On our blog, we’ve spoken about emergent curriculum, experiential education, and other topics that are closely related to this one. When speaking of informal education in early childhood, we are talking about a specific, but untracked way of learning, which we all do, and which continues for life.
What is informal education?
It is not the same as non-formal education, such as structured learning that happens outside the classroom, like music lessons, scouts, or other extra-curriculars. It is more-so the kind of thing that is ‘picked up’ as we grow and experience so-called, ‘normal life.’
We could say that informal education crosses over into the realm of emergent curriculum and other types of learning. Though the difference is that we are splitting hairs (in a way) when it comes to intentional versus unintentional learning environments, plus the ‘spontaneity factor. Intention and spontaneity (or lack thereof) can all result in formal and informal education. The main point is that there is an added element to the mix that is essential to all learning – and that is informal learning.
This can seem confusing, but we think you’ll be helped by the types and examples of informal learning that we’ll delve into below.
In this article, we’ll explain 5 examples of informal education that can happen in the early childhood years, and why, overall, this type of learning is important to be aware of.
1) Social awareness, emotional intelligence and relationship building
While some social skills are explicitly taught, children in the early years pick up a lot by observation. Language skills are the most obvious in this category. However, even before verbal language is picked up, body language can speak volumes. With empathy, children can understand if someone is sad or happy, or what might make another person sad or happy. Now, empathy may not be fully developed at the toddler and preschool stage, but we can say it is being learned, gradually.
Children in early childhood can also learn social skills through natural consequences, which may be considered informal education. For example, being nice to others can result in more friendships. So over time, we hope they’ll pick up on that, and learn more about positive social behaviours. These skills may not be explicitly taught, though they certainly do need that side of it, too (such as being encouraged to share, help others, and solve interpersonal problems).
Of course, the flip side of that is the negative, which is when bad social behaviours are acquired. This is why leading by example is so important in early life.
See related on our blog:
- What is social competence in the early years?
- 3 ways to build self-awareness in early childhood
- The importance of eye contact in young children, and how to teach it as a social skill
2) Independence and self responsibility
Children learn a lot at home, in the first years of life. A crucial aspect of informal learning is independence. Knowing how to put on, and take of your own shoes and clothes, how to brush your teeth, how to use a fork and spoon, how to clean up your toys, how to open and close doors, how to buckle a seat belt, how to use the toilet, how to wash your hands and even how to use the phone or other tools, is so important.
These are life skills and they are essential to nearly all other types of learning. Think about it: if a child is not potty trained, they’ll have a hard time in daycare or preschool. If they can’t use a fork, they may be missing out on fine motor skills needed to learn how to write. And, it would be impractical to expect a teacher to spoon-feed a classroom full of children.
It is normal to do these things independently. And they happen in informal learning environments. They may need to be taught, yes; they are not always observed or experimented with. But they are not part of formal or non-formal education. They are considered informal. They are ‘background’ learning skills that make other forms of education (and survival) possible.
Eventually, life skills lead to self responsibility. Being on time, for example, involves foresight into how long it will take to get dressed and be ready for something. That is informal knowledge.
Another example: knowing that buying things involves work, which leads to finances you manage, which means you’ll have the ability to make a purchase, by waiting in line to approach a cash register, in a store (and that you can’t just walk out of stores with items you didn’t pay for!).
Above we talked about natural consequences. Natural consequences can also apply to self responsibility. For example, in early childhood, eating lunch instead of insisting on playing endlessly could be an informal lesson. By skipping lunch to play, a child will eventually be super hungry. They’ll need to learn that maybe the excitement can wait for a little break to eat. The next time lunch is served, they may remember the time they overlooked its importance, and decide that yes, sitting down to eat is a good idea! This is being responsible for oneself, independently.
See related on our blog:
- How to teach toddlers and preschoolers to be responsible in an age-appropriate way
- Practical potty training tips for preschool readiness and group daycare requirements
- How to teach preschoolers about viruses, bacteria and sickness prevention (cold and flu teaching tips)
- Community service learning ideas for early childhood education and daycare
- Tips to teach street and road safety at preschool
- How to teach playground safety at daycare
3) Emotional regulation and rationalization of ‘real’ versus ‘not real’
Sometimes, it can seem to parents and caregivers that children experience too many illogical emotions and reactions. The thing is, the world is a brand new place for children. They don’t yet know how to deal with emotions they get when they are being disciplined, when they can’t have what they want, when they don’t know what they want, when they miss someone or something, when they are bored, when they feel mistreated, or even when they are happy. They also don’t know when something is not a big deal, versus when it is a big deal. Their whole world is not logical, so we can’t expect that of them at an early age.
Now a lot of the problems surrounding emotional regulation really do need conscious teaching, and sometimes, even therapy.
