If you’re thinking of giving your child a head start before school, it pays to send them to a child care centre that focuses on child development and early childhood education.
Research shows that early childhood education is one of the best ways to help your child develop the social, emotional and cognitive skills they need to prepare for primary school and beyond.
Here are a few ways that your child can benefit from child development and early childhood education, now and in the future.
Daily routines help children feel safe and secure. They’re also a great way to teach children healthy habits, like brushing their teeth or washing their hands. When children know what to expect each day, they’re more likely to be calm, settled and get into good sleeping habits. Over time, this early childhood development and early education will help them start taking charge of daily activities, like getting dressed and packing their bag.
Childcare is ideal for helping your child get into a good routine. Educators know what skills your child needs to develop and use various techniques to help them develop these skills in a safe, structured environment. This not only prepares your child for kindergarten, but makes family life easier, so you spend less time trying to get your child to cooperate and more time enjoying each other’s company.
Literacy and numeracy skills form a foundation for child education, but it’s more than just reading, writing and counting. Children learn literacy skills by listening to stories, talking about pictures and drawing shapes on paper. They learn numeracy skills by singing and playing music, or pouring sand into containers of different sizes.
The literacy and numeracy skills your child learns before they start school have a dramatic impact on their academic success later in life. Research shows that children who attend childcare for three years or more perform much better on year 4 literacy and numeracy tests1, while 18 months of preschool has a greater impact on literacy and numeracy levels at age 11, than all six years of primary school1.
Childcare gives your child an opportunity to develop social skills, which helps them form healthy relationships with other people. Early start child care will help them learn how to get along with other children, share and take turns, listen to others, communicate their ideas and become independent. As your child grows older, they will use their talents to develop friendships that will influence their sense of identity and future.
Childcare also helps your child develop emotional resilience. Research suggests that when they start childcare, kids who attend childcare at 2-3 years of age are more likely to be attentive and better able to cope with their emotions. Studies have even found that parents benefit from sending their children to childcare, reaping social, emotional and even financial rewards from the relationships they develop with other families at the centre.
Did you know the benefits of early childhood education can last a lifetime? In the United States, a 30-year survey revealed that adults who had a high-quality early childhood education from 0-5 years were more likely to be continuously employed and to graduate from university.
The skills that your child learns in the early years of their life are crucial for their social, emotional and academic performance. Research actually reveals that children who do not attend nursery or early child education are 50% more likely to start school with developmental vulnerability.
A high quality early childhood education at childcare centre will not only look after your child safely while you work, but also inspire a lifelong love of learning. Access to early childhood education can provide children with social and cognitive experiences that help them become independent and develop a positive attitude to learning. These skills help your child settle into primary school and drive their academic success4.
Whether your child is starting school next year or a few years’ time, consider giving them an early start child care by sending them to a childcare centre that provides high-quality early childhood development education in a fun, caring and supportive environment.
Does your child receive early childhood education? What other benefits do they enjoy from going to childcare each day? We’d love to hear your thoughts, just click the “Enquire now” button below.