Key ideas and principles of ECCE

Early childhood is from birth to 8 years, divided into 0-3 and 3-8. Infancy is from birth to one year (some say two): a time when the baby depends fully on caregivers.

Key words:

• Crèche: a place for infants and young children who have no care at home.
• Day care: looks after infants and pre-schoolers for the whole day. Its staff need training in safety, feeding, toilet habits, language, and social and emotional needs.
• Toddler: a child of two to three years (named from the jumpy, toddling walk).
• Pre-school child: ready for a setting outside the family.
• Montessori schools follow the ideas of Maria Montessori.
• Anganwadis: government pre-schools under ICDS.

Jean Piaget showed that young children understand the world differently from adults, and need support to explore. ECCE should work with the family and its culture, not against it.

Principles of ECCE in NCF 2005:

• play as the basis of learning;
• art as the basis of education;
• respect for children's thinking;
• experience matters more than expertise;
• familiar routines, with some challenge;
• both formal and informal interaction;
• using local materials, culture and knowledge;
• developmentally appropriate practice (fit the activity to the child's stage);
• health and healthy habits.