Playing Is Educational

Part of buying toys for children is that they can help nurture that child’s development through role playing.  For my daughter, we bought her a dollhouse for her fourth birthday and it’s helped a lot in her understanding of familial roles and pretend play.

Adding to her dollhouse, we recently purchased some wooden doll furniture for her.  This continues in her comprehension of imaginary play and is an important part of childhood development.

Early childhood education is a general term that describes a diverse range of programs. Some refer to any type of daycare, as education. However, evidence overwhelmingly shows that early daycare may actually be a detriment rather than a benefit to young children. Longer stays at home with a single caregiver are argued to be more intellectually stimulating to young children. As well, the child who stays at home is more likely to benefit from breastfeeding for longer, which many say is of great advantage to the child.

Most experts agree that early education works best in low pressure, social, and friendly environments. It is also more effective when preschool is only a small part of a four or five year old’s day. Preschool that bleeds into long hours at daycare may not carry the same benefit for children, because it means more time away from parents. Not all programs are equally beneficial, and can vary depending upon funding, teacher to child ratio, and teacher experience.

Some of the long-term benefits of early childhood education in quality preschools include: greater parental involvement, fewer referrals to special education or remedial services, higher grades, better social skills, and greater ability to focus. As well, some studies show that children attending pre-school are more likely to graduate and pursue higher education, and be well integrated socially as an adult. It is also said that children with an early childhood education are less likely to commit illegal acts, and tend to earn more money.