(MEANING DEFINITIONS, AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF EC, ECE, ECCE, ECE-SGD)

 Early childhood is a stage in human development. It generally includes toddlerhood and some time
afterwards.
 Early childhood education is a branch of education theory which relates to the teaching of young
children (formally and informally) up until the age of about eight.
 Early childhood care and education (ECCE) is more than a preparatory stage assisting the child‘s
transition to formal schooling. It places emphasis on developing the whole child - attending to his or her
social, emotional, cognitive and physical needs - to establish a solid and broad foundation for lifelong
learning and wellbeing.
 Early Child Care for Survival Growth and Development (ECC-SGD) stresses a holistic view of the
child and has implications for greater cross-sectorial collaboration in identifying children‘s needs and
developing sustainable strategies for addressing their problems.

MEANING OF EARLY CHILDHOOD PERIOD
Early Childhood Period (ECH) begins after babyhood and lasts till the age of six. It is a very critical
period for growth and development of the child. Eighty percent of the brain development is completed by the
end of this period. Since the rate of development is more rapid during this period, even though it is relatively
slow when compared to infancy, it is the most important period in the total life span.
 A child attains most of the personal and social habits before the age of six.
 Early years of the child are plastic and impressionable.
 During these early years the basis for later development is laid.
 In this period a child needs exposure and opportunities to experiment with a variety of experiences,
objects and places.
 Child requires enriching experiences and meaningful interaction with adults and peer group. Further,
he also needs emotionally secure and supportive learning environment during this period.
 A period of overall development. The child grows in all the five areas of development-physical,
mental (cognitive), language, social and emotional.
 a period of maximum learning. Any damage done during this period has a long lasting effect on
the child‘s personality.
 Rapid growth & Dev.: a period where the child‘s brain, intellectual and social competence proceeds
more rapidly than any other time
 a period where the child needs a stimulating environment. If the early experiences of the child are
enriching, he develops to his full potential.
CHARACTERISTICS of early childhood period
1. Educators refer to early childhood as the ‗preschool age‘, the period preceding the child‘s entry into
school.
2. Psychologists refer this period as the ‗pre-gang age‘, the time when the child is learning the
foundations of social behaviour. He acquires the preliminary training and experience required for
being a member of the gang. This learning prepares him for the more highly organized social life of
the school.
3. Some psychologists also call this period as period of plasticity as the impressions that are made on
the child‘s mind last throughout his life and career.
4. Early childhood period is also known as the ―age of exploration’, where the child explores
the environment and gains control over it. In the first two years of life he acquires a workable
control of

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 his own body. Now he is ready to explore his environment as to what it is, how it works and how he
can be a part of it.
5. Piaget called this period as egocentrism, because the child thinks that whatever he thinks is right and
everyone thinks in the same way as he thinks. Piaget also referred to this period as animism, because
the child believes that things which move are alive and which do not move are dead. According to
him, during this period the process of assimilation and accommodation increases in intensity.
Further, the child develops the ability of representing things and also gradually acquires knowledge
and skills.
SIGNIFICANCE of early childhood period
Children go through physical, mental and social growth during this period. It is a critical and foundation
period for later development. They need an enriched stimulating environment for the optimum
development.
 Since it is a pre gang age, children need the company of other children. In an early childhood
education center a child gets an opportunity for playing with other children. In the process, he learns
to share things with others, wait for his turn, cooperate with others and acquire several other social
skills.
 ECE is a must for the children of working mothers living in nuclear families as there is no one to take
care of their children at home. Most mothers, both educated and uneducated, are not aware of the
significance of growth in early childhood.
 A child who goes to an ECE center before joining the primary school adjusts himself much better
than those who did not and also performs better in the class. They learn to control their emotions
better and also develop proper habits of eating because of their earlier ECE experience. Hence,
preparation in the ECE center helps the child considerably in his mental readiness and subsequent
education.
 Early environmental stimulation helps in the cognitive development of the children and also enhances
their creative abilities. Research also showed that if the children are provided early formalized
experiences through play, their creative abilities also will be enhanced.

MEANING AND NATURE OF EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION (ECE)

Early Childhood Care and Education is generally defined as the care of children from birth to 8
years. The NPE, National Policy on Education (1986) considered Early Childhood Care and Education is
for the children from birth to eight years. It include-
 Early stimulation programs through crèches/Home stimulation for 0-3 yrs old.
 Preschool/ ECE programs for 3-6 year old children.
 Early primary education programs as part of primary schooling for 6-8 year old children.

