ECE 101

Early Childhood Education or “ECE” as it’s commonly referred to encompasses “any part or full-day group program in a center, school, or home that serves children birth through age eight, including children with special developmental and learning needs” (as defined by the National Association for the Education of Young Children).

Although the “education” component is critical to ECE programming, quality early learning experiences encompass so much more than what we think of when we think of traditional pen and paper education. Yes, ECE includes literacy, math, science, and arts education! However, early childhood education also includes additional critical components to a young child’s growth such as physical development, health and nutrition, visual and performing arts, history and social science, language development, structure and routine, parent engagement and education, and the nurturing of a child’s social and emotional development. What’s more, in a quality early childhood program learning is taught through play-based experiences facilitated by warm and caring teacher-child relationships. The California Department of Education has developed resources to help providers and families understand these critical components, in the California Infant-Toddler Learning and Development Foundations and the California Preschool Learning Foundations which can be found here:

Deepen Your Understanding with the Long Beach Early Learning Hub

For those seeking to expand their knowledge on Early Childhood Education and explore comprehensive resources and support systems, the Long Beach Early Learning Hub offers a wealth of information.

Visit the Long Beach Early Learning Hub to learn more and become a part of our collective effort in nurturing the next generation.