While placing your child in a reputable Daycare is oftentimes the initial thing many parents think about, enrolling him or her in a quality early learning center can often be the wiser choice. This, in turn, gives them the chance to form new lifelong friends with other children their own age, all from the comfort of their own home. As most likely, your little one spent the vast majority of his or her early years in your home; you want to provide the very best environment for them. To help your son or daughter learn in a way that develops lifelong abilities and talents while simultaneously forming lasting bonds, a proper learning center should be considered.
When putting together a list of options, many options must be taken into consideration. There are public and private daycare facilities, and the features each have will be different for your unique child development center needs. The following list offers a brief description of some of the more common early childhood education and care facilities:
– Daycare: Professionals who work in daycare are responsible for providing safe, loving, stimulating environments for young children to learn and grow. They play games, engage in fun activities, and provide opportunities for interaction with peers. Some daycare programs offer music lessons as well. Preschools also use these learning centers to allow students to get to know each other, as well. The curriculum at most daycares is built around age-appropriate lessons with engaging curriculum and games designed to build critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
– Specialized Classes: These specialized classes can include art, dance, martial arts, music, science, and more. These specialty classes can often be found in the Learning Center itself or a separate location on campus. The Learning Centers use these specialized classes to help prepare students for their academic and future careers. Students are ready for their advanced classes in many cases, but the learning center does not have the space to house their students. Specialized classes can be added to a schedule once a student has graduated from a basic learning center. Some schools even offer certification in these fields upon graduation.
– Preschool: Early childhood education and preparation for kindergarten usually occur in preschool centers or in specialized classrooms within local schools. This is an excellent option because it allows parents to work with their child’s teachers to identify any learning gaps or problems. Specialized instruction can help students develop core developmental skills such as self-control and self-orientation. These skills are critical to building a successful and well-adjusted child.
– Special Education: There are typically a small group of children in any preschool classroom, and they are not typically the brightest. That is why many preschool classroom teachers incorporate a reading program or a music program to help children with special needs and/or other learning challenges. By utilizing a learning center, you can bring together individuals who have expertise in helping children with these challenges. Teachers also get a much-needed break away from the constant challenge of educating each young person. A preschool classroom is not the ideal place to practice teaching, so by bringing a specialist to the preschool classroom, the teacher is able to focus on teaching children and enhancing their instruction and development.
– Dramatic Play: Children learn best by playing. It has been shown that almost 90% of the early childhood education programs that are successful use some type of dramatic play. For instance, many learning centers offer weekly hands-on activities and games that use pretend play and various forms of dramatic play to engage kids and help them engage in learning. Some centers even provide the opportunity for dramatic play in the classroom itself. You will often find entire plays and players set up in the classroom to help students experience various forms of dramatic play.
– Music: Music is another great way to get kids engaged in learning. Many centers offer musical theater for preschool classes. Music can enhance many aspects of learning, including motor skills, sight words, and language. If you choose, you can even create your own music group to help your students to enjoy learning and develop their own musical skills. Music centers give children an outlet to experience all types of play.