One of the most significant societal changes post-pandemic was a rise in homeschooling. It almost doubled throughout 2021 as COVID-19 swept across the country.
Homeschooling became an opportunity for many parents to play a more hands-on role in their children’s education. You might wonder whether your pre-schooler could benefit from a more formal early childhood education.
To help answer that question, here are three ways a formal educational setting can benefit your child’s growth now and in the future.
It Helps Children Develop Social Skills
At home, many children interact with other adults or older siblings. But socializing with peers is one of the essential skills for a child to develop. Early education can help children make those first vital steps.
Sharing, for example, is one of the first critical social skills a child will develop. Children will often have access to a range of toys. There will be many instances where two children will want to play with the same toy.
To an adult, that will mean witnessing a few tears and tantrums! But this is an important developmental step for all children.
It’s their way of learning how to interact and enjoy playtime with others. That will set them up beautifully for the social skills your child will need once they start school.
It Improves Communication and Language
Plenty of evidence shows that children gain better speech development when placed in a group setting.
In fact, during the pandemic, experts found that masks and isolation were detrimental to early language development.
Children model their speech patterns on adults around them. They watch and copy the shapes of others’ mouths to sound out words. Doing so helps to fine-tune their speaking skills and pronunciation.
You can also help support your child’s flourishing skills when they return home. Why not introduce them to fun and interactive stories like Veggie Tales?
Early Phonics Creates a Foundation for Reading Skills
Early years education is a chance for smart kids to learn songs, the alphabet, and even some early phonics.
Combining these fun and interactive learning activities will set a strong foundation for your child’s brain development and reading skills.
So what happens after your child learns their first phonics? By the time they get to school, teachers will introduce simple words and phonics as part of the standard school curriculum.
That early introduction to phonics will make your child feel comfortable attempting these sounds in a classroom setting. It will fast-track their progress to reading their first sentences.
It will make your child feel confident in their reading skills from day one, which might even help them embrace a lifelong love of stories.
Early Childhood Education Has Much to Offer
The benefits of quality time with your child are clear for any parent. But an excellent early childhood education will help your child reach fundamental milestones. That includes reading, speaking, and social interaction skills.
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