subject: Ensuring The Childcare Centre Is Suitable For Your Child [print this page] Quality pre school education is essential for the proper cognitive development of your child. It is, therefore, important that you focus on the right points when choosing a childcare centre for your son or daughter. What do you keep in mind when selecting such a facility? Here are the key factors to remember when choosing a pre school Kildare.
Reading and math need to be part of the curriculum. Children who learn their ABCs and 123s during their formative years tend to be better in academics. The childcare centre you choose needs to ensure that children learn the basics of early reading and math during the pre school stage.
The easiest method to know this is to ask the teachers of the childcare centre about this. If you visit the centre, look for the letter and number materials. Blocks with alphabets and numbers, puzzles, clocks, maps, and such other materials are suitable for this purpose.
Learning process needs to be play-based. For children aged between 3-4 years, the right method of learning should be interwoven with play. Whether the child learns alphabets using building blocks or numbers using puzzles, the focus should be on how much the child enjoys learning.
Along with this, the childcare centre needs to provide outdoor play opportunities for the children. Imaginative play is important to ensure that the children develop the right emotional and behavioural skills.
Interaction between children and teachers needs to be positive. The teachers need to have caring and nurturing relationship with the children. Pre School is the first time when your son or daughter would be away from you for a considerable period. The way teachers treat the children is an important factor in the way they feel about school.
When visiting a childcare centre, try assessing the relationship between the teachers and the children. Talk to the teachers to understand their attitude towards their duties and responsibilities.
Choice of activities needs to be available for children. Unlike the traditional setup where the teacher dictated everything the children need to do, the modern setup is more about what the child wants to do. Even if there are set times for specific activities, make sure the child has the opportunity to choose what he/she wants to do at particular times.
Even when you have enrolled your child at a childcare centre operating under the Early Childhood Care and Education Scheme, choice of appropriate activities need to be available during the free preschool year.
Philosophies need to correspond to home values. If a child is exposed to different values at home and at school, it may lead to confusion. It is necessary to enquire about the policies and philosophies of the childcare centre before you admit your child into one. Talk to the staff about the matter beforehand to avoid problems later.
Ask the teachers of the school about the way they handle behavioural problems in a child. Also enquire about the way in which teachers and staff members handle problems between children in specific situations.
