Top Tips for Choosing Your Child’s First School

This is the second part of our series on schooling for toddlers and preschoolers. In our last post, we talked about how there’s no one-size-fits-all answer and talked about three factors you need to look at. Today, we’ll dive deeper into choosing the right program if you decide to enroll your child early.

Choosing a Play-Based Program

If you decide to enroll your toddler in school early, I highly recommend choosing a play-based program. Why play-based? Research shows that young children learn best through play. Play promotes cognitive, physical, social, and emotional development. It allows children to explore, experiment, and understand the world around them in a natural and engaging way.

Observing for Genuine Play-Based Environments

You need to ensure that the program is genuinely play-based and not just paying lip service to the concept. One key marker to look for is whether the school allows children to move and explore freely. A true play-based program will have various activity stations, such as blocks, art supplies, dress-up areas, and outdoor play equipment. Children should be encouraged to move, play, and engage in hands-on activities.

Observe the classroom environment. Are there open-ended materials like blocks, puzzles, and art supplies? Are the children engaged and happy? Do teachers facilitate play and exploration rather than direct instruction? These are good signs of a developmentally appropriate program.

Warning Signs of Inappropriate Programs

On the flip side, if a program insists that toddlers should sit at desks and complete worksheets, it’s a red flag. No matter how much they claim to be play-based in their promotional materials, if their approach is overly structured and academic, it’s not developmentally appropriate for toddlers. Early education should focus on fostering a love for learning, curiosity, and creativity — not on drilling academic skills.

Research and Evidence

Numerous studies support the benefits of play-based learning. The American Academy of Pediatrics highlights that play is essential for healthy brain development. It helps children develop their language and social skills, problem-solving abilities, and emotional resilience. Programs that emphasize play and social interactions tend to have better long-term outcomes for children compared to those that focus on early academic instruction.

Remember, the goal is to support your child’s natural curiosity and love of learning. What do kids need to learn at this age? I know as parents we’re all pressured and we think that what kids need to learn first are their ABCs and their numbers. 

But before they can learn these, first they need to feel safe and loved. They need to be able to trust the people around them. They need to be allowed to explore and experience hands-on learning. They need to experience for themselves that learning is fun. They need to develop the basics – following instructions, having conversations with others, paying attention even for just a few minutes, regulating their emotions, and getting along with others. 

These come first, before the ABCs. Why? There are so many complex reasons behind this – for example, the entire process of learning to read – believe it or not, doesn’t start with learning the ABCs!

Here’s the reason I’ll highlight here – when learning the ABCs or Numbers, at some point, they will feel frustrated. What will they do? Will they give up, or will they go on? Will they imprint on their brains that they can be successful at learning even if they make mistakes, or will they learn that they will never measure up no matter how hard they try?

Conclusion

A play-based, developmentally appropriate program can provide a wonderful environment for your child to grow and thrive. But always trust your instincts and choose what feels right for your family.

If you found this post helpful, download our free parenting toolkit. It’s packed with resources on no-prep activities, handling tantrums, building early literacy, and other important aspects of your child’s development.

Until next time, here’s to embracing the beauty of parenting, with all its imperfections.

Next Steps

Are you a parent of a child who is :

• starting school for the first time?
• transitioning to face-to-face, in-person classes after distance learning?
• having a difficult time adjusting to school?

If you fit any of these, we’ve designed this masterclass and toolkit for you! Check out School Start Success – the masterclass that will give you the tools you need to support your child through the transition!