Four top tips on how to continue child learning in the home
Spending time at nursery is an important part of child development – cognitively, socially and emotionally – but when little ones leave the childcare setting, continuing this learning journey in the home is equally important.
That’s why our very own John Pickup recently shared some nuggets of inspiration for parents, on how to keep the educational wheel turning throughout lockdown 3.0 and beyond.
If you missed the original piece in the Lemon-Aid newsletter, you can catch up below…
1. Familiarise yourself with the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)
The EYFS statutory framework outlines the standards that childcare providers must meet for the development, learning and care of children from birth to five years old.
As a parent, getting to know the seven pillars under the learning and development umbrella – including communication and language, physical, personal, social and emotional development, and understanding the world – can help you to find new ways to turn everyday activities into teachable moments, and link them to the EYFS.
2. Collaborate with childcare practitioners
The best people to speak to about creating an effective learning pattern in the home are the staff who work at your child’s nursery. They spend many hours every day with your toddler, so they’re best placed to update you on their current progress, as well as share relevant activities and resource banks.
3. Establish a routine
We’re all continuing to adapt to our own ‘normal’, but in order to foster a positive and healthy learning environment for your youngster, creating and sticking to a routine can really help.
Keeping regular mealtimes as well as a consistent wake-up and bedtime routine can also play a vital role in not only home-learning but child wellbeing too – fostering a sense of security and stability.
4. Remember that patience is key
When completing an activity together if you want to intervene and show them how something is done, it’s best to be patient and let them have a go first. This shifts the focus from being solely on the result and instead prioritises process and development – allowing them to learn in their own time.
It’s important to view every activity deviation as an opportunity for further learning too, so if the colourful rainbow ends up as a brown mess don’t see this as a failure – rather an opportunity. For example, you could use this time to teach them about colours or discuss brown animals.
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About the Author
Marketing Lead at Connect Childcare
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