But, we can say that informal learning includes adapting to emotions, and figuring out how to rationalize information. You may have heard of ‘exposure therapy.’ Apply that to kids, you can say that, sure, they may be afraid of getting their hair wet at first (for example). But, maybe they need to keep experiencing hair washing in order to realize that nothing bad happens when their hair gets wet. Eventually, this type of ‘exposure’ learning helps them rationalize that fear, and manage their emotions around that trigger.
They may be afraid of monsters under the bed, but eventually, they’ll learn that is just a part of their imagination, which is not real. On the flip side, they may be too trusting of strangers, or bears. They need to learn that fear of strangers, or bears, can be a healthy fear to have. They need to listen to their instincts, in those situations. Knowing what they should be afraid of is just as valid as knowing what they shouldn’t be afraid of.
Through experiences like failing or making mistakes, children also learn resiliency, and positive thinking.
You definitely want to handle emotions with care, empathy and professional help, if need be. That part of learning emotional regulation is not informal – it involves intentional conversations with a child. But informally, children should learn – even if on their own – what is ‘real’ and what is ‘not real,’ internally, so they can react appropriately.
See related on our blog:
- 3 ways to build self-awareness in early childhood
- How to know if your child is emotionally ready for school
- 3 ways to build confidence in young children
- 3 Key tips to understand and solve temper tantrums in toddlers and young children
- Teaching young kids about stranger safety
- What is normal emotional intelligence in toddlers and preschoolers?
- Essential props to have or make for your preschool dramatic play corner
4) Physical motor skills and abilities
Learning how to move, jump, and use tools can be picked up on one’s own, through practice and experimentation. These skills can be taught, but they don’t become acquired knowledge without practice. So, in a way, physical movement, motor skills and abilities can be considered informal education. Yes, they often happen in formal learning environments, like daycares and schools, or sports teams. But they are not exclusive to those places.
See related on our blog:
- What are normal fine motor skills to have in the early childhood years, and why are they important?
- What is normal gross motor development in early childhood, and why is it important?
- Does your child need an occupational therapist? Here is what to know
5) Cause and effect in the natural world
You’ve probably heard the age-old example that if a child touches a hot kettle, they’ll learn not to touch it again. While we would definitely not want anyone encouraging children to touch hot kettles, there is a principle that makes sense here. As we live and grow, we do learn, from the moment we’re born, that there is cause and effect in our natural world, in our bodily responses to the environment, and in how we interact with objects, things, people, etc. When we eat food, for example, our hungry feeling goes away. When we hug a loved one, we feel the ‘warm and fuzzies,’ and it helps us, emotionally.
But here we’re not talking so much about social skills (like crying for milk to get attention for food). We’re talking about the power of observation in early childhood. You may have heard that children are born scientists. This is quite true. Dropping spaghetti on the floor, or squishing food can all be considered a scientific experiment. As can banging on pots and screaming loud ‘just for fun.’
Children are explorers. And this is wonderful. Now, logic would tell us that we need to supervise these experiments, because they can lead to dangerous situations (of course). And yes, you should. But on the other hand, children do need to learn how to avoid danger, and when it’s necessary. For example, avoiding bee stings is a good idea. So, don’t go knocking down beehives. It may be that experiencing a bee sting can teach this lesson better than ‘rules,’ if you know what we mean (but don’t go encouraging kids to get stung!).
Wearing rubber boots in the rain to stay dry, not bringing sand into your bed, understanding that ‘tomorrow’ involves waiting, or knowing how to eat a popsicle before it melts are all part of cause-and-effect wisdom, which can come from informal observation and experience.
See related on our blog:
- 4 Top benefits of outdoor education in early childhood
- How to find and use teachable moments as an early childhood educator
- 5 Fun, purpose-driven walks to go on with daycare kids or preschoolers
- Teaching useful calendar concepts in preschool and daycare
- What are the common types of play in childhood? Why are they important?
- Why sensory development skills are important at daycare
Why is informal education important to know about, if it happens naturally?
You may be wondering why we need to be aware of informal education, if it will happen regardless of our interference. Well, the thing is, sometimes it doesn’t. As this article explains, many informal learning environments are simply not ‘rich’ enough for children to learn the other skills they need, or to learn those skills in the span of time that is ideal.
For children to have success academically, and in life, parents and caregivers need to expose them to many experiences, places, objects, tastes, challenges, and other things that arouse senses (in a good way). Caregivers should have conversations with children. All of the intentional learning environments – whether it be formal education or non-formal education – inevitably result in informal education.
In daycares and preschools, teachers often try to incorporate informal learning into the classroom. They know that at this age, what children need is not just academic knowledge, to prepare them for kindergarten. They need life skills, too. At our centres, for example, we’ll bring in guest teachers, like yogis or veterinarians. Or, we’ll invite amputees to teach children about acceptance and disabilities. We also learn about recycling and taking care of our environment, as social responsibility. These all result in non-academic lessons that teach children about the types of skills we listed above.
Informal education can have tremendous benefits to a child. So, whether at home, or in a preschool learning environment, it is important that we create situations which are conducive to both informal and formal learning.
