The early stages of development are the most critical moments in life. This is when we are the most malleable and can learn the most. It is important to carefully decide where to take children for daycare to ensure that during these growth spurts they can reach their full potential. Some of the things to look for in a daycare in Delray Beach or anywhere near me are:
- Age Specialization
- Curriculum
- Personalized Attention & A Healthy Environment
Age Specialization
Children have different needs at different stages of development. They should be grouped with children who will be going through similar social and behavioral experiences. Children under the age of two will be going through the sensorimotor stage of development. During this time, children learn mostly with their senses rather than through communication or language. Playing with blocks is useful for practicing their motor skills and hand-eye coordination. Coloring with crayons is something they won’t understand enough at this time. One of the important milestones of this period is for the child to learn object permanence. In other words, that things still exist even though they cannot sense them. Peek-a-boo is one game that vividly teaches infants this lesson.
The preoperational stage consists of children aged two to seven. During this time they engage in symbolic play but do not understand logic or empathy. They will learn how to identify letters, numbers, colors, and shapes. Crayon drawings, paints, and puzzles are much more important to these children.
Curriculum
Pre-Kindergarten students begin to learn the specific subjects they will be engaged with for much of their schooling such as Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, and Computers. Foreign languages can also be taught around this time when children are most susceptible to language development. They will rotate to different classrooms with qualified teachers who specialize in their subject. Each child will be able to share the best resources at different times this way.
Personal Attention and Healthy Environment
At younger ages, children need personal attention. An underequipped staff or an overpopulated daycare will leave many of the children neglected. Confirming that the environment is clean and not prone to accidents will help parents feel confident in their child’s safety. If children are allowed to come to daycare while they are sick, they can infect other children which can then come back and pass to their family members. Stricter policies can be beneficial in cases like this.
For a daycare in Delray Beach or near me, consider calling Get Ready Set Grow at (561) 349-4145. We offer multiple programs for children under the age of 2, aged 2, 3, and pre-kindergarten to give children the attention they need. Early drop-off and extended day programs are also available to allow flexibility to a parent’s schedule. They can be dropped off as early as 7:00 A.M. or picked up as late as 6:00 P.M. During these before and after-school times children will still be stimulated with planned activities and professional supervision constantly.