Development of preschoolers

Many people mix up day care centre with nursery school. A day care centre or a child care centre is an option for working parents to leave their children and the children are taken care of while they are away. These centres accept babies as well as 3-4 year olds and are run full time and throughout the year. Preschool on the other hand refers to a school for 3-4 year olds where children spend a few hours and learn various subjects like art, the alphabet and basic math. Very often many people interchange between a day care centre and a preschool. Occasionally a childcare centre with experienced and well trained teachers and stimulating activities offers a similar environment of a preschool to children. Similarly some preschools function like day care centres as well. Increased evidence has been found to the fact that children benefit a lot from going to a good preschool. At a preschool children not just become exposed to numbers, letters and shapes they also learn to socialize. They learn to mix up with other children and learn to get along with other children. Statistics has proved that sending children to a preschool is very important as children who attended a preschool at the age of 3 years or 4 years for one year or two years attend kindergarten with better vocabulary, math skills and better pre-reading skills than those who did not attend preschool. Experts state that every child should have some kind of group experience before they begin attending kindergarten.

At preschool children learn how to be students. They learn to participate in group activities, take turns, raise hands and most important they learn how to share. Another important thing that your child will learn is how to separate from you and exist independently. All these features will make it easy for your child to move to kindergarten. Most educators emphasize the value of some kind of early education for children. One of the benefits of children being exposed to early education is they are prepared to learn at kindergarten.

Children learn several skills at school like socializing, how to compromise, be respectful of others, problem solving and they also develop a sense of self. They learn to explore their personality when they are exposed to their peers. When playing with peers children learn to explore their world and it builds their confidence. Children who attend preschool become more independent and they discover that they can do things for themselves. They learn to do several activities independently and attending a preschool fosters independence in a child. Children learn to taken their own decisions when they are at a preschool this develops their personality. They also ask questions about the world around them like, do birds play? This shows that they are not just preoccupied with themselves but also with the world around them. At preschool children also learn the alphabet and math skills but they do so differently. They learn this through story-telling, asking questions to their teachers and discussing the stars. This is a better way of learning then making children sit and learn the alphabet or the numbers. Attending preschool will develop the personality of your child and make him a better and more independent person.

Cooperate with your preschooler

Have you noticed that your preschooler who adjusts well in school and sails through all the activities at his playschool is downright uncooperative and resentful when he comes home? Does this changed behaviour confuses you or worry you? You don’t have to worry according to child specialists your child who has worked hard all day at playschool by being cooperative, playing, studying and paying attention to all that his teacher teaches needs to let down. This is his way of letting down. Follow these tips to let him adjust to his home routine.

Don’t expect a conversation from your child. Your 3-4 year old is still very young and has limited verbal skills, he may not be able to express why he is behaving or feeling slightly cranky. Your child may be facing difficulty in making a transition from school to home but is unable to express it as he may not be capable of putting all his feelings into words.

Be patient with your child. This is one of the most important things you could practice. Small children often face difficulty when they are about to learn a new skill and may be slightly stuck up while they are making the transition. Being patient with your child will show positive results as your child manages to master the new skill and becomes his normal self.

Serve healthy snacks to your child. Avoid loading your child with sweet treats which can lead to irritability even if it is liked in the short term. Serve fruits and other healthy snacks.

Give your child some downtime. Taking your child directly from school to a mall or for shopping may make him more tired. It is sensible to give your child some time to relax at home before plunging him into another activity.

Get some exercise. It is important to take your child outdoors and let him get some fresh exercise. Exercise and fresh air will reduce stress for your child. After school take your child for a walk or walk the dog with him or play a game with him in the backyard. This will help your child unwind.

Be Consistent with what rules you are setting. Preschoolers have to learn a lot of rules. Ask your child about the rules he is learning at school, and enforce them at home also. If your child has been taught not to interrupt while the other person is speaking, don’t allow him to do this at home at the dinner table or when you are on the phone. This will ensure that your child is not confused.

Get to know your child’s teacher. Apart from scheduled parent teacher meetings get to know your child’s teacher and discuss any concerns you have with the child’s behaviour also give a clue to the teacher about how your child is behaving at home.

Finally you have to understand that your child is most comfortable at home and with you, thus any resentful behaviour you may note may be because of fatigue and irritability and your child expresses this at home because home is a place where he can let his hair down.

