MANILA, Philippines - School readiness requires the crucial involvement of families during early childhood. It’s important for parents or other related adults to become involved in the development of children, especially during the formative preschool stage. As a guest speaker in the recently concluded Philippine Summit on Early Childhood Education sponsored by Wyeth Progress Pre-School Gold and Maximus Inventus, I could not stress enough that this period is instrumental in the child’s development because it prepares him before and during the beginning of formal schooling.
It is also during this time when parents should be conscious of, or at least have an awareness of, changing trends in early childhood education, to better impart knowledge to their child. Parents certainly know the initial difficulty involved with teaching, but their children ultimately reap the rewards of hard work. During this phase, parents learn various lessons as well, strengthening their rapport with the young ones as a result.
The following are new trends in early childhood education that parents and teachers might find interesting or useful:
The first trend is readiness for learning school. There is and will be an increase in programs designed to provide various families with child development information, parenting skills, and learning activities that will help them get their children ready for school. Working with parents to help them get their children ready for learning and school is an important and growing part of early childhood services.
Next is support for whole child education. Early childhood professionals have acknowledged that they must educate the whole child — the physical, social, emotional, and cognitive aspects. However, the spiritual aspect has not received much attention. A recent trend is a greater emphasis on supporting children’s spiritual development through moral and character education.
Another trend is increased use of technology. More early childhood programs are seeking ways to enhance their effectiveness by helping children gain the cognitive and literacy skills they need to be successful in school and life. Many are turning to technology as a means of achieving these goals.
Fourth is early literacy learning. Brain research has created interest in the importance of early literacy development. There is a growing awareness of the critical role literacy plays in school and life success. Consequently, there are now more new programs designed to specifically help young children get ready for learning to read.
Lastly is the politicalization of early childhood education. There has been a dramatic increase in government involvement in the education of young children. For example, the Early Childhood Care and Development Council is directly under the Office of the President.
There is much to learn about these trends, which will always depend on their relevance to you and your child. In a faster-paced, ever-changing world, education remains even more important, and your child’s ability to adapt will depend on the quality of your involvement in his early education.