by Purple Doodles

Created on: April 02, 2009

Early Childhood education and enrichment have now assumed enormous importance. While until recently it was left to the sole management of the mothers, now it has come out of the closet and is attracting some of the brightest professionals and deepest research. Rightfully so. Isn't it true that the first six years of life lays the foundation for the rest of the life?

What are the key developmental requirements of the first six years? How does a child learn? What is its learning style and focus? What do we adults need to understand about the child's learning style during the first six years? How can we adults help create an optimal learning environment for the child?

The first six years is the first stage of development. The child is essentially a sensory explorer during the first six years. The five senses are the learning portals. The child has no sense of discrimination or judgment. Here is a profile of the key characteristics of the learning requirement for the child during the first six years of his life.

Most important learning requirement:
The most vital requirement of the first six years is the construction of the physical self. The child has to get its act together in terms of mastering neuro-muscular coordination and sensory perception and building up a repertoire of familiarity that will help him settle into the world.

Key Characteristics:
Some of the key characteristics of the first six years are as follows: High levels of activity. Spontaneity. Unconscious learning during the first 3 years, more conscious learning during the next three. Absorption of knowledge as against prioritized intake of information. No conscious exercise of will or memory. All these characteristics make the child essentially a sensory explorer, gathering all that his senses absorb without filtering or discrimination.

Emphasis of learning
During the first six years, the child is not discriminatory about what it absorbs. The emphasis is on absorbing the "what" of things, the more the merrier.

Mode of learning
During the first six years the child demonstrates a sponge-like absorbent mind while soaking up knowledge from the environment. He learns with an Absorbent Mind (0-3 years)-a kind of an unconscious learning and from 3-6 years conscious learning sets in. During the first six years, there are periods called Sensitive periods' during which the learning is easier/faster. The mode of learning is essentially absorbent.

Tools for development
During the first six years, the senses are the primary

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