Does kindergarten affect child’s later achievements?

When thinking about our child’s education, we most often wonder what kind of studies he/she will attend or what his/her professional career will be like. However, we are not always aware of the impact of the choice of kindergarten on the education of our child. See what experts think about it.

Many child psychologists believe that the preschool stage is the most important moment in the development of a young person. It is the time between 3 and 7 years of age that sees the most intensive progress in the formation of a child’s speech and interpersonal skills.

For a toddler who has completed pre-school education, it is extremely important that he/she has basic knowledge of his/her own emotions and broadly understood emotional intelligence, empathy for another person, or the ability to cooperate with the environment. The ability to act in society will be very quickly verified in the first days of school education — a previously unknown environment, new colleagues and teachers. The change of the daily schedule, from play to study, will be a big challenge for the child. So the ability to deal with emotions will be crucial — comments Anna Osiecka, Regional Director of bilingual kindergartens KIDS&Co.

In kindergartens, children acquire those skills through the project work — they carry out activities in smaller or larger groups, thanks to which they independently look for solutions to problems, identify their areas of interest and decide for themselves which topics they want to pay more attention to, which activities are more interesting for them. The teacher’s role is to supervise and help children to draw conclusions.

Not every child is the same

Toddlers are often forcefully placed in situations that they are not comfortable with — “Don’t be shy! Ask if you can have some candy”, “Come here and give auntie a hug”. In this way we let the child know that it always has to be brave and bold to come to the fore. As Anna Osiecka stresses, we should understand our child’s character.

In kindergarten, we pay attention to the characteristics of each child. Some are able to assume a leadership position from birth — open and assertive, while others are eager to participate in projects, but do not always want to stand out. Our role is to show that such an attitude is also good, and that it shapes people who are important and needed in society. When working with children at the kindergarten, we make sure to develop their competencies and predispositions in accordance with their abilities and conditions — says Anna Osiecka, Regional Director of KIDS&Co.

Preschool education allows children to learn a variety of fields by participating in different activities (sports, art, cognitive, logic games, etc.) and to spread their wings in their favorite one. It is the task of the teachers to observe each child in order to point out what deficiencies he or she has and to what extent his or her development should be supported. Thanks to this, parents are informed, in which areas the child develops disharmoniously or needs improvement. In this way, special talents are also identified, which allows the parent to direct further work with the child.

How to choose the right kindergarten?

Since so many aspects affect the development of a child in kindergarten, what to pay special attention to when choosing the right facility?

Nutrition

Learning healthy eating habits starts at an early age. So it is worth paying attention to what will be served to your child in the place where he or she will eat two or three meals a day. How to check it?

In our kindergartens we talk to parents beforehand about feeding their children. Parents are often afraid that their child will not want to eat, because, for example, the meals will not be his/her lfavourite food. We always present a sample menu, tell about the philosophy of nutrition and the ingredients that most often appear in the meals. Thanks to that, the parent can slowly adapt the child at home to the tastes which might have been unknown to him/her so far. We also focus on children’s independence. It means that first we give the children a meal which they try to eat by themselves, and only later we encourage the child or try to feed him/her. However, it is important that if a child categorically refuses to eat a meal, we do not do anything by force so as not to discourage him or her — comments Anna Osiecka.

The teachers’ approach

Another important aspect that we should pay attention to is the educational staff itself. And especially their approach to children. How to check it?

Here with help come the open days or adaptation days in the kindergarten. Then we can observe what is the caretakers’ approach towards the child, how they work with a group of children, whether the child feels like at home in the preschool environment, but also how the child gets accustomed to the new surroundings. However, we know that in the current situation it is impossible to organize such a meeting. That is why we offer children and parents a virtual open days — a time when the teacher “guides” the child around the kindergarten, shows the place where the child will eat, play and rest. It is also the child’s first contact with his/her future teacher. It is worth noting that such meetings are held individually, so the caregiver can talk with the toddler, as well as answer parents’ questions. After such a meeting, it is worth talking to the child about its feelings — says Anna Osiecka, Regional Director of KIDS&Co.

Kindergarten program

Especially in the current situation this is an extremely difficult topic — how to simultaneously provide an attractive program for children and at the same time maintain safety? It is worth asking the teachers what their daily routine looks like — e.g. do they plan remote meetings with interesting people, do they have a properly prepared playground, which will allow to spend time outdoors, or other activities that will diversify the children’s day and allow them to learn about the world through play.

Choosing the right kindergarten, it is worth looking for an institution which will not only provide the toddler with safety and professional care, but will also allow to develop their curiosity about the world and their skills. Let’s not forget how important this stage is for the child’s future education. Attractive program, language classes, physical activity and learning about the world will help the child function better in the future life.