Preschool and your child

A good preschool strives to make your child more independent, builds a sense of self-esteem and confidence which will foster learning at your child’s own pace. Learning that is fostered at the child’s own pace by changing the role of adults in the classroom. It has been found through research that children who have attended good pre-schools show better academic performance than those who never attended a nursery school, or those who went to the neighbourhood nursery schools. So it is essential that you carefully check the pre-school, you are sending your child to. A child who has attended a high quality preschool has longer attention spans and is more socially well-adjusted. Such a child shows better math skills, and grows up into better individuals as they are more likely to attend graduate school and become successful adults.

Check the credentials of the school you are sending your child too. The teachers should hold degrees in teaching Montessori kids. Also check if the school is accredited.

Don’t mix up day care with nursery school. Day care services are meant for taking care of the child when the parents are away, whereas nursery school is more than mere taking care of the child. The hours of day care are not pre-defined, where as nursery school has shorter hours and it teaches different skills to the child. If you are looking for day care don’t send your child to a pre-school and if you want to send your child to learn then don’t send them to a day care center.

Find out how the school deals with undisciplined behaviour. When the child hits or bites, what does the school do? How does the school deal with conflict between kids? Do they let the kids resolve it themselves or the teacher intervenes. It is very important that you trust the schools way of dealing with your child.

Does your child’s school have a mid-day meal scheme, what do they serve. Don’t send your child to a school that serves mid-day meal, if you don’t want your child to eat a certain kind of food. Find out also whether the food served fulfils the nutritional needs of your child.

Check whether the school, fosters the child’s imagination. Does it encourage the child to imagine? See the pictures on the wall, does it show encouragement of the child’s imagination or the child is guided into drawing in a specific way.

Also find out whether the school encourages the parents to visit the school anytime or the school has a fixed schedule when you can visit the school.

What does the school do about the safety of the child? Do they have attendants who look after the safety of the child and what does the school do after school pick-up?

Find out what is the philosophy of the school, does the school encourage the play way method of learning or the school makes the child learn numbers and the alphabet by writing them out. Each schools philosophy differs and you should choose a school that matches with your philosophy of how you want your child to be treated. As a final word choose a school that has a scientific curriculum to teach the children.

Preparing your Child for Preschool

Preschool is very different from day care centre so, don’t confuse between the two. A preschool teaches skills to your child and prepares it for kindergarten and elementary school. A day care centre on the other hand takes care of your baby while you are away. Both may provide food while you are away as some preschools have mid-day meal schemes. Others expect you to pack your child’s Tiffin.

Your child’s entry into pre-school may be slightly daunting for the child and a source of worry for you as well. You may worry whether your child will adjust to the changed environment. There is no need for you to worry, if you prepare your toddler for preschool with certain activities that ensure his transition to playschool is smooth. Keep all learning activity playful, Make sure that you don’t make entering a preschool a chore; it should appear like fun where your child will get other playmates his age and will play and learn things like art, reading and several other social skills. Also check the preschool you are sending your toddler to, what is their medium of instruction, do they have many play activities. Have a detailed conversation with your child’s teacher.

Plan some social activities where your child is exposed to other children the same age. If your child has not been exposed to peers, this is the time to introduce the concept of doing activities and playing cooperatively.

Use role play activities to familiarize your child to the preschool, take turns playing the parent and the teacher, so your child is familiar with the concept of teacher and school.

Introduce the concept of pre-school gradually so that the child feels he is in familiar environment when he gets to pre-school. He will feel comfortable with his school because you have gently introduced the concept to him. Act out all the activities the child will do at school, like saying good bye to parents, singing songs, reading stories, playing with friends and also taking naps. Make all these activities fun so that your child takes part in everything enthusiastically. Reassure your child that nursery school is fun and they will learn many exciting things at the playschool.

Play with your child and discuss playschool with him. Introduce the idea that playschool will teach him new things and also act out all the activities your child will do at school. Like taking off her coat, wearing shoes and keeping them, in fact you could race your child to shoes wearing and say let’s see who wears shoes faster and reward him suitably when he does as desired.

