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What is the Purpose of Early Childhood Education?

star academy kids

What is the purpose of early childhood education? Basically it’s about preparing kids for formal schooling. During early childhood this is when they build a foundation they can use later in life.

The next question then is this: How to best prepare kids for formal schooling and help them build a strong foundation? Let’s talk about the important factors. This will then help parents choose an early learning centre for their kids.

1. Combined fun and learning

Early childhood is a great time for fun and learning. After all, kids will be more encouraged to study and attend school if they’re having fun. In addition, enjoyment and low-stress conditions will help kids absorb new concepts and learn new things.

It’s still possible to achieve fun and optimal learning through the right curriculum and with the guidance of qualified instructors. Moreover, fun learning can also be achieved by encouraging kids to cooperate and play with one another.

2. Strong academic and social skills

As a result, kids will better learn how to socialise and cooperate with peers. This is difficult to teach and explain. The best way is to let them play with peers and allow them to understand the social cues.

This is a slow process but a guaranteed way to build a strong foundation. Just like learning letters and numbers, learning social skills also takes time. In addition, social skills also require practice and repetition. The only way to accomplish that is by letting kids interact with peers and make sense of the world.

3. Nurturing environment

The environment has a huge impact on kids. If the environment feels and looks nurturing, the kids will feel safe and therefore better focus on exploring.

For example, here at Star Academy Kids we provide both open-ended and child-directed programs. This is to provide more possibilities because kids can do their own investigation and exploration. Also, qualified teachers can provide guidance so kids can better explore their interests.

What is the purpose of early childhood education?

Here at Star Academy Kids, we have a nurturing environment that best aligns with optimal early childhood education. We also place strong emphasis on developing social skills and allowing kids to have fun.

You can send us an enquiry today and request for a tour. This way, you can better see our facilities and approach.

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How to Find a Preschool in My Area & Make the Right Choice

star academy kids

How to find a preschool in my area and make the right choice? This is the question of many parents who want the best for their kids. After all, preschool and early childhood education play huge roles in optimal development.

That’s why here we’ll briefly discuss how to make the right choice and what specific things to look for. Let’s start.

1. Emphasis on self-esteem and well-being

Optimal child development goes beyond strong academic skills. It’s also about gaining a positive self-image so children can better cope with the world (and better prepare for formal schooling).

That’s why there should also be an emphasis on building self-esteem and well-being. This way, kids will be better encouraged to learn. This will also help them build confidence when interacting with peers.

2. Independent exploration

Children learn best if you let them interact with objects. After all, they’re still building the foundation when making sense of the world. They need to grasp the objects while parents and teachers safely allow the kids to explore and investigate on their own.

Aside from getting a grasp of the real world, exploration and investigation will also help them develop a certain level of independence. This is also critical in building self-confidence. In addition, they will further enhance their curiosity (instead of hampering them).

3. Excellent facilities and qualified teachers

Kids need to gain some level of independence but they still need proper guidance and the right tools for optimal development. For example, qualified teachers can better encourage kids to explore on their own. Or perhaps teachers can pay extra attention to kids that lag behind.

Aside from qualified teachers, there should also be excellent facilities in the area. The toys and books should further support the child’s learning. In addition, the environment itself should be nurturing so kids will feel freedom and safety.

Find a preschool in my area Sydney

Here at Star Academy Kids, we have a nurturing and supportive environment for preschool kids. We also allow kids (with guidance from our qualified teachers) to explore and investigate. This way, kids will gain a sense of confidence and independence. These are valuable when preparing them for formal schooling.

You can contact us today and request a tour so you can better see our approach and facilities. We have locations at Liverpool, Belfield, Canterbury and Campsie.

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Why Consistent Baby Care Away from Home is Important

Consistent baby care away from home is crucial for the feeling of safety and stability. That’s why there should be minimal differences between the home and the service. This way, babies can still feel safe even when away from home.

Why consistency is important?

Perhaps you’ve experienced bringing your baby to a paediatrician (or in a different place) and suddenly your baby suddenly transforms from calm to upset (and crying all the time). Mainly that’s because it’s a different environment. Everything feels chaotic again.

Infants encounter and absorb endless streams of stimulus and data. In addition, each day is packed with learning and excitement. That’s why they find relief when there’s a routine or consistency in their daily lives.

For example, the feeding and napping schedules should almost always be the same whether away or not from home. This way they can find constant relief from new learning experiences. They will also feel a sense of physical safety and stability which is important to their development.

More focus on other things

Aside from safety and stability, consistency and routine also free up the baby’s energy to focus on other things. Instead of continuously adjusting to varying environments and schedules, babies can focus their energies in making sense of the world.

This is important in optimal child development (mental, physical and emotional). The mental and physical energy can be better put in more important things such as discovery and exploration. When it comes to physical development, the babies’ bodies can develop a pattern for sleeping and eating. This could greatly help in absorbing and processing the nutrients for optimal growth.

Consistent baby care away from home Sydney

Here at Star Academy Kids Early Learning Centre, we provide excellent care according to the baby’s schedule at home. This is to make babies feel safe and cared for. In addition, we provide a calm and peaceful environment to support the babies’ optimal development.

If you want to explore our facilities and learn about our approach, you can contact us here and send your enquiry. We have locations at Liverpool, Belfield, Campsie and Canterbury.

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How Play Supports Toddler Learning

Play supports toddler learning by maximising natural discovery and social interaction. After all, toddlers are still making sense of the world. They need to interact with the environment and objects around them for them to know how the world works.

For example, they need to experience the textures and feel of sand, water, clay, balls and other toys. They could then observe how some objects float or sink in the water. They could also feel the grains of sand and see how the ball bounces (how gravity and bouncing works).

Ages 0-6 is crucial in child development

This is when they start building a foundation on how they will interact with the environment and respond in return when something happens. It’s a very slow process but crucial in ensuring the child’s preparation for the real world.

Aside from optimal learning, play also allows kids to have more fun. In fact, play encourages more effective learning and having more fun (a win-win solution). It’s actually more effective to prioritise play during toddler learning.

However, more emphasis is still being placed on academics. It’s related to the pressure of getting ahead. After all, academic performance is directly measurable. In contrast, real-world learning and social skills are difficult to quantify. This actually results to poor performance and less enjoyment of the kids. In addition, an academic-focused environment is often a less supportive setting. Children still need to undergo a smooth transition before they can be successfully prepared for formal schooling.

How Star Academy prioritises both fun and learning

The toddler years are crucial in exploration and discovery. This is when the kids start to make sense of the world. They can’t do that if it’s purely about academics. Play and real-world learning are also important for fun and excellence in the long term. Play supports toddler learning as much as (or perhaps greater than) academics.

That’s why here at Star Academy Kids Early Learning Centre, we prioritise having a supportive environment for kids to learn, grow and have fun. Our qualified and experienced educators make it a fun learning experience for each child. That’s because this is an effective approach in helping kids gain life skills they can use for successful transition to formal schooling.

If you need more information regarding our approach and facilities, you can contact us today and request a tour. You can also see how other toddlers learn and enjoy in our learning centre.