Family Involvement Model in Early Childhood Education - Essay Example

The primary teachers of children are the parents or guardians, and the primary school is the home. Education starts at home. The home is the foundation of learning. Even when the children are going to school, the family continues to support learning at home. Learning does not begin and end at school. It is just where formal learning takes place and is just one of the venues for educating children. The family is a part of the community. Support of the community in the Learning Programs of children makes education more effective.

An active community working hand in hand with families creates an enriching learning environment and a continuing learning venue from school for the children. Let us first define the period of early childhood. It begins from birth or infancy to age five. This is the period when major transformations take place: physical, social, intellectual, emotional and mental. It is the time when basic skills are learned which forms part of the learning foundation for use in later years. Basic skills include learning how to count, distinguishing letters, maintaining attention and remembering experiences.

This is the phase when children develop their self-concept, which is influenced in great part by what they see and experience at home. They also develop their self-esteem and start to make friends at this period. . The very basic theory deals with the basic needs of children and how these are met. Where does learning come into the hierarchy of needs and what are the prerequisite needs to make the process of education more effective are questions addressed by this theory. These theories espouse the importance of social interaction in the development of children.

The theories stress the effects of experiences from these social interactions as major factors in the habits, attitudes, views and the eventual learning success or failure of children.Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs is the most basic theory in a child's development. This is important so we may understand the priorities of children and the possible distractions they may have to learning. In psychology, it is a motivational theory where needs of people are placed in a hierarchy starting with the most basic needs at the base (Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs).

Abraham Maslow introduced the idea that the actions of people are determined by specific goals that they want to attain. A behavior is directed toward the satisfaction of a need. Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs is often represented by a pyramid with five levels. The first four levels are concerned with physiological needs and the topmost remaining level is concerned with growth needs. The premise is that the needs at the bottom or at the base have to be satisfied first before meeting the topmost need.

Physiological needs like food, water, air, sleep and sex are at the bottom followed by Safety needs like health, property, employment and environmental security. The third level is Belongingness which includes family, friendship and love. Esteem including respect, self-esteem, accomplishments and confidence comprise the fourth level.