Your kiddo's future

After the pandemic, early childhood education is more important than ever to keep children on track, offer stability and routine, and to nurture all areas of their development, beyond their academic development, in a safe, healthy environment. Early education is an essential step for a successful future, but it all starts at home.

A safe, and loving home and family is the most important thing in a child’s life. At the same time, child development occurs when kiddos discover the benefits of an educational experience outside of the home. Why is this so important?

1. A YES Environment

A YES environment is a safe place that encourages learning and growth through positive experiences and interactions. An early childhood classroom is set up to be a YES Environment by ensuring there are an abundance of age-appropriate materials so kiddos can explore and learn without safety concerns. Provide kiddos with a predictable, yet flexible, routines and schedules. It is important to have materials that are engaging, developmentally appropriate, and accessible.

2. The Power of Play

Imagine a fire fighter without a hose or a doctor without a stethoscope. How could they do their jobs? A young kiddo who isn't able to play is like a fire fighter without a hose! The freedom to play is a great resource for kids and should be provided in abundance in the early childhood classroom.

Through play a child learns cognitive, social, emotional, and language skills, children make sense of their world, understand their feelings, and work through new experiences and ideas. In addition to contributing to sensory and physical development, active play builds connections necessary for kiddos to regulate their emotions, lengthen their attention span, develop planning skills, and the perseverance to finish a task.

3. Interactions with children from different backgrounds

There are many skills that help children make friends and interact with others. These skills include the ability to resolve conflicts, manage large emotions, listen and communicate effectively and respectfully and to feel empathy for others. These are the skills that contribute to a child's mental health because they assist children in making and keeping friendships. Providing a classroom community of children who come from different backgrounds help children practice and learn these essential skills.

4. Children learn in relationship with others

Interactions with others allow the child to observe them and practice new listening and communication skills. In an early education classroom, a child is both a learner and a teacher. They learn new skills from more knowledgeable peers and teach their peers the skills and concepts they know!

5. Opportunity to develop self-confidence

An early childhood classroom gives children opportunities to use their voice, make decisions, and solve problems. When children critically think through problems and have ample time to think up their own solutions, their confidence will grow. Problem-solving and self-confidence are core leadership skills, but there are other skills developed in the classroom. For example, as they play with other kids, they are essentially practicing effective communication and active listening. During clean-up time they practice responsibility. As they transition from one activity to the next, they practice self-regulation. During Reading Time, they practice respect and empathy. Every day in early childhood classrooms, children are discovering a safe, healthy environment, designed to help them learn, grow, and build a foundation for future success.