Is your child attending a Quality Kindergarten Program?

98% of our brains develop in the first five years, so children need Quality Kindergarten Programs. Programs that invest in materials, teacher training, curriculum, safety, hygiene and care. Let us support Quality Kindergartens in their work of nurturing young children; after all they are our future citizens. Let us educate parents to choose Quality Kindergarten Programs that nurture and not those that pressurize children with ‘too much, too soon’.

Check if your Kindergarten is a Quality Kindergarten Program with the 10 points given below-

Why should we support quality Kindergartens? Why should we send children to quality Kindergartens?

1.     If children are attending quality Kindergarten programs then drop out rate at the primary and secondary school level goes down. Because of…

·         Visually appealing learning spaces

·         Relevant displays

·         Interactive toys

·         Child centered environment

·         Trained teachers

·         Developmentally appropriate curriculum

2.     Children who attend quality Kindergartens adjust easily in primary school, Smooth transition from home to formal schooling. Because of…

·         Readiness activities in writing, reading, math

·         On going assessment linked to developmental objectives

·         Parent partnership(education and training)

·         Enhancing  the executive functions of the brain

·         Helping them to adapt to a daily routine

·         Nurturing their independent skills

3.     Children in quality Kindergarten programs learn to give language to their emotions so they can handle their emotions and handle others emotions thus leading to fewer behavioral problems in later life. Because they learn to…

·         Express their feelings

·         Label emotions

·         Recognize and Understand others emotions

·         Conflict resolution skills

·         Self regulation

·         Impulse control

4.     Since we have nuclear families and fewer children at home, a quality Kindergarten program gives them opportunity to work with small and large group of children and many adults and thus they are able to relate to different age groups. This helps them adjust in socialization process. So they are able to...

·         Share

·         Making friend

·         Co-operate

·         Learn to adjust in different situations

·         Follow simple rules

·         Learn to follow instructions

5.     Children who don’t attend quality Kindergarten programs have an average vocabulary of 3000 words by age 3 whereas children who attend preschools have the benefit of extending their vocabulary to almost ten times more. Through activities like…

·         Reading stories to children

·         Songs and rhymes

·         Picture and object talk

·         Socio-dramatic play

·         Free conversation

·         Listening

6.     98% of the brain develops in the first five years and quality Kindergarten experiences help children enhance their thinking, reasoning, problem solving, generalizations, estimation skills through…

·         Puzzles and mazes

·         Manipulative toys

·         Problem solving situations

·         Concept formation

·         Comparison

·         Estimation

7.     Children who attend quality Kindergartens have exposure to more creative activities that enhance unique and different ways of thinking. Through activities like…

·         Art and craft- painting and printing

·         Drawing

·         Clay and dough

·         Dance and drama

·         Messy activities

·         Cooking

8.     Gross motor activities in quality Kindergartens help children develop their muscles, and help them in developing posture, balance, stamina. Through activities like…

·         Climbing

·         Running

·         Jumping

·         Balancing

·         Hopping

·         Catching and throwing

9.     Fine motor activities in quality Kindergartens help children develop eye hand coordination skills, coordination between finer muscles that help them later on with future activities like writing. Through activities like…

·         Threading

·         Sorting

·         Doodling and Scribbling

·         Scissoring

·         Peg puzzles

·         Finger activities( holding, dropping, closing, opening)

10.  When children attend quality Kindergartens their parents learn about developmental milestones and positive parenting techniques. Through activities like…

·         Parenting sessions

·         Open house

·         Events

·         Books and articles

·         Guiding and mentoring parents.

·         Educating through displays

Early Childhood Association

www.eca-india.org

Happiness Is Being Independent!

It’s the month to be proud to be an Indian. It is also the month to ask ourselves, what have I done for india? And it is the month to teach our children, India is our country and let’s be proud to carry the tri colour.

Five   simple ways to make your child respect and cherish his/her country-

1. Don’t teach your child that 15^th august is just another bank holiday. It isn’t. Do something patriotic like going for a flag hoisting ceremony with your child, or showing them a flag hoisting on television or making a flag  and putting it up in your window or balcony..
2. Teach your child to respect the tricolour, make one with your child and teach them that the tricolour should not be on the road or thrown on the ground. Make your child aware and pick up any tricolour that you see on the ground, then fold it away. Don’t walk on the tricolour.
3. Decorate your room or one corner with photos of national leaders of the past, like Gandhi, Nehru, Vallabhbhai Patel, Bhagat Singh, Rajendra Prasad, Dadabhai Navroji, Sarojini Naidu. Finding the concept difficult? Well, how do you explain superman and batman to children? They are not even real, they are imaginary characters, and yet children accept them right? Similarly you can use your own ingenuity and creativity to explain about these national leaders.
4. Wear the colours of the flag on your clothes or the food you cook.
5. Do not make a cake in the shape of a flag and cut it, as you are cutting your national flag.

Four simple ways for you the parents and adults to be more patriotic  this year- .

1. To love our friends and family deeply, day by day and be kind to each other and cherish them forever – spend the day with them doing simple things rather than at the mall or watching a movie. Watch a great movie at home, play a small quiz on india etc
2. To honour each other’s differences and cherish the richness of our history and work unitedly towards a successful life… have a fancy dress with your family and friends , dress like any state in India, dance of the states, food of the states, a lot of hotels and restaurants have that theme, take your family there and let them from childhood understand that we are all different but we enjoy our difference.

1. To believe in the promise of a better tomorrow and stand united in our efforts to give a peaceful nation to our children- go back to the old ways of community functions, know your neighbour, so get involved and arrange activities in your building, locality. Lets teach children how to be united, afterall children learn by imitation.
2. To bind the people of our nation as one, in the strings of love and brotherhood, to celebrate in high spirit and renew the pledge of being united forever- that’s what it means to be a true Indian. – sing the national anthem with your family, and sing it with fervour. Be proud to be an Indian and don’t shy from showing it. Wear a badge, keep a flag in your car. Go patriotic to the fullest.

Have a great Independence day. We have earned it.