The importance of early childhood education

Why is Early Childhood Education important?

The importance of a child’s early years of life is something that is often taken for granted, yet these youngest years have consistently been shown to be the cornerstone phase of development for all human beings. Our development as young children is an essential part of the process of becoming adults. Most often, the way in which a child physically progresses follows a common sequence: the child is born, crawls, walks, talks, etc. Yet as older children and then as adults, paths and personalities begin to look very different from one another. We can all agree that the complexities of human development are remarkable, going far beyond what most of us can imagine. Here at Phillips Brooks School, we are rooted in the belief that each child charts a unique course which is predominantly based on the experiences met between birth and adolescence. The emotional, social and physical development of young children certainly has a direct effect on the adults they will ultimately become. This is why understanding the importance of early education is so important.

There is consistent and strong evidence which shows that:

- Brain development is most rapid in the early stages of a child’s life. When the quality of stimulation, support and nurture is lacking, there can be detrimental effects on overall development.

- Learning delays can be greatly reduced with the help of early intervention. At the beginning stages of Kindergarten early academics, children who did not participate in an Early Childhood Education program lag behind their peers who have attended an ECE program. 

- Children who are enrolled in an Early Childhood Education program achieve more success at school. As adults they have better career opportunities, improved health, and lower levels of dependence and crime rates than those who do not attend an early education program.

- Efforts to improve early child development are an investment, not a cost. Investing in ECE  helps promote economic growth while also helping to target the development of character and cognitive skills necessary for future success.

At Phillips Brooks School, our methods and models of teaching and nurturing our youngest students in the Early Learning Center are firmly mirrored by the above evidence. We are dedicated to providing our young learners the gateway to lifelong love of learning through social growth and experimentation, the development of early academic learning through everyday interactions, leading to organic experiences that solidly prepare students for their future classwork and elementary school years.

For further reading, Gloria Julius, VP of Primrose Schools in Atlanta Georgia, breaks down exactly what research has found and why Early Childhood Education is the overall key to success: https://www.advanc-ed.org/source/understanding-why-how-research-improving-early-childhood-education

Phillips Brooks School is located in Menlo Park, CA. Contact us for more information!