Introduction
Everyone would agree that life is a story whose tone is set at the beginning. For this reason, UNICEF notes that early childhood is a time of significant opportunities for everyone and a great risk (UNICEF). As a child interacts with their environment from an early age, their brain develops progressively, step by step.
Many neural connections are formed in a child during their first few years of life. Children’s earlier experiences with their surroundings help their brains to develop effectively and enhance overall health, behavior, and learning abilities. Early childhood is a critical period during which people can shape their holistic development and lay the foundation for their future lives.
UNICEF notes that children need access to nutrition and healthcare, security, responsive caregiving, and opportunities for early learning and education to reach their full potential. They need all these to nourish their brain development and fuel the growth of their bodies. However, when children miss out on this, they significantly have to pay the price by “dying before they have a chance to grow up, or going through life with poor physical and mental health; struggling to learn and, later, to earn a living” (UNICEF 6). Therefore, the quality of education plays a critical role in shaping a child’s future, and much focus should be shifted to improving the quality of its programs.
Background and History
Early Childhood Education (ECE) is a period of formal education that a child undergoes before entering primary school. This learning period typically caters to children under the age of seven. In many nations, ECE is an optional practice whereby only parents who are willing to take their young ones undertake the programs. Its main aim is to offer the necessary opportunities for children to grow and develop, to socialize and learn from their surroundings.
Parents with children below seven can enroll them in different early education levels, including preschool, daycare, and kindergarten (Ansari et al. 1497). All these education levels offer different kinds of early teaching programs based on the children’s ages. Some activities that children may experience in ECE institutions include movement, art, singing, and early mathematics.
ECE in the US started during the European Enlightenment. Martin Luther was a significant contributor to this movement, as he consistently emphasized the need for religious enlightenment throughout the American continent. Although education during this period was primarily intended for children from the upper social class, Luther advocated for universal education. According to him, when children are taught how to read, they can independently access literature, especially the Bible (Ansari et al. 1497). He saw universal education as the key to strengthening people and the community. The concept of universal ECE continued to spread throughout the Western world in the 19th century.
Early childhood education in the US can be traced back to the 1960s, when the Head Start Program was launched. Before this program, parents and other family members were primarily responsible for educating their children. They had to take their children through the first basic lessons that would help form a foundation for what they expect in the future. This was mainly common among children from low-and middle-income households.
On the other hand, European settlers started schools to teach their children how to read, write, and learn about religion. The Head Start Program was designed so that the earlier a child begins, the earlier they finish (Ansari et al., 1499). It was seen as a way of reducing US poverty by offering free education.
The country emphasized ECE because it believed it was the answer to a better education system. The program offers health, nutrition, and education to low-income households today. The resources of this program encourage the development of cognitive skills, emotional well-being, and physical health.
Although the country has made significant progress over the years, the current state of Early Childhood Education still requires further effort. For instance, according to the Center of American Progress annual fact sheet, many families today cannot afford early child care and learning (Falgout).
Many families in the United States find child care and early opportunities significantly inaccessible. Parents across the nation are seeking options that are at least affordable and offer high-quality programs for their children. However, the current early learning institutions offer programs at prices higher than “the federal affordability benchmark of 7 percent of annual family income” (Falgout 4).
According to Jessen-Howard et al., the childcare crisis in the US existed even before the COVID-19 pandemic began, but worsened due to its economic and health impacts. Parents can no longer find a better childcare option because they are “costly to provide and expensive for families” (Jessen-Howard et al. 3). Therefore, today, the death of affordable and quality ECE prompts many parents and families to reduce the time they work to attend to their children’s needs.
The current ECE landscape is also associated with undervalued childcare workers and early educators. Historically, early educators and childcare workers were always women, especially women from vulnerable backgrounds like African Americans and those from poor households (Falgout). Additionally, although these women play significant roles in helping other people’s children learn during their early years, they are often underpaid, offered minimal benefits, and are more likely than others to rely on government welfare programs, such as Medicaid (Quinn et al. 2670). Due to their experiences, these workers and their societal roles have always been undervalued. Compared with kindergarten teachers with similar education and experience, early educators and childcare providers earn lower wages in almost all American states (Falgout). These adverse experiences have increased turnover rates and made it challenging to recruit and retain qualified early educators and childcare providers.
The current ECE subsidy system also only reaches a small number of eligible families nationwide. Studies indicate that the federal government’s intention with the Child Care and Development Block Grant is to promote ECE and encourage low-income families to take their kids to these institutions (Vanover 54). However, due to insufficient funding, reports indicate that only one in nine eligible children below 6 years benefits from this grant (Falgout).
Additionally, the program only covers a fraction of the cost required to offer quality childcare. More studies also indicated that children from White families received more funding than Black and Latinx families (Hollett and Frankenberg 4). Therefore, children from unprivileged families need equal access to quality ECE institutions and programs.
High-quality ECE has many long-term benefits for children. The primary long-term benefit of ECE is the enhancement of cognitive and social development. As mentioned earlier, the first few years of a child’s life are always crucial, as it is the time when the foundation of their future behavior patterns, thinking, and emotional well-being is set (Siraj et al., 8062).
Children’s ECE environments allow them to learn through games, which enhances their emotional and language skills. These children develop and become more creative and imaginative over time. Additionally, the richer a child’s learning environment is, the better opportunities they get to develop more effectively as they interact with people and their surroundings. Therefore, high-quality ECE provides children with significant opportunities to feel excited and competent in their surroundings.
High-quality ECE also enhances children’s social interaction, which is crucial to their future lives and well-being. According to Siraj et al., a child must learn how to approach their peers, negotiate with them, take turns, and communicate effectively with them. A child who can effectively develop and maintain friendships with their colleagues is more likely to lead a successful and productive life.
