If your child is under the age of 3 years then quite often a nursery might suit them better, as generally nurseries will have age related rooms. For example, a room dedicated to two year olds specifically set up with age appropriate toys etc, they will also have a smaller child to staff ratio, which can give more child focused attention and also support nap times and feeding times.
Pre schools are often a good choice for children over 3 years old or in some cases resilient 2 1/2 year olds. Pre schools generally help support children with simple elements of development through play based activities. They will also be learning about routine and developing early literacy and maths skills, learning about the world around them and learning important social skills. Your child will begin to learn by doing things for themselves, by exploring and investigating, watching and listening, talking and discussing, creating, and communicating – in other words, playing.
Play is children’s work and playing hard is very tiring! Play can also be very messy as your child will be learning both inside with sand, water and paint, and also in the outdoors with mud, leaves and so on, so you can expect some messy clothes at the end of the day.
Both nurseries, child minders and pre schools follow the Early Years Foundation Stage. The EYFS framework: sets the standards that all early years providers must meet to ensure that children learn and develop well. Ensures children are kept healthy and safe and ensures that children have the knowledge and skills they need to start school.
Choosing an early years provider for your child is an important decision and each child and family is different, and as such, the most appropriate type of childcare will depend on your own family circumstances and the specific needs of your child. so some questions you could consider are:
What are my child’s needs?
What do they require at their age?
What kind of care and learning do I want my child to have?
Once you have considered all of these things you will be ready to enrol your child into a suitable early years provider and your child will be ready to start its exciting learning journey.
28th March 2023
