The field of early childhood is ever growing, but all around
the world, professionals in the field have similar questions, similar concerns
and issues, and conduct similar research. I have been studying about schools in Europe,
specifically Finland, England, and Portugal for my own search to find quality in
early childhood education. I decided to
study the European Early Childhood Education Research Journal (EECERJ) to learn about
topics being studied there. (http://www.eecera.org/journal/)
At first I was surprised at the topics in the most recent published
journal in April, 2014. They included: literacy
development, science instruction, professionalism, barriers to learning,
education models, nature and outdoor classrooms, afterschool programming,
stress and sensitivity of caregivers, and temperament. Of these ten items, I am currently studying,
training, and researching five of them in my current profession and an
additional two of them personally. It
should not be surprising that these are concerns and issues in other parts of
the world as well, but helped me to feel that I was not alone in my search to
find answers to make early childhood a more meaningful experience for all.
This compelled me to go back one more issue, to the February,
2014 issue. The article topics in this
issue included: brain development and academic rigor in early childhood,
influence of parents playing with children, social-emotional prevention
programs, kindergarten mathematics, science for birth to age four, the Deluge,
programs for children with autism, character development in children 3-6, early
education and professional choice, and parental concepts on quality. A few of
these are similar to the April journal, but they all are very different. Again, I found that these are areas that I am
studying both professionally and personally (although can one really say they
are studying something personally when it is in their professional field and
helps them ultimately grow as a professional?
It may be more correct to say I am studying them on my own, but not
because I see a current need in the organization I work for, although even then
it wouldn’t be entirely true).
It is comforting to know that all around the world people
are learning about young children and how we can best meet their needs and help
them to grow and develop in the best ways possible. There are many
professionals in the field who truly are doing all they can to highlight the
importance of early childhood and to help other professionals in the field in
their journey to help children become all they can become. There is a vast amount of research and
knowledge that has been shared all over the world, I am grateful to have found
this research journal to add more interesting facts and information to the
areas of the world that I have already been studying.
The last thing on this website that caught my attention was
the early childhood conference. I love
to attend the early childhood conferences in my local area as well as the NAEYC
conference held every year. I have known
that conferences happen all over the world, but I take pride in seeing and
understanding that the topics they will discuss are similar to the ones we
discuss here as well. I would love to
one day be able to travel through Europe and observe and learn about the field
of early childhood all over the world.
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