Children gain confidence and self-esteem in a quality educational setting. They also become better communicators and problem-solvers.
Children’s developing theory of mind permeates their everyday interactions with people. They learn that people have different perceptions, goals and feelings.
Children need to be exposed to a variety of cultures and languages in order to develop tolerance and acceptance of diversity. They also need to be able to work together in group projects and activities.
Socialization
Socialization is the process that teaches individuals how to function as members of their society. It involves learning to behave according to certain societal norms and values, developing impulse control and a conscience, and understanding the impact of one’s actions on others.
The family is the primary agent of socialization, but it also takes place through schools, religious institutions and the media. In addition, it can happen through developmental or anticipatory socialization, which is when people learn about future roles and expectations to prepare for them.
Gender socialization is an important part of children’s education as well, and it starts early in life. For example, young girls are often given toys that emphasize physical appearance and domesticity while boys receive playthings that promote action or building skills. This ingrained gender socialization can continue into adulthood. However, there are ways to counteract it, such as having “the talk” with your children about how they should interact with police officers.
Adaptation
Adaptability is essential for children to thrive in life. This skill is a major component of quality early childhood education and care (ECCE). The UN’s Sustainable Development Goals emphasize that all children need access to high-quality ECCE in order to grow into healthy, productive adults.
To teach children about adaptation, it is important to use relatable examples. For example, it is helpful to talk about how different living things adapt to their environments. For example, animals in cold climates may have thick fur or layers of fat to keep them warm. Similarly, animals in the desert might have humps to store water or long legs to navigate hot sand.
Moreover, teachers should encourage students to learn from their mistakes and use their strengths to overcome challenges. This will help them develop resilience, a crucial skill for surviving life’s uncertainties. Additionally, educators should also provide children with a safe space to express their emotions and promote healthy relationships. Activities like trust walks, musical chairs, and yoga can help build resilience and foster empathy.
Communication
Children and youth need to feel safe talking with adults about their learning. This means establishing a culture of mutual respect and tolerance, and providing resources to promote communication. It also means ensuring that parents and families can easily understand the learning goals, relevance and success criteria of their child’s activities.
Virtually all children develop the ability to understand causality, adopt another person’s perspective and sort objects by categories. However, individual differences can be seen in children’s vocabularies, familiarity with the alphabet and its relationship to sounds and printed words, their ability to reason through problems and their knowledge of different notational formats (e.g., 3-D models, maps).
Encourage children to communicate their ideas with you by using games, play, music and storytelling. Getting down to eye level when they speak with you and actively listening to their responses can help them feel understood and safe. In addition, encouraging them to talk about what they’re learning with other kids in their group can help them feel connected to one another.
Teamwork
Early childhood education (ECE) focuses on the cognitive and social development of children. It encompasses formal and informal educational programs that guide children’s learning through their preschool years. ECE professionals work in two-way partnerships with families to support children’s growth and development. They also collaborate with community resources to further enhance children’s learning.
UNESCO’s work in this area is guided by the belief that ‘learning begins at birth,’ first articulated in the World Declaration on Education for All Jomtien Declaration (1989), and reinforced in the Convention on the Rights of the Child. As such, it supports governments in their efforts to ensure that all young children have access to quality early care and education.
In addition, UNESCO promotes the inclusion of an ECCE component in country’s education sector plans to address the needs of different age groups including marginalized communities. This approach will help achieve Sustainable Development Goal 4.2, which calls for “ensure inclusive and equitable quality education for all by 2030.” Learn how you can help support this effort.