An Insider's Guide to Education for Parents

Going Dutch: Comparing Early Childhood Education With The Netherlands

Last week I had the opportunity to host a delegation of 18 visitors from the Netherlands, representing nearly 10 different child care organizations throughout the country as well as some agency representatives. We took our visitors to The Children’s House, a beautiful early childhood education center that is operated by CCLC for the Housing and Urban Development agency in Washington, D.C.

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This was not my first exposure to early childhood education in the Netherlands, as I had visited two programs there earlier this year. Nonetheless, it was fascinating to spend time with our visitors and to understand through their eyes some of the differences between early childhood education in our country and theirs.

One of the most significant differences that I observed between early childhood education in the United States and the Netherlands is the specific focus we have at all of our KinderCare, Knowledge Beginnings and CCLC early childhood programs on promoting cognitive development across a variety of areas including early literacy, language and communication, mathematics and science.

While our programs clearly address social/emotional and physical/motor development as well, we believe that early, intentional experiences that promote cognitive skills in a developmentally appropriate manner (through play and discovery) are critical to a child’s school readiness and future success.

Whereas our programs and those of many others in the United States are built around specific learning objectives with the expectation that evidence of learning is well represented throughout the classroom, programs in the Netherlands typically do not reflect as comprehensive a framework. On the other hand, what I did see in the Netherlands were high quality teachers who were responsive to children’s needs and interests and who interacted with the children in warm, caring ways.

As I mentioned in a previous blog entry, although the single most important factor in determining the quality of an educational program is the teacher, that alone is not sufficient. Like any other skilled professional, teachers need access to appropriate materials, supplies and equipment.

Even in early childhood education, the program should include goals and intended outcomes that serve as a guide for classroom activities, while ensuring flexibility and responsiveness to the individual needs and interests of the children of any age. There should also be varied and appropriate materials and equipment that stimulate and challenge children and promote discovery and exploration.

Great teaching doesn’t just happen—it happens when a dedicated and skilled teacher has the tools and resources to provide an engaging, challenging, nurturing environment for children. I was delighted that our guests from the Netherlands had the opportunity to see all that in action.