Education encompasses teaching and learning specific skills, and also something less tangible but more profound: the imparting of knowledge, positive judgment and well-developed wisdom. Education has as one of its fundamental aspects the imparting of culture from generation to generation. The education of an individual human begins at birth and continues throughout life.

Family members have a profound educational effect—often more profound than they realize—though family teaching may function very informally. Lifelong, or adult, education has become widespread in many countries. However, education is still seen by many as something aimed at children, and adult education is often branded as adult learning or lifelong learning. Adult education takes on many forms, from formal class-based learning to self-directed learning.

Depending on their preferred learning modality, different teaching techniques have different levels of effectiveness. Effective teaching requires a variety of teaching methods which cover all learning modalities. No matter what their preference, students should have equal opportunities to learn in a way that is effective for them.

Teachers need the ability to understand a subject well enough to convey its essence to a new generation of students. The goal is to establish a sound knowledge base on which students will be able to build as they are exposed to different life experiences. The passing of knowledge from generation to generation allows students to grow into useful members of society. Good teachers can translate information, good judgment, experience and wisdom into relevant knowledge that a student can understand and retain.

Parental involvement is an important element in a child's educational development. Early and consistent parental involvement in the child's life is critical. Examples include reading to children at an early age, teaching patterns, interpersonal communication skills, getting them involved in their community, exposing them to diverse cultures and educating them about a healthy lifestyle.