Page 8 - Final Lesson-2.pmd

Early Childhood in India

INTEXT QUESTIONS 2.1
Notes
Match Column A with Column B.
Column A Column B

(i) Lack of resources (a) play-based learning environments

(ii) Child mortality (b) future of the nation
(iii) Children (c) multi-cultural pluralistic society

(iv) India (d) ill health, high-density living and
unhygienic living conditions

(v) ICDS centres (e) total number of child deaths under the age
of five years per 1000 live births

(vi) Education in early years (f) primary health care and immunization

2.3 IMPACT OF EARLY CHILDHOOD ON SUBSEQUENT LIFE

Early childhood is a sensitive period in human development, shaped by the child’s
genes (nature) and experiences (nurture). Nature means the influence of an
individual’s genes on development and learning. Nurture means the impact of
various environmental factors like family, care, opportunities to explore,
education, upbringing etc. on the development and learning of children. Both
nature and nurture influence the development of the child.
In the previous lesson, the importance of early years was discussed. It is the
period when brain development takes place at a rapid pace which is also an
important factor for other developments. The first three years are crucial as
children use or lose what they have, as also ‘serve and return’. These two phrases
have been coined in a paper (Shonkoff, 2005) to convey the potency of care and
stimulation for children’s minds to flower. If the brain is not used by way of
exposure, there is no will to learn. The child may be listless, while on the other
hand, the way you care and be responsive to children the more benefits the child
will reap.

During the early years, the children need to grow in a stimulating, happy, caring
and healthy environment that provides opportunities for exploration,
experimentation, freedom of movement, interactions, good food and nutrition,
toys and objects for proper development and learning.Research on early child
development and education have established the positive impact of such an
environment on the development of the children. On the other hand, if the child
is brought up in a dull environment, does not get proper nutrition, faces abuse
orneglect or falls sick frequently, it will have adverse effects on the development
of the child.

EARLY CHILDHOOD CARE AND EDUCATION 19