Role of Sense of Community in Early Childhood Services

This article discusses the importance of sense of community in early childhood services for the development and learning of children. It covers topics such as identity and belonging, positive relationships, participatory learning environment, civic participation, and health and well-being.

Running head: SENSE OF COMMUNITY
Role of Sense of Community in Early Childhood Services
Name:
Institutional Affiliation

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Introduction
The concept of place refers to a region or an area characterized by human activities, and
they consider it a community (Schmitt, 2016). The place is understood to be dynamic with
constant changes in the human activities. Brillante and Mankiw, (2015) link a sense of place to
the need to belong and identify with a group of people; it adds to the emotional and social
development of children. Touhill (2012) defines a community as a collection of individuals with
a common habitat in the same location. A sense of community, therefore, points out the
interconnections and elements of the relationships that bring people together. The sense of
community is a lot more than seeing people living in the same location regularly. Creating early
sense of community in an early childhood service is significant as it develops and integrates the
sense of identity and belongingness to the children in the community (Mahmoudi, 2016).
Identity and Belonging
According to Brillante and Mankiw, (2015) children develop a sense of place from early
childhood to understand their surroundings, they are curious and using their five senses, to
explore their environment using the available materials. A sense of community is significant in
the development of a child’s awareness of their identity and feelings of belongingness in the
community as the connections and relationships built help shape their responsibilities. The
development and learning of the children take place in the community and society as a whole.
The strong links with the community provide educators with valuable information and resources.
They are able to understand the children and their families which enable them to provide relevant
learning experiences (Touhill, 2012).
The connections in the community play a significant role in the children’s sense of
belonging and identity. They are able to feel to be part of a society and develop into responsible

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members of the community in the future. The ability of a child to identify with a group of people
enables them to form relationships and try different things which help them develop their social
and emotional well-being (Prati, Cicognani, & Albanesi, 2018). Grover, Limber and Boberiene
(2015), denotes that schools are perceived as fair and safe environment which encourage all
students participation in activities and instill positive relationships that promotes sense of
community. From early childhood, students who feel the sense of community in the schools
records low dropout rates and better grades. They feel motivated and develop trust in the schools.
The relationships have an impact on their future interactions. The sense of community enables
the children to build confidence in themselves and achieve more in life by utilizing the resources
available in their environments.
Positive Relationships
The family setting always provides first contact in the wider community. The early
childhood services act as a significant point of connections for different families in the
community. The services can promote supportive relationships and connections with other
services and organizations in the local community. The families alone are not responsible for the
children as they get to learn from their surroundings too. The social context of the children plays
an important role in their learning and development. The different networks and relationships in
the social support the development of the child and different associations with the environment
affect how they view the world. Through the social interactions, the children learn how the world
operates (Rogoff, 2012).
The society today is characterized by multi-diverse cultural communities, and for the
children to understand where they belong and appreciate the differences in the cultures, they
have to develop a sense of identity. The representation of the child’s identity at the early stages

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of development through different services in the community helps in the formation of positive
relationships in the community. It causes conscious awareness of their positive environment to
develop. The experiences in their social and physical environments enable children to develop
and maintain relationship with others. They get to learn new ideas about themselves and others in
the social context (Brillante & Mankiw, 2015).
It encourages collaborative partnerships with families in the community. They are able to
maintain supportive relationships between families within the community. The children are also
able to learn to accommodate other people from different backgrounds as them and promote their
well-being. Collaborations also enable all members to contribute to the well-being of the
community in different ways (Kids Matter, 2014).
Participatory Learning Environment
Touhill (2012) emphasis that a sense of community also matters in the success of early
childhood services such as education and care. It provides a broad spec of learning for the
children. Having a sense of the community broadens their perspectives and enables them to make
connections between what they are taught in school and the outside world (Rogoff, 2012). The
relationships also promote positive explorations and adopt the similar activities done in the
society (Petrillo, Capone & Donizzetti, 2016). The inclusion of community into service is
significant for the development of the child. For example, inviting people the children may not
have the chance to meet such as those of different cultures, prominent people in the community
that they can learn from, the people with disabilities. This will enable the children to learn from
an early age that people are different and they can appreciate diversity and promote peace.
Research conducted by Pickett, Goldsmith, Damon, and Walker, (2016) denotes that
teaching the children to participate in community activities such as clean-up campaigns may also

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enable children to learn the importance of participation and their role in sustainability in the
community. Developing a sense of community in service is also important as children thrive in
supportive environments. Feeling part of the wider community makes them feel cared for and
goes beyond the learning environment( Chiessi, Cicognani, & Sonn, 2010).
Edelson (2011) adds that children also develop geo-literacy skills through interactions
within their environment and become empowered to become capable social beings. These skills
are developed right from childhood services where they learn to interact with people from
different families and have different values and beliefs as they are. The sense of place helps
adults have the power to avoid conflicts, protect their cultural resources and become useful in the
world (Edelson 2011).
Civic participation
The sense of community is also crucial in the engagement of the community members.
Involving children in different services in the community increases the engagement of their
parents which leads to their engagement in different activities and factors affecting the
community. It enables them to participate in community decision making as it impacts how their
community well-being. A sense of community increases the political participation and civic
organizations (Mahmoudi, 2016). It instills the spirit of the corporation in the children from a
young age (Mamonov, Koufaris & Benbunan-Fich, 2016)
Health and Well-being
It is also important to include a sense of community in early childhood services they
promote stable and common purposes for childhood development, learning, health and their
well-being (Mahmoudi, 2016). They provide a net that helps nurture children’s mental health and
progressive learning. Feeling part of a community promotes sharing and feeling of belonging

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where one feels cared for. This reduces chances of mental illnesses as the children learn and
develop their personalities, they determine the nature of the world and what is expected of them.
The services also taught children about the diverse nature of the society where they learn to
accommodate each other despite their differences. The families are welcomed in the community
making them feel empowered through the services and the sense of belonging makes them feel
safe and at home. It reduces the risk of insecurity and unwanted conflicts.
Mistry, Minkovitz, Riley, Johnson, Grason, Dubay, and Guyer, (2012) notes that sense
of community also enables the policies, administrations, curriculum, and daily operations to be
structured to be in the best interest of the children and promotes there health. The people
responsible are able to understand the needs of the children in the community and work towards
achieving their best interests(Kids Matter, 2014).
However, despite the importance of including the sense of community as an early age in
service provision, Touhill (2012) denotes that it is also important for the children to explore other
opportunities outside their communities. Staying within their boundaries can limit how they
connect with the outside world. Therefore exposure will be helpful in the development of other
skills that would be useful when they are out of their communities.
Conclusion
Making use of a sense of community in early childhood services such as care and
education is very important for the development and learning of the children. The social context
of the society provides a good environment for the children as they are able to develop a sense of
identity and belonging. From the studies, it is evident that a lot of research and emphasis has
been put on the internal benefits of the sense of community and not much on the external factors
encountered outside the community.

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References
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Mamonov, S., Koufaris, M., & Benbunan-Fich, R. (2016). The Role of the Sense of Community
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Analysis, 15(1), 128–144. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?
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