Most of a child’s brain development occurs in the first 2,000 days of life—before they ever enter kindergarten. The years that a child spends in preschool are critical to their development. It’s where they learn critical thinking and problem-solving skills and jumpstart their learning journeys.
To celebrate Week of the Young Child, our Early Learning Solutions team shared what connects them to this work, their own memories as a child, and the inspiring ways that children learn.
Sara Allan, Director, Early Learning and Pathways
Why is working in early learning meaningful to you?
There is nothing more joy-inducing than watching little children learn and master new things! It makes your heart sing. This work is probably the most important thing we focus on, given the impact of positive early learning experiences on the lives of children and their families.
What is your earliest memory as a kid?
I remember being in my crib in the room I shared with my older brother and feeling envious that his bed was next to the light switch on the wall, so he got to turn the light off at bedtime. I wanted to turn the light off!
What’s surprised you about watching your own child learn?
I have twins, and it was fascinating to see how two children, with exactly the same experiences, learned in different ways and at different times. It’s so important to honor each child’s developmental arc and while the end goal may be the same, the path there will be different.
Sarah Weber, Senior Program Officer
Why is working in early learning meaningful to you?
I am inspired by the wonder and potential of young children and find meaning in advocating for those who cannot advocate for themselves. I hold Nelson Mandela’s quote, “There can be no keener revelation of a society's soul than the way in which it treats its children,” as truth and know we can do better for our kids.
Is there a memory/moment from working in early learning that stands out to you?
A recent example is watching a 4-year-old mentally working out a mathematics question and realizing the brilliance of young children.
What’s surprised you about watching your own child learn?
How much they absorb by observing.
Snow Li, Program Officer
Why is working in early learning meaningful to you?
I started my career as an early elementary special education teacher. I’ve never forgotten how special it is to work with young children. It was also the hardest job I’ve ever had. This work is meaningful to me because it’s incredibly important for children to have access to nurturing classrooms, and we too often forget to take care of the educators who make these nurturing environments possible.
Is there a memory/moment from working in early learning that stands out to you?
I remember my first time visiting a preschool classroom as an adult. I was a college student taking a course in Development Psychology and we were tasked with observing a preschool classroom and writing about our experience. The class visit blew by for me—I had so much fun watching the children learn and play that I could not stop smiling the whole visit. I decided then that I wanted to be a teacher.
What is your earliest memory as a kid?
I grew up in a multigenerational household in China, and my earliest memory as a kid was celebrating International Children’s Day with my cousin. This was a day where all the adults—teachers, grandparents, parents—stopped to celebrate kids for a day (which basically meant new toys and candy!).
Elizabeth Mokyr Horner, Senior Program Officer
Why is working in early learning meaningful to you?
Children’s first experiences with school are critically important, as they are developing their academic identity and feelings about school. Young children are also tiny scientists, and they are learning so much so quickly, developing language and reasoning skills and figuring out how to have relationships with others. I feel so lucky to support the development of solutions that help teachers and families support these young children to love school and to thrive.
Is there a memory/moment from working in early learning that stands out to you?
Our team often takes trips to meet pre-K leaders and see high-quality early learning in action. These trips are always so delightful, and I love seeing how teachers in different communities tailor their classroom materials to make them relevant for the children they serve. I also find listening to teachers and systems leaders talk about the challenges they face grounds our work.
What’s surprised you about watching your own child learn?
One of the things that was really fun when my kids were preschool age is that everything is magic. Credit cards are magic. They believe in the tooth fairy with their full hearts; it's as real to them as the dentist. I also loved watching them work on their skills through play. A ball is an opportunity to study physics, and a game of pretend is an opportunity to work through a social situation that was stressful. Young children are wired for play and ready to learn about the world.