As a working parent, you might find it hard to keep up with your children's learning schedule. With work and other social activities to attend to, you might not get as involved as you would like to be in your child's academic life. However, even if you do not have the time to sit and see what your child is learning, you can still get a rough idea through correspondence with the kindergarten teacher.
Most kindergartens have a diary where the teacher records every child's progress in learning and development. Here are the three main learning areas you should follow up on as your child continues learning in kindergarten.
They Learn How to Read
Reading is a skill that your child will need throughout their academic journey. At the kindergarten level, your child learns sight-related words and other words on various things. They also start recognising the connection between words and pictures. They learn the letters of the alphabet and how to identify their sounds.
The teacher also helps them develop the fine motor skills they need to print letters. Typically, they start by copying letters of the alphabet and numbers. As they progress, they may learn to write their names and the names of simple items and animals.
They Learn Mathematics
Every child needs to acquire primary mathematical skills as early as possible. When your child joins the kindergarten, they learn how to count from one to ten. They also learn concepts like more and less using props.
Depending on their speed at grasping things, the teacher might also introduce simple addition and subtraction signs and also help kids in creating patterns. They will understand mathematical concepts such as the calendar and the hours on the clock. The mathematical skills they learn at this level will be the basis for all the mathematical knowledge that they might acquire in the upper grades.
They Learn Science
Science is one of the most engaging things that kindergarten kids learn. At their level, they are just becoming aware of the surrounding environment. The teacher typically helps them understand plants, animals, good habits and bad habits. The teacher might also conduct basic experiments in class to explain simple concepts. They also learn about the five senses and their bodies.
Kindergarten is the awareness level of the educational process. It is also the most crucial stage in a child's academic journey. Collaborate with the teachers well to ensure that your child is learning everything that they should at this level.
If you're choosing a nursery for the first time, then you won't have much experience of choosing a child care centre yet. You know that you need to look around nurseries before you choose one. As you see centres, you'll get a feel for places and how they might suit your child.
However, savvy parents take this a step further. While a site visit is always a good idea, it won't tell you everything. Problem is, you probably don't know what you need to know just yet! We can help. Our blog articles explain the ins and outs of nurseries and how they work. We can help you understand the important stuff that might not be obvious so that you can ask the right questions as you look around. Hope this helps!