If your child has some kind of worry regarding the new place he is going to hear him out and reassure him that it is normal to be apprehensive about a new place. Go and buy the school gear with your child and try and let your child choose the backpack he will be taking. Ensure that your child is completely at ease about the new phase that will begin in his life.For more info visit pre school gurgaon

The importance of Pre-primary education

Pre-school education is essential for your toddler because it is the building block of your child’s elementary education. It helps in laying down a healthy foundation for the all-round development of your child. It is necessary to provide your child with good pre-primary education for him to be prepared for future education. Here are some reasons why your little one should be provided with good nursery education.

Pre-primary education prepares your child for kindergarten and future school. It allows your child to build a base for his future education.

It allows the child to expose his inner skills so that the child develops his personality. It allows a child to give vent to his inner desires in positive ways. Some pre-school franchisees have activities designed for children in such a way that their inner talents are exposed.

Pre-primary education exposes the creativity of the child, thus allowing the child to develop his personality in a natural way.

The child learns to adjust with his peers and learns to interact with outsiders. He learns to find a life outside of his home. The child develops an independent personality outside of his home. Becoming independent is the first stage of growth and besides learning to eat independently, sleep independently, child learns to exist independently.

It is essential to the growth of the child that by the age of three, it starts showing signs of independence.

A good pre-primary school like Little Millennium comes to your aid here. Their scientific curriculum ensures the all-round development of the child. Your child is well on his way to attending kindergarten and regular school. 

Pre-schools like Little Millennium who have franchisees all over India, ensure the physical, mental and emotional growth of the child. The child develops his cognitive skills in the scientific curriculum that nurtures the child. 

Good pre-schools teach  a child not only social skills and develop its ability to adjust in its social environment but also teach it how to deal with bullies. Your child may be facing bullies in his pre-school, but may not be telling you about it. Find out whether your child is hesitant to go to school. Does it try and avoid school. The reason could be there is a bully at the school. Good pre-primary schools, ensure that bullies are not scaring other children so that they avoid school. 

Pre-primary schools are also responsible for teaching social etiquettes to your child. Some of the group activities involve teaching manners and etiquettes to your child. 

The group activities that nursery schools conduct are what develops the complete personality of your child. The children may be taken on field trips, where they are taught the importance of discipline. The children also learn to eat independently and many are also potty trained by this age, so they know how to handle themselves to an extent.

Pre-primary education is one more step in the growth of your child. For your child to grow into a healthy, socially well-adjusted child and individual, it is essential that you send him to a good nursery school.

Tips for Pre-school

Pre-school curriculum that nurtures and stimulates your child’s mind is not followed in many schools. Pre-school education in India is often very limited. One school that ensures the proper development and growth of your child is Little Millennium. Pre-school curriculum that ensures the proper growth of the child will ensure, your child is successful when it goes to regular school. 

Selecting the correct pre-school is not an easy task. Here are some pointers towards choosing the correct nursery school for your child. 

Start Early: Good pre-schools in India are in great demand. Especially those who have a good reputation may have a long waiting list. Many schools register just after the birth of the baby or by the time the baby has completed two years of age.

Visit the pre-school you are keen on admitting your child to. This will give you are clearer picture of what your child is in for. Go with your child and see how your child adjusts initially. Talk in advance to your child about the visit and tell him what he will see and learn at the school, and let him see if it finds the same features in the school. After the visit, listen to your child’s comments before deciding on the school.

Check out the curriculum, the student and staff turnover. How many teachers per student are there. What kind of health and safety arrangements do they have. Do they have meal arrangements for the kids. Opt for the school only if you are comfortable with the answers provided to you.

Talk to parents whose kids are already enrolled at the school. Ask them, how they like the arrangements at the school, do their kids like the school are they happy and are they learning there. Do their kids show keenness to attend school, or they want to avoid school. Ask if they have any concerns from the school.

Find out if your child can try out the school curriculum, before it takes the final admission to the school.

If after all the research you like the school schedule, them give your child time to adjust to the new school. Your child may be shy or just plain reluctant to go to school. He may simply not want to attend school.

