As educators, we’re constantly researching and analyzing how children learn best. This makes education an ever-changing landscape as we adjust with new insights and learning’s.
As you strive to provide only the best care and education at your childcare center, we’ve compiled a list of current trends in early childhood education that you should know about.
You know your childcare center and the children you care for best, so be sure to discern if these trends are right for you before implementing. You can also discuss these trends with teachers at your next meeting to get their take on how these trends might be applicable to their classroom.
1. Easy Childhood Education Greater Focus on Movement and Play in Learning
Children who learn through play are more engaged and therefore likely to remember what they learned. Getting them into active play is even stronger because it gets children expelling their energy as they focus on a topic. Through play, they learn negotiation and conflict resolution skills with other children as they work together.
2. Adding Technology to the Curriculum
Technology is getting more embedded in our culture every day. As such, we can’t ignore its benefits in the classroom. Ultimately, children will need to be well-versed in technology to succeed in our tech-focused world. That’s not to say technology is replacing traditional learning. It’s still just as important for children to color with paper and crayons as they learn dexterity and pen-holding skills.
3. Earlier Literacy Skills
As we discover the value of early childhood education and how children learn, it has empowered teachers to begin teaching literacy skills at a younger age. Many children now know their ABCs by age three, whereas these skills used to be taught only in the kindergarten classroom.
4. Increased Focus on Teachers with Education Degrees
As early childcare shifts its focus to more structured learning and play, there is more emphasis on hiring teachers with bachelor’s degrees in education to facilitate and engage the classroom. This is affecting the jobs available to early childhood caregivers as previously this was not as much of a focus for childcare centers.
5. Integrating Physical Fitness into the School Day
Teachers are more encouraged to get children outside and in active play as the risk of childhood obesity rises. Physical education is becoming more and more part of the curriculum as children learn sports at an earlier age and engage more on the playground. By fostering a love for physical fitness at a young age, teachers can help children develop a lifelong love of activity.
Looking to make changes to your curriculum to integrate these items? iCare’s childcare management software is a premier childcare software that helps childcare centers manage both administration and the classroom.