Karlsson Lohmander notes that these skills are essential not only for these children during their future educational lives, but also as adults. Parents can ensure that these foundations are established in their children earlier by enrolling them in ECE (Siraj et al., 8063). These children can effectively make healthy emotional decisions and foster productive and positive relations with others throughout their lives. In the long run, these children can develop some sense of community belonging and understand what the community expects from them as members. Therefore, ECE enables children to improve their social interaction skills.
High-quality ECE is also linked to improved academic performance. Studies indicate that a child exposed to about one year of high-quality ECE is more likely to perform well in other future academic levels, such as primary school (Karlsson Lohmander, 655). As mentioned earlier, high-quality ECE boosts a child’s cognitive development, increasing their likelihood of reaching literacy and numeracy levels in their future education.
Other studies also indicate that children exposed to high-quality ECE are more likely to complete their high school and tertiary education (Jalongo 765). Additionally, when children are exposed to ECE, they become accustomed to transitioning from one educational level to another. Therefore, high-quality ECE helps children improve their academic performance and reduces the likelihood of dropping out.
High-quality ECE enables children to learn to be independent throughout their lives. Karlsson Lohmander notes that early childhood learning programs often foster children’s confidence, independence, and self-identity (656). Building children’s independence also involves helping them develop self-regulation skills, especially between the ages of 3 and 5. Other long-term benefits of high-quality ECE include enhanced health, well-being, and resilience, as well as reduced involvement in crime, higher civil engagement rates, and numerous other advantages.
Counter-Argument and Refute
Even though the discussion above indicates that high-quality ECE helps shape a child’s future, some studies oppose it. According to Nguyen and Jenkins, shifting funds to improve the quality of ECE programs would be significantly expensive. For instance, an Austin American-Statesman article notes, “Norway spends about $30,000 per child on early childhood care…Finland spends $23,000…Germany, $18,000… and the US spends $500 per child” (Kertscher 1). Nguyen and Jenkins suggest that shifting most of these funds from ECE to other critical national priorities would be best. For instance, instead of funding ECE programs, the federal government can consider funding K-12 education or addressing other social issues affecting children, adolescents, and youths, like crime.
Even though some scholars may argue that improving the quality of ECE programs would stretch the limited federal funds, they help shape the country’s future generations. According to Karlsson Lohmander, people should consider these funds a long-term strategy to nurture a generation that would lead the nation. Studies suggest that high-quality ECE would help improve children’s cognitive and social development, future academic performance, and social interaction, and reduce the rising poverty and crime rates (Siraj et al. 8063). These children will learn to be independent and confident, increasing their future earning potential. Therefore, instead of claiming that federal investment in ECE should be shifted, it should be increased to create a future generation that is more determined and elite.
Conclusion
In conclusion, children need high-quality ECE to shape their educational future and become successful and productive adults. Kids’ early learning environment is often more than a playground. Children can reap many benefits in their early learning environment, including cognitive, social, emotional, academic, and health benefits. For instance, children exposed to ECE are more likely to perform well in their future education levels and record low dropout rates. This learning environment offers them a foundation for developing skills to aid their future lives.
In the US, the government has been making significant efforts to improve the quality of programs it offers for these younger children. However, the efforts are still insufficient as many families are left out and cannot find affordable and quality ECE institutions and programs. Thus, the federal government ought to explore boosting its financial support to enhance the affordability of ECE.
Works Cited
Ansari, Arya, et al. “Starting Early: The Benefits of Attending Early Childhood Education Programs at Age 3.” American Educational Research Journal, vol. 56, no. 4, 2019, pp. 1495-1523. Web.
Falgout, MK, et al. “Early Learning in the United States.” Center for American Progress, Web.
Hollett, Karen Babbs and and Erica Frankenberg. “A Critical Analysis of Racial Disparities in ECE Subsidy Funding.” Education Policy Analysis Archives, vol. 30, 2022, pp. 4-14. Web.
Jalongo, Mary Renck. “The Effects of COVID-19 on Early Childhood Education and Care: Research and Resources for Children, Families, Teachers, and Teacher Educators.” Early Childhood Education Journal, vol. 49, no. 5, 2021, pp. 763-774. Web.
Jessen-Howard, Steven, Rasheed Malik and and MK Falgout. “Costly and Unavailable: America Lacks Sufficient Child Care Supply for Infants and Toddlers.” The Center for American Progress, Web.
Karlsson Lohmander, Maelis. “Quality early childhood education for all children?” European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, vol. 30, no. 5, 2022, pp. 653-657. Web.
Kertscher, Tom. “Fact-Check: Does the U.S. Government Spend Only $500 Per Child For Child Care?” Austine American Statesman. Web.
Nguyen, Ha and and Jade Jenkins. “In or Out of Sync: Federal Funding and Research in Early Childhood.” AERA Open, vol. 6, no. 4, 2020, pp. 1-17. Web.
Quinn, Emilee L., et al. “Early Care and Education Workers’ Experience and Stress during the COVID-19 Pandemic.” International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, vol. 19, no. 5, 2022. Web.
Siraj, Iram, et al. “Improving Quality of Teaching and Child Development: A Randomised Controlled Trial of the Leadership for Learning Intervention in Preschools.” Frontiers in Psychology, vol. 13, 2023, p. 8061. Web.
UNICEF. Early Childhood Development. 2023. Web.
Vanover, Sarah Taylor. America’s Child-Care Crisis: Rethinking an Essential Business. United States, Gryphon House, Incorporated, 2021, pp. 50-160.