Five Reasons to Study Early Childhood Education

Early childhood educators play such an important role in a child’s development. They inspire young minds, expose them to the joys of learning, and give them the foundation for lifelong success.

Here are five reasons to study early childhood education.

Gain knowledge of developmental milestones

In this type of program, you’ll learn about the developmental milestones children make from birth until age 5—from crawling, to speaking in full sentences, and everything in between. This knowledge will help you learn to work with different age groups and how to best help them learn. In fact, the majority of a child’s brain development occurs during the first three years of life, and you can help children reach developmental milestones at different ages. 

Understand the early learning process

An early childhood education degree is a chance to learn about the specific tools that help a young child love learning, something that will benefit them the rest of their lives. The first five years of a child’s life are pivotal to their long-term success—and you can be part of it.

Learn relationship-building skills

This is a unique opportunity to learn about the important relationships between parents and educational professionals, as well as the relationships between educators and other community leaders. Early childhood development professionals need to be able to work with parents to help them teach their children at home. At the same time, you must manage relationships with community members to find the best resources and opportunities for your students.

Provide a hands-on learning experience

In addition to classroom work, graduates from this kind of program often get the opportunity to provide their students with unique hands-on learning experiences. Instead of showing students colors on paper, teachers will often use other resources such as blocks, toys, sand, and water to help them learn shape, texture, colors, numbers, and elements. If you really want to interact with students in creative ways, you’ll no doubt benefit from an early childhood education program because it often focuses on hands-on learning through experiences rather than instructions.

Advocate for early childhood education resources and initiatives

Advocacy is an important part of any early childhood educational professional’s life. Many graduates go on to improve the educational system for generations to come through work at the local, state, and national level—and that’s because early childhood education professionals have the knowledge, resources, and experiences to help influence officials in ways that not many others can.

Many educational professionals who work with young children must also advocate for their students’ needs not just to governmental bodies, but to non-profit organizations and other groups as well. They work to get the best resources, the best experiences, and ultimately the best education for their students no matter what area they are from, who their parents are, and what type of background they come from.

Feeling inspired?

It’s no surprise that graduates with a degree in early childhood education get so excited about the many different career possibilities ahead. They know that their days will be spent not only working with young children and helping them learn what they need to know to move forward in life, but that they’ll also be truly making an impact on today’s educational system. Whether a graduate works in a traditional classroom or is employed as a tutor at a facility, that person will touch the lives of young children across the country in ways that could positively affect them forever.

If you see yourself with a long career in early childhood education, consider pursuing Bachelor’s or Master’s in Early Childhood Education—degree programs that cover both basic and advanced topics regarding childhood learning developments, and is even required of some educators to gain employment in related professions.