Philosophy Of Early Childhood Education

Philosophy can be simply understood as a theory that guides the principles of behavior and the nature of existence, knowledge, and reality. It examines the questions of a separate field and aims to identify the answers for those questions under that study.

Philosophy is associated with an academic discipline, and it provides a further overview of the discipline. When it comes to the philosophy of early childhood education, it indicates every aspect of education and other factors that are undergoing regarding early childhood education.

It includes the formulation of kids’ day, the environment around them, and the role teachers should play in guiding a child’s education and interactions.

It is important for both the teachers and parents. At the same time, they should deeply concern the nature of that philosophy since it affects the child’s life.

If you are a parent, then you have to be concerned about the philosophy of early childhood education when enrolling your kid in preschool and school. It acts as the guidance to formulate the early childhood education of a child more effectively.

Since it is the most crucial age and the foundation of a child’s education, early childhood education philosophy plays a major role within it.

Teachers and educational institutes must have the responsibility to form their philosophies regarding the education of these little kids. It will contribute to the success of their lives.  

By reading this article, you will be able to understand what the philosophy of early childhood education means and the facts that should be considered in formulating it. Then I hereby mention the steps to develop an early childhood education philosophy.

It will be supportive for teachers to develop their educational philosophy to teach kids. Finally, let’s concern the importance of having such a philosophy. If you are interested in the section on early childhood education, then this article may find you. 

Let’s find out more!

What is the Philosophy of early childhood education?

Early childhood is a very crucial age of a person’s life, and it plays a major role in the development of a person. Early childhood education is the foundation of every kid to develop a greater personality in the future.

Therefore, parents and teachers have a greater responsibility in their hands to mold a child’s life more smoothly from the very first day of their early childhood. The philosophy of early childhood education comes to the discussion in this scenario. 

The word ‘Philosophy’ comes from the Greek meaning of “love of wisdom.” Philosophy is a theory that formulates with the knowledge, principles, and practices of a study field. It guides to identify the answers for the separate questions of an academic field.

It provides an overview of the field and aims to explore new knowledge while indicating the ways of studying it. Then the philosophy of early childhood education is important when concerning the education of kids.

It consists of the management of kids’ day, the learning environment around them, and the role that preschool and the teachers should play in guiding a child’s learning and social interactions.

Preschools at the institutional level as well as the teachers at the personal level have their philosophies of early childhood education. Those philosophies are the guidance for educators to teach and maintain the classroom environment more effectively.

It includes teaching strategies, maintaining extra-curricular activities, managing the classroom environment, interactions with kids, collaboration with parents and the preschool staff.

As teachers, it is important to form your philosophy for teaching early childhood since it is the most important age and the most crucial era of the life of kids. Misinterpretations or poor early childhood education can make the whole life of the kid a tragedy.

Facts to consider in early childhood education philosophy

The philosophy indicates your thoughts and ideas regarding a separate field, reflecting your teaching strategies.

Therefore, when formulating a philosophy of early childhood education, you have to understand its theoretical background and the components that you should identify.

To become a successful teacher, you have to identify the relationship between education and philosophy while studying essentials that you should include in your philosophy regarding early childhood education.

Here are some facts you need to consider in creating a philosophy for early childhood teaching.

1. The role of a teacher

You need to define the job profile of an early childhood educator or a teacher in considering the philosophy of teaching little kids.

It is better to identify the duties, responsibilities, skills, and qualities that a teacher that teaches early childhood must include. Proper clarification will lead you to create your philosophy more effectively.

2. Conflict management

Conflict management is another major component that should be considered in making your philosophy of education. Philosophy itself is a conflict of ideas and beliefs while aiming to answer the issues arising.

And, early childhood education is full of conflicts since kids and parents are too active in this aspect. Therefore, you have to define conflict management strategies in your philosophy. 

3. Teaching strategies

In the process of forming a philosophy for early childhood education, you have to pay deeper attention to the teaching strategies than other educational aspects.

Since early childhood education is the foundation of a child’s life, it should be planned more interestingly and encouragingly with creative strategies to take the active engagement of kids.

