Among the many changes in our world over the last several decades, few have been as dramatic as the increased need for early childhood education. Gone are the days when children could delay their education and still hope to be competitive with their peers and others around the world. The fast-paced nature of today's economy and the increased use of technology now require an even greater emphasis on educating children at a very young age.
The genesis of the change
In more pastoral times, agrarian cultures and the earliest industrial societies had the luxury of permitting children to focus on play and chores during the earliest days of their lives. Most work was menial, and required more muscle than brainpower. As a result, it was more important that children develop sound bodies than educated minds.
The advent of the computerized age began to change everything. As companies began to rely upon more and more technology to create and service the products they sold, they began to require an ever more educated workforce. The levels of technological expertise required for workplace competitiveness has continued to increase with each passing decade.
The earliest learning
Children obviously get their earliest learning from their parents. It is within the home that children traditionally learn those most basic of skills, including their native language and proper behavior. Beyond that point, age three has been the traditional point in time when the first forms of formal education become available.
The preschool environment builds upon those initial home lessons. It also adds to those lessons by teaching more complex socialization skills, a better understanding of the visual symbols that constitute the alphabet and numerical systems, and fundamental learning habits that will be critical later. Everything is designed to prepare the child for his primary educational career.
Additional help
For many parents, however, these formalized efforts to provide their children with a head start on the educational front are still not enough. Every parent wants his or her child to have every advantage possible to ensure educational success. To meet this demand, many in the private sector have responded with educational programs targeted for young students.
These programs include basic language skills, early math, reading, and even foreign language study. They take a variety of forms, ranging from computer software and internet learning to traditional tutoring programs and other types of formalized instruction. Though the overall benefits of these types of supplemental instruction are not yet fully understood, there can be little doubt that these programs provide at least some advantages to the children who participate in them.
It also appears obvious that these types of educational programs are going to gain greater acceptance and relevance over the coming years. The fact that workers from around the world are in competition with one another on a daily basis makes it more critical than ever that every student receive early childhood education to ensure that he obtains every available competitive advantage.
The genesis of the change
In more pastoral times, agrarian cultures and the earliest industrial societies had the luxury of permitting children to focus on play and chores during the earliest days of their lives. Most work was menial, and required more muscle than brainpower. As a result, it was more important that children develop sound bodies than educated minds.
The advent of the computerized age began to change everything. As companies began to rely upon more and more technology to create and service the products they sold, they began to require an ever more educated workforce. The levels of technological expertise required for workplace competitiveness has continued to increase with each passing decade.
The earliest learning
Children obviously get their earliest learning from their parents. It is within the home that children traditionally learn those most basic of skills, including their native language and proper behavior. Beyond that point, age three has been the traditional point in time when the first forms of formal education become available.
The preschool environment builds upon those initial home lessons. It also adds to those lessons by teaching more complex socialization skills, a better understanding of the visual symbols that constitute the alphabet and numerical systems, and fundamental learning habits that will be critical later. Everything is designed to prepare the child for his primary educational career.
Additional help
For many parents, however, these formalized efforts to provide their children with a head start on the educational front are still not enough. Every parent wants his or her child to have every advantage possible to ensure educational success. To meet this demand, many in the private sector have responded with educational programs targeted for young students.
These programs include basic language skills, early math, reading, and even foreign language study. They take a variety of forms, ranging from computer software and internet learning to traditional tutoring programs and other types of formalized instruction. Though the overall benefits of these types of supplemental instruction are not yet fully understood, there can be little doubt that these programs provide at least some advantages to the children who participate in them.
It also appears obvious that these types of educational programs are going to gain greater acceptance and relevance over the coming years. The fact that workers from around the world are in competition with one another on a daily basis makes it more critical than ever that every student receive early childhood education to ensure that he obtains every available competitive advantage.
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