Common concerns that parents may have when it comes to early childhood education
The word “early childhood education” refers to the time between a child’s birth and the start of kindergarten. It is a crucial period in a child’s life because it is during this time that they learn how to communicate with others, such as peers, teachers, and parents, as well as cultivate interests that will last throughout their lives. Early childhood is the most vulnerable and crucial time in a child’s life. Children’s brain development is at its most rapid during the first few years of life, and it is heavily affected by their surroundings. As a result education centres must deem it critical to resolve educational and environmental concerns to ensure children’s effective growth.
For parents, preschool may be intimidating. Every day, your child seems to go through a different stage. It’s an exciting time, but it can be difficult to know what’s age-appropriate and what needs more focus as habits arise. Maybe your child is a bully, a biter, or has trouble with drop-off. Do you have a ringleader on your hands or a child who struggles to make friends? What if your child is none of these things but has a problem with a classmate who is?
Choosing a suitable preschool
Each school has differing pros and cons that need to be considered, from the teaching methods that are administered to managerial tendencies and fixed variables like location and convenience following accessibility. Parents have to assess each school option to get a good measure of which one is more suitable. Are there seemingly enough qualified staff? Is the premise well-managed and clean? Is it spacious enough for your little ones and safe enough for playtime? These are just a few of the basic questions that run through every parents’ mind.
Transitioning between levels
All-in-all, the preschool experience is filled with many kinds of transitions for little ones. For one, there are differences in teaching approaches – some are more traditional while others are more focused on play as a source of learning. There’s also the inevitable transitioning to higher primary levels and the preparation that takes place before that where children must go through basic academic skills like reading, writing, and counting. Transitioning between these levels can be quite taxing on children as well as the parents due to the swift changes and constant preparation.
Parental involvement
One of the more common worries that parents go through when sending off their children to preschool, is to do with their involvement in the child’s school life. Any good parent would want to know about what’s happening at school, from the things that their kids learn and the kinds of teachers who are in class to the individual child’s progress. Before technology caught up with us, parental involvement comprised physical visits to the teacher’s office for a quick evaluation and discussion about the child. Nowadays, the best childcare management software is combined with digital accessibility and communication tools to help parents keep in touch with educators and to stay informed efficiently and concisely.
Social and emotional challenges
Just as common and closely connected, are the worries of parents about the social and emotional challenges that their child might be facing. This feeling of concern intensifies if the child is in a new environment or has trouble socializing, to begin with. Will the child be able to make new friends? Will he be able to communicate his needs and wants clearly with adults? Will he be able to express himself or herself effectively?
Reliable teachers and child interaction
Preschool centres are supposed to be places where children can grow, learn and play in a safe and controlled environment. Teachers are very much responsible for a large part of that duty, which is one of the reasons teaching is a respectful profession, to begin with. Parents and teachers often form close ties, at least from a communication standpoint, to work closely together and fulfill any needs or solve any problems that the children may be facing. The desire for reliable teachers is a common one among parents, especially since it has to do with the wellbeing of their kids and the interactions they have. Good preschool teachers know how to handle things like behavioral concerns, academic tracking, and socialization encouragement.
Academic concerns
As mentioned, academic progress is something that parents care about as well. Even at a pre-school level, grades are still a foundational measure for the learning capabilities of individual students especially since there’s an opportunity to demonstrate a vast range of skills. What’s more, parents want to know what to expect in the child’s academic future and whether he or she is behind or advanced in comparison to others. Again, systems empowered by the growing power of technology have helped make the task of grading and tracking academic progress easier, simpler, and more efficient.
Twinklinc offers you the opportunity to transform the way you manage your childcare centre. From tracking each child’s achievements and ensuring their parents are up-to-date, to managing your center’s administrative tasks – all in one convenient service.