Did you know children who attend preschools are generally found to be more prepared for school than children who don’t?
A large part of our brain development happens before we start kindergarten. Early education happens during the time from when a child is born until they start kindergarten. It consists of creches, pre-schools, and early learning daycares.
So, an indispensable step in a child’s growth, a parent should find the right early learning daycare and enrol them!
Count it as an investment and not a cost, as UNESCO states, “Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) is more than preparation for primary school. It aims at the holistic development of a child’s social, emotional, cognitive and physical needs in order to build a solid and broad foundation for lifelong learning and wellbeing”.
ECCE relates to the formal and informal teaching of children. Originated in European countries, this form of education has since garnered a lot of popularity. It is now a norm in many countries.
Here’s how early education programs help your child:
> helps them express thoughts
> helps them adapt to different behaviours
> helps them control impulsivity
> helps them focus and concentrate more
> helps them exhibit curiosity and persistence
Here is a more detailed explanation for the same:
1. Learning but fun too: Early education helps children build and find their own way of learning and understanding things. When this becomes a practice from the very beginning, it helps them with problem-solving and encourages them to find a fun and acceptable way to learn things.
2. Builds confidence: Positive reinforcement aids students. When a child is able to make improvements, the facility awards them with trophies or be it something as trivial as a star and icecream sticker, it can truly help a child unleash the power he holds. This enhances their interests and participation with other children and teachers. It builds a child’s self-esteem which is carried on by them throughout their lives.
3. Multiculturalism: Your child meets other children from different cultures and ethnicities. It gives them exposure to diverse cultures, languages and practices.
4. The STEM: ECCE programs expose your children to the basics of education and prepare them for higher, more nuanced learnings on a module named the STEM- Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. Pathbreaking discoveries happen in STEM fields and an early introduction to these subjects might open new dimensions for your child.
5. Healthy and Active: Children are encouraged to participate in extra-curricular, be it a painting exercise or a brisk run. This helps them stay healthy and also develops their interest in life beyond academics. They run, play with a variety of toys, and learn to share them with other children of their own age. This not only builds them physically but also mentally. Moreover, early learning daycares like the one in the link above make sure to provide scrumptious and yet organically-sourced, nutritious meals to your child, which makes you feel secure that even outside home, your child gets the best.
So, we have learnt early learning daycares are crucial, but how do you find the right one in a crowd of daycares in the market? Here’s how:
1. Conduct your research: Google. Look for word of mouth, Visit options nearby. Make sure to visit them multiple times before you make your decision. First impressions can be fleeting and unreliable, sometimes.
2. Interview centres: Look for the certifications needed to be handling kids, especially toddlers and infants.
Inspect the campus, particularly the kitchen. Make sure to ask questions that may be uncomfortable too. Is there faculty to assist with the lavatory? What’s the background of these members? ARe there any red flags that are being covered? Are there any security provisions?
3. Take a few sessions with your child: To be doubly sure, make sure to visit on-ground. Be a part of a few sessions, this will give you a better understanding.
4. Trust your intuition: A motherly gut feeling is never to be ignored. If you feel something’s not right, chances are that it isn’t!!
Conclusion
Make sure these daycare centres are located nearby your home or your workplace so that in case of emergency, you can reach there in no time. Consider factors like how long can your child stay away from you? For how many hours can you stay away from your child? At which time of the day do you need the daycare centre?
Questions like these will help you narrow down your choice further. Early learning daycares can prove to be very healthy and beneficial for your child and thus, you shouldn’t waste time overthinking it!
