Are you one of those parents whose daily morning ritual is dropping off your kids in preschool before leaving for work? Well, by now, you must know you are not alone, and thousands of parents all across our country have this similar ritual every day. Now, there are multiple reasons for choosing a particular preschool program, including location, cost, teachers, focus, ideology, etc. But no matter what the reason might be – every parent, while walking away from the school, wonders – “Did I choose the best preschool curriculum for my little one?” “Is my child getting the proper early childhood care and education?”
These questions are pretty common because most parents have very limited options when it comes to choosing the best school curriculum for their children. And this is why high-quality preschool education is the need of the hour. With more and more parents being full-time job holders, proper child education is a must. On that note, let’s understand more about the high-quality preschool curriculum.
Why Does Quality Matter, and What Does It Look Like?
Studies have proved the importance of early childhood education. The interactions and experiences of a kid’s first three years significantly affect their brain development while establishing a solid foundation for all future learning. This is why it becomes important for preschool kids to attend a high-quality preschool curriculum that ensures the all-around development of their child.
A high-quality preschool curriculum kit includes teachers engaging with children and forming tailored strategies for each child. Using this appropriate curriculum kids have a much better learning experience. A variety of supports helps facilitate the right kind of interactions so that high-quality learning and teaching happen.
Necessary Components That Help Maintain a High-Quality Preschool Curriculum
1. Teachers Having Formal Training or Education in Early Childhood Education
What is preschool without the workforce? One of the most important components of high-quality childhood education is the teachers, who have foundational knowledge regarding child development and can follow through with the preschool syllabus. They should also be able to participate in activities that promote the overall learning and development of kids of all ages and for this reason, having formal training and education is an absolute necessity. The workforce also needs to be well compensated to show them the value and importance of their work.
2. Effective Leaders with Great Business and Organizational Management Skills
Pre school means having various programs that require instructional leaders with a solid understanding of learning and teaching strategies as well as child development. These leaders are responsible for curriculum implementation, lesson planning, professional development, and behavior management strategies. Additionally, program leaders also need to have sound organizational and business management skills to help build foundational relationships between families and the teaching community.
3. Research-Based Curriculum That Works for All Children
What is pre school curriculum if it’s not research-based? All school programs need to adopt research-based curriculums that are linguistically, culturally, and developmentally formulated for kids of all ages. The curriculum should also provide guiding philosophies for all program activities, including the physical environment and teacher interactions. Setting up a particular curriculum also allows teachers to effectively sequence and structure classroom activities while building skills to meet the development milestones.
4. Development Policies That Help Engage Families in Children’s Education
A high-quality curriculum understands the important role family plays in a kid’s educational success. As a parent, you could be wondering what three and four-year-olds learn in preschool and this is why engaging families is necessary for both the kids and their parents. To build this trusting relationship with families, teachers and authorities can do the following:
• Request kids’ families to participate in different school activities
• Listen to what parents have to add when it comes to concerns and goals regarding their kids
• Find ways to show respect for the various cultures and languages each student belongs to
5. Proper Funding to Support the Cost of Operation
To support the infrastructure, qualified workforce, engaging learning environment, and maintaining high-quality programs, it is necessary to have access to proper funding. To ensure all the high-quality curriculum for preschools has enough support, public funding should be sufficient. It should be able to provide families with private tuition while covering the cost of quality education. Also, authorities need to ensure that the funding is regular and stable. This is so that they can make the necessary business decisions without worrying about fluctuations or shortages.
The initial years of your child’s life are very important, as this is the time when they start learning and developing. This is why it becomes necessary for these young minds to connect with teachers who are caring and warm. In fact, this bonding with the teachers helps them create stronger relationships in the future. And this is why a high-quality preschool curriculum becomes important, as this ensures that you and the teachers together take the right steps toward building your child’s beautiful future.
Purvesh is a multidimensional leader at Footprints Childcare. As a TED speaker and IIT-Delhi alumnus, his passion for education is fueled by his experiences as a certified life coach and parent. He goes beyond traditional parent engagement activities, creating meaningful connections through insightful parenting workshops and open communication channels. Purvesh’s commitment to empowering parents, teachers, and students is the foundation of everything we do at Footprints. What motivates Purvesh? As a parent himself, the challenges his son faces in the educational system are the driving force for him.