Why should your preschooler play?

As parents you often hear about the emphasis on play for preschoolers. You might wonder how playing with each other will affect academic success which your child needs to succeed later on in life. So have you wondered why it is important for your child to play?

Playing lays down the foundation for all kinds of learning for children, giving your child some toys and the time to play can provide your child with a variety of valuable learning opportunities. Children learn about their world and process information about their world through play. The way children play opens their creativity and imagination, it develops their reading, problem solving and thinking skills. It also further develops their motor skills. Playing provides the base foundation for learning of different kinds.

You might wonder why is playing so important and what do children learn while they play? Try these activities with things you have around the house and you may get useful insight into how playing simple games helps children.

Developing the language and vocabulary of your child-- when children play with other children or with adults their language skills are strengthened. Your child hears other words and learns them without even realising. Children learn the use of new words, their meaning and their grammatical structure while playing with others.

While playing with toy cars and animals children learn the name of many new objects. Children learn the names of each object they play with. When playing with toy animals they learn the names of the animals, what they do and what they eat. If adults are playing with children they can create additional scenarios that will further strengthen their vocabulary and language skills.

While playing with dolls and dollhouse children have a chance of learning and reacting to real, life situations. She has the opportunity of using and understanding the words and phrases she hears in real life situations. You may find your child repeating words you use, as she tries to recreate real life situation in her dollhouse.

You can also enhance the imagination and creativity of your child by playing creative games with your child. In the present fast paced world children don’t have much opportunity of developing their creativity. Children who are not given much opportunity to play may not be able to entertain themselves much as they don’t know what to do unless they are instructed. By giving your child opportunities for open ended play your child will have her creative juices flowing.

You can provide props which would get your child to imagine and create situations. You can also give your child some craft supplies like markers, glue, fabric paper and some empty boxes and watch your child create new things out of them. This will help your child’s creativity flow.

To develop the math skills of your child use puzzles and blocks. They are excellent for developing some problem solving skills of your child. Playing with blocks provides with many problem solving situations. This will develop the problem solving skills of your child. Playing with puzzles develops important math and problem solving skills in your child.

What your child will learn at preschool

The moment a child is admitted to preschool, many parents dream of that big academic success, this however is not what is really required at the preschool stage. At this early stage reading, writing and math skills are not as essential, as learning to socialise and express emotions which teaches your child to cooperate, pay attention and motivate him to learn. These characteristics are important for future success in school as well as later on in life.

Skilful teachers in playschool teach children how to make friends, cooperate and cope with frustration. It has been found that many children who have all the necessary academic reading, writing and math skills have behavioural issues as this is what they really learn at playschool. Many parents have discovered that their academically brilliant child was sent back home from school due to behavioural or adjustment problems. Play school shouldn’t just focus on academic brilliance; rather they should enhance the creative side of your child. It has been found that children who are very good with reading, writing and math skills at the play school may not have the confidence, interest or ability to apply these skills at later stages.

There are so many adults we know who are academically brilliant but lack the necessary skills of collaborating with people around them, maturely handle frustrating situations and follow through successfully in different projects.

Here are some steps that you can take to ensure your child learns social skills at home and in school:

Avoid rushing through situations—a good preschool program provides children enough time to engage in an activity. They provide about half an hour or longer for children to engage in an activity. Teachers do this so that children learn to focus on an activity, like watching movies or playing a game. The child learns to focus through these activities. He focuses on one activity without being easily sidetracked. You should do the same at home. Let your child take time when he is playing to build the blocks.  By doing so he not only learns about space and spatial relationships, he also learns to work independently and focus his attention on a project for a longer period of time.

Thinking outside the box—learning happens in situations that are not necessarily educational. Find activities that are educational and interesting for both your child and you. You could prepare a treat together and ask important memory questions while stressing the importance of taking turns and doing things step-by-step.

Learning should become a game—practice your child’s academic skills by making his reading or writing activity into a game. Let your preschooler fill in words when telling stories or allow your child to show you things that will help him learn. Ask questions based on the story and ask questions that would engage him in day to day activities. This will not only engage your child in the story but also show him that at times there are several right answers to a question.

