Early Education Trends For 2020

Marie Nieves
Nov 04, 2019   •  9 views

Learning from books alone is a thing of the past, and education is rapidly changing in many countries all around the world. Kids these days have access to much more advanced learning tools, and the advancements in other fields, like the field of technology, are affecting education as well. With all that in mind, here are a few early education trends you should know about.

Childhood obesity is taken more seriously

Over the past few years, childhood obesity has become a more serious issue. Due to easily accessible fast food, busy lives of parents, and other reasons, it’s not always easy to encourage children to eat healthy. This is why kids are given more free time for various outdoor activities and more options for entertainment, like sports, dancing, swimming, running, etc. Moreover, many schools have updated their menus to contain healthier food choices, and parents are encouraged to pay more attention to their kids’ weight as well. This includes spending less time on the computer and more time playing outside.


Play-based learning is encouraged

Kids love to play, and through games, they can develop all kinds of skills, from communication to logic. Their cognitive abilities, in general, can be greatly enhanced, and all that without any pressure of actual “education”. So, once the lecture is over, kids are encouraged to put their books aside and play. The type of play depends on their age, but for younger kids, this usually includes building blocks, play dough, puzzles, and other educational toys. If you are from Hong Kong, you should have no trouble finding a good education centre in Hong Kong that would ensure your child is provided with everything they need to develop their skills through play-based learning.

Digital learning becomes more important

Mobile phones, computers, and other gadgets have become a part of our daily lives, and they are starting to play a role in early education as well. Preschool teachers, for example, can use the Internet to find all kinds of relevant information. Young kids, too, are being taught the basics of the Internet. Moreover, since the job market is very competitive, and most jobs do require digital fluency, knowing how to use the Internet and teaching kids the value of technology is a must today. In other words, digital learning is becoming more important both for teachers and for learners.

Virtual reality is entering the classrooms

A part of digital learning is also using virtual reality in classrooms. It is still not that widely used, but both kids and teachers have started showing interest in it. So, one can expect it to become popular in the next few years. This would allow students to learn their subjects in a completely new way. For instance, history lessons with a VR headset would allow kids to “time travel” to the period they are learning about. Geography lessons would take them to different places all over the world. In short, education for kids would become much more engaging.


Educators are taking care of their own well-being

Another topic that is more talked-about now than ever before is the topic of self-care for educators. Being an educator of any kind is a very stressful job. This is why post-trauma support for educators as well as mental health promotion is becoming increasingly important. After all, a part of educators’ job is taking care of their students’ emotional needs as well, and in order to do that, they have to take care of themselves first. And this is something they need to be able to do throughout the entire year and not just during summer breaks.

Video-based learning is more available

Videos have the ability to convey certain information much better than pictures, and with computers becoming an essential part of every classroom, videos are becoming a part of children’s curriculum as well. Moreover, young kids have a very short attention span, which cannot be increased by force. This is another reason why videos are so useful – they can keep kids interested for longer and, thus, teach them more too. Additionally, with so many available animations today, videos can be used for teaching all kinds of different topics.

Thanks to the above-listed trends in education, kids today are more likely to learn without too much stress and pressure. Learning is bound to become much more fun, and kids will be better prepared for higher learning and competing in the professional fields of our dynamic world.