The first opportunity for a young child to experience the world, the early learning program is a critical experience that helps to prepare a young child for the 12 years of formal education. In this short article, we present 5 essential aspects that every good early learning program should contain.
- Parental Participation – Every successful early learning program would encourage parental participation; most would offer a monthly teacher/parent workshop where the teachers show the parents how to manage fun-based activities. The more involved parents are, the better the learning outcomes and regular meetings strengthen the relationship between carers and parents. Take the Ryde Preschool as an example, from day 1, the school encourages parents to attend events and communicate with the staff.
- Fun-Based Learning – One of the goals of an early learning program is to instil a love of learning that should stay with the child for the rest of their life. Dance, drama and movement are used in creative ways, while all children love to play games. If a child develops a dislike for learning, this can cause serious issues later down the road, which is why it is vital that young kids enjoy their time at preschool. Everything should be fun-based, with activities taking no longer than 15 minutes to complete, as young children have short attention spans.
- Experienced Staff – The staff at a preschool should be a combination of experienced carers and trainees. Young carers would work alongside experienced people for at least 2 years before being allowed to supervise young carers. The school principal should be fully committed to staff training, with regular teacher training workshops to introduce new activities and keep the staff engaged. If you would like to read engaging articles on education, check out this website.
- Personal Attention – Every child should receive individual attention, as each child is unique and personal development is regarded as an individual thing. Some kids develop more quickly than others, and there are different techniques that can be used to help a child discover their hidden talents. By closely monitoring every child’s progress, potential issues can quickly be detected and solutions created.
- Loving & Caring Environment – Perhaps the most important ingredient to a successful early learning program is creating a loving and caring environment. This can take time, and with all participants committed to creating the right ambience, the eventual objectives are achieved. Children have an ability to feel the vibes when they are in a strange environment, and happy kids are excellent learners.
We hope that the information contained in this short blog helps you to select the right early learning program for your child. Some parents do not fully understand the importance of the first experience of school, and choosing the wrong program can lead to issues later on. Make sure that you find an early learning program that displays the above traits, and your child will develop accordingly.
