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Learn More About Early Childhood Learning

When I first heard about early childhood learning, I assumed that it was very little more than babysitting. From the outside, that is exactly how it looks. Basically, with early child learning, the teachers read stories, play games, mediate fights, and teach the kids how to share. I pictured early childhood education colleges as the easiest schools in the world. After all, what could they be teaching? It all looked so simple! Then I finally tried it out for myself, and realized how difficult early child hood learning could be.

When I was in college, I volunteered at an early head start program. I have always liked kids, having grown up with younger brothers and sisters as well as cousins who were a generation younger than me. Not only was I a relative to them, but I was also a mentor and an authority figure. I figured that early childhood learning would be something that would come easy to me. After all, I knew how to supervise kids.

It turns out that early childhood learning involves much more than this. It involves an extensive knowledge of childhood development. Kids go through different stages at different ages, and the developmental periods are very closely spaced. If you study at an early childhood education college, you need to know the difference between what kids are going through three months, six months, a year, two years, and so on. Early childhood learning means an awareness of the needs and developmental issues at each stage of life. As a matter of fact, early childhood games are based around  helping kids with just such issues. To give you an easy example, peekaboo is fascinating to kids because they are not completely aware that someone is still there when they can't see them. This game helps them understand that the world exists outside of their perceptions.

I found this job so fascinating that I decided to go into early childhood learning myself. Unfortunately, I did not get into childhood learning early in my academic career. I had already gotten several credits towards a science degree, and I had to go back and start over again. Very few of my credits would transfer into early childhood learning, so I basically had to start over completely. Nonetheless, it was definitely worth it. Early childhood learning has been one of the most successful choices I have ever made. I definitely chose the right career.