What Is Early Childhood Education? Career, Education & Salary Info!
To build a high-quality, equitable ECE system, federal policymakers can use the tools and resources at their disposal to support state and local efforts to meet the needs of children and families. An internally cohesive ECE program must be carefully linked to the next phase of a child’s educational journey so that the child’s developmental advantages can be maintained and enhanced beyond their ECE experience. While many early childhood education programs serve children and families from ages 3–5, many programs do not continue the ECE framework beyond kindergarten. In the early years, children develop essential emotional skills like self-confidence, self-regulation of their emotions, self-expression, self-respect, and positive self-belief. These skills are essential for later activities like problem-solving and healthy risk-taking. Small class sizes and lots of teacher interaction time help children learn these skills in an environment in which they are known, cared for, and encourag...