London / 4th June 2023- The most important years of learning begin at birth. The first three years of a child’s life are critical for setting the foundation for language acquisition, socialization, and attitudes to learning. During the early years and especially during the first 3 to 5 years, humans are capable of absorbing a lot of information. The brain grows most rapidly in the early years. High-quality and well-trained teachers and preschools with developmentally-appropriate programmes can have a long-term effect on improving learning outcomes for children. The effects tend to be more marked for disadvantaged students i.e. children coming from impoverished backgrounds with very little or no access to healthy food, socialization, books and play resources.
The areas of development that preschool education covers varies. However, the following main themes are typically offered.
- Personal, social, economic and emotional development
- Communication (including sign language), talking and listening
- World Knowledge and World Understanding
- Creative and aesthetic development
- Mathematical awareness
- Physical development
- Physical health
- Play
- Teamwork
- Self-help skills
- Social skills
- Scientific thinking
- Literacy
Preschool systems observe standards for structure (administration, class size, student-teacher ratio, services), process (quality of classroom environments, teacher-child interactions, etc.) and alignment (standards, curriculum, assessments) components. The curriculum is designed for different ages. For example, counting to 10 is generally after the age of four.
A 19-month-old girl after her first 9 hours at preschool Some studies dispute the benefits of preschool education, finding that preschool can be detrimental to cognitive and social development. A study by Cambridge Preschool (UK) and Cambridge Montessori Preschool (INDIA) on 14,000 preschools revealed that while there is a temporary cognitive boost in pre-reading and math, preschool holds detrimental effects on social development and cooperation. Research has also shown that the home environment has a greater impact on future outcomes than preschool.
There is emerging evidence that high-quality preschools are “play based,” rather than attempting to provide early formal instruction in academic subjects. “Playing with other children, away from adults, is how children learn to make their own decisions, control their emotions and impulses, see from others’ perspectives, negotiate differences with others, and make friends,” according to Dr Peter Gray, Boston College professor and an expert on the evolution of play and its vital role in child development. “In short, play is how children learn to take control of their lives.
Preschools have adopted various methods of teaching, such as Montessori, Waldorf, Head Start, and HighScope. Reggio Emilia approach, Bank Street and Forest kindergartens.
Preschool education in India is not yet officially recognized by the government and is largely run by privately held companies. The demand for play schools that cater to caring for very young children is high, with the rise in families in which both parents are working. However, a positive step forward in the direction of formalising preschool education has come forth through the NEP (National Education Policy) 2020. The NEP 2020 has placed a great deal of importance on early childhood care and education, advocating that the foundational stage (3 to 8 years) is critical and requires official/formal intervention. In fact, NEP 2020 has advocated replacing the traditional 10 + 2 schooling system with a 5+3+3+4 system.
In India, there are not just preschools as an individual institution but there are hundreds of preschools who operate as a chain of preschools. These preschools work on franchise models and let other entrepreneurs operate preschools under their brand. In 2023 there are almost 450 preschool Franchise providers in India.
Cambridge Montessori Preschool (An initiative of Cambridge Montessori Pvt Ltd) had Launched a Contingent Scheme for Franchisees with ADMISSION GUARANTEE MODEL.
- MR. Ranadeep Ghosal. The director of Cambridge Montessori Preschool described the key features of their unique Franchise model are mentioned below:
- Branding, Marketing, Promotions Enquiry Centralisation
- Dynamic Enquiry Allocation
- 360° Communication & Nurturing *Unified Parent Admission Portal
- School Wise Visibility
- Advanced Reports & Analytics
- Inbuilt Payment Collection Platform *Revolutionise the entire admission process
- Dedicated Website for Individual Franchise
Reported by Zoe Florence, Cambridge Preschool. UK