4. Communication

Communication is also important in forming a philosophy for early childhood education. You must communicate your philosophy of education to the staff of the educational center as well as, most importantly, to the parents of kids.

Communication between the teacher and the parents is necessary for the success of early childhood education. 

How to develop your personal philosophy of early childhood education?

As we already discussed, in early childhood education, creating a personal philosophy is essential for a teacher to maintain kids’ education more effectively. Kids are the future of human generations.

Therefore, creating an educated and socialized kid through the educational system is necessary. A huge responsibility is in the hands of teachers, especially in the early childhood category.

Developing a personal philosophy is necessary for the educational institute as well as the teachers. There should be proper mechanisms to mold kids to engage in education effectively.

Here are a few easy steps you can go through in developing your philosophy of early childhood education.

1. Collaborate institutional expectations

One of the most important steps you should follow in creating an early personal childhood education philosophy is collaborating with the educational institute, either preschool or the early childhood education center.

Most schools or educational centers have their educational philosophies, and they expect teachers to work on them. Therefore, try to collaborate your strategies to meet the expectations of the institute. 

2. Outline the role of the kid

When creating your philosophy of education for little kids, you should clearly outline the role played by kids in learning.

You should identify their age group, capabilities, engagement in learning, responses, preference, and learning styles separately. Then you have to formulate your philosophy according to them.

3. Form strategies and techniques

Then, you need to study and explore the suitable strategies that can be used in teaching. It’s not as easy to teach kids at an early age as it seems.

They are active, energetic, sensitive, and most of the time have no experience and discipline.

Since it’s their first time learning, it is not easy to take their engagement and control them. So, you have to form interesting strategies and creative teaching techniques to teach kids.

4. Identify strengths and weaknesses

When formulating a philosophy of education, strengths and weaknesses play a major role. As a teacher, you should identify your strengths and weaknesses as well as the kids.

For example, if you are good at singing, you can use that strength to teach kids since it is more interesting for them. Try to nurture strengths while overcoming weaknesses.

5. Review and measure the progress

Always maintain criteria and a system for measuring your progress in teaching. You can record kids’ progress from the first day and then consider how much you have been successful in teaching.

Then you can improve your philosophy by replacing and adding new things. 

Importance of early childhood education philosophy

When searching for a center of early childhood education for kids, its philosophy takes a major place. The consideration of the center’s philosophy and the teachers is the motivation of parents to choose that institute for their kids’ education.

In addition, the philosophy of early childhood education is important for teachers to maintain their teaching more effectively, and it affects the education of children as the outcome.

Here are some importance of formulating and adapting to an early childhood education philosophy.

1. Ensure the adaption of expected outcomes

By following the philosophy for the education process of early childhood, you can ensure whether the expected outcomes of the institute, teacher, and the parents through the education of kids were met or not.

It limits the space to missing the achieving of those expectations and goals. 

2. Reflect and allow space to rethink

Education philosophy reflects the performance of you and the kids, and it allows you to rethink the procedures you’ve followed so far.

Through that, you can identify your downfalls as well as the weaknesses of kids and can concern more about them by creating reforms to your philosophy.

3. Make the education of kids more effective

A planned philosophy and a significant teaching procedure will support kids to actively engage in learning and perform better.

It will make the education process more interesting by formulating it student-centered. Through that, kids will learn well and gather more knowledge.

4. Improve the communication between teachers and the parents

The early childhood education philosophy will allow the space for parents and teachers to communicate and understand their intentions and desires.

It will clear the matters between them and support parents to engage in the child’s education further. 

5. Enhance the quality of education

The education philosophies of the teacher and the institute will enhance the quality of the education of kids.

Most of the time, parents are concerned about the educational philosophy of early childhood education centers when enrolling kids there.

Having a planned philosophy will promote the institute since it reflects a quality education.  

Conclusion

As the outcome of this article, I guess now you have a broader knowledge of the philosophy of early childhood education. This article especially focused on the educator’s perspective in formulating a philosophy to teaching that will be effective for kids’ education.

So, now you have a clear understanding of the early childhood education philosophy and the facts you should consider when creating it. Then, you know the steps that you should follow to form a personal, educational philosophy together with the importance of it.

So, good luck in doing your best regarding early childhood education.

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