A child’s most critical learning years begin in the first five years of their life – this is arguably one of the most vital periods during a child’s development. More than 1 million neural connections are formed every second during the first years of living, as a child begins to actively participate in his/her environment and begin to make sense of the world around them. Early experiences involve a constant stimulation of the senses, as your child explores through sight, sound, touch, taste and smell. This constant, rapid stimulation means that your child’s brain develops more during this period than at any other time in his or her life!
So what is ‘development’, and why is it so Important during the first 5 years?
‘Development’ can be described as the overall growth of a child, which includes physical and mental growth. To break it down even further, mental development considers a variety of factors, such as emotional, behavioural, and social development. These are essentially the building blocks of life, as they shape your child’s future health and happiness. Because these years are so important, it means that proper care and stimulation is vital to ensure the best possible development.
This is where preschool comes in – combined with the right facilities, a holistic teaching environment will cover all aspects of a child’s development, therefore greatly improving his/her developmental outcome.
Learning Through Play
It is no coincidence that the word ‘playful’ connotes to the words ‘children’ and ‘youth’. In the early years of your child’s life, the first method of learning available to them is play, which is why playing is so vital for a child during their learning years. Children spend lots of time playing and interacting with the world around them, and being with other people in a fun and educational environment will help facilitate play, and therefore facilitate learning.
Preschool and day-care centers often teach children through play using fun educational tasks that prepare your child for the start of school. Going to a school without a preschool foundation makes it far more challenging for children to adapt, as preschool teaches children how to interact with peers whilst simultaneously performing physical and intellectual tasks.
What can you expect to find at our preschool, and how does it help with your child’s development?
- Multiple teachers, as opposed to one teacher attending a large class. This enables for more individualized attention during these learning years, in turn allowing for quality, efficient teaching. Having more teachers around also ensures that your child is not left completely unattended, as young children are often inclined to wander and explore their environment around them.
- Frequent breaks with healthy nutritional meals, cooked and baked on the premises. Children are growing physically and mentally, and therefore need frequent breaks to consolidate memory. It is vital for children to have the right nutrition to maintain a peak performance during these learning years, as a lot of energy is required to be on top form.
- A hands-on approach to learning by interaction or ‘play’. Through this approach your child will develop their motor skills, creativity, and language skills, all of which are essentials for the start of school. Children are assed 3 times a year, so that you can know where your child is regarding social, academic and emotional development.
- Parent interaction to ensure that you can know all about your child’s performance emotionally, socially and academically. Parental involvement is vital for maintain a child’s growth and development, so it is important that schools allow for parental interaction.
Be it skills in physical activity, confidence in speech and social interaction or the discipline for school studies, preschool can make the world of difference .There is no better time for your child to learn than when they are still so young. Taking advantage of these learning years by providing the best kind of learning environment! At Providence Children’s Academy, we provides a stimulating environment to encourage children to learn and play. Come have a look around!