Pre-schools, teach many social skills to children like being independent and sharing and following directions, see whether your kids preschool has activities built into their curriculum which teach your child these skills.

When do I apply?

Many pre-schools start taking admission applications in January and some take in the month of April. Find out about your chosen school and apply in time. 

No matter what everybody says, you are the best judge to decide what kind of school environment is suitable for your child.

Keep your child’s personality in mind. Is it shy? Does it make friends easily? Is it an extrovert, or does it show tendency to bully. Knowledge of your child’s personality will help you decide whether your chosen pre-school caters to these aspects of its personality. For instance, if your child is shy do they have activities that help the child get rid of its shyness? Choosing the right nursery school is a daunting task, but if you do your homework, before you admit your child to a school, you shouldn’t face any problems.

Reading ready for Pre-school

Nobody can forget their child’s first word, which is usually ‘mama’ or ‘dada’, however it could also be ‘baba’, which made you smile with happiness. It is natural to rejoice when your toddler shows first signs of growing. Whether they speak for the first time, or start walking for the first time. Your enthusiasm for your child’s acquisition of language skills, motivates your child to learn. Your pre-school child’s acquisition of words, shows its preparedness for pre-school education. 

It is important that as parents you should do everything to prepare your child’s vocabulary as he reaches the stage to join nursery school. In a study it was found that children who were exposed to challenging words at age three performed well in standardized tests than children who were not exposed to difficult words.

An interesting mealtime game could be introducing interesting new words, when your child is comfortable. Do not serve a dictionary at mealtime, instead talk with your little one, describe something that you saw, and strategically introduce new words. This will make your child curious and he may ask the meaning of the new word, thus your little one is on his way to learning new words.

Read to your child

Reading a story to your child, brings the story to life for both of you. Your child benefits by the growing vocabulary.His imagination is also stimulated, thus story reading provides double benefit, first the growing vocabulary and the second stimulation of the imagination. You could ask lots of questions while reading and thus nurture your child’s reading comprehension. While reading if your child can’t make out the meaning of a word, ask your child to study the illustration to find clues. While reading ask open-ended questions like,“what do you think will happen next?” making your child listen carefully and also trying to comprehend the meaning of words and comprehending the story as well. These kinds of interactions with your child along with introduction of new words to enhance your child’s vocabulary, will ensure your child is successful at school.

Play guessing games

If your child is stuck with the meaning of a word, don’t give out the meaning, instead encourage your child to guess the meaning from the context. Give out words that are related to the word, or synonyms. Thus your child will come out with the exact meaning, reward when your child guesses the meaning.

Show objects and tell

Show your child objects, and then explain its function. For instance show your child the mixer, tell how it eases your workload in the kitchen. This will add one word to your child’s vocabulary where it is sure what a mixer is. 

Play make believe games

Playing make believe or role play can expose your child to many new words. It is fun and a great way to enhance your child’s vocabulary.

All these activities will ensure your child has a good vocabulary and better prepared for pre-school. This will also result in his future performance being better.

Pre-school Learning

Do you have a toddler at home, who is between three to five years of age? Is he or she attending pre-school? Before you decide on a school, look for these qualities in your chosen school:

The school has properly trained staff like teachers, administrators and ayahs. These people should know they are dealing with toddlers and not grown-ups; hence, they should be loving, understanding, kind and caring. Your little one shouldn’t start missing home when it is away at school.

One such school that provides a culturally sound environment,the right values, love and protection which are needed for a healthy body, mind and soul in the most critical phase of a child’s growing up years is Little Millennium.

Unlike other pre-primary schoolsthat just look after the kids while the parents are away, Little Millennium aims at enabling, enhancing, and energizing childhood by fostering growth of mind, body spirit, which leads them towards becoming lifelong learners.

The school should have access to different activities throughout the day. When you visit your child’s school, look for games like building blocks, props for pretended role play, color books, picture books and other material that allows the child to draw and paint. Other games like puzzles, matching games etc. should also be there.

The school should have teachers who work with individual child, small groups of children and occasionally with a large group of children. They shouldn’t just deal with large groups.

The classroom should be decorated with children’s own drawing work, their writing work and not with bought material.