Selecting the right preschool for your child

The time has come for your little one to visit preschool and leave the comfort of his home for a few hours. How important is selecting and sending your toddler to the right preschool, the answerto this is very important, as this will have far reaching effects. According to child specialists playschool plays a very important role in success in later stages of life. Children who go to a high quality preschool like Little Millennium show better language, social and cognitive skill as compared to children who just go to the neighbourhood playschools. They have longer and better attention spans, stronger social interacting abilities. They show better language and math skills and carry this into elementary school. Long after they have left preschool they are likely to grow into successful adults who graduate and hold successful jobs. They also may own their house.

While most schools have similar activity time, they are all not the same. Each preschool is different and successful preschools like Little Millennium may have a lasting impact on your child. Here are some tips on how to pick the best preschool for your child:

Consider the credentials of the school: Most preschools do not higher professionally qualified teachers. Check that the preschool you have selected for your child hires teachers who hold degrees in early childhood training. Check if the school is recognised.

The number of hours the school is run: Please make a note that day care centres are different from pre-schools. Many day care centres are treated as pre-schools. Day care centres may offer to keep children for longer hours if the parents are working. Pre-school programs tend to have fewer hours and have more activities. Decide on what you seek for your child and select a program that correlates with your needs.

Check the attitude of the school towards discipline: Find out how the school deals with fights between children, do they allow children to solve their problems or do they intervene. Make sure you agree with the attitude of the school to discipline and ensure that the school is not very strict and does not believe in punishing children.

Does the school provide nutritional meals: Children who do not touch fruit at home may start trying it because their peers are having them. Children are often positively influenced by their peers and imitate. Check if the school provides nutritional meals so that what your child eats at school is full of nutrition. Don’t select a school where the teachers serve sweets if you don’t want your child to eat sweets.

Check if the school encourages your child to imagine: Check the crayon drawings on the wall, does the school encourage children to imitate or it encourages the child to imagine.

Visits of parents: Does the school allow parents to visit and does it have an open door policy or do they limit the time in which the parents can visit the school.

Safety is essential: Check how the school takes care of the safety of the child.  Check how do they track the pick-ups of the kids after school. 

Teach your child to dress himself

Preschoolers need to be taught independence and dressing by himself is an important step in fostering independence in your child. It also encourages logical thinking in children. They grow into mature adults who are productive, self-assured, self-motivated and are capable of standing on their own two feet. If you have been worrying about teaching your preschooler how to dress himself now is the perfect time to begin. Here are some important points to keep in mind when teaching your child how to dress himself.

Let your child choose: You can get your child excited about dressing himself, by letting him choose his own clothes. Select a few of his clothes and don’t overwhelm him by offering him too many choices. Let him pick from 3to 4 outfits. As your child has not learnt the concept of coordinating his clothes the choices presented to him should be interchangeable. Once your child has selected his clothes keep them in a place where he can easily find them next morning.

Make a poster reminding him about his morning routine: A morning routine poster will remind a child that he has to dress himself every morning. Divide the poster into columns and then draw each garment in one column, then tape these on the poster board where your child can see them. Make sure you put everything in a logical order. For example don’t put the picture of shoes in the first column because if your child puts on his shoes first he won’t be able to wear his trousers. After you have completed the poster, put it in a place where your child can easily see it.

Teach your child to wake up earlier: when your child is learning to dress by himself, he is very likely to struggle quite a bit, so the best idea is to teach your child to wake up earlier so that he won’t get late for school when he dresses himself. This will teach your child the concept of rising early. If your child is struggling with his clothes, you can offer help, but do so only if your child asks for help.

Begin teaching by selecting clothes that are easy to wear: when you are beginning give your child clothes that are easy to wear like knickers that have elastic and t-shirts that can be pulled over. Later on you can graduate to clothes where your child has to button the shirt. Don’t overwhelm the child with the technicalities of shoe-lace tying. Instead select shoes that have Velcro straps.

Teaching your child to button his shirts:  teaching your child how to button his shirt and zip his pants, should come as the last step in teaching your child how to dress himself.  This can be quite a challenge for your child. Begin by teaching him with shirts that have large buttons and buttonholes, these would be easy for your child to manoeuvre. Patiently teach your child to push the buttons in and out of the buttonholes.

Never criticise: Don’t criticise any effort of your child in dressing himself. All efforts should be met with appreciation.

