Play-based schooling is an important step for any parents out there looking to expand their toddler’s social, emotional and cognitive skills. Aside from stimulating the development of their fine motor skills, creative thinking, and problem-solving capabilities, It is also a great opportunity to integrate children into set routine. This comes in handy when they are ready to start primary school because they have already been exposed to a school setting and have gotten used to a structured routine. So what other benefits does a play-based school offer?
The Benefits of Enroling Your Toddler into a Play-Based School
- Play actually supports better behavior in children
According to a 2009 study in the journal Pediatrics, kids behave better in the classroom when they have the chance to blow off steam on the playground during the day. Researchers compared teacher ratings of 8- and 9-year-olds’ behaviour in schools with and without recess periods. The kids who had more than 15 minutes a day of breaks behaved better during academic time. More on this article can be found here.
- A new environment leaves children open to new things
A new environment, especially a play-based one, can support your child in trying new things they otherwise wouldn’t have tried at home. If you change the setting, your child observes and changes their behaviour to match the setting.
For example, my child wasn’t big on trying new foods. She was a bit of a picky eater and often wanted the same thing, day in and day out -roti canai and chicken rice to be specific. After enrolling her in a play-based school, she noticed her friends eating other foods which piqued her curiosity. Eventually, she started tasting and sampling new foods: something I had a very difficult time doing on my own.
In short, a new environment with different teachers can open a child to learn and try new things. At least it did for us!
- Toddlers always have something to do
At the age of two, toddlers are in an exploration mode and are constantly looking for things to do. Curiosity drives them and when left unchecked for more than a couple minutes, they are notorious for getting themselves into interesting, and often sticky, situations! Play-based schooling is a great way to keep them busy while stimulating mental and cognitive growth in a safe and nurturing environment.
- Toddlers develop and fine-tune their motor skills
While playing may look like leisure time for your child, it actually supports children in developing fine motor skills such as hopping, skipping, balance, hand-eye and foot-eye coordination. Things like holding a spoon or chopsticks can help build the necessary neural pathways in the brain for advanced control over little fingers, feet and toes. This serves as a foundation for them to learn more complicated moves. As time goes one, and this movement becomes second-nature to them, this frees their mind to focus on other things in their play-based environment.
- Play-based learning supports toddlers in their ability to focus
Since birth, children are often submerged into environments that are full of stimuli. This is why it can be so difficult to focus in the beginning – because everything is new, fascinating and demands attention. But over time, with the right approach and structure, each play-based lesson will help your child hone their ability to focus, concentrate and retain information vital to their growth and development.
- Toddlers develop their social skills and learn social-emotional skills
Aside from communication and learning how to express themselves and convey their desires, toddlers learn how to do it in a way that supports them and the world around them. Instead of crying and throwing a tantrum for what they want, they are encouraged to tell you want they want. Additionally, it becomes easier to reason with them as their communication skills improve. This can help parents tremendously, as instead of having a child that is always throwing a tantrum when they don’t get what they want, their child learns to verbally communicate their wishes and engages in negotiations which is more diplomatic.
Little Human Scholars preschool, playschool, kindergarten and full daycare centre in PJ provides the best play-based education for children. After all, we are whole-brained humans who can access and utilise not just the left brain for cognitive functioning, but also the right brain for creativity and problem-solving. These two in combination make a formidable force in the world, and starting children at a young age to embrace this is invaluable.
The best part is how convenient the location is: Little Human Scholars School is located in Petaling Jaya near University Hospital, Jaya One, Jaya33, PJ Old Town, and PJ New Town.
We are currently accepting early enrolment for the 2017 school year. If you are interested in visiting our centre and experiencing a walk-through, feel free to call one of the following numbers:
+603 7932 1107
+6017 730 3025
If you are interested in registering your child for playschool or preschool, you are entitled to a free week trial (no strings attached), during any week you prefer, from 8:30 am to 12:30 pm. We look forward to meeting you and your child!
Jana Moreno,