Preschools in India

A child’s future is very much determined by his education. In that context, it is important to create a perfect preschool education because that’s where kids start the journey of their life. Preschools or nursery schools are an important cog in the wheel of society. The quality of preschool education directly affects the children which in turn has a major effect on the country. Most of the child care centers or preschools have quality staff. These staffs and teachers join preschools less due to any major financial incentive and more because of their love for kids. The success of a preschool is very much dependent on the ability and intentions of its teachers. If teachers have best of child’s interests in their mind that will automatically reflect in the way kid shapes up. However, it is estimated that preschool education will suffer from lack of quality teachers in coming times.

To improve the quality of preschool education, it is important to groom teachers and offer them appropriate remunerations. Preschool teachers should have equal standing to that of primary or senior school teachers. There should be constant focus on improving the levels of nursery school teachers. This can be done through providing more respect and incentive. Teachers should be encouraged to go for their university degrees.

Worldwide, there is more emphasis on secondary education. Most of the governments and organizations talk about improving secondary education. The primary education is yet to receive its due share in education sector. We should not forget that a preschool or nursery school is the place where child takes his/her first step to the real world. His experience at preschool can change his approach towards education forever.

Preschool system should have more participation from the parents for the proper development of the children. There should be consistent focus on structured parental programmes in which parents would be given advice and the skills to develop their children at home. Finally, preschools should always give priority to developing curriculum that has right mix of fun and learning. The ultimate aim is proper growth and development of the children and this can only be achieved by equal contribution from all the concerned parties.

The Montessori elementary school system is supposed to be the best education model for kids. Montessori schools command respect all over the world. The Montessori system is in existence for more than a century and it has lost none of its significance. In fact, the kind of competitive world we are living in, this education model has become even more relevant. These schools operate on a specific learning method established long back by a teacher named Maria Montessori. The reputation of school is such that many schools claim to be a part of the Montessori program. However, it is important for parents to explore the inner workings of the school to determine whether or not it is truly Montessori.

The biggest difference between Montessori school and other traditional school is the mode and method of the education. In a normal school, most often than not, children are not really aware of what they are learning and how it is going to benefit them whereas in Montessori, a child learns information that caters to his/her interests. Children form their own learning technique in an encouraging classroom environment. Teachers just assist the child in developing his techniques instead of providing materials. That is the single biggest different between a traditional school and Montessori school.  The needs, requirements and interests of an individual child are given highest priority in Montessori.

There is a simple philosophy that runs Montessori education model and that says, a child should be provided an environment where he/she develops his own independent thinking. Education materials should not be forced on child. It is the job of the teachers to find out individual interest of each of the children and develop activities that would help the kid in learning and retaining information. Children are encouraged to come up with their own ideas and theories and then test them out. This way, child will learn what works and what does not. This helps the child in becoming self-independent and confident of his abilities.

All these methods and models make Montessori schools the best choice for early child education.

All-round development of preschool kids is very much dependent on games they play. If you see closely, the preschools are designed in a fascinating way. You will find colorful walls and interesting playing equipments. This is the place where children are first introduced to the real world. It is not easy for a kid to part ways with his parents even for a few hours and that’s where interesting games and play equipments come into the picture. These games help in distracting kids, encouraging them to explore new environment and learn new things. Having plenty of play equipments in preschool brings elements of joy and pleasure in the learning environment. Children remain engrossed with these equipments.

Playground equipment are designed in an attractive way which proves crucial in stimulating all the senses of the kids. Some of the common preschool playground equipments are; spinners, swings, play-structures, slides, climbers, mazes and play panels. Presence of play-structure helps in promoting continuous play. They also prove crucial in reducing space thus enabling children to have more space and time to themselves. Play-structure has managed to replace earlier prevalent free-standing playground that had all the components located away from each other.

Similarly, play panels have replaced old box cardboard games. These panels are the larger plastic-board version that helps in minimizing the risk of children swallowing tiny play parts of the cardboard games. Presence of climbers is instrumental in providing good physical exercises to children. Playground should be such that children are able to move effortlessly.

Playground equipment must be chosen with care. Child safety should be given topmost priority while selecting proper playground equipment. Children will enjoy more if the playroom is spacious and airy. It should also have adequate sunlight and fresh air. No equipment should have sharp or cutting edges.

Games play a crucial role in the development of children. That explains inclusion of games in the kindergarten curriculum. These games are innovative that helps in immediately attracting the attention of the children. Games for kids do not need to be complicated because then it will spoil the fun for children. Games help in keeping kids engaged and entertained. It is not easy to handle kindergarten kids as teachers can vouch for this fact. Their minds easily get distracted and that’s why games are essential to keep them interested in a subject as well have a ball of a time.

Talking about some of the popular games for kids, Wild Goose Chase is a favorite amongst the children. It is played outside where all the kids sit in a circle facing inward. One child is appointed as picker and he/she walks around the circle and taps each one sitting in there and says ‘duck’. Once the walking child taps someone and says ‘goose’, the other child has to get up and chase the picker. That’s where the fun begins. If the picker manages to sit in the vacant area left by the goose before the latter touches him, the goose becomes the picker. This game helps in developing alertness and motors skills in kids.

Tug of War is loved by every child. All that the game demands is a rope. Children are divided into two groups and both groups are asked to tug and pull at the rope. Kids love pushing and pulling. The winning team is rewarded with a bar of chocolate or a small storybook.

Treasure Island is another popular game amongst kids. This game involves hiding an object that is treasured by the kids. The object could be a chocolate, toy, book, ball or crackers etc. After hiding the objects in different spots on the playground or in the class room, children are given some clues using which they have to find the treasure. This is a thoroughly enjoyable game for kids.

