Importance of Parents’ Involvement in Early Childhood Education
A child’s learning begins at home. Parents are usually the first teachers that children have. They play an important role in building a child’s character. Their involvement in a child’s educational journey can encourage and inspire the child beyond limits. It can have a positive and lasting impact on their academic skills. A proper balance between home and school is easier said than done. In many families, both parents are working and achieving a work-life balance goal can be difficult but not impossible.
Here are some reasons why it is absolutely necessary for parents to be a part of their children’s early childhood education.
1. At pre-school, children are out of their comfort zone.
Going to pre-school after being at home for some years is usually a tough for kids. It is also a different transition for parents. In this phase, the kids need to learn to be on their own and the parents need to let go a little bit. If this transition is handled correctly and smoothly, the kids can still have a fun time learning at home after school hours and oarents can continue being their role models.
2. Early childhood education requires cooperation from parents.
The concept of nursery schools has been around for a while now across people of all classes and financial backgrounds. Parents have to realise that they are not there just to support their children. They also need to actively participate in their learning process. They have to talk to them about different people and acceptance.
Here are some tips which may help you be an active part of your child’s education.
- Add structure to your child’s home life. You can do this by having a consistent sleep schedule, meal-times, playtimes, etc. You can also make family traditions a part of this structure.
- Participate in various outreach activities conduced by schools and various classes.
- Donot correct your children at all times. Let them make mistakes and learn from them. Remember, there’s no other teacher as great as experience. Be around them to encourage them but don’t finish their tasks for them.
- Motivate them with rewards. Pat their backs when they do well, or give them a small gift or extra break-time but don’t make it a compulsion for them to earn these rewards. Make sure that they don’t stress themselves out for rewards or don’t discourage them when they don’t do well.
- Assign them easy chores and be a part of those chores like putting clothes in the washing machine, taking away the dishes, bringing food out of the fridge, taking the dog out for a walk, etc.
- Attend events and visit different places with your kids and listen to their perspectives about different aspects of life.
- Revise with their daily school work with them. Teach them phonic at home, mathematics and sciences at home with practical examples where possible. This will really help with increasing their potential.
Little Genius encourages all parents to take part in early education of their children. We wish you and your children all the success in the world.