Why Do We Celebrate the Week of the Young Child™?
Q&A with Dr. Martha Muñoz
Next week, early childhood professionals and supporters across the country will celebrate the Week of the Young Child™, an annual opportunity to highlight the importance of early learning and the educators who support the positive development of young children. Week of the Young Child is sponsored by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). Martha Muñoz is president of AZAEYC, its Arizona affiliate.
How is Arizona celebrating Week of the Young Child?
There will be community and classroom events around the state celebrating young children and their caregivers and highlighting the crucial importance of the early years to a child’s lifelong success. NAEYC’s event map shows events happening in Arizona, across the country and around the world. There are also resources to help schools, classes and communities plan their own event in celebration of the Week of the Young Child™. We’re also thrilled that Governor Ducey has issued a proclamation for the Week of the Young Child in Arizona. Various local governments also are issuing their own proclamations supporting young children and their teachers.
Why is early education important?
Babies are born learning; in fact, 90% of a child’s brain development happens before kindergarten. Young children learn – develop positive brain connections – through their experiences with the caring adults in their lives. That includes their family, of course, and also early learning professionals like child care and preschool providers. A child’s experiences in the years before kindergarten lay the foundation for their future success in school. Research shows that children who have high quality early learning experiences are more prepared for kindergarten, do better in school, and are more likely to graduate and go on to college.
So, early educators play a vital role in our state’s education system?
Without question. A skilled early childhood workforce is a key component of a quality early learning setting and vital to children’s educational success. The Arizona Early Childhood Career and Professional Development Network is a great resource for information about the profession and the opportunities available for early educators to grow their skills and advance their careers, including college scholarships. And of course, I encourage everyone to visit us at AZAEYC.net to connect with our efforts here in Arizona.
How can families know if their early learning program is of high quality?
Quality First – a signature program of First Things First – partners with providers to improve the quality of early learning throughout the state. Through its website QualityFirstAZ.com, the program offers families information about what makes a quality early learning program and tools for choosing quality child care and preschool settings that meet their needs.
What if a child is not in a formal preschool or child care setting?
Parents and families are a child’s first teachers, and the quality of their interactions has a huge impact on positive brain development and school success. NAEYC provides a variety of resources for families to help parents understand how young children learn and simple things they can do every day to support their child’s health and learning
How can parents and teachers work together to support early childhood?
First and foremost, parents and teachers can work together through regular communication to support an individual child’s learning. They can also work together on behalf of all children by becoming better informed and more active voices in building awareness of the importance of early childhood. NAEYC provides policy resources to support both parents and professionals in understanding public policies that support young children.
Our young children are our future. By working together, we can ensure that they arrive at kindergarten prepared to be successful!
Dr. Martha Muñoz is President of Arizona Association for the Education of Young Children. She can be reached at president.azaeyc@gmail.com.