theory is also attacked because it allegedly underestimates how children actually learn. Where Piaget posited that children in the Preoperational Stage were egocentric and incapable of understanding the experiences of others, subsequent research has contradicted this. In fact, research has found that children as young as three are capable of non-egocentric thoughts and behaviors.

How Piaget’s Philosophy & Work Has Helped

While much of Piaget's work has not been successful in holding up to subsequent research, it still holds value for psychologists and teachers alike. His theories are still taught as part of a standard course in Human Development and he retains relevance, not completely due to his scientific strengths, but because of his importance as a pioneer.

Piaget broke important new ground in the field of human development. If he is to be remembered for any one thing, it is his focus on children as distinct from adults. Before his work and writing, psychology largely saw children as small adults. Though his conclusions might not hold as much water today, Piaget was able to identify that children passed through developmental stages on their way to processing information as adults. Further, his work showed that parents, teachers, and other community members need to acknowledge this developmental process to produce high-functioning adults.

His methodology, while not without significant flaws, was also groundbreaking. That is because he conducted in-depth interviews with his subjects. Previous researchers had not attempted this, and now subjects are frequently asked to describe and analyze their own thinking.

  Applying Piaget’s Stages of Development in the Classroom was initially published on advice from Discover Early Childhood

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Philosophically Alternative Classroom Teaching Methods

Popular Classroom Teaching Methods

While most public schooling programs follow the same style of teaching and trust in the same learning theories, there are alternative options for schooling which focus on slightly different styles of teaching and learning. These programs focus on children’s social lives, hands-on or self-determined learning, the effects of a variety of experiences, and communities of learning, among other things. Three of the most common alternative teaching philosophies are Montessori, Steiner/Waldorf, and Reggio Emilia. These teaching methods have a following around the world, with teachers and parents who swear by their effectiveness and just as many critics who claim they don’t work or aren’t rigorous enough to produce children who are ready for the difficulties of higher education.

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Montessori

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Montessori

Montessori began in 1907 when educator and physician Maria Montessori opened an inner-city child care program in Rome. In 1982, Montessori launched the California teacher education program and created an international accreditation council in 1986 to assure standard program criteria was met worldwide. Today there are over 7,000 schools throughout the world, with 4,000 located within the United States. The majority of Montessori schools are private, and the tuition fees vary depending on the location, overhead, teacher salaries, and other factors.

Although some public schools offer the Montessori method of teaching, they are not considered part of the International Montessori Society (IMS) and are not required to follow the guidelines set forth by Montessori. You should always verify accreditation if you're not sure of a school's affiliation with IMS.

What Grades Does This Method Cover?

The Montessori educational method is designed for children from birth to middle school (ages zero to 14). That being said, because each school is independently owned, they may restrict their classes to specific age groups to focus solely on preschool-age children or a similar demographic.

Montessori schools use a multi-age classroom division for instruction, so each child is placed in their corresponding group:

Infant (ages 0 to 3)

Preschool (ages 3 to 6)

Lower Elementary (ages 6 to 9)

Upper Elementary (ages 9 to 12)

Middle School (ages 12 to 14)

The multi-age structure allows each child to learn at their own speed with an uninterrupted series of "learning passages" that reflect the interests and natural characteristics of each child rather than forcing children to conform to a specific test standard to advance.

Principles

In Montessori programs, only 20% of work is teacher-directed, with the remaining 80% being independent activities. This is a direct reversal of traditional schools and the main principle of the Montessori learning experience. The four main principles of Montessori are:

Prepared Environment

The prepared environment concept allows each child to move to various areas within the classroom, working with specialized learning tools such as grammar symbols and counting beads. Each child is allowed to explore in-depth an area of interest, whether it is dinosaurs, history, or multiplication.

Having a prepared environment allows each child to pace themselves and also teaches self-discipline as their developmental needs grow within a structured setting.

Discovery

Montessori encourages each child to learn through choices in order to encourage independent learning rather than the lecture-type setting found in traditional classroom teaching. This encourages curiosity-driven learning and promotes enthusiasm to discover new skills. For example, instead of learning about animals or trees from a textbook, they might instead have a field trip to the zoo or a park and discover the animals and plants in their natural habitats.

Hands-on Learning

Montessori provides organized learning materials instead of textbooks, so each child has personal experience with the subject being learned. For example, when learning about history before modern inventions were readily available, a child might wash an article of clothing by hand or create a project using a handloom instead of reading about how it was once created. Each classroom is filled with age-appropriate materials to explore and learn from hands-on.