Choosing a day care center for your toddler demands certain considerations. Day care centers have emerged in a big way in last few years. But not every day care center is quality stuff. The important things to consider while choosing a day care service are fee and child’s safety. Obviously, you will need to choose day care in accordance with your budget. An expensive care centre does not necessarily mean top notch quality. We cannot compromise on the safety aspect as that is perhaps the most important thing all the parents think about. Some day care centers are licensed. You can also enquire about possible handling of emergency situations and about the quality of first aid and CPR.

Apart from these two factors, there are several other considerations as well. For example, convenience is an important aspect that demands attention. It shouldn’t be too far from your place. You also need to find out how much time your toddler will be given in the care center. The timing of the center must be in sync with your own schedule.

While selecting the day care centers, look out for facilities provided by them. Check the playing area and availability of equipments and playing materials. Staffs are the most important personnel in day care centers. They are responsible for handling your babies so parents must ensure the quality and standard of the staffs. In a care center, child requires individual attention and teachers over there must be qualified and trained in child development. Look for the humane qualities in the teachers. Talk to them and find out their methods and techniques of handling the toddlers.

Parents should check the programs and timetable of the day care centers. They should also find out about transportation and nutrition factors. All these elements will help you in selecting best day care center for your kid.

Preschool curriculum is well defined and well made keeping in mind diverse needs and requirements of innocent kids. Children are quick learner and if the mode and method of education is right, child education can be very beneficial for the future growth of the kid. Curriculum for preschool kids has undergone significant changes in last few years. Now an ideal preschool curriculum includes different science subjects like physics, biology and chemistry. You must be wondering such seemingly complicated subjects for children? The answer is a resounding yes. The thing is age of the preschoolers (two to five years) is considered as the best age group, when they are the most inquisitive and curious about almost everything in their surroundings. They are curious about different colors, tastes, smells and creatures. All these things have a bit of science in them. That explains why most of the preschool curriculum has science as an essential component that helps in testing and stimulating intelligence of the kids.

Starting with biology, preschool teachers educate kids about plants and animals. The focus is on how to recognize a plant or an animal. It could be through appearance, food, habits and colors. Kids are taught to draw and make crafts of different plants and animals like frog, flowers, lion, tress, fruits, birds, and rabbit etc. kids find it very exciting to make different plants and animals of various shapes, sizes and colors.

Chemistry topics can be fun for preschool kids. It involves chemical experiments that help the kids in understanding what is happening around them. Some of the popular chemical experiments could be explaining water forms, popcorn making, introducing five senses and other such things.

The subject of physics helps in making kids understand all the shapes and sizes present in nature. Some of fun and educative physics stuffs for kids are showing magnet, explaining reflection of light, different types of rocks and space drawings. All these activities take place in simplest way possible so that kids can grasp the essence.

Before children start kindergarten, they should know certain things. It not only helps the child but also the school. There is no universal rule regarding proper age for a child to start kindergarten education. Different countries have different perquisites for a child entering school. However, it usually ranges from four years to six years. Most of the kindergarten schools want children to know certain things before they can begin their education. That makes it imperative for parents to check out all the requirements demanded by the schools. Some of the most common skills required in children pertain to pre-academic like reading, writing, and bit of math.

Children should show ample sign of social skills, development of which very much depends upon parents. A child learns basics skills such as safety, health and nutrition in his family. Kindergartens do not really expect child to know everything. They don’t even expect child to completely know how to read. However, having a basic idea will certainly prove helpful. Children should be aware of famous stories, alphabets and should be able to tell their names. It will help if kids know how to hold a crayon, pencil or marker. Pre-academic skills also include writing their own names, ability to draw simple recognizable pictures of people, places and things.

Prior to starting kindergarten, children should know numbers 1 to 10 or 1 to 20 and understanding how they work. Quite a number of kids also understand basic shapes. It is important to make child remember his full name, address, phone number, parents’ or guardians’ names and place of employment and the location of the school for safety purposes. Some of the other basic skills required to be known by kids are how to cross the street, how to contact a safe adult when there is an emergency, how to wash their hands before and after each meal and to cover their mouth when they sneeze or cough etc.

Before preschools, playschools and daycare centers had made their entry into child care education, kindergarten used to be the initiating education point in a child’s life. Kindergartens hold a special place in defining child’s future. Usually, a child is sent to a kindergarten when he is about four years old. However, it is up to the discretion of the parents to find out whether the child is ready for the kindergarten. This question arises because of the fact that not every child grows at the same rate. Parents need to consider whether the child is ready to face long periods of time in an unfamiliar environment.

There has been a radical change in Kindergarten over the past ten or fifteen years. Earlier children were introduced to crafts and games for educational purposes but now the focus has shifted to academic subjects including computers and foreign languages. Some kids are ready for the newness offered by kindergartens whereas some others are not developed enough at four or five years old to deal with complex subjects. This readiness and development is subject to several factors like motor skills, child’s aptitudes, social skills, the capacity for concentration, curiosity and ability to follow a routine. Keeping these facts in mind, some kindergartens have started to take screening test and it includes simple activities such as body movements, drawing, use of language and auditory memory.

Parents should focus on developing child’s social skills from an early age. Parents can initiate the basics by teaching alphabets and introducing numerical games at home. There are different puzzles and building blocks games as well that can help child getting ready for kindergarten. Parents can also take help of internet and some books for preparing child for a brand new kindergarten experience.