The Importance of Early Childhood Education

The Importance of Early Childhood Education

Education is an important asset for the progress of a nation, therefore every citizen must and must follow the level of education, either the level of early childhood education, primary education, secondary or high education. In the field of education, a child from birth needs appropriate services in the fulfillment of educational needsalong with an understanding of the characteristics of children according to their growth and development will be very helpful in adjusting the learning process for children with age, needs, and conditions of each, either intellectually, emotionally and social.

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Before speaking further, what is early childhood education? Early childhood education (PAUD) is the level of education before the level of basic education which is a coaching efforts aimed at the part from birth until the age of six years done through the provision of educational stimulus to help growth and physical and spiritual development so that children have readiness in entering education further, organized on formal, nonformal, and informal channels.

Why is early childhood education so important?

Based on the results of research about 50% of adult intelligence capabilities have occurred when children aged 4 years, 8 0% there has been a rapid development of brain tissue when children aged 8 years and peaked when the child was 18 years old, and after that despite the improvement of nutrition will have no effect on cognitive development .

This means that developments occurring within the first 4 years are as great as the developments occurring over the next 14 years. So this period is a critical period for children, where the developments gained in this period greatly affect the development of the next period until adulthood. While this golden period only comes once, so if you missed means out of opportunity.

According to Byrnes, early childhood education will provide children with preparations for the future, the closest is to face the school. "Currently, some kindergartens have asked students who want to register there already can read and count. In kindergarten also began to be taught social skills and problem solving . Because these capabilities can be formed from an early age, "explained Byrnes.

Furthermore, according to Byrnes, that early childhood education is important, because at this age the child to form the best education. It is at this age that children must shape their readiness for the future of school and the future. The best investment you can give to children is the preparation of their education at an early age .

There are two main reasons why early childhood education is needed:

The main goal: to form a quality child, the child who grows and develops in accordance with the level of development so as to have an optimal readiness in entering basic education and navigate life in adulthood.

Purpose of the Participant: to help prepare the child to achieve learning readiness (academic) in school.

In short, early childhood education is one form of education that focuses on the basic laying toward physical growth and development (fine and coarse motor coordination), intelligence (thinking power, creativity, emotional intelligence), emotional emotional (attitudes and behavior and religion) language and communication, in accordance with the uniqueness and stages of development going through by early childhood .

What is the difference between children who receive early childhood education in qualified institutions with children who do not receive early childhood education ?

According to Byrnes (a Woman of the Year award winner from Vitasoy in Australia) in a good early childhood education institution , children will learn to be self-sufficient, sociable, confident, have great curiosity, can take ideas, develop ideas, go to other schools and be ready to learn, adapt quickly, and passion for learning .

Meanwhile, children who do not get early education , will be slow to accept something. Children who do not get a proper early childhood education, will like a car that does not gasoline tiris. Early-educated children rightly have full gasoline, the engine will go straight when it's in a new place. While children who are not educated at an early age will have difficulty starting the engine, it will be slow.

It is undeniable that early childhood education is a very basic and strategic education in the development of human resources. Once the importance of education is not surprising that many countries pay great attention to the implementation of this education until the government of Indonesia also provides free education services up to junior high.