Three Ways to Effectively Extend Early Learning

Category: Recommendation

All parents want their children to excel in all subjects and develop social skills. With that, they also focus on providing them with an atmosphere that nurtures mental and emotional well-being. As the world copes with several mental ailments, it becomes all the more important to educate your child on emotional skills, in addition to social and subjective skills. Early learning opportunities benefit all children, but it is more beneficial for children from rural areas and backward classes who are bereaved from the support needed at home. These children often lag behind due to a lack of enthusiasm, finances, or technological support.

This difference has become more evident in the Covid era and post-Covid. The pandemic has affected young children’s foundation development, which often starts in early care and learning. Many children born a few years before the pandemic had to spend a greater part of their early childhood education period at home. Most of them miss out on social and emotional development which is one of the prominent offerings of preschools. The children from the less fortunate income group have been affected, as they lack several opportunities which other parents can offer their children from home. It includes learning opportunities in the form of online learning. Families with a lower income cannot afford the internet charges or a basic laptop or computer, which leads to a loss of precious time. You have to look for early education programs that offer a chance to fill in the gaps in education and development. You can provide extended early learning opportunities to your child. As a parent, it is your responsibility to look for a school that offers such scopes. Your engagement assumes a lot of importance for the wholesome development and growth of the child. 

3 Best Ways to Effectively Extend Early Learning

Here are the three most important ways that can assist in the extension of early learning at school. 

Add Extra Learning Time To The Schedule 

You can stress extending the learning time by going for full-day programs or more after-school activities. Look for schools which offer weekend sessions to make up for all the lost time. Vacations are also the best time to incorporate more learning opportunities for the child. There may be tons of obstacles in the pathway, like you as a parent may have to pay increased fees and devote more time, irrespective of your working schedule. However, the results will be promising enough. Schools also need to get additional staff on board and spend more on the purchase of learning resources. 

You can also incorporate other ways to get the desired results. 

• As a parent, you can also stress the need for more fun activities and exploration play. 
• Allow your child to engage in more practical activities rather than pushing them to read books during their study hours. 
• Young children need a specific environment for play-and-learn opportunities. So, when you are enrolling your child in one of the schools, look for specific infrastructural requirements, like child-friendly classrooms, with suitable desks and chairs, toys, and play material. 
• There should be ample area for movement within the class, and also outside. 
• The children also need to de-stress. So, you, as a parent, should also ensure that the school where your child goes should have a special corner for meditation-like activities. 

Also Read: Different Teaching Methods Used in Preschools

Utilising the Class Timings To The Fullest 

Whatever time your child gets in class must be utilised to its capacity. This is another way to extend learning opportunities as a part of early childhood education. You should check for the curriculum that is being offered at school. The teachers must provide a goal-oriented flow chart of the achievements after a certain activity. You ought to look for a teaching pedagogy wherein teachers incorporate new activities and build upon the child’s existing knowledge. 

• The children should be able to develop the curiosity to know more. Recognition after successful completion of goals in the class is also important. 
• You ought to see if the school has a supportive environment, including hands-on learning materials that allow children to explore. 
• Everything in the class should be properly labelled so that the child can identify them after learning the alphabet. This is the application-oriented part, which needs careful scrutiny. 

Here, the environment of the class also assumes the role of a teacher. 

Also Read: Student-Teacher Bonds: Key to Academic Success

Inclusion Of Parent Engagement 

Apart from finding a good school, you must devote ample time at home. If you have a caregiver at home, in your absence, make sure to educate them as well on the child’s learning guidelines. Look for ideas through online learning resources. Many schools may also help parents incorporate a learning culture through home study materials. 

• You can also allow your child to indulge in experiential play or learning in the form of cooking, cleaning, and taking in activities that are a part of the household. 
• After your child is done with the physical part, you can explain to your child what they did. Connect names, numbers, and shapes to the activities and the objects used. 
• As parents, you can also invest in study materials that support home study. 
• Storytelling is another important activity that you can include in the home study schedule. 

Takeaway

You can supplement your child’s early childhood education through the ways discussed in this blog. Additionally, you can take your child to places that help in learning extensions, like the zoo, museum, or a park with lots of plants. Having fun together while enjoying various sports and physical activities is also beneficial. Use these ideas to support your child’s early learning and see the results in a short while. To find the right play or preschool for your child, visit Skoodos, the leading school search engine in India. It is a one-of-kind platform that enables you to compare numerous schools at once according to various categories, including location, curriculum, and others. That’s not all; you can even request personalised help from experts working in the field for years.