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Preschool
Education

THEY ARE JUST quality Early Years providers should meet to ensure • Welfare – are the needs of the children being met?

children learn and develop well and are kept healthy Are the children happy and engaged? Are adults
PLAYING! THE and safe. It promotes teaching and learning to interacting with the children at their level and in an
appropriate way?
ensure children are ‘school ready’ at the end of their
time in an Early Years setting, and gives children the • Activities – are the activities set up appealing,
IMPORTANCE OF broad range of knowledge and skills that provide the engaging and structured? Would your child like to
do these things?
right foundation for future progress through school
and life. • Learning environment – are the learning spaces
AN EARLY YEARS The EYFS Framework is based on four important within the setting inviting, well-organised and
purposeful? Are there opportunities for children to
principles that shape effective practice in Early Years engage in a range of different activities and access
EDUCATION settings: a range of different resources to cater for individual
needs and interests?
• Every child is a unique child, who is constantly
learning and can be resilient, capable, confident
The Importance of Education and self-assured; Your Child Will Not Start Full-Time
from Ages 3-5 • Children learn to be strong and independent Straightaway
Naomi Jn The finely-tuned intricate workings of an Early Years through positive relationships; Once you have decided on the EYFS setting you
Charles, Head Setting in school can therefore come as quite a shock • Children learn well in enabling environments, in feel confident will meet your child’s needs, do not
expect your child to start full time straightaway. To
to those not immersed in its rationale and pedagogy;
which their experiences respond to their individual
of Primary even more so with parents who are walking for the needs and there is a strong partnership between build confidence and familiarity and carefully adapt
practitioners and parents/carers;
School, GEMS first time into this web of decision-making about • That children develop and learn in different ways attachments (remember many young children will
only know a few key adults prior to education),
which setting will be best for their own child.
International School Pearl and at different rates. children will usually begin coming for short settling-
City, Penang provides more An increasing volume of research, building on the There are many different theories, principles and in sessions where they will get to know their
surroundings, whilst knowing that their parent or
theories of Piaget, Bowlby, Skinner and Bandura,
information about the Early continues to show that children’s early learning pedagogies that underpin Early Years education and familiar adult will always return to them.
Years Foundation Stage experiences at this stage have a direct link to their the important thing is that you know what these are Once the staff in the setting are confident that
successes much later in life. This research has
and which will suit your child best. There is endless
(EYFS) Framework that sets meant that over time, significant emphasis has been research online to help you narrow down your choice. they know your child well and feel the child will be
the standards that all quality placed on the importance of the learning, progress Even more importantly however is that the Early comfortable, they increase the duration of time the
and development of children between the ages of
Years setting you visit or contact can explain its
child stays. Remember each child is unique so this
Early Years providers should three and five, and parents are now, more than ever, pedagogy, curriculum and approach, regardless of can happen at different rates for different children. It
meet to ensure children paying careful attention to their child’s education at whether it follows the Development Matters guidance is advised that you do not linger or draw out dropping
from England, the Australian Early Years Framework,
this stage.
off time: part with your child quickly and trust the
learn and develop well and Montessori, Steiner, Reggio Emelia or the Forest provision to support your child.
are kept healthy and safe. For parents, this can feel as if a tsunami is on the School approach to name but a few. There will always
horizon. That each decision they may make could in be a clear rationale upon which the setting builds its Communication Between the Home
some way harm or deprive their child of opportunities curriculum and approach to early education. and the Centre
he assumption is so often made that children to develop physically, personally, emotionally or Communication between home and the provision
between the ages of three and five are simply cognitively. That before their child has embarked on What You Need to Look for is vital in establishing an effective relationship to
T‘playing’ and no matter the experience, be it at his educational journey, they may have messed it in an EYFS Setting support a child. Any quality setting will welcome
home, kindergarten or school, playing with a simple up. This feeling is completely understandable. Early There are key things that you will be looking for when information from home be it a note, a message at the
toy or activity will achieve the same opportunities Years providers can show parents that this is simply you visit any EYFS setting be it a school, nursery, door or simple text. This helps staff to know and plan
and outcomes. not the case childminder or kindergarten setting. for your child more effectively throughout the day.
• Do you like it here? Are the people friendly? Are the
The term ‘playing’ can be dismissed without As parents, you are the experts about your child. You staff interested in your child as an individual? Equally, you should expect regular communication
consideration for the fundamental learning know them best and you are best placed to take the • Does the setting have a teacher trained and from the setting, letting you know how your child is
opportunities available within a young mind during information from the many Early Years Foundation qualified in EYFS and trained EYFS practitioners? getting on. This can be informal notes and photos as
this time. Given the right environment, climate Stage (EYFS) settings around you and make informed • Is this setting safe? Look for things like locked well as more formal reports and parents’ meetings.
and level of engagement, these early learning decisions about your child’s first steps into education. gates between play areas and kitchens, garden These are nothing to worry about and are a great
experiences can be key in positively stimulating a You are in the driving seat and you are in control. doors that won’t catch fingers, child-proof guards opportunity for you to discuss your child.
child’s interest and engagement in language, learning in the plug sockets etc.
and investigating and provide the fundamental The Early Years • What is the ratio of adults to children? Anything For more information,
foundations from which all future learning and Foundation Stage (EYFS) more than 1:13 may pose a safeguarding concern. please visit www.gems.edu.my
education will develop. The EYFS Framework sets the standards that all

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