As a parent or caregiver, you want the best for your child – and kindergarten is where it all begins!
So why is kindergarten important?
It’s not just a year to get your little one out the door for a few hours each day. The year before school is a huge milestone in a child’s learning journey as they begin the transition into a structured routine and a more formal learning environment.
Attending kindergarten is essential to ensure that your child develops a love for learning and feels comfortable in a learning environment. Kindy is when your child will start to develop essential social, emotional, and academic skills that will set them up for a lifetime of learning.Â
Helps build a love for learning
Remember how excited your child gets when they discover something new? Kindergarten takes that natural curiosity and nurtures it. Through early childhood kindy programs with fun activities, play and exploration, your child will start to associate learning with excitement. Whether they’re listening to stories, creating art, or playing with friends, these positive experiences will make them love school.Â
Kindergarten is a stepping stone to formal learning
Kindergarten programs might seem like a year of fun and games but it’s actually the first step toward a formal education.
“Kindergarten is the foundation of a child’s formal learning. With these skills, the children learn they can seamlessly transition into the school environment and then into life,” states Lorraine Maree Ives – Early Childhood Teacher.
Here, your child will begin to learn the building blocks of literacy and numeracy – recognising letters, counting numbers, and solving basic problems. These skills will make the transition to primary school much smoother, giving them the tools they need to succeed in the years ahead.Â
Top 5 reasons kindy is important
1. Develop confidence and literacy skillsÂ
Kindergarten is a time when your child starts to realise that they can do hard things – and that’s key to building confidence. They’ll begin recognising letters, sounds, and words, setting them up for future reading and writing success. Watching your child take on challenges and succeed is incredibly rewarding, and it’s all thanks to the foundational skills they develop in kindy.Â
2. Play-based learning approach
Kids learn best when they’re having fun – and that’s why kindergarten embraces a play-based learning approach. Instead of just sitting at a desk, your child will be solving puzzles, role-playing with their peers, and engaging in hands-on activities. This kind of learning helps them develop problem-solving skills creativity, and teamwork – all while having a blast!Â
3. Flexible routine for structured learning
Every day in kindergarten brings structure, but there’s also room for flexibility. Teachers create a balanced routine that allows plenty of uninterrupted time for your child to dive into activities that spark their interest. With less rushing from one activity to the next, your child can fully engage in learning that is at their pace.
4. Early childhood educators’ passion
What makes kindergarten so special is the passion of the teachers who dedicate themselves to sharing young minds. These professionals spend years training to understand how children develop and learn best. Their enthusiasm for teaching creates an environment where your child can flourish. They go beyond reading and maths. They help your child build important social and emotional skills, teaching them how to interact with others and positively express their feelings. They also take the time to understand your child’s unique needs, ensuring that they get the support they need to thrive.
5. Collaboration with families for school transition
The move from kindy to primary school is a big one. Your child’s teacher will work with you to make the transition smooth. As a parent, you can help by creating consistent routines and encouraging a positive attitude towards learning. When parents and teachers work together, the transition to prep becomes easier – and your child will feel less anxious every step of the way.
“We like to work with the children in small groups to provide them with focused quality learning times. We have an interactive whiteboard which helps us to facilitate our phonics/literacy program for the children. We collaborate with the local schools to ensure the children are ready for that next big step and the school Teachers visit the Kindergarten children regularly to check in on their learning.”
Early Childhood Teachers develop a stimulating, child-led program. Through children’s active engagement in their environment, with their Educators and their peers, they develop key learning dispositions such as perseverance, problem-solving, courage, curiosity, cooperation, commitment, creativity, enthusiasm, and reflexivity.Â
Why choose Busy Bees?
- Experience an amazing play-based curriculum led by highly qualified Teachers who support your child to get set for school
- Never stress again about the 3pm pick-up — our extended hours give you the freedom to drop off and pick up when it works for you
- Say goodbye to the lunch box dramas! Our dedicated Chefs prepare delicious and nutritious meals for healthy minds and bodies
- A more settled experience — avoid the juggle between multiple care providers so your little one has more time to focus on learning
- Building friendships for school — our wonderful community of families will help make sure your child has some friendly faces as they start school.
Learn more about Kindergarten at Busy Bees. Busy Bees welcomes your family to tour every day of the year, find your nearest centre and give us a Buzz or book a tour online.