Teaching your child to dress himself should be a fun activity and not a chore. Treat it as a fun activity and watch your child become independent.

Choosing the right preschool for your child

Choosing the right preschool for your children can be a daunting task. What suits one child may not suit the other. Consider the following features of a preschool before selecting one for your toddler. You can discuss about different preschools with your friends and neighbours. You can also search the internet for information on what kind of preschool will suit your child.

Find out about the teachers who are going to teach your child. Most good schools hire teachers with good credentials. Well trained preschool teachers have taken a course in preschool teaching and how to handle nurture young children. A well trained preschool teacher knows how to nurture and train young minds to make them ready to learn. They enjoy spending time with young children and are enthusiastic about teaching children. A good preschool teacher forms a bond with the children and their families. She shows love and care for the children.

See carefully what sorts of activities are arranged for the children. A good preschool has a busy classroom, with children engaged in different kinds of activities to learn new concepts. Children use building blocks, solve puzzles and play with crayons and drawing books to learn new concepts. The daily activities in the school should group activities as well as individual activity where a child learns to explore his individual personality.

Go to your child’s preschool to see how your child’s classroom looks. Is it a riot of colours or does it look very drab and dull. A child’s classroom should engage the children and enhance his curiosity. He should become eager to learn new concepts. The walls of the classroom should show children’s drawings and writing work. This will encourage your child to make his own artwork and write. The teacher can use props to teach new concepts or vocabulary to the children. They can take children on field trips to encourage them and introduce new concepts. You can find out about the school by calling up the school and talking to the teacher, better still visit the school and spend time observing the teacher and the school activities.

Make sure your child is attending a class that is suitable for your age. Don’t assume that just because your three-year old is smart he can attend the school with four-year olds.

When selecting a preschool for your child, decide on your priorities. Do you want a school that is near to your house or you want a school that is good no matter how far it is. Do you want the school curriculum to include activities like dancing and story telling? Make a list of the features you are looking for in a preschool before you set out to look for a suitable preschool for your child. Making a checklist will help you in selecting the right school.

Ask your family members and friends about the schools their kids are attending and how the school is? Also go online and research on the school. The preschool your child is attending can have a very important impact on his overall personality, so choose your child’s school carefully.

Social skills and preschool

Your child learns several skills in preschool. Besides learning to read and write, your child also learns social skills and several other skills in his preschool. Your child learns to be independent and adjust in society, he learns to play independently and adjust even when he is away from his parents for five to six hours. The other skills that your child has to learn besides reading and writing are being cooperative, self-confidence, self-control and communication.

One of the most important skills that your child has to build is self-confidence. Ask your child’s teacher how you can help the teacher in building this skill in your child. This skill makes the child feel good about who he is, both as an individual and in relation to others. This is a very important skill which will make your child feel competent now and in future life.

The next skill that your child has to build is cooperation. He can build this skill by group activities, songs and stories that show characters cooperating with each other, will, make your child understand the importance of cooperating. Cooperation also teaches your child the quality of empathising with others, which will teach him how to get along with others.

An extremely important skill that your child needs to learn at this stage is curiosity. This will create in him a thirst for learning. The teachers at your child’s preschool use a number of tools to encourage the child’s natural curiosity.

Communication is one of the most important skills that your child has to learn. This skill helps your child in expressing himself. This skill can be verbal or written, but your child should be encouraged to express himself.

You can help your child develop essential social and emotional skills by connecting with his peers in school and also at home. Ask your child whom he would like to invite for a party. It is easier for a child to make friends when they are socially connecting with each other outside school. It has often been found that a child who has problems connecting with everybody in a large group connects easily with a close smaller group, especially at home. After the child has connected with a kid at home and meets the same friend in school, he will very soon start connecting with others at school.

An important aspect of child growth is playing. Your child develops many essential skills through play. He grows, investigates the world and learns new concepts through playing. This learning occurs through complex play activities that make him think, solve problems and participate in group activities. Your child’s teacher introduces new concepts through play. Solving puzzles, music and story telling sessions are all an important aspect of learning. Don’t worry if your child comes from school and tells you he played the whole day. He learns through playing.

