Writing in the Huffington Post, Vicki Palmer asserts that "from my professional experience of more than 35 years as a preschool teacher, I have identified 13 essential benefits of early childhood education:

1. Socialization:
Socialization with people other than the child’s family in a safe environment is an essential foundational element to the below areas...

2. Concept of Cooperation:
Learning how to share, cooperate, take turns and persevere within a safe learning environment, guided by professionals who have the children’s best interests at heart...

3. Encouraging Holistic Development:
The approach taken to build a strong foundation for a child's emotional, social, physical and mental development...

4. Enthusiasm for Lifelong Learning:
...We need to inspire a thirst for learning with eagerness and enthusiasm...

5. Convey the Value of Education Through Experience:
...While parents will always be the most important influence on a child’s early life, introducing [children] to a preschool environment provides them with a new perspective on the importance of education that will remain with them throughout their schooling journey...

6. Respect:
...There is no better place to learn this virtue than in a hectic preschool environment, where everything is shared and civility and manners are both taught and learned organically.

7. Teamwork:
Demonstrating and instilling the importance of teamwork that can teach respect for the opinions of others, listening, cooperation and equality...

8. Resilience:
It’s important that early childhood educators and parents work together to develop resilience in children as early as possible...

9. Concentration:
During preschool years, children explore at every opportunity to discover new experiences, new friends and new environments...

10. Patience:
...Children need opportunities to be involved in an abundance of social experiences, where they can explore and practice the social skill of patience...

12. Confidence and Self-Esteem:
...A strong sense of wellbeing provides children with confidence, optimism and self-esteem which will encourage children to explore their talents, skills and interests…

13. Exposure to Diversity:
Valuing difference and diversity are crucial to a child’s early development..."

Source: "The 13 Key Benefits of Early Childhood Education: A Teacher’s Perspective," by Vicki Palmer, The Huffington Post, August 6, 2015

This practical, joyful collection of articles offer strategies for infusing early childhood environments and activities with mathematical thinking, through inquiry-based projects and real world exploration.

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