Early childhood education (ECE) is a branch of educational theory which relates to the teaching of
young children up until the age of about eight, with a particular focus on developmental education, most
notable before the start of compulsory education.
CONCEPT of Early Childhood Education
It is a programme for 3-8 year old children.
 It is a child-centered programme, follows the play way and activity approach.
 It is a programme with a focus on the holistic development of the child.

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  It aims at providing stimulating play environment for intellectual, language, social, emotional and
physical development of the child.
 It prepares the child for the formal/primary school education.
 It lays foundation for the development of 3 R‘s. (reading, writing and mathematics)
 It encourages interaction with the environment, active participation in group activities and creative
problem solving in children
 It provides first hand learning experiences.
 It stresses on prior planning and scheduling, but is at the same time flexible to children‘s needs.
 It promotes self-control and inner discipline in children.
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES of ECE Programme
With a view to promote physical, mental, social and aesthetic development of young children, the
pre-primary education must have clear cut aims and objectives. According to Miss Grace Owing in the field
of ECE there are seven objectives of pre-primary schools. These are as follows:
 To provide healthy environment to the children like space, fresh air, light and sun shine.
 To provide a healthy, happy and regular life.
 To provide continuous medical supervision.
 To assist in the formation of healthy and good habits.
 To give opportunity for the development of different interests and skills of various kinds.
 To give experience of social life, on a small scale where children work and play together.
 To establish real unity between external environment and home life.
The Indian Education Commission, 1964-66 has enunciated the following objectives of pre-primary
education:
 To develop in the child, good health, habits and to build up basic skills necessary for personal
adjustment, such as dressing, toilet habits, eating, washing, cleaning etc.
 To develop desirable social attitudes and manners, and to encourage healthy group participation,
making the child sensitive to the rights and privileges of others;
 To develop emotional maturity by guiding the child to express, understand, accept and control
his feelings and emotions;
 To encourage aesthetic appreciation;
 To stimulate the beginnings of intellectual curiosity concerning the environment and to help him
understand the world in which he lives and to foster new interest through opportunities to
explore, investigate and experiment.
 To encourage independence and creativity by providing the child with sufficient opportunities
for self-expression;
 To develop the child‘s ability to express his thoughts and feelings in fluent, correct and clear
speech; and
 To develop in the child a good physique, adequate muscular coordination and basic motor skills.

NEED for ECE

The children of today should be prepared for the extremely complex and quickly changing world of
tomorrow. The citizens of tomorrow are to be equipped with intelligence and physical skills. The foundation
for this must be laid in the ECE centers. Our nation‘s future, prosperity, and strength depend on the way we
build up the character and habits of our children.

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 Early Childhood Education is a prerequisite for the healthy, mental and emotional development of
children. The rate of development of the child during this period is so fast that the child can be given more
meaningful learning experiences.
If one’s childhood is well spent, well regulated and well organized, the better will he take up the
responsibilities of a full grown citizen- Dr. Rajendra Prasad
 A social and economic necessity: The provision of ECE is also a social and economic necessity in
view of the fact that in case of mothers going for work, there is no one to take care of the small
children at home. With more of nuclear families, there are no elder members at home to take care of
the young ones. Therefore, ECE center can duly take up this role.
 Taking care of the child’s needs: With increasing population, the cities are becoming over-crowded
and slums are coming up in the vicinity of large cities. With the parents living in small apartments or
in single rooms, there is no adequate space for the child to move about and participate in play and
other outdoor activities. ECE centers can take care of the child’s needs with the provision of play and
other facilities.
 To provide enriched stimulating environment for optimum development of the child: Many
parents due to illiteracy and ignorance are not aware of the importance of providing enriched
stimulating environment during this period. The child needs materials which are appropriate to his
size, ideas and feelings. He needs an understanding adult to help him to help himself, to explore
manually and verbally, and to learn the lessons of life from both people and objects. The ECE centers
provide suitable guidance and education to the parents to continue these learning experiences even at
home level.
 To provide company of peer group to develop social skills: During this period children develop
social skills such as sharing, cooperation, healthy competition, identification and qualities of
leadership. For this they need the company of peer group in ECE center.
 Provides basic education for future growth and development: It is a foundation period for later
development, any stimulation along these lines has its maximum effect during this period. ECE
centers provide a suitable environment for optimum development of the child.
 Promotes better adjustment to formal schooling: The child who gets ECE is likely to perform
better in primary school because of his early training. He will adjust better and, therefore, the chances
of his repeating grades or leaving the school will be minimized considerably.