The essential skills that your child develops in his early years will support him lifelong in becoming an enthusiastic lifelong learner. Thus making him a well-adjusted citizen of the society,

Preschool and growth of a child

The beginning years of a child’s life are years of tremendous emotional, physical, cognitive and social growth. The experiences a child has during the first five years can have a tremendous impact on their desire to learn and adapt to their social environment. Here are some guidelines in selecting the best preschool for your child:

Choose a school that has a scientific curriculum and employs staff that is professionally trained to handle children. Little Millennium is one such school that has a scientifically designed curriculum and hires staff that is professionally trained to handle children.

Choose a school that fits your budget and don’t leave your child at a day care centre and treat it as a school. There is a big difference between a school and a day care centre.

The staff at your child’s school should be mature, patient and professionally trained to handle children. They should enjoy being with children and should be good care givers. They should also be energetic and should love children and be capable of handling any kind of crisis and conflicts that might arise while children play with each other.

The child care giver should have experience in dealing with children. Find out about the staff of the preschool and see how much experience they have in the field of pre-school training. See what kind of training they provide to your child. Do they provide activities that are appropriate for preschool children? Are the children happy when the teacher is around? Do the teachers respond affectionately to the children or they are very stern and strict.

See whether the trainer suits the needs of your child. Your child should be happy when the name of his teacher is mentioned. The teacher should provide enough attention to your child.

The teacher should have a child-rearing philosophy that matches with your philosophy. See that the child rearing facility is safe and clean. See that it has enough equipment for your child to explore and learn. They should have enough books for your child to develop his reading ability and also separate playing area for your child to play with other children.

Children of preschool age have many needs to fulfil their need for proper growth. They need love and proper nutrition, health and social and emotional security to prepare them for success in future school. How well a child develops depends on all the above mentioned qualities. If a child is given enough attention and is properly nurtured in his pre-school he grows into a healthy individual.

Giving your child enough attention in terms of proper nutrition, enough exercise and proper medical care will ensure that your child is prepared for future life as a healthy individual.

Preschool children require a healthy and nutritious diet. You must ensure that your child gets a proper diet and enough exercise and proper medical care to grow into a healthy person.  Attention in these three spheres ensures your child is prepared for elementary school and grows into a healthy child.

Is your child being bullied at preschool?

The general assumption is that bullying among children starts in late elementary school, but you will be surprised to know that bullying starts as early as pre-primary school. Here are a few tips on how to deal with the situation of you suspect that your child is being bullied at school.

Communication is very important. It is important that you convey to your child that you will help if he is being bullied at school. Encourage your child to tell you everything that he is going through in school. If he is being bullied at school, he should not feel afraid in sharing it with you. Start by telling your child stories of children who were being bullied at school, this will encourage your child to open up. Once he has told you all the details of what is happening with him at school, remain calm and don’t judge the situation instead reassure him that you will help him in putting an end to the bullying.

Talk to your child’s teacher. Even though teachers and other caretakers are always present in a preschool, it is not always possible for the teacher to notice everything that is happening in the school. As most bullies strike when nobody is looking it is important that you tell the teacher what is happening so that the teacher will be more vigilant when the children are playing.

Start giving surprise visits to your child’s school. Most preschools have an open door policy and allow parents to visit the school as long as they are not disrupting the normal activities at school. These surprise visits will make the bully afraid and the staff will pay more attention to your child, thus putting an end to any bullying your child is subject to.

Try talking to the bully’s parents. Don’t however be surprised if you find them uncooperative. They may even totally deny that their child is a bully. The bully’s behaviour stems from the environment at home. Domestic fights or inappropriate television shows may be the cause of the bullying.

Make your child strong so that he can deal with the bully. Teach your child how to look the bully in the eye. Complain to the teacher and avoid being alone so that the bully can attack him. You can even have role-playing sessions with your child at home, so he learns how to deal with the bully in a fun way. Confident children are not so likely to be the target of bullying. Find new ways to build your child’s self-confidence. Encourage your child to make friends outside school and get involved in activities that will boost his confidence.

Try changing your child’s classroom if the bullying is very aggressive. If it is not possible to do so, consider changing your child’s pre-school. This will also build your child’s self-confidence that whatever happens you are with him and he will not have to bear bullying under any circumstances. Changing school should be a last resort when all efforts to deal with the bullying have failed.

