What do early childhood development teachers do, what should they be able to do, and why are they needed in modern society: we study with expert Diana Lukyantseva, product owner and tutor of the educational project Step by Step

In a rapidly changing world, it is important not only to teach children new skills, but also to create a solid foundation for their comprehensive development. Early childhood educators help lay this foundation, providing a foundation on which children can successfully grow and adapt in the future. Let’s find out how they do it and why this profession is the future.

Who is an early development teacher?

An early development teacher is a specialist who works with children from birth to seven years of age, aiming to support and stimulate their physical, emotional, social and cognitive development. The teacher’s work is based on the age-related characteristics of the psyche and the tasks of children’s development at each stage.

• Infancy (0–1 year). The first year after birth is a period of rapid physical growth and development. The child learns to interact with the world through sensations and movements. Trust in the world is formed, and motor skills are developed. At this age, the teacher supports development through games that include tactile sensations, auditory and visual stimuli.
• Early age (1–3 years). During this period, speech and self-care skills are actively developing, and research activity is underway. The child develops a sense of autonomy: he becomes more independent, his coordination of movements improves, and his vocabulary is enriched.
• Preschool age (3–7 years). At this time, children actively develop their thinking and imagination, and their social skills. Play becomes the leading activity. In addition, the child needs to be prepared for school, and for this, it is important to develop communication skills and self-regulation skills.

Proper early development of a child is the first step towards successful learning and self-determination. If a child receives support in childhood based on his age-related tasks, this creates a reliable basis for future personal growth and development.

Prerequisites for the development of the profession

An early childhood development teacher is one of the professions of the future . There are several reasons for this. Firstly, research by psychologists and neurobiologists has shown that early childhood is critically important for the formation of personality. During this period, a child actively learns through interaction with people and the world around them.

The second important factor is that from the 20th century to the present day, parents have begun to pay much more attention to work, so they have a demand for teachers who would contribute to the development of the child. Alternative educational models began to appear that take into account the individual characteristics of children: for example, the Maria Montessori method.

In addition, interest in emotional intelligence and mental health of children has begun to grow. Digitalization and rapid changes have begun to dictate new requirements for future generations: in particular, creativity, adaptability and communication skills.

An early development teacher can be a specialist who uses various approaches and methods: for example, the Montessori method or play practices.

A Montessori teacher does not teach directly, but acts as a mentor and observer, supporting the natural processes of child development. And game-practitioners use play as the main method of development. These can be both free games and games with certain rules. By participating in them, children develop cognitive, emotional and social skills. The results of the study indicate that the experience gained from the game is perceived similarly to what can be obtained in real life. However, it is safer, since the game process has many opportunities and minimal consequences.

A child psychologist can also act as an early development teacher and help the child socialize, manage emotions, and help parents interact with him correctly.

Essential skills of an early development teacher

Knowledge of developmental psychology : the teacher must understand the developmental characteristics of children at different stages in order to choose appropriate working methods that support their emotional, cognitive and physical development.
Empathy and patience : the teacher must be sensitive to children’s emotions, be able to build trusting relationships, and also be patient, since each child develops at his own pace.
Play and creativity skills : Play is the main way children learn. The teacher must be able to come up with exciting games and activities that promote children’s development and maintain their interest in learning.
Communication with parents : the teacher must be able to explain to parents the goals and results of the work, give constructive feedback on the child’s development and help them understand how to support the child at home.
Organizational skills : The teacher must be able to plan lessons and create an environment that encourages learning and play, providing children with a safe and comfortable space to develop.

How to become an early childhood educator

The ideal option is to obtain a higher pedagogical education, and then take a course on the methodology that interests you. For example, the 72-hour online course ” Support for children’s play ” from “RYBAKOV PRODETEI”. Listeners are taught how to create and enrich the environment to maintain a playful atmosphere. The platform also has a course dedicated to the characteristics of early childhood.

You can immerse yourself in the Reggio Emilia method (based on learning through studying the environment) at the Imaton Institute of Practical Psychology in St. Petersburg. During the seminar, you will not only learn about the specifics of the approach, but also see how one of the kindergartens works using this method. Courses on the method are also available at the ProReggio online school . You can also do an internship in Italy in the city of the same name and learn how this approach was born.

The Montessori method is studied, for example, at the International Institute of Montessori Pedagogy . There are courses of varying lengths in full-time, part-time and online formats.

There are programs for teaching sensory integration, which explain how the body, brain, and nervous system process signals from the outside world. Such programs are available at the Shaltai-Boltai sensory-motor hall and the Center for Innovative Technologies for Development and Social Adaptation .