Many parents look for a Jersey City daycare that offers more than just simple babysitting services. Since many children are at a preschool age, many daycares will offer a curriculum as an in-house preschool. There are some things that make curriculums more effective than others to help your child learn and get ready for kindergarten. There are several things that every daycare curriculum needs that you should look for before enrolling your child.
1. Variety. There is more to preschool programs than just sitting and writing out the alphabet. There are so many activities that can help a child learn and understand different concepts. There are puzzles, matching games, coloring, and reading time that each help a child learn different skills. Each child learns in a different way, so having a variety of activities is a good thing to watch for so that your child will have an opportunity to learn in many ways.
Children between the ages of 3 and 4 often have attention spans that don’t last for very long. Part of the preschool curriculum should include helping them to stretch out their time limits for sitting down and paying attention. Variety can help extend these limits a little at a time by keeping a child interested. If the structured activities are set up right, they can also help your child to learn to follow a schedule.
2. Plenty of Play Time. Children need more than just structured activities. Playing outside or having enough inside free time is important to letting children enhance their creativity. Kids benefit from having time to play and explore, using their imaginations, and engaging in social interactions to build those skills as well.
It is a lot to ask of a young child to sit and do school work all day. Play time is not only good for the learning that occurs during play, but it also benefits the child in the classroom as well. If they have a break from hard concentration, they are much more likely to come back with a renewed ability to pay attention and not fidget in their chair as much.
3. The Basics are Covered. It is still important that there are skills taught that will benefit your child in kindergarten and even pre kindergarten. There are a lot of skills that are crucial like learning to hold a pencil correctly, the alphabet and the sounds each letter makes, and even how to count. Other items that kindergarteners are usually expected to know are their shapes, colors, and a basic understanding of manners. These are all areas that preschool curriculums should cover in one way or another.
Finding the Best Fit for Your Child
It is important that you look around for the best daycares with a preschool option. There are a lot of benefits for your child in enrolling with a great curriculum that is age appropriate and includes the most necessary information. It may take more than one visit to find the best fit for your child, but if your child is in the best environment available, it is worth it.
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