How Play ≈ Learning ?

Play is the foundation of early childhood development. Whether it’s simply jumping on the bed with a sibling or putting on a costume and imagining he is a spiderman — he’s developing skills. Through dramatic play, he is trying to pretend, imagine and be creative, which aids in learning the cognitive skills.

In many pieces of research, it is shown that play is one of the most basic ingredients of early education. It helps children to learn efficiently, grow better and develop both physically and cognitively. It is the most fundamental technique for physical, mental, and social development during early education.

Top three benefits of Play during Childhood:

1 . It encourages children to develop speech and language skills, improves listening skills and builds up their confidence level to communicate. It includes self-talk, (e.g. now I am going to bake my cake after putting it in the oven), or playing with a sibling, friend or parents, children communicate, ask questions to add purpose to their play. It also develops their vocabulary and exposes them to a variety of new words every day.

2 . Play fosters cognitive development. Through play, children process the information, learn new skills, try to remember things,  involve in problem-solving, engage in decision-making, and construct thought processes. One of the best forms of play to improve cognitive development is “pretend play“. For example, when your child pretends to be a doctor, she will think about her experiences, imagine the scenarios and involve herself in a thinking process. A research study by Bergen, D (2002) supports a strong connection between cognitive ability and high quality pretend play.

3 . Play encourages relationship-building and helps develop social skills. Whilst playing with companions, siblings or parents, children learn how relationship work through different play experiences. Through play, they try to be more social, friendly and cooperative to develop quality friendships. Parallel play, cooperative play, associate play supports relationship building through guided playful activities.

Learning through play is not confined only to these three benefits, there are much more.  If you are interested in reading about the developmental benefits of learning through play, please study this article “Learning Through Play” found in “Encyclopedia on early childhood development”.

 

Early Childhood Development

We cannot deny the fact that Early Childhood Development improves nutrition yields benefits that cascade through life.

“From birth to age 5, children rapidly develop functional capabilities on which subsequent development builds. In addition to their remarkable linguistic & cognitive gains, they exhibit dramatic progress in their emotional, social, regulatory, and moral capacities.” Phillips, D.A., & Shonkoff, J.P. (2000)

 

Young children need lots of time to master physical, social, and mental skills. We focus on play-based curriculum, social, emotional, physical and artistic development, predictable and structured routine, child-led exploration, developmentally appropriate environment, observation and collaboration between teachers and parents.

In a developmentally appropriate environment, children explore, experiment, touch and feel to learn about the world around them.We follow a predictable and structured routine to foster security and familiarity. Appropriate transitions between activities allow children to know what to expect next, building self-confidence and independence.

Within the structure, children are encouraged to participate and move between activities according to their own interests and curiosities, and are always met by the teachers with enthusiasm as they play.

At Kidville, we believe that children learn through Play. They learn and develop not only physically but also cognitively, socially, and emotionally. Through play, they create, solve problems, and make sense of the world. We are a team of well-prepared play professionals. We serve families in our programs. It is our goal to support healthy development and create a nurturing environment where children will begin a lifetime of experiential learning and social success.

Gradual Separation:

We prepare children for a separation program by encouraging independence while they explore and play. Parents or caregivers stay in the classroom with the child, and independence is gained gradually as the child begins to play and interact with peers without the assistance from a loved one.

Kidville is just like a second home for your kids (from 6 months – 4 years old) where they can learn through creativity, fun, and play. We’re your next-door neighbour, your art room, your music and dance studio, and your playground, all rolled into one! Why not visit us and discover the World of Hands-on Activities, Exploration, Games, Gymnastics, Arts and Crafts, Music and Dance, Kids Classes, Birthday Parties and more!

Emergent Curriculum: Your Child’s Interest Matters

Emergent curriculum – Inspired by Reggio Emilia, is an approach to teaching and planning the curriculum, mainly focused on being responsive to child’s interests. When we talk about learning, we refer to the process of teacher’s transmission & child’s absorption, although it could be as simple as child’s led construction.

Let them DISCOVER,

Push them to EXPLORE,

Encourage their QUESTIONS,

Allow them to PLAY MORE,

Learning is their JOURNEY,

Let them achieve their  GOAL!

In emergent curriculum, we prioritize creative, flexible and relationship-driven learning environment, active participation, child-led education, learning through play, malleable and adaptable teaching methods, relationship building, collaboration and brainstorming.

