There is a lot of information surrounding early education. These studies and opinions, at times, don’t have the same conclusions. However, there are common themes among them. One of them is that early education is beneficial to those who experience it—although these benefits are not always clear or immediately apparent.
This article aims to shed some light into these benefits and why parents should prioritise early education in their children.
According to a paper posted on the American Psychological Association’s website, the advantages of early childhood education can be categorised into short- or long-term. This is a good starting point for understanding them in detail.
Short-term Benefits of Early Childhood Education
The researchers who wrote the paper above found that up to eight in every ten students who went to preschool performed better than the average child, even five to ten years after. This can be attributed to several possible causes.
- Developing good habits – According to Care for Kindies, children who undergo early education can learn good and healthy habits that may not be necessarily part of the academic curricula. The simple act of brushing their teeth regularly or putting their things away can teach kids about self-responsibility and build strong foundations that can help them take on bigger responsibilities in the future. Doing tasks regularly can also teach children about the importance of routine.
- Cultivating literacy and numeracy skills – Learning to read, write and count in a more structured way can boost a child’s ability to grasp these concepts. It’s also an excellent way to introduce children into education standards. By the time they reach primary school, they’ll be used to the basics, and they have had the experience of applying them as well. Positive reinforcement for learning these skills also help children because it gives them a reason to work harder.
- Building social connections – Another immediate benefit of early childhood education is how it teaches children to connect with others. Being exposed to their peers can teach them how to get along, to be kind or to share. Those who enrol in international preschools also have the opportunity to interact with children from other countries and cultures, which can help teach them inclusion and tolerance. This can help them go through most of their schooling in the future.
Long-term Benefits of Early Childhood Education
Although it can be argued that the short-term benefits are also applicable later in life, there are a lot of other factors that affect these next examples.
- Preventing personal and social issues – According to the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, adults who attended preschool are statistically less likely to get arrested or struggle with alcohol and substance abuse. This is also backed up by the previously mentioned paper on the APA website.
- Encouraging academic completion – According to Vox, there have been studies that found children who attended early education are more likely to finish college.
These benefits are no doubt influenced by the strong academic and social foundations that were established during early childhood. Although it’s hardly the only contributing factor, it should be enough to convince parents to pursue it. Parents want all the advantages they can afford their children, after all.
