What Are the Four Phases of Early Childhood Development?

Having children in one's life can be the most rewarding and the scariest prospect all at the same time. Not only are you to make sure that this little being has all the necessities of life, like food, shelter and clothing, but you must also safeguard that this little person grows into a well-rounded, well-adjusted contributing member of society.

Ok, so what does that mean? How do we make sure that our children turn into well-rounded and well-adjusted contributing members of society?

Well-Being

By nurturing their well-being, you will be developing their self-confidence, which will lead to Happy, Healthy kids. Play is one way of achieving this.

Is Preschool Teaching Your Child Too Much?

There are many advocates of keeping preschool a place for play instead of using it as a bridge to learning. This theory reprimands preschools that embrace a more structured learning environment for becoming "the new kindergarten." Other groups, generally in geographical areas with very competitive private schools, advocate for a very rigid learning environment in order to get their preschooler into the best kindergarten. Both of these viewpoints are, in most cases, extreme viewpoints that are very far from the preschools of today. In reality, quality preschools are a mixture of the two philosophies.

Quality preschools generally have an ample portion of the day where the children are engaged in free choice activities with times of teacher led activities interspersed throughout the day. During child directed play, teachers allow the children to rotate through centers and create their own scenarios and outcomes. The teachers engage the children in order to facilitate learning and discovery.