For children to learn alphabets and numbers they do so within the context of their day-to-day life experiences. Everyday activities like taking attendance, serving a snack, plants and animals provide an environment for learning.

Children should be given projects to learn from and there should be play and activities for more than an hour.

Schools like Little Millennium follow the eclectic approach when dealing with children. Their teaching method embraces the following teaching principles: 

·         Project Method

·         Montessori Method

·         Theme Based Method

·         Multiple Intelligence

·         Play Way

It makes sense to deal with different children differently as all children are not the same. Similarly the learning need of each child differs.

Children should be given enough time for outdoor play. No amount of activities or instructions can make up the need of outdoor play.

The teacher should read books to children individually and not just when they are in a group. Children love listening to stories.

As a parent you should feel secure about sending your child to school. Similarly your child should be happy attending school and not cry and complain every day.

Sending your child to school is an activity that both the child and parents should look forward too. You should understand your child well, so that you can identify areas where your child is facing a problem. There could be a child bully at school; however that shouldn’t mean your child comes back crying every day or avoids school. It should be guided in such a manner that your child knows how to deal with the bully. A sound knowledge of your child, its likes and dislike would make its joining school a joyous activity.

The Transformation from Toddler to Preschool

Your precious little one has turned three and is displaying strong likes and dislikes. At this phase eating food is not such an easy task as now the child displays strong likes and dislikes. By the time your child has reached the kindergarten age, he is an individual, showing likes and dislikes in food and other things. He now interacts with other peers, draws, writes and tells stories.

At this stage dealing with your child is not easy for you. The child fusses over food, doesn’t want to eat, toilet training is an issue and may not want to go to school as well. This stage which is quite a challenge for you is also very important stage in the growth of the child. As parents you can deal better with this stage if you understand that this is a stage in the development of the child. All the new challenges you face as parents are a direct result of your child’s development, curiosities, skills and determination. Fussing over food occurs because the rate of growth at this stage is slow and hence appetite too is less. If you carefully monitor the growth of your child, you can completely understand the change in behavior.

When children reach the age of three, they are restless; they eat less and throw more to the dogs. This is because your child is more curious, wants activities, and shows interest in peers. At this stage they eat favorite foods only.  Now it throws tantrums to get its way. Keeping these factors into account avoid catering to all your child’s likes and dislikes and encourage them to eat full wholesome meals. Understanding their developmental stage is what will help you in dealing with this difficult stage.

They can now independently move around so they are curious to explore. However the child can’t distinguish between what is safe and what is unsafe. This is the stage when they start going to nursery school and take part in activities, talk to peers, and talk to strangers. Tantrums at this stage are common. But you should deal with them by controlling the situation, and try to forget the situation when it is over.

Some young children also develop bad habits like picking their nose, biting their nails, even handling their private parts. This can become embarrassing. This is part of curiosity and growing up. As parents you can teach your child to do these things in private.

Here are some essentials tips to handle children from eighteen months to pre nursery school age:

Understand that this age is an age of exploration and wonder, determination and skill attaining.

All positive action should be praised. Through the praise, kids appreciate the skills they have achieved.

Avoid dwelling on the negatives.

Don’t worry about how much they eat, instead ensure they are eating a balanced diet.

Ignore their tantrums. If tantrums don’t get the desired result, children stop throwing them.

Don’t worry too much about toilet training they will eventually train.

Read to them, children love learning new words.

Take interest in your child’s activities.

Help your child through the phase of transition.

Educomp has won two prestigious awards - “Best Innovative K 12 School” and the “Best Education Company to work with” at the Indian Education Awards (IEA) 2012.

Indian Education Awards (IEA) is amongst the country's most prestigious awards in the Education sector. These awards felicitate achievers and innovators who have contributed significantly towards excellence in the education segment. IEA was held at The Indian Education Congress 2012, one of the largest education convention in the country. 

“Best innovative K-12 school” award sought to recognize and felicitate the school that most effectively introduced technology and new concepts for better future, with a focus on humane growth along with academic enlightenment 

The awards were given out at a glittering ceremony held at Hotel Claridges, Surajkund, near Delhi on 28th April 2012.