"To reform the world - means to reform upbringing..." said Janusz Korczak, a Polish author and teacher.

Recently I have had staying with me some long-time friends and their three children, ages 2, 4, and 12. Watching the parents and children interact, I was reminded that the United Nations has proclaimed June 1 as Global Parents Day, but the day is recognized and celebrated at different times in different countries. In the U.S., for example, it is the 4th Sunday in July of each year.

Education doesn't begin with school, but with the family. The reality is that every day should be a celebration of Parents' Day given the fundamental role played by parents as the first and most important teachers in a child's life. Indeed, if the parents do not prepare a child well during these early years, it is less likely that a child will have developed the full readiness to respond to formal education opportunities no matter how well funded or plentiful they are.

The evidence is growing ever stronger that the first three years of a child's life are the most important when it comes to brain development. Growing up in a stimulating and supportive family environment can make the difference between a brilliant child and one who performs well below his or her potential.

Language is the means by which our brain develops the various connectors that lead to learning and maturation. For example, studies show that children growing up in an impoverished environment will hear about 30 million less words than one who grows up in a supportive and nurturing family network. More than that, the words they hear will be less supportive, more negative and lacking in the quality and diversity of the language listened to by children in an enriched environment ("The Early Catastrophe: The 30 Million Word Gap by Age 3" by University of Kansas researchers Betty Hart and Todd R. Risley. [2003]).

It is during these critical early years that children are learning about their own body, learning how to eat, developing their sense of "self," learning about relationships within the family, engaging with the wider community, learning how to solve problems, learning about feelings and developing self-confidence. They are also learning how to relate to others and the wider community. They are learning how to learn. During these critical years, children need to learn by doing. The role of hands-on activities, singing, dancing, books, stories are also of vital importance. There are also now many wonderful DVD's and other technology devices that assist the child and parent with these learning activities.

All this suggests that governments and communities should give the highest priority to early childhood education and supporting parents, especially during these formative years of a child's development. It is important that children engage with their parents, with their community, with their culture so that learning is maximized.

Not only will supporting parents in this most important role make the world a better place, but children, themselves, when they grow up will realize and understand this great gift of love given to them by their parents and family. They, in turn, will extend that same gift to the generations to follow. In the words of novelist, Paulo Coelho, who wrote the best-selling work, "The Alchemist:"

"It is not until much later, that

children understand;

their stories and all their accomplishments, sit atop the stories

of their mothers and fathers, stones upon stones,

beneath the water of their lives."

Eugene Clark is a columnist with China.org.cn. For more information please visit:

http://www.china.org.cn/opinion/eugeneclark.htm

Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors only, not necessarily those of China.org.cn.

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