The following is an educational and informative article that was brought to my attention and wanted to pass it along to all of you. I also wanted to ask what your thoughts are on this article? I am fortunate and very lucky to be able to stay home with my little monkey however I also think it is very important for her growth and development to be with other children in a learning environment. I hope that you enjoy this article…
Is Daycare Enough?
The number of Americans holding down multiple jobs to provide for a family is extremely high. A great deal of their paycheck goes to childcare and it is evident here in America, that when it comes to our kids, quality is a must. But is simply looking after and feeding children worth all the money being spent? Why shouldn’t they get more for their money, and get their child ahead of the game.
If you are fortunate enough to have a friend or family member willing to look after your very young child while you are on the job – or are able to hire a babysitter – you may be saving money, but your child is probably missing some important opportunities for intellectual growth. Yes, his/her physical needs for nourishment and protection are certainly being met, and there may be some socialization that occurs in a typical day care center, but many of them neglect learning activities that can stimulate cognitive function and give the child a firm foundation for furthering his/her education later in life.
The Benefits
It has been clearly demonstrated that even one year of attendance at a certified preschool in which young children have opportunities for cognitive development through age-appropriate learning activities (such as educational games and other forms of constructive play) gives a child a tremendous advantage when they enter kindergarten. Such children have superior skills in reading, writing and speaking and mathematics – which are the foundation of every other subject. Additionally, children with a year or more of academic preschool have better social skills and are able to function better in a group setting. The effects of a quality preschool education will last a lifetime – and make it far more likely that the child will succeed as an adult in a Darwinian economic and social system in which every person is for him or herself and the only rule is “survival of the fittest.”
Starting Early
The growth that occurs in a child between birth and age five has a tremendous impact on their performance in school later on, this is a well known fact that Educators have long realized (even if policymakers refuse to acknowledge it). Sadly, although a recent policy decreed that “every child will enter school ready to learn,” lawmakers on Capitol Hill were as usual very vague on how this is supposed to happen.
Research has supports that children may start learning even before birth; during the last trimester, the child may benefit from exposure to certain types of music as well as speech. So while you may joke about singing and talking to your baby pre-birth it is actually quite beneficial. The human brain undergoes rapid growth throughout the preschool years; it is safe to say that what happens to a child during the first five years of life largely shapes the adult s/he will become. At this stage of a child’s life, s/he develops his/her basic language skills, a sense of self, his/her place in the group and the role of culture – all the basic tools required to function in a given society.
In short, the preschool years are those in which an elastic, malleable brain is “hardwired.” So why not take advantage of that?
Co-written by Emily Patterson and Kathleen Thomas
Emily and Kathleen are Communications Coordinators for the Austin day care facility, a member of the AdvancED® accredited family of Primrose Schools (located in 16 states throughout the U.S.) and part of the network of day care preschools delivering progressive, early childhood, Balanced Learning® curriculum.
Bella has gone since she was 10 weeks old and I wouldn’t change it for the world. She is so social & has learned more than I could ever imagine. It also depends on the daycare/school. Her last daycare just let her play and draw all day, and her daycare now teaches her a lot more and keeps her active. I think each child learns in their own way, but I think an early education is crucial to suceeding in school later on. Love ya!
Well I am a stay at home mom and a nanny and I do have to say that I believe kids as early as birth can learn things. I can tell from the two kids that are dropped off at my home how much their parents work with them and engage their child when they are with them. I don’t think it should be just the daycare or or provider that is responsible in expanding a child’s mind.
I say this because with my son and the little girl I watch the same age, I have been teaching my son sign language and reading constantly with him, playing games etc with them. The sign language has totally helped in my son’s and this little girl’s language skills.
The other little boy I watch who has a less engaged parent only knows 2 words at 20 months, while my son knows around 50 and can say 25. I have done my best to work with the little guy since I’ve had him starting at 12 weeks, but he is a blank slate and does not engage you back or enjoy activities I do with the other kids. He goes off by himself.
The difference is the mom asks me at the end of the day what he ate and when he pooped, while the mom of the little girl I watch asks me what did my daughter learn today. I really like the latter because as a nanny I try to provide a stimulating environment for babies and toddlers and clearly the first mom is only interested in her child’s physical needs and so I assume the same thing happens at home….if the child’s physical needs are met, then she’s done her job I guess.
Anyway…I just wanted to show it goes both ways and yes I did enjoy your post. I think it is very informative.
Heather From and Mommy Only Has Two Hands! and Lynhea Designs
Daycares in my city are terrible so I’m strongly against them. I do however feel that if someone recommended me a trustable daycare/school for my child, I would be keen to try it. The other day at my doctor’s appt. there was a lady from a daycare taking care of her own doctor’s appt. and she had 2 daycare kids with her. Terrible right? That’s the kinda thing that goes on here.
Either way, our kids will succeed. Studies have shown that kids who do not go to prechool start off kindergarten behind those who did. BUT they quickly catch up and it becomes a non-issue. I originally thought that I had to get Coop into a good preschool before he turned 2, but now I will just wait until we are both ready.