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Being a parent is tough, especially when you have very young children. This is when they are going to be influenced the most by the events that happen around them. In fact, early childhood is when your child is going to absorb most of their information, it can shape their future.
You probably already know that an early learning centre will help your child to be more successful in life and will increase their confidence, as well as their ability to share and even lead.
But, if you visit the early childcare facility you’ll probably notice that the children spend most of their time playing. That’s because play is an important part of their early education.
Brain Development
Play stimulates all the responses in the body. Your young child will feel and touch objects; these encourage the brain to process information and build appropriate responses.
When a young child has the ability to absorb knowledge, this is best done through natural behavior, such as play.
For example, building a tower of bricks will start to install the concepts of math and science in the brains of children. They’ll also become accustomed to different shapes, the power of gravity, balance, and even start to develop counting skills.
These skills may not be obviously present and you don’t expect your 6-month-old to start counting. But, early childhood education will install this information in their brains, preparing them for later life.
Sharing
When in early childhood education, children need to play with other children. This encourages them to learn sharing skills. The ability to share will make it easier for your child to integrate with others as a grown-up. It can also be used to start children understanding the importance of graciousness in both victory and defeat.
But, it’s not just about sharing. Play actually encourages children to make friends, developing social and emotional skills are essential to their success in later life and to find a balance between work and home life.
School Ready
Play actually stimulates most of the same skills that your child will learn at school. This means they have a head start in learning and are already accustomed t the process of a school day.
In essence, play makes this a fun activity instead of making it feel like a chore but the end result is the same, your child will expand as a person and will find it easier to acquire the necessary skills to succeed in life.
Imagination
Play encourages the use of imagination which is instrumental in problem-solving skills later in life. The use of imagination is instinctive when playing but it uses the same parts of the brain as problem-solving does. In short, playing as a child allows a child to find unique solutions to problems as an adult.
It can seem pointless but ply at home and in early education is an essential part of the learning process and not one that should be overlooked.