Respect

Adults in Montessori must show respect for each child as a person, and each child is treated as an individual rather than a segment of the entire class. In this way, each child in turn learns to respect others.

The key to respect in Montessori is to acknowledge the individuality of each child. One child may be comfortable jumping into a new activity while another child may be shy, withdrawn, or reluctant with the new agenda; the goal is to show respect for their feelings, abilities, and individual needs.

Areas of Curriculum

Practical Life This portion of the curriculum encourages concentration, coordination, and independence through activities such as sewing, polishing, and pouring, and teaches students how to care for the environment and themselves while learning socialization skills as well as both fine and gross motor skills.

Sensorial Sensorial materials promote the refinement of a child's senses as they learn to differentiate between sizes, shapes, and forms. The child learns to visually discriminate by matching, sorting, and grading; laying the foundation for them to analyze their environment and develop a mathematical mind and even musical skills.

Mathematics Math materials promote basic skills, concepts, and operations as children learn to understand value and quantity, building the foundation for abstract concepts such as addition and subtraction as well as multiplication and division.

Language Each child learns the basic skills needed for verbal communication as well as writing and reading skills through phonetic based language materials. Note this may be combined with other materials as well, so a movable alphabet set might build words and sentences while promoting sensorial dexterity.

Culture Children learn culture by exploring geography and the different cultures within. They might explore maps, listen to stories and songs, or hear foreign languages from the cultures they’re learning about.

Where to Look for More Information

http://imsmontessori.org/

https://amshq.org/

http://www.montessori-namta.org/

Steiner/Waldorf

The Steiner/Waldorf approach, commonly referred to as Waldorf schools, Steiner education, or Waldorf education, is based on the philosophy of Rudolf Steiner. The first school opened in 1919 in Stuttgart, Germany and focused on a holistic approach to instilling intellectual, practical, and artistic skills in students. A hundred years later, it is the largest alternative teaching method in the world, with schools in 75 countries, including over 200 schools and 175 kindergartens in North America.

The most significant difference in Waldorf schools is the integration of arts into all academics from preschool to high school graduation to enrich and enhance the learning experience and develop a lifelong love of learning.

What Grades Does this Method Cover?

Waldorf schools are typically for elementary and middle school students, although the method covers all grades through 12. In the US, preschools are usually separate entities that teach students from birth to age six. Other grades are divided as follows:

Primary: grades one to three

Middle: grades four through six

Upper: grades seven and eight

Secondary: age 14 and up (high school)

The Waldorf method believes children six and under benefit most from an environment that is sensory focused, so preschool children are encouraged to explore and use their imagination to lay the foundation for emotional, intellectual, and physical development. Only when they enter the primary grades are academic subjects introduced. During the elementary years art, history, cultures, and music are interwoven in the lessons and each child may develop at their own pace, which is why ages are taught in blocks rather than separate grades. Upon entering secondary school, teens learn to develop individual critical thinking as they focus on specific academic subjects.

Four Temperaments The four temperaments in Waldorf are used to loosely evaluate each student to allow a teacher to connect with them individually. The four temperaments are:

The choleric, a person who is fulfilled by deeds

The sanguine, a more sociable temperament

The phlegmatic, who thrives with more solitary time

The melancholic, who tends to think and feel things on a deeper level

Anthroposophy Anthroposophy is a spiritual philosophy reflecting the deeper aspects of humanity. In Waldorf, it's used to bridge the gaps between arts, sciences, and religions in human culture to give students a correlation between idealistic tradition and scientific research in all aspects of study for a more encompassing learning experience.

Qualitative Assessment Qualitative assessment allows the teacher to assess each student's progress rather than comparing them to the rest of their peers. It allows the teacher to modify the learning experience individually as they understand each student's best learning experiences. Because students learn in age groups rather than grades, there is less stigma attached to learning subjects at slightly different speeds than other children of the same age.

Spirituality Steiner believed humans are all spiritual creatures and, as such, spirituality should be taught alongside academic subjects such as science and mathematics. Spiritual growth is encouraged in Waldorf schools. Spirituality is not assigned a specific religion; many world religions and belief systems are explored throughout the students’ academic life.

Where to Look for More Information

https://www.waldorfeducation.org/

http://www.waldorfearlychildhood.org/

https://www.waldorfresearchinstitute.org/

Reggio Emilia

Developed by Loris Malaguzzi after WWII to address the educational needs of his native region of Italy, the Reggio Emilia method of education is named after that region and is now taught throughout the world.

