The Importance of a Structured Preschool Education

After the age of 2 and up until the age of 8, a child goes through rapid development and growth. It is during this stage that the foundations for their language and communication skills, socio-emotional skills, motor skills, creativity, and cognitive and intellectual abilities are established. The early years are especially crucial for a child’s holistic development. To this end, it is very important to provide children with a conducive environment, one filled with various stimuli and plenty of guidance and support, in which they can learn. This means providing a quality preschool education which will help build the strong basis upon which future learning and success will rest.

One such Preschools Singapore that can provide such an environment is Chiltern House Preschool Singapore. Check their website out here.

Apart from the cognitive skills that can be developed, children aged 2 to 4 benefit greatly in learning social skills from the environment provided in a preschool setting. They learn how to interact with other children, to make friends and learn to distinguish between appropriate behaviour and inappropriate behaviour. Moreover, being in a social and interactive environment fosters faster learning as compared to when having to learn alone. Young children learn from experience. So, interacting with peers is an excellent opportunity for them to explore and learn. Children also learn how to follow instructions, a crucial skill that they will require later on, especially upon entering the formal school system.

Ages 2 to 4 is the Singapore preschool age, when children start learning to be independent. Going to a preschool gives them that added experience in building other trusted relationships apart from with their parents. They start learning how to take care of themselves much earlier than if they were to stay at home. In preschool, they will be expected to tidy their belongings, put toys away, wash their hands, and eat their food properly. These real-life experiences, doing things themselves, gives them invaluable lessons. While it can be argued that all of this can be learnt at home as well, a structured preschool education’s biggest benefit is the structure. Trained preschool teachers know just what a young child needs to develop holistically and how to encourage and exploit their curiosity for their development.

In Singapore, with more and more parents able to spend less and less time with their young children due to work commitments, preschool becomes crucial because children need an invigorating environment in which to learn and develop to the best that they can.

How to Help Your Child Settle into a Nursery?

Sending your child to a nursery is the first transition in your child’s life, from being at home all day, to going to another environment for at least 4-5 hours a day. Like every new beginning, getting adjusted to a new nursery is a major change for the child as well as for parents.

One example of a good nursery is Chiltern House. They not only have dedicated teachers to guide your child to become confident and outspoken, they also prepare your child for primary school where he/she will be exposed to  English, Mathematics and Science at an early age. Hence, if you are looking for a Singapore nursery school to prepare your child for their formal education, Chiltern House nursery school is where you should look to.

Now, do find some tips below on how to make the transition from home to nursery as smooth as possible both for kids and parents.

Go for a nursery visit with your child

It’s inevitable even for adults to be shy with new people around in new places. So, you can imagine how overwhelming it’s likely to be for a child to be in a new nursery. This is why parents should arrange for a nursery visit with the child and familiarise them with the surroundings they would be hanging out in soon.

Talk to the child about starting nursery

Discuss openly with your little one about starting nursery soon and the new change that would come into their routine. Get them ready by talking about the new nursery and offering them some useful reference points. Tell them what it is all about – meeting new friends, new toys to play with, and other such points. This can create excitement in them. If your child has concerns or questions, address them calmly.

Allow a comforter if needed

Any comforter that your child loves to take along – may be a favourite toy or blankie – something to help them settle down. Such familiar reference taken from home can assure your young one during the beginning days at a nursery.

Maintain a brief goodbye

Bidding goodbye to your child at the nursery door can test the determination of even the most practical-minded parent. Remember to handle the departure rightly as this is what will help your child, to a great extent, settle down in the nursery. According to experts, parents should tell the child clearly that they are leaving, kiss them goodbye and leave, while ensuring that they understand that you will be back to pick them up. Even if your kid cries, you should stay firm and leave.

Hopefully, the above-mentioned tips can help you make your child settle down in the nursery easily. Sending your child to a nursery is not just moving your child from Point A to Point B; there are psychological adjustments that the child has to be able to make. When the child makes them as soon as possible then the real learning can start!