What is the first thing you remember learning? It’s hard to say, right?
That’s because from the moment we’re born, our education begins. It’s hard to pinpoint what and when we learn because in our early years it is non-stop.
Children arrive on their first day of school with varying degrees of readiness. Thirty million degrees of variation to be exact. By some studies, children born into low-income families have heard roughly 30 million fewer words than their more affluent peers when they enter school.
From there it doesn’t get much better for some. Learning is a lifelong process and there are countless factors inside and outside of the classroom that contribute to learning—or lack thereof.
Look back: at your preschool, your home life, your teachers, what you watched on television. Think about who, or even what, contributed to your learning. For some, it was a teacher in school; for others, it was Barney or Big Bird. Teachers come in many forms.
Have you ever really appreciated the value of that early “teacher” and told them how much they helped you? If not, give them a shout out on social media today.Read more about the many ways EDUCATION shapes us.