The Reggio Emilia educational philosophy is based on the premise that young children can learn from all things in their environment and should be exposed to as many new experiences as possible to develop communication, self-expression, problem-solving, and logical thinking skills. The Reggio approach does not use a linear or curriculum-driven method to teach children, as most methods do. Instead, they focus on the child's environment to stimulate learning and development. Schools and classrooms are filled with natural materials, plants, and windows as well as photographs, mirrors, and artwork, so each child is enriched by their surroundings as they learn.

What Grades Does This Method Cover?

Reggio method schools are for children from infancy to age six and are split into three-year increments with children staying in the same group for the entire three years. There are also elementary schools that embrace the Reggio Emilia educational philosophy, but they are the exception rather than the norm.

At Reggio preschools, this split is to allow different focus on infant-toddlers than on preschoolers. Infants naturally require more nurturing and sleep times while, by the age of three, preschoolers are more likely to explore and learn about their environment on their own.

Emergent Curriculum

Reggio has no predefined curriculum, instead allowing the learning experience to develop through project work that allows each child to explore their interests in specific areas. If a child is interested in learning to read, they may do so at their own speed, but it is not mandated. The goal is to encourage enthusiasm for learning new things without placing restrictions or requirements on the subject matter. This is turn allows each child to develop a lifelong love of exploring and learning new things. The focus is on introducing a broad range of subjects, spanning music and art to science and math.

Importance of Documentation

Reggio teachers learn to document each child's development through the child's words, creations, thoughts, and actions in order to make a visual progress chart of the child's growth. This wide range of media has several benefits:

Each child sees that their work is valued.

The teacher can track each child's progress, evaluate, and plan for further development.

Parents can easily see their child's development rather than relying on a graded system.

A proper school record can be maintained.

Parent Participation

Parents are a vital component of the Reggio approach to education as they are seen as a child's first teacher as well as a major part of the educational process. Parents are recognized as the child's primary teacher, and their ideas and skills are valued in the classroom as well as outside of school. Reggio schools see parents as an integral part of the program, and they are encouraged to participate both in the classroom as well as in a variety of events throughout the school year.

Making each parent a part of the educational process reduces the gap between teacher and parent and allows each child to thrive at school, at home, and within the community.

Importance of Communities and Classroom Environment

Reggio schools consider the community to be a partner in child development and encourage child community interaction with field trips and events as part of the curriculum. The classroom environment is considered one of the most important aspects of the method as Malaguzzi felt a child's physical environment to be the third teacher. The classroom is designed to capture the attention of children and help them learn through visuals, touch, and exposure to natural elements such as plants and sunlight.

The classrooms are also designed to integrate with their surroundings, so they fit smoothly into the rest of the school as well as the local community. This nurtures exploration and acceptance of nature as children develop relationships with other children, adults, and their outside world.

Where to Look for More Information

https://www.reggioalliance.org/

Videos To Help You Find The Right Career Choices

Rancho Cucamonga Career Video -- Preschool Teacher

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sW7IQWhJo8o

Occupational Video - Early Childhood Educator

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DJzMTQjsOA

Meaningful Inclusion in Early Childhood

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2wJqDw9B68

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Why Teachers Need Enthusiasm

The teaching profession requires that teachers wear many hats. They must be an instructor, friend, social worker, police person, guidance counselor, and cheerleader. Through that all, they also need to have enthusiasm. Many would wonder why that matters. Does it impact learning or other outcomes? In fact, it seems to be far more important than many would assume.

The word itself is fraught with meaning. Its Greek origins indicate divine inspiration, a state of otherworldly ecstasy. In such a state, teachers would be capable of nearly anything, including fulfilling their duties as teacher. Since the profession has so many disparate, and coinciding, demands it is easy to see how extra-human intervention might be helpful, if not necessary.

Though this may sound like philosophical speculation, an enthusiastic teacher has a very positive, measurable impact on their preschool students. In fact, studies have shown that when teachers are actively engaged with their profession and all that it entails, students become likewise engaged. One outcome of this engagement is lower rates of cheating.

Studies have found that when students perceive their teacher as motivated, they reciprocate with their own motivation. When teachers are perceived as being uncaring or unmotivated students tend to mirror that attitude, as well. Students have been quoted as saying that if their teacher is not enthusiastic about being in the classroom, then that devalues the learning experience. Thus, students are more likely to cheat on tests. After all, if the teacher doesn’t care about the material or teaching it, then why should students care about learning?