Why Emergent Curriculum is important in Early Childhood Development:

We usually commence with a pre-planned lesson-plan, which means there is a “trap” to get children interested and there is a rigid set of rules to follow. But in emergent curriculum, there is a process to follow. In a flexible, creative, relation-driven learning environment, we start with observation and brain storming, we encourage kids to navigate and explore things around them and get the insight of their interests.

In emergent curriculum, there is a balance between child directed and teacher directed learning methods. Lesson plans are open ended and are designed on the basis of child’s interest and teacher’s guidance.

Kidville Teaching Philosophy and Approach:

Our guiding philosophy is “follow the child.” We teach to children’s interests. We are guides and partners alongside children, parents and caregivers – offering our support to provide just the right amount of challenge.

We focus on the “process” as opposed to the “product.” Young children need lots of time to master physical, social, and mental skills. They are driven to do things over and over and over again, repeating processes until they gain mastery.

We want to set children up for a successful first school experience, and make it a fun and familiar thing. It is by careful observation, collaboration amongst teachers and with parents/caregivers, and a functional knowledge of child development that we can best serve children’s needs and help each individual child achieve their potential in our program.

 

 

How to Make Your Child’s Birthday a Special Day

The birthday of your child is one of the most important occasions you will want to celebrate and you will try to make it memorable in every way.

Many of the best nurseries in Dubai organise special birthday celebrations at the premises of the nurseries in Dubai. Many nurseries also make arrangements for gifts and special entertainment for the kids. When a nursery goes to this extent to celebrate your child’s birthday it is your role in the birthday celebration that makes it all the more special.

Pokemon Themed Birthday Party at Kidville Nursery

Begin planning for the big day at least a month in advance if not more. Involve your child in making the decisions about what theme she wants the decorations and cake to be (themed birthday parties). This will get the child more excited and to feel empowered to share her views. You can suggest different ways in which you can celebrate the birthday party and let your child choose one from that.

 

Color Splash themed Birthday Party at Kidville Nursery

 

As a parent, the budget will be your biggest concern, Set a budget before hand and work around that, rather than adding up all the expenses at the end of it as you can end up overspending without a budget to stick to.

Remember your children will want his or her friends at the party and you will require having your family and extended family at the party. When the kids are young it may be possible to combine both parties into one party but as the children go old this may be bit difficult and you may need to consider maybe having a separate dinner or lunch out for the family members.

Treasure Island Themed Birthday Party at Kidville Nursery

Remember don’t be disappointed if your younger children, especially below the age of five, are more excited in the boxes and wrapping papers than the gift itself.  It is a very common factor in young children. Keep the number of people low for young children as more the crowd, the more chance that the child will be overwhelmed and would not have a smile on his or her face on his special day.

Pirates Themed Birthday Party at Kidville Nursery

When giving selections to make for these young children keep it simple to the characters they know from the television or their favourite books and be as specific as possible as they may not be able to put two and two together like elderly children.

Or let me make this easier for you, just contact Kidville. From planning to execution, let Kidville birthday party team bring your child’s dream party to reality.

Happy Kids. Happy Families.

Parental feedback is what we are always looking forward to. Thank you so much to all the families that provided us with such wonderful feedback and filled our hearts with gratitude. Parent visits at Kidville are always encouraged because we believe in forming a long-lasting positive relationship with our valued parents.

Research has shown that family engagement improves student achievement, reduces absenteeism and restores parents’ confidence in their children’s education. Kids with involved parents or other caregivers show better performance, have better social skills and exhibit improved behaviour (Lili, Otha, 2014). Therefore, the parent-teacher relationship is an important factor of child’s academic success.

“On a First note, its ambience and the first impression are marvellous. Secondly, its gym and music class on daily basis is an excellent concept. Your teachers and co-teachers know the tricks to tackle the kids and they easily access their skills and motivate them further. Your teachers are well-trained and well-educated to educate our kids.

I have seen your reviews and experienced personally at the time of Nursery Tour before admission. It is far better than other nearby nurseries. Well-done! Keep it up!”

Thank you, Mrs Swati for taking the time to provide us with such great feedback. We are happy to know that you are satisfied with our services at Kidville Nursery because, in the end, we believe in

Happy Kids! Happy Families!