Early childhood spans the human life from birth to age 8. Education during this period is holistic in that it focuses on physical, intelligence/cognitive, emotional, and social education (PIES). Although early childhood education does not have to occur in the absence of the parent or primary caregiver, this term is most often used to denote education by someone other than these people. It is important to note that both research in the field and early childhood educators view the parents as an integral part of the early childhood education process. Early childhood education takes many forms depending on the theoretical and educational beliefs of the educator or parent. Other terms that are often used interchangeably with "early childhood education" are "early childhood care", "early care", and "early education."
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