Importance of Early Childhood Education

By definition, Early Childhood Education (ECD) is the level of education before basic education which is an approach to coaching which is intended for children from birth until the age of six years conducted through the provision of educational stimulation to assist the growth and physical and spiritual development for children have readiness in entering further education, which was held on formal, nonformal, and informal.
Why early childhood education is important? Yes, because during early childhood is the golden period (golden age) for children's development to obtain the education process.
Based on the results of the study, approximately 50% of adult intelligence capabilities have occurred when children were 4 years old, 80% had occurred when he was 8 years, and reached its culmination when the child is aged about 18 years.
This means that developments that occur within the first 4 years, as big as the developments in the next 14 years.
This golden period is the critical period for children, where the growth obtained in this period are very influential to the development of the next period, until adulthood. Understand, this golden period comes only once! If missing, it means that your chances run out already.
Therefore, early childhood education in the form of stimuli (stimulation) of the immediate environment is needed to optimize the ability of the child.
In short, early childhood education is one form of education that focuses on laying the foundation toward the growth and physical development (fine and gross motor coordination), intellect (the intellect, creativity, emotional intelligence, spiritual intelligence), socio-emotional (attitude and behavior and religion) language and communication, in accordance with the uniqueness and stages of development through which early childhood.
There are two purposes why the need to be held early childhood education, namely:

1.  The main objective: to establish a quality of Indonesian children, the children grow and develop in accordance with developmental level and thus have optimal readiness in entering primary education and living life in adulthood.
2. Accompanying goal: to help prepare children to reach the readiness to learn (academic) at the school.
The range of early childhood, according to the National Education Law 20/2003 Article 28 paragraph 1 is 0-6 years. Meanwhile, according to the scientific study of early childhood family and its implementation in some countries, early childhood has been conducted since the age of 0-8 years.
Here are some of the scope of Early Childhood Education:

    Infant (0-1 years)
    Toddler (2-3 years)
    Preschool / Kindergarten children (3-6 years)
    Early Primary School (Primary Class Start) (6-8 years)
Currently, there are already some organizers of the educational unit of Early Childhood Education, including:

  * Kindergarten (TK)
  * Raudatul RA (RA)
  * Bustanul RA (BA)
  * Play Group (KB)
  * TPA (TPA)
  * Similar Early Childhood Unit (SPS)
  * Early Elementary Class (grades 1,2,3)
  * BKB
  * Integrated Health Service Posts (Posyandu)
  * Family
  * Environmental
Inevitably, early childhood education is a very basic education and strategic human resource development. Not surprising that many countries put a great attention to the implementation of this education.