What is Early Childhood Care and Education?

The term “early childhood” describes the first six years of life, from birth. These are the formative years because they set the groundwork for later stages of verbal, cognitive, socioemotional, and physical development. Studies. Neuroscientists recognize the significance of these years as the brain grows and develops rapidly. Early care, an engaging atmosphere, and the best possible learning chances have a long-lasting effect on young children’s lives. Ensuring early childhood care and education (ECCE) of high quality for every child during their formative years is one way to achieve this. A child’s development may be negatively impacted by any form of deprivation. Let us learn more about what is Early Childhood Care and Education and why it is significant.

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What is Early Childhood Care and Education: Introduction

Three essential components make up the phrase ECCE: “Early Childhood,” “Care,” and “Education.” Early childhood is defined as the first six years of life. There are three early years sub-stages, each with unique age-specific developmental priorities, according to the National Policy on ECCE, 2013. The following are the sub-stages: (a) conception to birth; (b) birth to three years; and (c) three to six years. This is the most crucial stage of life, marked by quick development and progress. “Care” is defined as giving all children love and affection as well as a clean, safe, stimulating, and hygienic environment. Education involves developing information, skills, attitudes, and values through research, experimentation, observation, involvement, and interaction. These experiences help youngsters understand themselves and the world around them.

Hence, early childhood care and education (ECCE) refers to offering all young children health and nutrition services in addition to early learning opportunities. Children’s physical-motor, cognitive, socioemotional, and language development depend on a safe and engaging setting filled with play-based and developmentally appropriate activities. Therefore, ECCE serves as the cornerstone for children’s entire development, later learning, and well-being.

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Components of ECCE

The question ‘What is Early Childhood Care and Education?’ cannot be fully answered without discussing the various components that comprise the ECCE. ECCE is an integrated program made up of many elements that work together to support children’s growth and welfare. So let us discuss the components of ECCE to have a comprehensive idea about ‘what is Early Childhood Care and Education?’.

Nutrition, Health and Hygiene

Providing routine medical care to the mother and the child is the focus of this component. It includes offering the expectant mother prenatal and postnatal care, including a nutritious diet, timely immunizations, routine checks, a stress-free environment, and safe childbirth at a hospital or health centre.

In the same manner, every child should have access to a clean, healthy environment that includes a balanced diet, protection from illnesses, timely vaccinations, and medical attention.

Care and Protection

All children require a safe, secure, and protective environment to grow and develop to their fullest potential possible. This includes both physical and mental safety. Providing a nurturing and safe environment is essential to early childhood education and care. Parents must meet their children’s psychological and socioemotional requirements. It can be accomplished by attending to their needs and providing a safe and healthy environment, as well as by providing suitable stimulation and friendly, supportive engagement.

Early Stimulation

The domains of language, cognitive, social-emotional, and physical-motor development are all interrelated. All areas of development see tremendous growth and development in the first few years of life. Early stimulation is the process of giving young children the right stimuli to see, hear, touch, smell, and taste, especially in the first three years of life. The purpose of stimulation is to foster children’s potential by promoting opportunities for exploration of their surroundings and pleasant interactions with parents or other caregivers.

Studies confirm that brain development is aided by stimulation through the formation of neural networks that facilitate learning in later life. Therefore, young children must have access to a stimulating environment full of a range of developmentally appropriate materials, experiences, and opportunities during their formative years.

Early Learning

Another crucial element of ECCE is offering early learning opportunities. It is imperative that learning experiences for children between the ages of three and six are tailored to their developmental stage and age-appropriate. Assuring that children have access to a high-quality education that includes play, hands-on learning, observation, manipulation, and experimentation is vital. They gain knowledge about the world, other people, and themselves as a result.

Various Forms of Development

You should have an idea about various types of developments to fully understand ‘what is Early Childhood Care and Education?’. Let us discuss various types of development before discussing further ‘What is Early Childhood Care and Education?’.

Physical – Motor Development

Physical development and growth encompass changes in body weight, height, and proportions. Bone development is a part of it.

The size, density, and proportion of the bones determine the overall body’s structure. They give the body an overall structure and form. The process of developing fine and gross muscles as well as hand-eye coordination is included in physical and motor development. Children benefit from the development of their gross muscles when they are crawling, walking, running, cycling, climbing, jumping, and other activities. Their ability to use fine motor skills is beneficial for writing, threading, colouring, scribbling, holding a crayon, and sketching.

Socio-emotional Development

The process of acquiring cultural values and societal norms is known as social development. Children who have healthy social development can build wholesome relationships with their family, friends, and other adults. The term “emotional development” describes how children’s emotions and sentiments develop. Basic emotions like love, fear, anger, and happiness are present in newborns. Over time, they acquire complicated emotions as well as the capacity to identify, communicate, and regulate them.

Cognitive Development

It describes the growth of mental or cognitive capacities, including the ability to reason, remember, identify, classify, visualize, and make judgments.

Language Development

It is the act of learning, comprehending, and applying language. It involves the ability to read, write, talk, and listen. These abilities aid kids in expressing their emotions and interacting with others.

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Objectives of ECCE

The mission of ECCE is to support every child’s holistic development during their formative years by offering high-quality care and educational opportunities. The 2013 National ECCE Curriculum Framework outlines the goals of ECCE. Let us examine the main goals of ECCE in the context of this document. The objective of the Early Childhood Care and Education is to do the following things.

