 Attending an early childhood education (ECE) service supports your young child’s learning. You are your child’s first teacher and you can further improve your child’s learning when you also give them education away from home at an ECE service.
When do children start learning?
Children learn firstly about the most significant things that help them grow through their whole lives. Children need the following to learn well:
• love and warmth
• lots of talking and listening
• guidance and understanding
• limits and boundaries
• consistency and consequences
• structure and security.
What do children learn at an ECE service?
At an ECE service children learn how to:
• interact with new people and form relationships
• trust adults and other children
• play and learn with people outside their immediate family
• take turns and negotiate
• take part in learning experiences in a group
• ask questions and find out more
• see themselves as ‘learners’.
These types of skills, along with ones learnt at home, help children become healthy, happy and capable people.
How is an ECE service qualified?
Research in New Zealand and other countries has found out that teachers, parents and families are more efficient for children’s early learning when they are educated and understand about young children’s learning.
• All teacher-led early childhood education services must have staff members who have studied and are qualified to work with children and support their early learning and development.
• All parent-led services have some qualified parents and family working alongside their children to support their learning. Some parents and family are also studying about children’s development and learning.
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