Selecting an early childhood education program for your little one is exciting. But it can also be overwhelming. You want to feel confident in not only what your child is learning but also how they are learning it, which can vary greatly from one child care provider to another. Early childhood education programs lay the foundation for continued learning as children grow, which means you should take time to explore the curricula your potential child care provider follows before making a final decision.
At Kiddie Academy®, we encourage parents to familiarize themselves with our curriculum from the start. This not only ensures it aligns with their personal values and goals for their child, but it also allows them to transfer the learning that happens in the classroom to what they do at home.
If you’re unsure where to start, consider these five tips when vetting child care curricula:
It’s critical to choose a child care program that aligns with your personal values. Therefore, you should spend some time researching and evaluating what is important according to your core beliefs. Do you value a focus on developing foundational concepts like science, technology, engineering and math (STEM)? Are you looking for creative opportunities for your child? How much independent play is important to you? What elements of social-emotional development do you want your child to learn at school?
After you’ve decided what kind of experience you want for your child, find centers that offer that type of curriculum, and sign up for a tour. This is your chance to really dig into what each child care provider prioritizes when it comes to caring for your child. In most cases, you’ll have the opportunity to speak to the facility director and ask questions that can help determine if their program is right for your family. Validation from other parents in a similar situation to yours can also be incredibly helpful when making such a big decision. Consider talking to other parents who have experience with the centers you’re considering to get a first-hand perspective and put your mind at ease.
You’ll want to make sure the curriculum you choose can grow with your child and teach things that will translate to life outside the classroom. Foundational concepts, social-emotional learning, and hands-on play are all important aspects of child development, and knowing how a program grows with your children as they develop is essential. It’s also critical that the provider is able to accommodate the individual emotional and developmental needs of your child to ensure an environment where they feel safe to grow.
A strong early childhood education curriculum is focused on creating a well-rounded experience that uncovers learning opportunities from play and gives children the opportunity to use their imagination and explore freely in a safe environment. To avoid having your child come home overstimulated or overwhelmed, they should be given enough time to let off steam and energy in a productive way. Choosing a provider that offers ample outdoor play (weather permitting) with adult supervision can be a great way to achieve this.
A child care center that has achieved accreditation is worthy to consider. For example, National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) accreditation is one of the top marks of quality in early childhood education. The process for a center to become accredited is rigorous and involves several steps to evaluate important things like teaching approaches, child assessment, staff qualifications and more. Outside of accreditation, each state has its own quality rating improvement systems for early education that can be used to help you assess your child care provider options.
According to NAEYC, research shows a direct correlation between high-quality early learning and children's positive long-term outcomes in life. A strong child care curriculum can set your child up for success now and in the future—you just have to know what you’re looking for!
Joy Turner
Author