Early Childhood Development: 3-6 Years

Highlights

WHAT WE MEAN BY EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT

Early childhood development, or ECD, is about the ‘whole child' – the physical, social and emotional, cognitive thinking and language progression of each young individual. We now know that quality activity in kindergartens (for children aged 3–6 years) influences how children become intellectually curious, socially confident and equipped with a solid foundation for lifelong learning.

WHY INVEST IN EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT?

Attending an ECD programme enhances:

• Language acquisition;
• Brain development;
• Cognitive skills development;
• Social and emotional development and well-being;
• Physical and motor development;
• School readiness;
• Improved learning outcomes in school and higher levels of education; and
• Economic returns of investment in ECD of up to 1:17.

Author(s)

UNICEF

Publication date

September 2017

Languages

Chinese, English