Posts Tagged early childhood development

Educational Toys – Are They Really Educational

Children love to play and it is the most natural way for them to learn. Toys can provide a means for parents and or caregivers to connect relationally with children through play. Studies show that learning is enhanced as parents – caregivers participate in the activities of their children. Interaction during play also provides opportunities for parents – caregivers to observe the various skills that are developing and continue to build upon them as well as observe under developed areas and help these areas to grow.

According to the NPD Group, a leading market research company, the toy manufacturing industry boasted $21.64 billion in sales in 2008. This may or may not surprise you, but toy sales in 2008 in a shaky and uncertain economy were only down 4% from toy sales in 2006 when the USA seemed to be enjoying a stable and even growing economy. Many toy manufacturers make claims that their products will facilitate learning and growth in the six crucial areas of early childhood development. But do they really?

Children from infancy to six years of age will experience some positive growth and development with almost any toy that they engage during playtime because their brain is being stimulated and is gathering information with every experience. This is why parents – caregivers should seek advice from a pediatrician or an educator who specializes in early childhood education and development as to what toys will be best suited for their child. In doing this parents – caregivers will discover that the best educational toy is not what a manufacturer may claim, but the one that works best at stimulating interaction with them and their child. Toys are not a substitute to keep children busy by themselves, but an avenue to support loving, caring interaction and relationship building.

On Monday October 5, 2009 my wife and I welcomed our fifth grandchild, a boy, into our family. As I observed him in the hospital nursery waving his little arms and legs shortly after his birth I could not help myself from thinking that his brain was already preparing him for the world around him. With that, here a few ideas that may help you when looking for educational toys for your child…

  • Look for age appropriate toys that will challenge their imagination. Problem solving helps prepare them for real life situations
  • Look for toys with your child in mind. Like everything else, trends find their way in the toy market also and may not be suitable toy(s) for your child
  • Do not fall prey to claims made by advertisers. Many educational toys have greatly improved in recent years, but some are more entertaining than educational. A little personal research on your part can reveal a lot.
  • Safety first. Is the toy safe for your child? Remember 1 – 2 year olds like putting things in their mouth
  • Stay away from any toy that promotes even the slightest hint of violence or negative social behavior
  • When in doubt, seek the advice of a pediatrician or an early childhood education and development educator – specialist

With the 2009 holiday season quickly approaching many parents – caregivers will purchase toys for their children. However, while choosing toys that will aid in your child’s educational development, it is important for parents – caregivers to keep in mind, their personal interaction with their child is the best gift that they can give.

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How to Find the Best Early Childhood Education Degree Program

Early childhood education is an imperative aspect of the education field. It is no secret that young children are extremely impressionable – and any positive learning experiences that they can encounter can impact them in a substantial way. Even as advancing technology substantially changes the way that various ages of children and young people are learning, certain teaching methods and education techniques have remained the same and are still just as effective today as they were many years ago. Because studies have proven that 85% of a child’s personality is developed before the young age of six, early childhood education is an imperative part of a young person’s life.

Early childhood education involves the shaping of the emotional, social, physical, intellectual and cognitive skill set of a young child. Professional early childhood educators are specially trained to positively impact young children and help them grow into intelligent and effective adults. Even though primary care facilitators and a child’s parents play a significant role in a child’s life, early childhood instructors provide nurturing education-oriented attention to a child. Teachers should also closely involve a student’s parents during a child’s education to ensure that he or she receives the best and most effective type of education.

Do you wish to pursue degree program training in the early childhood development field? Do you enjoy working with young children and watching them develop? Are you patient, encouraging and kind? Can you help young students who may possess severe or mild learning disabilities? Many schools, like the McCann School of Business and Technology, offer convenient courses and hands-on classes that quickly prepare students like you for a career in early childhood education.

Students who enroll in training classes in the area of early childhood education will acquire standard degree program instruction for this important field. Once these students graduate, they are able to obtain careers in pre-schools, primary schools, day care centers and nursery schools.

Courses will teach students the basics of early childhood education. They will learn about:

  • Establishing a creative, encouraging and nurturing learning atmosphere.
  • Helping students in the classroom and at home – instructors will closely involve a student’s parents and encourage parent-teacher interaction during the process of learning.
  • Developing age-appropriate lesson plans that are fun, educational and interactive. Instructors will place a strong emphasis on learning through ways which are fun and positive to the student.
  • Assisting students with special needs and learning disabilities. Students will become familiar with instruction methods that help students who may have difficulty with the learning process.
  • Providing any necessary care for young children, learn to focus on the emotional, social, physical and cognitive development of a child.
  • Collaborating with other early childhood education instructors to develop the most appropriate education plans for certain age groups.

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Educational Toys and Early Childhood Education

Early childhood education is basically defined as children learning through play. It is important that parents begin educating their children from infancy to six yeas of age through interaction and introducing educational play which will aid in the development of these crucial areas…

  • Physical Development: Developing fine and gross motor skills. Basically movement is the key, crawling, walking, running, climbing, throwing, touching and eye-hand coordination.
  • Social Skills: Teaching children how to interact with others, how to share and co-operate with others, how to build strong relationship that will last as well as social etiquette and good manners.
  • Emotional Development: Building self-esteem, self-awareness, self-confidence, as well as recognizing and understanding various feelings and emotions.
  • Language Development: The expression and or vocalization of symbols and sounds as perceived and interpreted by an individual through the growing and learning process.
  • Creativity: Developing unique and special abilities and talents in your child
  • Cognitive Skills: Developing the ability to learn and solve problems, understanding the world around them, their environment and gain knowledge.

This may sound like a task that is overwhelming for the average parent and parents may be under the impression that they need an advanced education in early childhood development to help their children grow in these areas, but this is far from the truth. Certainly knowledge of this caliber would be a great asset, but children in this age group actually grow and learn through their playtime.

Years of research shows that educational toys actually promote and aid in the development of the above crucial growth areas. Specific types of experiences stimulate various areas of the brain, which, in turn develop a child’s physical and mental abilities. However, any toy will provide some educational and developmental benefits. So parents must keep in mind that not every toy that claims to be educational is in fact educational and may not necessarily develop these crucial areas of early childhood development. Even the most successful educational toys have their limits. Educational toys are most effective when parents provide quality interaction with their children.

The educational and developmental success and advances of any society depends upon a parent’s desire and ability to foster the health and well-being of their children, the next generation. In other words, parents have a responsibility to their children to prepare them for what lies ahead. When parents fail to provide chil­dren with what they need to build a strong foundation for healthy, productive and successful lives, the future is at risk.

We all must remember that today’s children will become tomorrow’s adults, which also means tomorrows parents. So parents, spend time with your children, introduce educational toys into their playtime and have confidence that the investment you make in your children will produce successful, productive parents of your grandchildren.

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