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.

Imbibing reading skills in your child demands certain skills. Many parents express their inability to teach reading skills to their kids. But if you can read yourself then you can also teach your child. The first question that a parent needs to ask himself is whether child is ready to read? Usually, by the time a child attains the age of two, he/she is ready to read. But then, there are other factors also. Not every child is same so some may learn fast whereas some others take their own sweet time. It has been seen that some children have started developing an inclination towards reading as late as four or five years. As a parent you should observe your child keenly and check whether he flips through the pages or does he show any interest when you teach him letters. If your answer is yes then you can proceed to teach him reading.

First rule is to read aloud to him. Sit with him in a comfortable environment and read a story book to him. Keep your fingers on the word while you read. This will help child in associating the sound of the words with the printed words. If you read regularly, your child will also be interested in reading. You can also try to mix reading and writing. Try to mix reading, writing and seeing all together. This makes for a very effective strategy. Focus on teaching your child by emphasizing on the letter sounds more rather than on the letter names. Teach him one letter per day. Children take some time to learn so go slow.

Teaching kids to read should always be fun. Children should not feel any pressure. That’s why reading a story book is so very effective. Kids love stories plus these books have pictures which further piques their interests. You can also sing the letters and words to children. Do all these activities on a regular basis and soon your child will eventually learn how to read fluently.

Emergence of IT has completely changed the education scenario. IT has also invaded into the realms of preschools. Now a day, it has become a common sight to see preschoolers glued before their computers. Though, stuffs like crayons, clay and water-colors are still prevalent but computers are definitely making their presence felt in a big way. One can find several useful preschool software programs available in the market. Developed by child psychologists and child educational experts, these software are primarily creative and productive in nature. With the help of these programs, kids can indulge in creative activities like drawing and writing. Preschool games software are also available. These programs have popular cartoon and comic characters which help children in recognizing colors, using mouse, identifying shapes and letters etc. Children can also learn how to read and type with the help of preschool software.

Preschool software have been designed to improve better coordination and problem solving abilities and critical thinking skills of children. Because the games are entertaining in nature, children find them very enjoyable and spend long time on them. This way, they learn to explore and imagine things. Software have definitely come as a boon for preschool education system. However, it is important to choose right kind of software among a glut of programs available in the market.

Most of the preschool software can be quite expensive so you need to be judicious while buying them. Think of the purpose behind buying the software or what kind of learning will it provide or the educational content of the program or its true benefits etc. Get some of the quality educational programs but make sure they are not affecting children in a negative way. Be selective while using preschool software.

Preschool is the first step that introduces your baby to an institution of learning. After home, this is the second environment to which a baby is exposed to where he or she acquires new skills, learns new concepts and knows more about the world. It is here where the baby will meet new people from their own age group which will be the first step towards building relationships.

The concept of a play school or a preschool is relatively new in India and it is indeed your little ones first step towards mainstream education. Pre-schools are full of fun and learning. They have lot of activities that encourage a child to learn.

Almost all children between the ages 2-3 years are enrolled in preschool and this is especially the trend seen in urban cities and the metros. This in metros has almost become like a prerequisite forgetting admission in a school. Now-a-days parents don’t even wait for their child to turn two. In fact parents have to register their babies’ name well in advance.

However, parents must realize that if their child is not ready for going to a preschool, then it can become very stressful for them. Most parents today feel that their child should not be left behind and hence they hurry for everything without really looking at their child whether he or she is ready for the same or not. All children may not necessarily grow up and be comfortable with going to a pre-school at the age of two.

To avoid putting your child through stress, make sure that you prepare him or her for such an environment. Your child is ready for a playschool when he can sit in one place patiently. Key thing here is to learn that every child will take his or her own time to grow up and learn and parents need to catch that and act accordingly.

Learning must be an enjoyable activity for kids. Be it nursery, kindergarten and preschool, it is important to ensure that learning should be a fun and pleasant experience for our children. For a child, first day at school or nursery is full of nerves, excitement and tears. Parents leaving kids all alone with strangers is simply a nightmare for children. They feel lonely and seek support. Schools need to play major role at that point of time to calm the nerves of the children. Those first tentative steps should be made as easy and enjoyable as possible.

