Preschool or a K-12 School for My Toddler?

The first time a child steps out of home into a school, into someone else’s care, is a big step for everyone. My daughter’s first day at her preschool was terrifying for me, and a life defining change for her. If you’re the parent of a two or three year old, should you consider early care development centers like preschools, or opt for Nursery at a K-12 school? Is a preschool that different from a K-12 school? What’s all the fuss around early years, anyway? 

In this article we will address these questions. I will also share my daughter’s experience of going to an early years development center for four years. 

Contents

• What are early years development centres? 
• Why do we need specialized centers for early years?
• Is the learning in a K-12 school really so different from an early years centre?
• My daughter’s preschool experience
• Conclusion

What are Early Years Development Centres?

“Science shows that life is a story for which the beginning sets the tone.” – UNICEF on the early years 

The UNICEF article elaborates, “In the first few years of life, more than one million neural connections are formed each second – a pace never repeated again. The quality of a child’s early experiences makes a critical difference as their brains develop, providing either strong or weak foundations for learning, health and behavior throughout life.”

An early years center specifically meets the needs of young children. It will have child sized furniture, no shoes and an open layout that encourages exploration while ensuring safety. It will also have better adult-child ratios, which translate into personal attention for every child. The result is a physically and emotionally safe space in which research-based and age-appropriate curricula are imparted.

Why do we Need Specialized Centres for Early Years?

Neuroscience studies conclusively prove that 85% of the brain develops in the first 2000 days of a child’s life. Arshleen Kalra, head of Learning and Academics at KLAY explains, “The 85% brain development statistic refers to the neurological connections that are created in the brain in the first five odd years of a child’s life. This is a frenetic period of overall growth, unmatched at any other age. As young children learn new things and have more experiences, their brains create more connections. This translates into better overall development. The more experiences we provide children with, the more connections they make.”

As parents and educators, our role is to provide a warm and positive environment that fosters learning. This means giving them a sense of safety and security, allowing for unstructured play, and providing adequate nutrition. Arshleen elaborates, “For example, children undergo a lot of physical growth in their first two years. They start with gross motor skills, like walking or moving their arms. This is followed by fine motor skills like picking things up with their fingers, running or jumping. Listening and speaking are preludes to writing. The fingers of the hand also have to become strong enough to hold a pencil. Otherwise such an action can cause physical pain to a young child. For these reasons, experts recommend that children should be at least 3.5 years old before they start writing.” 

Is the Learning in a K-12 School Really so Different from an Early Years Centre?

Imagine someone experiencing our world for the very first time. Wouldn’t it feel terrifying and bewildering?

“When we talk about holistic development,” Arshleen says, “we’re talking about all dimensions, all aspects of skills and knowledge. Physical, mental, emotional, even social development. For young children, a supportive environment allows them to learn through experiences, and without pressure. At an early years center, facilitators enable this connection between what they’re doing and the skills they’re picking up.” This strengthens the children’s understanding of a basic concept and encourages a learning style that is healthy and curious by nature.

How is this different from what happens in a K-12 school? The table below outlines some of them: 

My Daughter’s Preschool Experience

I enrolled my daughter at a preschool when she was 20 months old. Her school has an open layout.  There are no doors between rooms or formal desks and chairs like the ones we might have sat on when we were in Nursery. 

Every single day for the first month, she screamed her lungs out in protest when I dropped her off at the school gate. Her teachers allowed her the time she needed to settle in, comforting her when she cried and allowing her to go outside if she didn’t want to sit in class. Slowly and gradually, she joined the others during play time and story time. Mingling with other children at the tender age of two taught her vital social skills that are only built by interacting with peers. When she was older, playing with the younger ones taught her empathy and gave her a sense of responsibility. The small class sizes ensured she got individual attention and allowed her to learn as much as was comfortable for her, without needless pressure towards results. 

She will be moving to grade one in a K-12 school this year. It will be a big change for her from the cozy and intimate experience of her preschool. But I am confident that she will adapt and thrive in the new environment because of the solid ground on which she has built her skills. 

Conclusion

The beauty of every young child’s learning is that it never stops. They don’t start learning at school and stop learning once they are back home. They are interacting, absorbing, thinking and applying every single minute of the day. In this context, a child-safe, open and fun social environment is the ideal sandbox for every younger learner’s growth. Unstructured play and peer interactions are hidden gems that nurture social and emotional skills, among other critical developments. Both are an integral part of early learning centers like KLAY. 

With our fast paced lifestyles and fewer children per household, our children aren’t interacting with their peers or their physical environment as much as they should. An early years development center can be a warm, comforting and safe space for toddlers stepping out into the world for the first time. Its learning-first approach and age-appropriate surroundings further make it a perfect fit for the accelerated development of young minds. 

Having to change schools for grade one means that I am going through the dreaded admissions process twice. But watching my daughter blossom into an expressive, creative and self-assured little person has made all my hand wringing worthwhile.