We consider the topic of learning in early childhood significant, because in recent decades, increasing attention has been given to the development of preschool-aged children, which has contributed to early childhood being recognized and valued as an important period of growing up. However, alongside this recognition of the importance of encouraging children’s development, situations still occur in which the world of children—and therefore their learning—is separated from the real social and cultural context and placed within frameworks defined by adults, the same for all children, without questioning their individual interests and needs.

Neurological research shows that experiences in early childhood have a decisive impact on the architecture of the brain and, therefore, on the types and levels of future capabilities of adults and the ways they function (Pavlović Breneselović, 2015). For this reason, experts around the world increasingly emphasize the benefits of attending kindergarten, even before the age of three, as it has been proven that quality preschool programs significantly contribute to a child’s development. However, the average preschool enrollment rate in Serbia is 41.36%, which is significantly lower than the average enrollment rate in EU countries, which ranges between 70% and 85% (Strategy, 2012). In addition to low enrollment, one of the shortcomings of our preschool education system is the quality of preschool programs, with the most common issue being the “schoolification” of kindergartens—that is, the dominance of a school-like model of learning, where learning is treated as a separate activity, removed from play and real-life context and reduced to instruction. Preschool children learn through interaction with their environment, with other children, adults, and things—they learn through observing, doing, experimenting, creating, personal experience… Nevertheless, instead of supporting children’s dedicated learning, today learning—even at preschool age—becomes an obligation, which, if not based on play and children’s interests, becomes boring, stressful, and frustrating.

According to an OECD study (OECD, 2004), quality preschool programs are those that promote learning through play and exploration, that promote children’s right to take initiative and participate in deciding not only what they will learn but also how they will learn, i.e., how they will take part in that process. Quality preschool programs provide a stimulating environment in which a child has many opportunities to explore different topics and learn across different areas—but always as a result of continuously questioning what is truly important, meaningful, and interesting to the children.

Why is it important to think not only about the benefit of children’s participation in preschool programs but also about the quality of these programs? Because modern, high-quality preschool programs, unlike traditional ones, free us from the need to measure and evaluate children’s progress solely against average values expected for a certain age group. Today, we know that instead of focusing on how many new facts children acquire, it is more important to look at how they do so and how they feel during the process.

This kind of thinking about early childhood learning has contributed to changing the perspective of educators and parents alike, so today it is increasingly acknowledged that each child is the architect of their own development and that children’s upbringing should not be shaped exclusively by adults’ ideas of what is “best” for a particular child. Since children’s development is influenced by the quality of their interactions with other children, adults, and the environment in which they live, it is important for us—as parents and as educators—to reflect on the quality of the relationships and connections our children build with the world around them. We have a very important and responsible role in shaping their growing up, especially knowing that while it is crucial to provide children with a stimulating environment, it is even more important to listen to and respect children’s voices about how they feel in that environment.

References:

• OECD (2004). Curricula and Pedagogies in Early Childhood Education and Care – Five Curriculum Outlines. Paris: OECD.
• Pavlović Breneselović, D. (2015). Where Quality Lives 2 – Research with Children on Kindergarten Practices. Belgrade: Institute for Pedagogy and Andragogy.
• Strategy for the Development of Education until 2020 (2012). Official Gazette of RS No. 107/2012.