Benefits of Early Child Education

It is well known that the brain development of young ones is greatly affected by early education. Children learn best when they are not pushed too hard and when they are given space for creativity. As a result of this, many parents take preschool seriously and resort to spending more time with their children in order to teach them the things they feel they need to learn. This has been found to be very helpful for a child’s higher education and that is why I will be discussing the Benefits of Early Child Education.

What is Early Child Education?

Early childhood education is basically for children between the ages of three and five. It is more commonly referred to as preschool, pre-kindergarten, daycare, nursery school, or simply early education. Despite the different names, they all have the same purpose – to prepare children for elementary school. Giving your children special attention before elementary school helps in giving them a head start for their future.

Why is early childhood education important?

In terms of human development, the importance of early childhood education can’t be overstated.

A child’s early years are the foundation for his or her future development, providing a strong base for lifelong learning and learning abilities, including cognitive and social development. Well-established research continues to emphasize the importance of early childhood education as an essential building block of a child’s future success.

What are the Benefits of Early Child Education in Nigeria?

A lot of parents in Nigeria are not aware of the Benefits of Early Child Education for their children. Some do not even see the need for enrolling their children in preschool or kindergarten, as they do not consider this level of learning to be important. This is the wrong notion, as early childhood education is vital to the growth and development of your child.

Here are 5 Benefits of Early Child Education in Nigeria

1.    Improved Social Skills 

Young children love to play and communicate with their mates, and the preschool environment gives them the opportunity to do just that. Besides, the environment enables children to acquire crucial skills that allow them to listen to one another, express ideas, make friends, and collaborate. One major advantage of social skills in early childhood education in Nigeria is the fact that it plays a key role in facilitating a student’s achievement in reading and mathematics by directly influencing motivation, which in turn influences engagement.

2. Eagerness to learn 

Eagerness to learn is one of the Benefits of Early Child Education as you might not agree with this point, but it is a statement of fact. Students who receive quality early childhood education in Nigeria are reportedly more confident and inquisitive, which causes them to perform better in grade school.  For instance, in Greensprings School, students who started from the preschool stage to the secondary phase achieved outstanding performance and recognition in their academics; an example is Honour Olatunji, who emerged Top in the World in 2016 Cambridge IGCSE Mathematics. 

Teaching young children early childhood education in Nigeria helps them to learn how to manage challenges and build resilience in times of difficulty. You will find that students who begin school from preschool settle easily at the institution and they acquire a long-term interest in learning different things, including music, drama, singing, etc.

  3. Encouraging Holistic Development 

Teaching early childhood education in Nigeria to young children provides a strong footing for their development. It helps to build a child’s cognitive, physical, social, and emotional proficiency which will prepare them for life challenges. At an early age, children are curious to learn. According to Thomas (2016), “Teaching Mathematics early helps children to develop critical and reasoning skills.”

However, we can’t ignore the difficulty in finding qualified trained early educators in Nigeria. Benefits of Early Child Education is unique in its requirement for trained teachers. The reason why it is hard to find capable teachers to teach early childhood education in Nigeria is that competent educators won’t accept the low salary offered by institutions in the country. Therefore, this forces preschools in Nigeria into cutting corners, by hiring unqualified teachers that may not be suitable for the job. This, in the long run, will affect the quality of education being served to the children.

 4. Boost Self-Confidence 

Through interactions with other children and teachers, children develop a positive mindset and perception of themselves. A child at three years, when compared to other children who might be older, will display a level of boldness and articulation — this is a result of teaching early childhood education.

5.    Enhanced Attention Span 

This is one of the Benefits of Early Child Education because young children always find it difficult to pay attention in the classroom, especially from age 3 to 5 years. The length of time during which preschool children concentrate has always been a concern for educators and teachers. Nevertheless, if young children are taught early childhood education in Nigeria at a tender age, this will help enhance their attention span. Motor skills are very crucial to young children — tasks such as painting, drawing, and playing with toys can go a long way in improving their attention.

There are so many other benefits of early childhood education in Nigeria. It is advisable for educators to introduce early childhood education into their curriculum. Access to quality early childhood education in Nigeria is vital. Services need to be offered and they must be of high value. Parents must also be supported to make decisions. There’s a lot of information available to assist parents with their decision-making and Greensprings is a good place to start.