What Young Learners Really Need to Learn
It’s a law for most children across the world to enter the school system by the time they reach age. But, there are plenty of opportunities for them out there to go into various other programs before that age to start the learning process. For some, it can be a bit confusing trying to understand exactly what these kids are supposed to be learning. Many think that it’s so early on in life that they can learn better at home.
The truth is, the younger learners are at an age where they are soaking up all kinds of knowledge. They have the opportunity to get a bit ahead of the class by taking on these teachings before entering elementary school. Find out more about what exactly they are being taught in these early years’ education classes.
They Learn How to Learn
That might sound a bit odd, but, that’s what the kids are doing in early education classes. They are being taught how to be open to learning when they reach higher grade levels. Instead of tossing them into a classroom and expecting them to figure it out, they are slowly guided into the process.
Teachers aren’t sitting these youngsters down with a pencil and a workbook expecting them to complete the whole thing by the end of the year. Instead, they are teaching them about learning in other ways including play-based types of activities. These teach them about exploring, how to be creative, and it shows them to love learning. It makes learning fun, and that opens the doors in their minds for more of it later on.
How to be Independent
After children come into the world, they spend their entire lives under the watch of someone else. In some cases, he or she may go to daycare for the day while the parents are working, but other kids never leave home. These little ones need to be taught how to be independent. Even if their parents have been showing them as best they can, it’s still not the same as being separated and expected to handle the day on their own.
Through early learning, a child is given only the amount of support and prompting necessary to complete whatever task is in front of them. Their educators aren’t going to do the project for them, and the parents aren’t there to swoop in and save the day either. Children love this new found freedom believe it or not, and it’s something that gets progressively introduced to them in their young learning years.
Working Together
On the opposite end of working independently, kids in the beginning stages of learning are also being taught how to work together. That’s how things work in the real world. You work with people at your job to reach a solution. By doing so in early education, it’s something that becomes part of their nature. Sharing, having their voices heard in a group, and listening to others’ ideas are essential. Kids can learn these in an exciting and fun way from the very beginning.
Learning through Listening
Children don’t always have the desire to stop and listen to what’s being told to them. When they are in school, that’s what 75% of the learning is going to be. They will have to learn how to listen to their teacher, a video, or audio recordings for the lessons. In the early years, educators can work with kids on learning through listening. They help them understand how it works so that they aren’t struggling with it further on down the road.
Enhancing Motor Skills
If you’ve ever driven by a pre-school or early learning center before during the day, you’ve probably seen a bunch of children out running around on recess. While this is an excellent way for them to use up some energy and get fresh air, there’s more to it than that. Teachers are watching the kids see if anyone is having problems with their gross motor skills. These include actions like running, jumping, or hopping on one leg. If there are issues that get observed, the attention is there right away. Corrections get started before any real significant problems occur.
Fine motor skills will enhance the classroom. These are the skills that include cutting with scissors, drawing lines, coloring, and using a computer. These are all actions that are requirements of kindergarten and later elementary years. If they get a head start on them before going to their first years of school, they will already be ahead of the game.
It’s Beneficial All-Around
There are a plethora of topics that get covered for young learners in early education classes. There are advantages for the kids, the teachers, and the parents when it comes to the future years of teaching for the children that take part in these pre-elementary opportunities.
