The importance of early childhood education in today’s world is crucial. With so much gang violence, limited child care centres, latch key kids, and even divorce playing a factor, is there any hope at all that the future of our world will change for the better?
It always has been said education starts at home. Children learn by example in child care centres. Many of today’s parents have poor literacy and math skills without completing high school and simply do not have the skills to educate and teach their children.
It can be up to child care centers to step in and make sure that early childhood education is covered. When a child is dropped off at daycare centre, it is not supposed to be just a babysitting service it is a place where children can learn and grow through an array of experiences that help them develop mentally and emotionally.
Things for parents to think about:
Focus on each child’s needs. What are their special gifts? Does one love to read and show a hunger to learn more? What if one child is lagging behind? Who in the child care centre is giving that extra attention to show the child how to catch up?
If the child is actually enrolled in a child care centre, the parents need to do their homework. There are paid preschools versus public preschools. But, money doesn’t always buy an education. Parents need to do background checks, ask questions with the teachers and staff. See how your child relates with the teachers. When you walk into the preschool unannounced, is it quiet or are kids screaming out of control? Make sure there are not too many children to teach with one teacher being overloaded. This is quite common in a preschool.
It is important for parents to stop and discuss with their child what they learnt that day and keep the learning going at home. A child can always teach a parent something they never knew before.
A child care centre is a real home away from home. Sometimes the children spend more time there than at home. So, preschools and child care centres need to focus on a new generation that will be taking over this world in the next twenty years. They are the ones that will help shape the future of many countries, not just the parents. The parents and the schools must start working together. With caring, love, and kindness, education can be a beautiful thing learned that will last a lifetime.