Early Childhood as a Catalyst for Academic Excellence
Updated: Oct 16, 2022
Early childhood education (ECE) is the beginning of a child’s academic career and should inherently be filled with hopes, dreams, and promises for a bright future. However, as with the differences that each child brings to the table with their background, abilities, culture, and early experiences, so is their access to high-quality preschool which increases the achievement gap. Children learn a great deal during their short time in preschool across the domains: cognitive, language and literacy, motor development, and social-emotional development. Additionally, preschool is where children learn the skills that prepare them for their educational careers; self-regulation, communication, and relationship-building.
Preschool is the gateway to a child’s educational career. These magical years in early childhood are pivotal in that they set the tone for the child’s experiences; the family’s as well which is why creating a high-quality early learning environment is so important for all students.
The field of ECE has an opportunity to influence policymakers, educate professionals, and support families in the benefits of access to high-quality educational opportunities for all children. Access to education that aids in the development of foundational academic skills, development of protective factors, and resilience in young children continues to vary among different socioeconomic and demographic backgrounds. As a result of the inequalities in opportunity, many children enter kindergarten already behind their same-age peers.
What can we do now?
Universal Pre-K - increase the access to early learning opportunities to reduce the gap before students enter kindergarten and provide the foundation skills necessary for student success in K-12.
High-quality learning environments - build a climate and culture that supports the well-being and academic success of all students in an early childhood setting that is designed to meet each student’s individual level while removing barriers to learning.
Focus on the whole, individual child -implement a curriculum that encompasses all of the learning domains from academic to social-emotional which is even more critical post-pandemic.
Engage in Instructional Coaching - share your knowledge and support the implementation of new skills or practices with collaboration and reflection.
Create or Join Professional Networks - find and connect with fellow professionals in the field of (ECE) to bounce ideas off of, learn from, and empower one another.
Join us in Trento, Italy for an Early Childhood Retreat focused on EC as the catalyst for academic excellence.