Children begin to learn about the world around them, from a very early age, including during the prenatal, perinatal and postal periods. Children’s early experiences the bond they form with their parents and their first learning experiences, deeply affect their future physical, cognitive, emotional and social development.
What is Early Childhood Development?
Early Childhood Development is a stage in human development. It is a process by which humans change qualitatively and quantitatively over time. It generally includes toddler hood and some time afterward. There are three simultaneous development stages. Physical growth development, Cognitive growth development and Social-emotional development.
Physical growth development.
In this phase, there is significant synaptic growth and myelination of neural fibers in the brain, especially within the frontal lobes. For example, between the age 2 and 6, the brain increase from 70% its adult weight to 90%. Around the age five, children start speaking properly and master their hand eye coordination.
Cognitive growth development
This is the stage during which the child repeatedly ask why?” and is used to build relationships with the children. The child has to be able to see what is being talked about, because they do not understand the concept of logic. This means that they think literally. For example, if a man has long hair, the child will think he is a woman.
Social-emotional growth and development.
This stage includes children understanding a sense of ‘self’ relationship with others and sociability. Emotional Development includes expressions and personality. For example, boys are more aggressive, while girls are more caring.
Western Views of Early Childhood Development.
Exporting early learning measurements tools and programs created in Western countries where European-heritage norms and approaches to development predominate can interrupt the transmission of locally- valued cultural knowledge and practices and undermine the diversity of voices, ways of life and supports raising children in local conditions in receiver countries and communities. In the Middle Ages European children had been largely seen as fallen. Children were considered to be infants until they were 6 or 7 years of age. For example, most children died in great numbers during the time, many at birth and Infanticide was not uncommon through the 17th century, healthy and unhealthy infants were drowned or abandoned. Once children reach the age of 7, they were often viewed as little adults.
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African Views of Early Childhood Development.
To provide a useful of Africa’s early childhood ideas and practices, an understanding of indigenous patterns of childcare arrangements that existed prior to the intrusion of African traditions of Childcare and education required. According to (Clark,N.2004) he says that peer culture is central to supporting African children’s learning and development of norms, and he further that it has not been well analyzed or researched. Its absence is but one example of ways in which Minority World perspectives and values dominate what is deemed appropriate and of interest for child development research. We can gain insight into an African approach to learning and become by examining African family practices wherein parents sensitize children from an early age to seek out others to extract ‘competence’ and to figure out and feel their way into the world away from family and neighborhood, but with attentive cautious that leave a lasting imprint, such as ‘Venture into the world, but be a good child’
The influence of Oppression on the lives of children and families.
Families who were of oppressed cultures became more collective in their thinking and action. For example, families of the late 19th century became increasingly close-knit and mutually supportive as they adapted to the conditions of social and economic injustice of the time (Halgunseth, 2004; Sanchez- Ayende’1988).
According to (Garcia Coll & Pachter, 2002) they say child-rearing techniques also changed as a results of oppression. Parents are often adopted firm and directive socialization practices to protect their children from dangers inherent in slavery or colonization. African slave parents, for example, needed to restrict their children’s actions to avoid harsh punishments by slaveholders. They encourage self-sufficiency at an early age.
In some cultures, oppression led to valuing Western education and academic achievement within the dominant society. In other cultures, the devaluing of Western education occurred, in which families rejected mainstream paths to success.
Reasons for studying Early Childhood Development.
Studying early childhood development is important because there are cultural variations in the way children think, learn, play, interact, and communicate. Early Childhood educators also play such an important role in a child’s development. Reasons for studying early childhood is to gain knowledge of developmental milestones, Understand the early learning process, learn relationship-building skills, provide a hands-on learning experience, advocate for early childhood education resources and initiatives and feel inspired.
Conclusion.
Development is a process by which humans change qualitatively and quantitatively over time. Views of early childhood development have changed over the centuries and across cultures, therefore, studying early childhood development is important because there are cultural variations in the way children think and communicate.
Reference list
- Clark, N., 2004. The nationwide of ECD Provision in South Africa. Pretoria: Department of Education.
- Halgunseth, 2004; Sanchez- Ayende’1988.Continuing research on families.
- Garcia Coll, C. T. (1990); Development outcome of minority infants.
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