Preschool: an Essential Part of a Child’s Learning

Sending your child to a preschool is a worthwhile investment as it enhances your child’s mental capacities, which will help them when they join elementary school. For this reason sending your child to nursery school is becoming an essential part of a child’s growth. Nursery schools have trained professionals, who know how to tap the mental resources of a child and groom the child in such a manner that its hidden talents come out. If you are pondering over whether or not to send your child to a pre-school here are reasons why you must send your child to a pre-school.

It is good for parents who are very busy and don’t have enough time to teach the basic skills to their child. If these skills are neglected the child will grow up totally unaware of basic terminologies and by the time he goes to school, he will start lagging behind in comparison to his peers who have attended pre-school.

Working parents are often unable to take part in the learning process of their child. In their busy schedule they can’t make time to see that their child is learning all the basic skills. A pre-school gives structured training to your child, which makes them understand and develop some basic skills and terminologies. Pre-schools have effective programs that enhance a child’s mathematical and language skills. Your child will develop strong mental capabilities.

A child’s mind is constantly developing and the structured training that nursery schools provide quenches their thirst for knowledge. The curiosities of a child need to be fulfilled in a structured and disciplined manner.

Pre-schools also allow children to play and teach them how to exercise in a playful way. This not only increases the stamina of the child but also develops in them a love for games and sports. Children learn to play with their peers and also love to share and enjoy. Children who have not learnt to play in a structured environment may end up playing destructive games and hurting themselves and others. Pre-schools give a constructive mode to the games that children play.

Pre-schools develop the personality of children, they teach them to distinguish between right and wrong of an action, thus they mould the personality of the child. They help in the process of bringing out the best in a child. Though parents are responsible for moulding the personality of a child, it is the pre-school that has a very serious impact on the personality of the child.

Pre-schools enhance the communication skills of a child by helping them interact with the teachers and their peers. These activities affect a child’s social behaviour. In other words a pre-school develops a child’s social skills.

If guided properly, children not just learn to interact with their peers; they also learn proper social behaviour. This also develops a child’s self-confidence. If s child has been to play school, he will be completely ready for elementary school and would not be afraid of facing other kids or teachers, neither will he be slow in class. For all these reasons it is essential that the child goes to a pre-school.

Grooming your child for preschool

Preschool education aims at all round development of the child. In essence it deals with the physical, emotional and cognitive development of the child. This education should be imparted through routine activities of the child. These days it is important to send your child to preschool as it prepares your child for kindergarten and primary school.

Research has shown that children who have not gone to pre-school lack knowledge of basic concepts. On the other hand children who have gone to pre-school show better grasp of basic concepts and they perform better in higher school. Children who go to nursery school are often well-trained before they join kindergarten and primary school. It is essential for all children to know the basic routine of day-to-day life. Children who have gone to pre-school adjust better with their peers than those who have not attended pre-school. Pre-school teaches a child the important qualities of self-discipline and self-control. The primary goal of sending your child to pre-school is to make them learn how to behave when they enter kindergarten.

Besides sending your child to preschool, you should be around your child when he is playing and carefully observe his behaviour. This will give you an idea of your child’s psychology and how he behaves with his peers.

You can start grooming your child for school from home only. Teach him how to sit quietly when asked to. You should also teach your child obedience as this is of great value, an obedient child is appreciated by everyone. Be patient while teaching discipline to your child. Don’t be too strict. Teach your child the difference between what is right and what is wrong in a patient manner. Give your child time to understand what you want him to do.

Besides teaching social skills you also need to focus on academic part, so introduce the concept of numbers and the alphabet to your child. Your child should be able to count and recognise the letters of the alphabet. Go about this process in a gentle manner; don’t be very strict or harsh, if your child is not picking up the concepts fast. Don’t insult or ridicule him if he makes mistakes, rather gently tell him what is right and what is wrong, Appreciate the child every time he does things right. Some children pick up fast and others are a bit slow, don’t fret if your child doesn’t display signs of brightness, it will gradually happen.

Your child should be able to identify basic colours and some geometrical figures. He should also be taught to tell where he stays.

As parents you should ensure that your child has this basic information before he goes to preschool so that he doesn’t face any problem when he goes to nursery school.

 Children are like clay they can be moulded into any shape you want. Please ensure that you don’t make your child obstinate or adamant by being very strict or ridiculing him when he makes a mistake.

For the proper development of your child remember that education starts from home.