Preschools in India

The topic of preschool is a constant matter of debate among parents and child specialists. Different experts have different opinions about whether a child needs to go to preschool. The answer is a simple yes as well as no. Yes, because preschools play a major role in education and all round development of child and no because many kids that didn’t go to preschools or kindergartens still managed to do well in life. The choice comes down to individual parents. A good preschool can really make a valuable difference in a child’s life but the wrong preschool experience could potentially set a child back by creating a negative perception of school, learning, and socializing.

If you have decided to send your kid to a preschool you must look at what a preschool program has to offer. An ideal preschool builds the foundation of knowledge, culture, numbers etc. It also helps in developing child’s social and emotional skills. Preschool programs don’t work in a defined way. The course curriculum depends upon community to community and place to place. But at the same time, parents can achieve these objectives without the confines of a preschool program. They can create a learning environment at home and focus specifically to child’s education.

If your child has experience of daycare then he is less likely to require social environment of a preschool. If you have a joint family then child will develop social skills on his own. He will know the meaning of playing with others, sharing with others and other key social lessons. Parents can also think of creating a home preschool program for children. They can get such services from local libraries or online learning centers etc and create customized home curriculum for the child. Finally, it boils down to individual choice of parents and quality of preschool program in the neighborhood.

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.

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.