  Becoming Enthused

However, how does a teacher become enthusiastic? More importantly, how does he convey this enthusiasm to classroom after packed classroom of students? After all, it seems that what is required goes beyond a mere love of one’s topic. Researchers who place more emphasis on the nuts and bolts of, say, social studies are not necessarily enthused or easily able to inspire students in a way that deters cheating and fosters learning.

What seems to be needed is perhaps less emphasis on feeling said enthusiasm and more attention on performance. If teachers can borrow a few tips from the drama department, they might be able to display, if not feel, the requisite energy to keep their students actively engaged. Educators might think of such classroom behaviors as frivolous or even deprecating to the materials. However, when teachers learn to gesticulate, use their voice in dramatic ways, and otherwise act out the material, students take note.

The Classroom is a Stage

No great performance was ever supported by a bland, uninspired, unenthusiastic stage. Thus, teachers need to pay equal attention to their classroom. It should be well-organized so that students know where to find their assignments or other pertinent information, but also full of life and color. Since so many schools are overtly institutional, when teachers design their rooms with interesting seating charts, colorful and relevant artwork, and even colorful dry-erase markers, students notice. Even if a teacher is not the most naturally dramatic performer, if their classroom embodies an enthusiasm for the subject matter and student outcomes, the pupils will respond accordingly.

Stay Focused on the Job of Teaching

Many teachers might interpret much of the literature around enthusiasm to mean that they should do nothing but prance around the classroom and use a chipper tone. It might be assumed that the best teachers are those who embody youthfulness. Some teachers balk at this notion and point out the high rate of young teachers who burn out after a few years. It would seem that the sugar-high of youth is sometimes followed by a disastrous crash.

Thus, teachers need to stay focused on the primary goal of teaching: to communicate the curriculum to students. They need to find a way to demonstrate a love of teaching while practicing that very art. It can be a delicate and difficult balancing act. Perhaps this is more true with drier subject matter, such as mathematics.

Enthusiastic Discernment

Enthusiasm often indicates outward vibrancy and energy, but that is not a true or valid expression for every teacher. If an educator makes an effort, they should be able to find a way to express their enthusiasm appropriately and sustainably. Some might be full of bouncy froth for a lifetime, while others might express their enthusiasm with a quiet intensity. When teachers discover how to channel their enthusiasm in ways that are authentic to them, students are sure to respond. After all, kids are often experts at detecting when someone is putting them on and thus, even the most energetic performance might fall flat if it’s not true to the performer.

Teachers need to be enthusiastic; research shows this has a positive impact on the learning process. However, educators must also model a sort of enthusiasm that is truthful and sustainable in order to survive as a teacher. Perhaps when students see a model of authentic inspiration, they will be prompted to discover their own.

Additional Sources: Teacher Enthusiasm: A Potential Cure How To Be An Enthusiastic Teacher

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4379758/

https://garyhall.org.uk/how-to-be-an-enthusiastic-teacher.html

https://busyteacher.org/18529-teacher-enthusiasm-teacher-skill-which- is.html

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Importance of Early Childhood Education

Early childhood generally encompasses the first eight years in the life of an individual. The education given during these years of a child's life plays a very important role and helps in proper development of children. Early childhood education can be fundamentally termed as "Learning through play". Recent research have shown that early eight years in any children life are crucial time because during this phase their brain develops and much of its 'wiring' is laid down. The education experiences and relationships a child has along with nutrition can actually affect child mental growth enormously. While good early childhood education helps the brain to develop in healthy ways, improper education or study without play on other hand may affect brain development in different manner. So the experiences and the learning of a child in early years can support them in their entire life.

Recent studies of early childhood education have even shown some remarkable success. It resulting effects on child motivation and learning power last for a long time. Today where education has become very important role to play in a society, it is not right to postpone investing in children education until they become adults, nor wait till they reach school age. In fact early childhood is a vital phase of life in terms of a child's intellectual, emotional and social development. Besides this, the most important point to know is that the growth of mental abilities is at an astounding rate and high proportion of learning takes place during this period.

It is very important for every parent to understand that a child spends first eight years in realization of his or her own identity. These are very crucial years when children gain a sense of self and learn to associate themselves with the people around them. They develop an understanding and behavior to a certain extent. For this reason it is suggested that early childhood education during these years should be more focused on teaching children about the world around them through play and establish the links. Moreover, many child development experts also agree that play is very important in the learning and emotional development of children. A play can be multi-facet and often helps in educating different skills in children. In addition to this, education through play also helps them learn social skills, and develop values and ethics.

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