Rasmussen College in the US asked Early Childhood Education (ECE) experts about some of the trends they are noticing in early childhood education today—as well as what might be on the horizon. Here's what they found out.
1. Focus on phonics in literacy instruction. Put simply, it is about how to teach kids to read and spell well, and how words work. Learning to read is connected to success in school and in most of life thereafter.
2. Educating with nature, e.g. trying to bring some of light, greenery and fresh air into a school day. The trend of teaching through nature could also show up in other ways, such as teachers making a conscious effort in incorporate natural elements into the classroom or dedicating time for outdoor exploration and play.
3. Closing the gap in academic achievement of different social and economic groups. Early education centers with disadvantaged students—such as children from low-income families, foster children or children who are learning English as a second language—may gain more funding from the state when they can prove academic progress with these students is closing the achievement gap.
4. Teaching with technology and teaching digital resilience so that children can safely interact with devices at home.
Source: Rasmussen College, 23 March 2020. Read the full article.