Parental involvement during the early years of a child’s education can affect their academic success and emotional growth. It all starts from infancy when parents foster their child’s cognitive and language skills through singing the alphabet, reading, and other educational activities. Their little brains are making deep mental connections while developing emotionally through the bond with their parents.
The presence of parental guidance and engagement enthuses and motivates children to learn. Parents who are engaged encourage educational play, exploration, and curiosity, and they collaborate with teachers. However, the absence of parental support in the early education years can lead to behavioural issues and affect a child’s ability to develop communication skills and regulate their emotions.
This lack of support can later trigger negative self-perceptions and low self-esteem. It can leave lasting imprints on their mental and emotional development, and impair their social aptitude.
Let’s explore how families can establish a framework to nurture and support their child’s early learning education.
1. Create a routine
A predictable daily routine helps children develop sound productive and positive habits and time management competence. The initial years of attending preschool are foundational for developing good practices. By creating a consistent routine for sleeping, meals, learning, and playtime, children can develop responsibility and structured stability. These are beneficial skills that will serve them well throughout their life.
2. Provide a conducive learning environment
A conducive learning environment at home plays a pivotal role in early childhood education. By establishing a routine of reading with your child, it can exponentially enhance their cognitive abilities, language development, and vocabulary expansion. Parents can provide an assortment of age-appropriate books and engage in discussions about the stories. While you’re shaping their intellectual growth, you are also nurturing a lifelong love for learning.
3. Introduce play as a form of learning
Introducing play cultivates children’s innate curiosity and creativity. Outdoor exploration, imaginative and construction play, and arts and crafts contribute to their cognitive and social development. Children are subconsciously learning when pretending to be a superhero or creating imaginary worlds. Their language and motor skills, problem-solving abilities and social-emotional competencies are all activated and heightened as they navigate through various scenarios and roles.
4. Collaborate with educators and caregivers
Parents gain valuable insights into their child’s progress by communicating, sharing observations, and attending parent-teacher meetings. For full-time working parents, utilise digital communication tools and the school’s platform to share updates, assignments, and progress reports. It may even be possible to connect with the teacher via regular online meetings, which is convenient for busy schedules.
5. Teach self-regulation skills
Self-regulation skills equip children with the tools to control their emotions and adapt to new situations. Children can learn to identify and express their feelings appropriately when they are in a situation that challenges or triggers their emotions. By taking a moment to reflect on how they feel, they are taking a step back, which can de-escalate an intense situation.
6. Foster socio-emotional skills
Fostering socio-emotional skills among young children requires teaching them about social conduct and emotional control. Games that involve turn-taking and sharing develop their understanding while they learn to practise patience. Other important elements of social skills include knowing when to listen, wait, not interrupt, and be respectful. Young kids can practise these techniques through activities, such as being quiet during story time and not disrupting others.
The Powerful Potential of Parental Involvement
New Life Infant Care in Woodlands strives to build strong partnerships with parents in a nurturing and supportive environment. We believe in helping parents in their endeavours for their child’s early education years. While it’s crucial for parents to support their child’s schooling, the level at which they engage is often determined by factors such as availability and personal circumstances.
Multiple responsibilities or lack of resources may affect how involved a parent can be, but finding creative and engaging ways to be part of your child’s education from an early age can have a lasting, positive impact. Families can find a balanced approach that best supports their child’s needs.
