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Not all childcare and early education centers are the same in Australia, so it pays to shop around and do your research. You will first need to learn more about what centers offer and what you expect of a childcare environment that you may enroll your child in.
To help you out, this article will be focusing on what to look for in an early childhood learning environment.
The Centre Needs To Have a Positive Vibe
Although it’s certainly not the only consideration when it comes to an early learning environment, you’ll want to know that your child is immersed in a positive environment on a daily basis. Positive nurturing will play a major role in everything else that takes place in the centre.
One way you can determine what the overall vibe is like is to visit some centres and spend some time observing the children and the staff. If everyone seems genuinely happy and content, that’s a great indicator that the centre projects positivity and that your child will be happy there.
Are There Outdoor Spaces for Play and Activities?
Early learning centres should provide a good combination of both indoor and outdoor activities. One thing you will want to be certain of before enrolling your child is that the centre has outdoor spaces for kids to play, get exercise and indulge in fresh air activities.
You’ll want to choose a centre that has an outdoor playground for the kids, maybe including some things like slippery slides and other activities for fun, areas where children can indulge in sand and water play to discover more about the elements and enough grass and greenery to create a pleasant environment and where kids can learn a little more about nature.
Does the Centre Include Activities for Personal Development?
Early childhood centres and early learning centres should have well-rounded programs that include personal development for kids. You want your child’s self-confidence to continually grow whilst in the early childhood environment.
Activities should involve things that nurture self-confidence and build self-esteem, along with the kids interacting in ways that encourage teamwork, develop their social skills and improve communication skills between their peers as well as adults.
Kids Need To Feel Comfortable
Further to the first point in this article, when your child attends one of these centres, they want to be made to feel welcome. The overall atmosphere should be one that’s inviting and makes young children instantly feel at ease.
The more the centre focuses on fun, whether the activities are educational or not, the more they will learn and the more they will want to keep attending day after day.
Is There a Visual Arts Studio?
Being creative and artistic is an excellent way to develop young brains. Creativity naturally expands the mind. Kids are learning new skills and developing without even realising it. They are so engrossed in doing their drawing or painting. Art develops those fine motor skills and also helps with emotional development.
Dance and Music Are Also Beneficial In the Learning Environment
Dancing helps kids develop their fine motor skills also, as well as improve balance, flexibility and coordination. Kids have loads of fun when dancing and learning new movements and generally aren’t shy about giving things a try.
Music engages both sides of the brain when it’s listened to, so having music as an integral part of the learning curriculum is vital for full brain development. A child’s creative thinking skills are enhanced through music and dance and really any creative activity.
What Is Included In the Centre’s Overall Curriculum?
Aside from what’s been covered in this article, when you’re interested in a particular early learning childcare facility, ask to see a copy of their overall curriculum if you can’t find one on their website. This will give you a good overview of what they offer and what the centre covers and you’ll be able to match up the curriculum with what you have in mind for your child.
The Takeaway
It’s a fantastic idea to enrol your young child in an early education centre, but you need to take the time to choose one that offers a well-rounded group of activities that contains a good mix of learning, personal development and fun.
