Can ECE Classes Sustainably Empower Preschool Children’s Development?—A Longitudinal Study of the Role of ECE Classes in Children’s Learning and Development

Abstract

Does enrolling children aged 0–3 in early childhood education (ECE) classes continuously empower their learning and development after entering kindergarten? Based on the tracking survey data of 664 children aged 3–6 in 2017 and 367 children aged 3–6 in 2018, this study uses Propensity Score Matching to analyze this issue. The findings reveal that children’s family socioeconomic status is a key factor influencing their participation in ECE classes. The baseline data show that participation in ECE classes does not significantly improve children’s learning and development. However, the follow-up data show that participation in ECE classes plays a significant negative role in motor development for children moving to their second year of kindergarten, but subsequently plays a positive role in language development, health, and safety for those entering their third year of kindergarten. Overall, participation in ECE classes plays no continuous positive role in children’s learning and development after they enter kindergarten. Based on these findings, it is suggested that parents should respect the natural laws of child development instead of blindly following the trend of attending ECE classes, and high-quality parental companionship is crucial. The Chinese government is supposed to implement policies such as “double reduction” to regulate ECE institutions that fail to operate in good faith.

Keywords

early childhood education (ECE) classes / preschool children’s learning and development / “double reduction”

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2024 Higher Education Press