Early Childhood Shapes Life: The Importance of Early Childhood Studies

Every single moment in a child’s early years can shape the rest of their life, making this Postgraduate subject one that is truly fascinating and rewarding.

Are you interested in a career in early childhood leadership? The MA Early Childhood course at the University of Bolton in Greater Manchester is designed to take your skills to the next level.

By preparing you for more autonomous working and better decision-making, you can train towards a range of senior management roles.

Postgraduate training in Early Childhood Studies is essential for improving our knowledge of how a person’s former years impact them as an adult. Early childhood shapes life in a multitude of ways, making it one of the most important areas of study for human fulfilment and happiness.

There has never been a greater need for leaders in this field, and here are some of the things that make Early Childhood Studies a vital subject within education and beyond.

There is a link with education attainment

How a child develops from birth can affect how well they respond to school and later education, according to research. After taking into account family background and child characteristics, the results of this study showed significant trends for increasing duration of early childhood education (ECE) attendance to be associated with greater attainment of high school and university qualifications.

Furthermore, there was also a clear correlation with higher adult socioeconomic wellbeing (measured on income, employment and occupational status).

This means that early years education plays a huge role in setting children up for their school years and beyond. Making early years teaching a vocation that has serious impact for families and future generations.

A reduction in crime rates among adults

In addition to ECE attendance improving education and occupational success, early childhood practices can also contribute to the prevention of crime and delinquency in later life.

In fact, a study found that children who didn't participate in nursery or a similar preschool programme were 70% more likely to commit a crime by the age of 18.

Early childhood education promotes self-control and also reduces externalising behaviours found in children. These are important mediators for reducing involvement in criminal activity in adulthood, for both males and females. This is because females have a lower baseline rate of crime participation.

Mental health disorders could be prevented

There’s also research to suggest that anxiety and symptoms of depression can occur earlier in life, and early education can help to prevent bigger issues further down the line.

Intervention and prevention from a young age is vital for adaptive development, shining the light on the importance of social-emotional learning programmes for children.

This is why leadership is needed, and our master’s programme can give you all the skills you need to develop your career in the right direction.

We provide a supportive and friendly learning environment for those who are passionate about helping young children reach their potential, enhancing your knowledge of leadership, management and research.

We are in the Top 5 in the UK for Teaching Quality*, and have been voted No.1 for Student Satisfaction for three years running.** So there’s nowhere better to study than the University of Bolton!

To find out more about applying in 2021, see our course page for details.

* The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2020 and 2019
** Complete University Guide in 2021, 2020 and 2019, North West region