Educational Implications of Interests and Needs of Children in Early Childhood Care and Education

Abstract

Issues concerning children' needs and interests at their early childhood periods are the focus of this paper. Employing Maslow's hierarchy of needs as a theoretical guide, each of the needs identified by Maslow ? Biological and Physiological, Safety, Love and Belongingness, Esteem, and self-actualization needs are discussed in relation to the child, foregrounding possible interests that may emanate from the needs. The educational implications of the needs and interests are also brought to the fore, using concrete examples that may emanate in an early childhood care and education programmes. The paper revealed the imperativeness of paying special attentions to the needs and interests of children especially at a very important period of their life ? the early childhood period which spurred recommendations on the need for parents, teachers, caregivers and other children's handlers to avoid actions that may adversely affect children's needs, as denying them their needs may deprive them of costly needs including life. The paper also suggests that children's interest should be nurtured to maturation; provided the interest is not harmful to the child, as nurturing children's interest make such children self-actualized-adults.