If you have a child or children below school age, you might be considering enrolling them in child day care or early child care. This might be because you have to work and need a safe place for your children to be during the day, or you may want to give them a head start on their education by enrolling them in early education daycare.
You might be aware of facilities known commonly as an early education center or early child care center. But what exactly does an early learning center do and how will they be able to help your child prepare for the school years ahead? That’s what we’ll take a look at in this article.
Get Your Child “School-Ready”
One key thing early childhood development schools focus on is preparing your child for the school years to come. This is commonly known as getting children “school-ready”.
What this essentially means is your child will enter their school years with a head start on the basics of their education, already having a grasp on simple mathematics, English, reading, handwriting, science and other popular and mandatory subjects.
Much attention is also paid to developing children’s social skills, self-confidence and many other aspects of early development.
When your child reaches school age, they’ll go to school feeling more confident, less shy and already possessing a foundation in the knowledge learning to come.
Children Will Learn About Healthy Eating
An early learning specialist centre often focuses on teaching children about health and nutrition at an early age. This is important, as kids then have a foundation in healthy eating (and drinking) right from the outset; something that will serve them well all throughout their lives.
Many early learning centres have cooks and chefs on-site that prepare delicious and healthy meals that kids will love to eat. If you enrol your child in an early learning centre, you can be assured that they are well looked after when it comes to nutritious eating.
There are also centres that teach the kids how to grow and harvest their own food. An example is planting, maintaining and harvesting a vegetable patch. The children get to first plant the vegetables, tend to them until they are ready to harvest and then enjoy the fruits of their labour by having the chef cook up the vegetables and include them in their meals.
This is a really satisfying experience for kids and teaches them important life lessons.
Get a Head Start On Education
It was mentioned earlier that kids get a head start on their education so that by the time they enrol in school, they already have a grasp on some of the basics.
For example, kids will be put through the THRASS system, something that teaches them handwriting skills, along with spelling and reading skills.
There is also something known as the STEM system, which includes science, technology, engineering and mathematics. This involves an introduction to numeracy skills, as well as computer basics, terminology and basic coding.
Skills like these will improve your child’s self-confidence by a long margin, ensuring they enter the school years with more knowledge and a higher self-esteem.
Fitness and Social Skills Are Important In Early Development
Kids don’t just sit around all day at an early learning centre. They are involved in fun physical activities that develop their young bodies and help keep them fit and active.
There are also activities designed to improve a child’s self-confidence and social skills.
These are all important life lessons that will prove vital in your child’s development and something that will help them in many aspects of everyday life well into the future.
Kids Will Have Fun At An Early Learning Centre
While early school readiness programs focus on education, nutrition, getting kids school-ready and so on, these centres are also about fun. Kids want to enjoy themselves, and the more fun they are having, the better they will learn and the more they will absorb what they are being taught.
The Takeaway
If you’ve been considering enrolling your child in an early learning centre, search for some in your area, visit them and ask questions so you can determine if the centre is the right match for you and your child.