Choosing the right early childhood education programme for your child isn’t just about providing them with a good foundation. It’s also about giving them the liberty and freedom to develop their own unique personalities, and explore the world around them.
With so many choices for early learning programmes, how do you pick one that would best support your child’s needs? How do you determine if the programme offers quality care? In this article, we’ll explore what to look for in quality early childhood education programmes.
Adherence to National Quality Standards
Any early education programme you consider should be provided by an institution that adheres to the laws, regulations and standards set by the Australian Children’s Education & Care Quality Authority (ACECQA).
This is the body responsible for approving and overseeing early education facilities across the country, through the National Quality Framework. This includes the Learning Framework, which guides providers in curriculum decision-making and assists in the planning, delivery and evaluation of these programmes.
As a general guide, early learning facilities who are registered and approved according to the NQF can be found on their website. MindChamps, for instance, has been registered and approved by the ACECQA since 2017.
Low Student to Caregiver Ratio
Professional early childhood education institutions often have more than enough caregivers to provide adequate care and attention to your child throughout the day. Besides the security that comes with abundant supervision, a low student to care giver ratio translates into better individualised care and attention.
MindChamps keeps our educator to student ratio within ACECQA guidelines. Children from 6 weeks to 2 years of age will enjoy a caregiver to child ratio of 1:4, whereas children between 2 and 3 years of age have a ratio of 1:5. Older children will have an educator to child ratio of 1:10.
A Holistic Approach to Education
Your child’s early learning experience should be one that is all-encompassing, catering not only to their academic needs but also their physical, and emotional wellbeing. At MindChamps, for example, we have adopted a holistic approach in nurturing your child. Our S.M.I.L.E.S methodology was designed to encourage development in seven key areas, including sensory, motor, intellectual, linguistic, emotional and social to nurture growth and foster school readiness.
Indoor and Outdoor Play
Playtime has been shown to provide multiple benefits for a child during their early years. These benefits extend to their cognitive, physical, emotional and social wellbeing. Playtime is also an excellent opportunity for your child to form healthy relationships with their caregivers and peers, allowing them to develop socially and learn to interact positively with others.
For example, at MindChamps, Crafted Play™ is part of our programme, and it features interactive play sessions that serve to strengthen your child’s numeracy, social and language skills.
Nutritious and Healthy Meals
A quality education programme will recognise the value of balanced, healthy and nutritious meals in supporting your child’s growth and learning. In addition to encouraging their physical development, healthy eating habits instilled at a young age carry through to adulthood and have a lasting impact on health and wellbeing..
The MindChamps ChampionGold Standard™ in childhood nutrition provides your little ones with a rich variety of wholefoods, through a menu created by nutrition experts. We support picky eaters with a variety of foods, and have a starting solids programme to provide age appropriate meals. Additionally, we also conduct nutrition literacy programmes for children as well as their families to promote general wellbeing.
Final Thoughts
Finding a quality early childhood education programme does require some research and planning. As you gather information about early learning centres around you, we hope that the points we’ve recommended serve to help in identifying quality education programmes that align with your child’s needs. We invite you to book a tour at your nearest MindChamps centre to learn how we can help your child achieve their full potential.