Early Childhood refers to the stage of human development that spans from gestation to approximately 5 or 6 years of age. It is considered the most critical window of opportunity in a person's life, because during these years the brain develops at an unprecedented speed and is extraordinarily malleable.
The experiences a child has during this stage — the nutrition they receive, the stimulation provided by their caregivers, access to health services, and the emotional and educational environment — largely determine their future capacity to learn, stay healthy, and interact with others. Developmental delays during early childhood create gaps that tend to widen over time, making it much more costly and difficult to close them at later stages of life.
Early childhood development is multidimensional and involves four major areas:
Personal and social development: identity, emotional expression, self-care, play, and coexistence.
Motor development: fine and gross motor skills.
Communication and expression: oral language, gestural expression, and artistic languages.
Relationship with the environment: mathematical logic, scientific thinking, and relationship with family and society.