• Ensure the safety, security, acceptance, and respect of children.
• Ensure that children eat a healthy, balanced diet.
• Teach kids self-help techniques, good hygiene habits, and regular exercise.
• Facilitate the growth of clear language and effective communication and expression abilities.
• Guarantee that children’s physical and motor development reaches its full potential.
• Provide exciting, interactive, and engaging activities to help youngsters develop their sensory and cognitive abilities.
• Encourage the growth of social competence and pro-social skills in addition to the emotional health of youngsters
• Prepare children for formal education in schools.

Methods of ECCE

The characteristics of children in the age range of 4-6 are taken into consideration by ECE. It employs the play way method, which entails the following tasks:

1. Music and rhythmic exercises
2. Storytelling
3. Language and cognitive activities with materials that can be manipulated, like play dough.
4. Conversation
5. Puppet play
6. Indoor and outdoor games
7. Dramatisation
8. Nature walk
9. Play (free and structured)
10. Rhymes/songs
11. Experiments at the child’s level such as water play, etc
12. Doll’s play

Evaluation of Child in ECCE

Continuous informal evaluation of children’s developmental objectives is crucial in ECCE, as it is a ‘development-oriented’ approach rather than a ‘syllabus-oriented’ one. Individual evaluations should include all aspects of a child’s development, including social, emotional, physical, cognitive, and language. Continuous evaluation involves observing children’s behaviour and responses during play activities, such as puzzles, riddles, structured language and cognitive tasks, and games. You can also design and distribute practice worksheets to children between the ages of 4 and 6 years old.

In addition to continuous evaluation, term-wise evaluation should be conducted. Parents can receive progress reports for each term. Evaluate each term based on its aims and associated programs. Because this age group does not receive formal education in reading, writing, or mathematics, evaluation should primarily rely on observations. Observation can help assess children’s behaviour, attitudes, and talents.

Children with special needs can be detected by continuous evaluation. It is possible to provide these kids extra care by setting up small group activities. Through small group activities, kids can also study at their own pace and acquire new skills. The educator or worker should be able to organize the activities with these considerations in mind.

The Benefits of Early Childhood Care and Education

There are many benefits to the ECCE. Some of them are listed below.

• Research indicates that children who have received early childhood education perform well in primary school. ECCE promotes development and lets them benefit fully from schooling.
• ECCE promotes a child’s holistic development, including language, physical, emotional, and social skills.
• ECCE prepares youngsters to learn formal reading, writing, and numerical skills.
• ECCE offers children concrete experiences. This helps kids build learning skills.
• Early childhood care and education (ECCE) helps children build confidence. This leads to more self-discipline.
• ECCE encourages children to participate in group activities.
• ECCE is not a results-oriented course of study. This approach prioritizes learning above the result.
• ECCE helps youngsters develop and strengthen their inherent talents and skills.

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Significance of ECCE

There are many reasons for the significance of ECCE in India. Some important ones among them are listed below.

Educating First Generation Students

In our nation, a sizable portion of children are first-generation students. Children cannot receive enough care and direction if there is not an engaging and suitable learning environment at home. Children can be given a progressive and healthy environment for learning through ECCE. The growth of children from economically and educationally disadvantaged homes can be supported by ECCE.

Security for Children of Working Parents

Children’s sense of security and self-worth are strengthened by ECCE.  The joint family system is rapidly crumbling. Consequently, there is no one else accessible to watch the kids for the parents, including the grandparents and other family members. Parents work long hours. The modern way of living has heightened mental stress. In this case, ECCE is not only a centre for education, but it also acts as a safe place where the parents can trust the caretakers and teachers to look after the children during their work hours.

Traditionally, parents are the first teachers and homes are the first schools. But in the present case scenario, as we discussed above, many parents’ lifestyles cannot afford the time to work on the early education of their child. All of these gaps can be filled if the child is enrolled in a good ECCE centre. So, it is essential to make ECCE centres easily accessible and affordable for all people.

Learning Through Playing

Play activities that are engaging and beneficial for education are one way that ECCE encourages children to learn.

Identifying and Meeting Health and Nutritional Requirements

If identified at this stage, it becomes simple to treat the majority of illnesses, weaknesses, and deficiencies in nutrition that children may experience. This is achievable via ECCE.

Educating the Girl Child

Girls are often prevented from attending school by their families because they must stay at home to care for their younger siblings. With the establishment of ECCE centres, girls enrolled in elementary school are free to attend their classes without the burden of looking after their siblings.

By promoting the education of girls, ECCE can have a significant impact on the universalization of education. Girls who participate in early childhood education programs are more likely to continue their education in elementary school. There is a higher enrollment and retention rate for kids with early childhood experiences.

Reduction of Child Labour and Child Marriage Rates

We discussed above that children have a higher chance of continuing being in school if they attend ECCE centres than the ones who do not. The higher enrolment and retention rates slowly lead to a reduction in child labour and child marriages, especially in rural settings.

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What is Early Childhood Care and Education: Conclusion

All essential features of ECCE are discussed in the article. But let me tell you a few more things to keep in mind.

• Never expect previous knowledge from a child seeking admission to an ECCE centre. It is essential to strongly advocate against entrance exams being conducted for admission to ECCE centres. Never put such unnecessary pressure on the child at the beginning stage of their education.
• Never put too much pressure when it comes to formal training in reading, writing, learning etc. ECCE is to prepare for primary education not directly start into it. Never start formal teaching of 3 Rs in the ECCE centre.
• Never give ECCE students any kind of homework.
• The teachers should be specially trained in the principles and methods of ECCE.
• The study literature and materials should be appropriate for the ECCE method of learning.