Early childhood education tutoring is geared toward professionals. They are charged with the responsibility of caring for children in centers such as kindergarten.
It has become a necessity that even those parents who are not necessarily busy should see the need to send their children to early childhood development centers like kindergarten.
Children are our future. They take care of our legacy, they carry our culture, including languages, into the future. The teaching of African languages, in the case of South Africa, must take place at the level of early childhood centers. There are many retired linguists and professionals who could teach children pure African languages. By the way, this includes the tradition of passing on knowledge through storytelling, as well as fairy tales narrated by the elders.
We must combat all evil actions such as drug trafficking that target children. This type of mentoring supports practitioners’ initiatives against such evils in society. All children, regardless of the status of their parents, have the right to high-quality early childhood care and education, as well as professional mentoring.
The Early Childhood Education Mentoring Program is the beginning of the journey of comprehensive human capital development. It is the basis of lifelong learning. If established well from the start, these children become valuable members of society. This is the level at which society must invest all its resources and efforts so that society’s education is correct.
No one disputes the fact that education at this level should certainly be free, including the diet. We are wrong here, the whole country will suffer the consequences in the future. The long-term implications are dire. The state must make mentors available to support all those early childhood centers that are public and not for profit. These mentors must be qualified and accredited by reputable professional mentoring associations.
Perhaps at this point we should explain what tutoring is and what it is not. “The delicate balance of mentoring someone is not creating them in your own image, but giving them the opportunity to create themselves,” Steven Spielberg (Director, Producer and Writer). The term tutoring has its roots in Greek mythology. In Homer’s Odyssey, the hero Odysseus entrusts his friend Mentor to look after his son, Telemachus, while he is at war and groom him to be king. The word mentor came to mean teacher, educator, or role model. So a mentor is a trusted person who offers their own knowledge to support, guide and encourage another, known as the mentee.
A clear distinction must be made between training, mentoring and coaching. Training can be internal or external, in which a trainer assumes the role of teacher. He or she imparts special and needs-based components of knowledge and skills. Training is normally carried out in groups. It offers professional and behavioral development, that is, it teaches specific learning content. Mentoring is mostly internal and the mentor functions as a role model. He or she offers specific, tangible assistance in practical situations. This is often offered on an individual basis. Coaching is mainly external, and the coach assumes the role of tutor. Develops general individual competence and problem solving skills. Sessions are mainly delivered one-on-one, although team and group coaching are now also offered. However, not all coaches are capable of facilitating team or group training. The methodological knowledge of the trainer supports the development process. Coaching is highly recommended for personal and professional development.
In the next articles, we will discuss the basics of mentoring as methods and tools for mentoring: (1) competency profiles: measurement of progress in the mentoring process, mentor and mentee assignment; (2) Mentor Guidelines: Guidance for the mentor throughout the mentoring process; (3) Tutoring Agreement: Confidentiality and commitment must be guaranteed in a tutoring program; (4) Rules of the game: agreement on personal interaction (eg, rules of behavior or evaluation standards); (5) Checklist: Ensure a safe environment for the trainee, ongoing processing, and operational support.