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 CONCEPT OF ECC-SGD
 Seeking to encourage rights-based programming strategies, UNICEF has formulated an integrated
approach called Early Child Care for Survival Growth and Development (ECC-SGD), which stresses a
holistic view of the child and has implications for greater cross-sectorial collaboration in identifying
children’s needs and developing sustainable strategies for addressing their problems. Key actors in the
different sectors of social development are expected to think out the implications of this approach
together.
 As part of the basic education strategy of UNICEF‘s Early Childhood Care for Survival Growth and
Development (ECC-SGD), two different priorities have emerged in developing countries:
o empowering early childhood education, aimed at three- to five/six-year-olds to guarantee full
access to primary school, and
o Promoting the child‘s survival, growth and development, by empowering early childhood
development through family and community interventions.
 UNICEF‘s integrated approach, called ECC-SGD (Early Childhood Care for Survival Growth and
Development), assumes much less responsibility on the part of the state, at least as defined by Baldeh,
1999:
―The emerging vision of appropriate early childhood care is home and community based with
supportive policy and legislative environments.‖ Setting aside conventional approaches to early
childhood education and care -- such as ―preparing children for entry into primary school‖ and
―unburdening families from the duties of childcare during the working day‖ – the UNICEF
approach emphasises the ―child‘s total well-being and development both emotionally and
intellectually‖ (UNESCO, 1988).
 Under this rationale, the key to effective learning lies in providing parents and communities with extra
information and integrating existing knowledge, particularly regarding health and nutrition. The question
is: ―Why impose professional educators, or replace parents?” Alternative strategies are recommended
such as exchanges of
o ideas and methods among mothers;
o parent-child interaction based on ―love‖, ―protection‖, ―sensitivity‖ and ―predictability‖; and
o the enhancement of the mother‘s own capacities.
These elements are presented as essential to creating an ―enabling environment‖ to ―support
the child‘s mental development and pave the way for success in later learning‖.
 In addition to the diverging assumptions underlying the terms, the programmes that stem from them are
also quite different. According to a member of the Consultative Group on Early Childhood Care and
Development (Evans, 1997a) ECD (early child development) programmes are ―inclusive of all
the activities and interventions which address the needs of young children and help to strengthen the
contexts in which they are embedded: the family, the community, and the physical, social, and economic‖
that stem from them are also quite different.
FROM ECCE TO EARLY CHILD DEVELOPMENT AND BEYOND (FROM ECCE TO ECD)
The UNICEF Executive Director, James Grant, in his foreward to the Summary Report of the
Innocent Global Seminar on Early Child Development (1990), makes a plea for a quantum leap in order to
move the field of early child development to a new level‘. The plea is timely and the need for a response is
urgent.
The sweeping policy and program related changes observed in several developing countries including
India, in the past 15 years in the area of ECCE have been barely touched the tip of iceberg. The need for
adequate nutrition and medical care, and children‘s right to receive relief in time of disaster have been

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understood, appreciated and acted upon across the globe. This , however , only ensure a life worth living. It
should mean fostering psycho-social development during the early years and beyond, and providing a
nurturing environment to enable children to develop individual abilities and to become useful members of
society.
Myers (1989a) provides six convincing arguments as to why we need to go beyond child survival:
1. The moral argument: Children have a right to be able to develop to their full potential.
2. The scientific argument: Evidence from the fields of physiology, nutrition and psychology indicates
that the early years are critical in the formation of intelligence, personality and social behaviour (and)
the negative effects of early neglect can accumulate.
3. The social-equity argument: Exceptionally stressful conditions that inhibit a healthy and
comprehensive development in early years affect the poor more than the rich, reinforcing social
inequalities. Added to this is the problem of gender-linked disparities making girls doubly
disadvantaged.
4. The economic argument: Investments in health, nutrition and stimulation I early in life bring a high
return because they increase productivity in later years…. Child care programs also offer the
possibility of facilitating and/or improving labour force participation by women and freeing older
female siblings to learn and earn as well.
5. The population argument: The link between fertility rates and educational levels suggests that effort o
improve the educational level of women, including better preparation for school, will have an inter-
generational effect on fertility.
6. The programmatic argument: The effectiveness of health and nutrition programmes can be increased
by combining them with early childhood stimulation and education, taking advantage of the
interactive effect among health, nutrition and stimulation.

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