A child’s brain develops moment by moment through the experiences they gain from interactions with their surroundings. Child development studies suggest that around one million neural connections form swiftly in the brain during the early years—a phenomenon that is unlikely to occur later. Therefore, activities like art, roleplay, free play, music, and dance, etc., engage young minds and set the foundation for learning, behaviour, socio-emotional and mental well-being throughout life. Having said that, early childhood education delivered at home and in preschool makes a critical difference to an individual’s brain development.
Benefits Of Early Childhood Education
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Building Socio-Emotional Skills
As caregivers, we understand the importance of ‘socialisation’ and that it has its roots in the early years. We all want to give our children a safe environment away from home where they can meet other people and establish new friendships. Socio-development activities (E.g., Group discussions, singing, storytelling, reading, drama, etc.) allow children to understand different emotions and perspectives, break out of their shells, develop confidence and freely communicate their thoughts & ideas.
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Ensuring Mental & Physical Well-being
Warm, safe, and nurturing childhood experiences allow children to grow mentally & physically, think clearly, learn new skills and develop an emotional outlook on life. The company of good friends, encouraging words from adults and good-quality early childhood education sets the foundation of important moral values like sharing, cooperation, gratitude, empathy, etc., which help them grow into ethical, responsible, and mentally healthy adults. It also helps children easily achieve major developmental milestones. E.g., jumping, running, writing, drawing, speaking, identifying objects, solving problem sums, etc.
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Enhancing Imagination & Creative Expression
Observation, discovery, experimentation, and sensory experiences are major aspects of child development that take place during the early years. When children get time and space to explore their curiosity, observe their surroundings and experiment with the resources available, their power of imagination develops without restraints. Quality preschool programmes offered at top preschools in Bangalore indulge toddlers in creative activities (like art & craft, recitation, elocution, drama, etc.), to help hone their creative skills. By encouraging and appreciating children in their creative pursuits, we can develop strong creative expression skills that could come in handy in their future workplace.
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Fostering Lifelong Learning Skills
Experts like James Heckman (an economist) suggest that with appropriate early academic interventions, children are more likely to graduate high school by 25%. It also increases their chances of pursuing higher education and earning 25% more wages compared to others. Care and top-quality early childhood education help children find solutions to long-standing injustices or complex problems and develop relevant professional skills to find better employment opportunities. Engaging children in interesting academic activities like riddles, STEM puzzles, tracing, tangrams, creative writing, maths problems, etc., develops higher-order thinking skills in later years, which enable them to excel academically.
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Facilitating Holistic Child Development
Holistic child development means the overall wellbeing of children (including physical, mental, social, emotional, intellectual, academic and spiritual growth). Young minds can develop holistically even when they’re engaged in a single activity. For instance, when preschoolers try having their meals with a spoon, they don’t just learn how to manage their day-to-day activities but also develop fine and gross motor skills, self-esteem, and emotional intelligence. Activities like cooking, puppetry, dress-ups, water play, sand play, meditation, yoga, martial arts, mindfulness exercises, etc., offered at the top preschools in Bangalore create meaningful opportunities for children to grow holistically and understand the world better.
Why Is It Important For Children To Have Proper Guidance In The Early Years?
Einstein is the best example of how early childhood education works wonders for children’s future progress. Despite experiencing delayed speech and other developmental challenges, a 5-year-old Einstein was engaged with a compass (by his father) and a violin (by his mother). These tools challenged both the rational and creative sides of his mind, strengthening his learning and critical thinking skills. Thus, establishing that mentorship is important for creating a conducive environment for learning, setting the right behavioural expectations, giving scaffolded instructions, and helping children make positive choices & learn from their mistakes.
Chrysalis Kids is a top preschool in Bangalore that helps children develop holistically and prepares them for their higher education. Their AwSTEM,ISP (Individual Support Program), Pre-CHAMPS, and PUPA (Prior Understanding of Pupil’s Attributes’ programmes are specifically designed to spark young ingenuity, as well as provide individual support to students to bridge any learning gaps and foster a strong parent-teacher-child bond. Get in touch to find out how we can help accelerate your child’s growth.