For a toddler or young child, education cannot be just all about knowledge and information. There has to be a dash of fun and then only child will start feeling comfortable in the school environment. Slowly, this will make him at ease with new kids, teachers and he would even start loving the hours spent in the school. It is very crucial for young kids to enjoy themselves. Incorporation of fun element in the early education curriculum helps children in developing their own personalities and other social skills. Learning educators must focus on scheduling child activities in an entertaining fashion.

Education system has changed a lot in recent decades. Almost all the nurseries and schools are trying to make their environment safe, secure and fun. Teaching staffs are trained in a way so that they can take care of all the needs of the children. It is not just about teaching. It is also about cultivating a learning environment where every aspect of child’s personality is being developed in a proper way. Schooling must be a happy experience for the children.

Stories are not just fun but also useful learning tool. Children love stories and any parent or teacher can vouch for that. The stories are a powerful tool in the hands of parents and teachers. Children always feel motivated at the thought of listening to a good story. What stories do is to make children listen to the stories with complete focus. Children are also able to internalize the language structure and slowly they start to recognize words and phrases they hear in the stories. Stories can be used in several other ways.

Children can learn a lot from stories if the storyteller is slightly creative. For instance, while you tell the story, you can make different animal sounds or create different voices or sing a song or make some interesting gestures. These activities make the entire storytelling session even more interesting. Children get to learn a lot and are totally bewitched with the entire experience.

Stories can also serve as a basis for teaching vocabulary to the kids. Children may not be aware of all the words being used in the story so you will be teaching words through stories. You also show them how to use those words in context of the language. Compared to simply memorizing a list of words, stories are definitely better tool for teaching vocabulary.

Preschoolers do not have great attention span. Stories come very handy in keeping them focused on a certain activity and story, in this case. Because of love children have for stories, you can use them in different ways. You can also use stories for varied tasks like asking children the title of the story or quoting from the story and asking who had said that or asking the kids to predict the end of the story etc. The list is simply endless and possibilities are definitely infinite.

We all know the importance of computer in our lives. There is simply no sphere of life that does not have the presence of computers and related technology. So how early child education could remain adrift of computers? Though, a certain section of society is against the use of computers in schools because of excessive violence in computer games. Their apprehension is definitely justified. However, a wide variety of safe and non-violent computer games are also available to the kids. There are plenty of educational computer games for kids that are used by preschools and kindergartens. These games help in teaching alphabets and numbers to the children. These games are very helpful in child’s development at preschool.

The contribution of educational computer games can be seen in diverse range of subjects including shapes, colors, alphabets, and numbers. Use of interesting pictures and graphics on computer instigates child’s interest in the learning process. Children are always fascinated by computers. Preschool teachers often use interesting educational games on PCs to involve children in various activities related to math, arts, music, language and many other skills.

One can find numerous useful educational software in market. Many parents swear by the usefulness of educational computer software. Children can solve math games, puzzles and can indulge in coloring and music with the help of these games. Parents can find good educational computer games for their preschool level children from a reputed kids store or they can order it online. A bit of search effort can also result into wonderful computer games that are totally free. Computer educational games are definitely useful learning tools and parents and teachers should definitely introduce kids to these games.

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.

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.

Preschool has become a necessary part of a child’s education. It is not exactly an easy task for parents to prepare their child for preschool education. But, for a child to be successful in preschool and formal education, he must be prepared for preschool. The preparation process starts with making your child as independent as possible. It should begin with basic hygiene, toilet training and ability to dress himself. Parents should take steps to make child comfortable in company of others. Preschool teachers know the importance of love and care but they are not really able to provide each and every child same level of attention as that of their parents. A child takes time to get adjusted to a new environment. Some children feel extremely uncomfortable in company of strangers like preschool teachers and other kids. However, it is the combined duty of parents and teachers to get rid of any such fears harboured by the kid.

A child will do much better in preschool education if he has been taught some basic concepts by his parents. Prior knowledge of colours and shapes will help the kid in grasping his lessons better at preschool. This is a delicate and slow process that parents should practice on a regular basis. Just a casual introduction to different colours while he is wearing dresses or eating fruits of different shapes will give him elementary knowledge of colours and shapes.

Parents can also introduce alphabet and letter sounds to the toddlers. These lessons should be fun and casual. These steps are necessary because of education bars in preschools and kindergartens are being raised. Now kids get to learn a lot many stuff in these classes and if they are not prepared, they will face difficulty in preschools. The early learning is to provide kids the head start to become more successful in preschool and then later in formal education.