Gender Equity in Early Childhood EducationMain MenuIntroductionWhy is Early Childhood Education Important?Why is Early Childhood Education Important for Girls?How is Gender Socially Constructed in the Early Years?Why Is Parent Involvement Important for ECE?A Comparative Look At ECE and Gender EquityParent Attitudes, ECE and Gender Equity in The United States, Kenya and CambodiaConclusionKelly Grace33ad43180d3cbf24c9554a05e30c99611fd3ababDana Stiles1776c60122811f7ceb112aadf951353b993a2d54
12015-11-20T13:23:13-08:00Parents and Sociocultural Influences25plain2015-11-20T21:14:54-08:00Parents have the most direct influence on children’s development. Parent involvement in education has also been shown to impact academic achievement, and to improve the health, cognitive functioning, and social-emotional development of young children. The interaction between a child and his or her context at this time determines the trajectory for lifelong and holistic development. This is reinforced by the learning theories of educationists Dewey, Piaget, Vygotsky, and Erikson, who assert child development and cognition is a process requiring children to socialize and experience their environment. Children rely on play, parental and peer interactions, and realistic and social models to develop critical social skills, communication skills, and self- confidence. As children develop, culture impacts their early learning. According to Bowman (1994), the "rules of development are the same for all children, but social contexts shape children's development into different configurations" (p. 220). Ultimately, every child has the same aptitude for learning, but sociocultural contexts shape children’s developmental competencies and influence their learning achievements.
12015-11-02T20:36:35-08:00Impact of ECCE on Motherhood14plain2015-11-11T22:40:33-08:00 Research shows that an equitable education for young girls improves the quality of early childhood care those girls are able to provide to their own children in motherhood. Maternal motivations and prior experience with early childhood education directly linked to a child’s performance in school. Considering the following information, it is evident that maternal attitudes are a mechanism for reducing gender inequity in education:
Maternal education has a strong impact on infant and child mortality: a child whose mother can read is 50% more likely to live past the age of 5.
Maternal cognitive skill is a key explanatory variable for children’s cognitive development differences between ethnic groups.
A child’s exposure to an early learning environment is specifically shaped by the mother’s early learning experiences.
Mothers, specifically those of immigrant or low income status, often seek out early learning programs that mirror their early learning experiences.