Education is one of the basic requirements that a child needs to strengthen the foundation of his/her future. Every child has the right to get the education without which, he/she cannot grow up to be a capable citizen of the nation. A child’s education starts at home, where he/she starts learning about the world and the people around, from his/her mother. A mother is the very first teacher of her child. She puts the first stone of the edifice of her child’s future and with her love, care, and hard work, goes on making it stronger and stronger to ensure every success in her child’s life.
Preschool – the first stage of the journey called ‘education.’
Preschool is an educational institution, where little children get their first learning experience outside the home. In preschools, early childhood education is provided to the kids through various simple, interesting, enjoyable, and fun-filled processes and activities, to help the little ones learn easily and remember whatever they have learned.
Preschools are also called nursery, pre-primary or kindergarten, across the globe. A preschool has a great significance in a child’s life and his/her overall development. A preschool prepares a child to enter the world of education and plants the seedling of knowledge, which is, later on, nurtured into a fully grown tree by schools, colleges, universities, and so on.
Preschool homework – how much important it is?
Homework is the schoolwork that the teachers give their students to do at home. In the system of education, homework has great importance and necessity, both. As the proverb says, ‘practice makes a man perfect,’ homework is essential to bring perfection to the knowledge that children gain in school. In the preschools also, homework is given to the kids. Preschool homework ensures that children practice what they have learned in school and remember their lessons properly.
Children are usually fickle-minded; their delicate minds easily get diverted to various things, whatever they find interesting. Many children do not pay proper attention in the class, mostly young children and in such cases, preschool homework plays a pivotal role in helping them learn their lesson properly, even after school.
Furthermore, helping out the kids with their homework, make the parents get involved with their studies and communicate more with them. This way,the parents get an idea of what their children are learning in preschool while helping them solve their assignments.
Though preschool homework is a debatable issue, it cannot be doubted that homework is beneficial for children. If at home, a child practices what he has learned in school, then he can easily retain it in his memory and stay prepared to learn the next lesson as well. Homework helps teachers to evaluate the progress of the pupils and their sincerity towards their studies.
Homework should be a boon and not a burden
It is said that too much of anything,even the good things, is bad, and so is homework, especially for the very young children. Most children consider homework as a burden. After spending a long, tiring day at school, little children need some time to play games and enjoy themselves. Having fun and frolic is equally essential as studies, and so, children should not be burdened with loads of homework.
As home tasks, preschool toddlers should be given very simple, easy, and fun-filled assignments, which they find interesting while doing so. Dull and stressful homework can hinder in rousing interest towards studies in kids. Preschool homework should be based primarily on various playful activities instead of mugging up of lessons. There should be a balance between studying and playing as both are essential for the overall mental and physical development of children.
Activities and programs a preschool homework should comprise of
Toddlers at preschool should be given such home assignments or worksheets, which need the involvement of the parents. This is important because, little kids can learn more easily and comfortably from their parents and at the same time, get more time to spend with them. Here are some examples of assignments and activities that can be given to preschool children as home tasks:
- coloring alphabets and pictures
- writing their names and identifying them
- tracing letters
- sticking pictures of flowers, animals, fruits, etc. in scrapbooks
- learning nursery rhymes with actions
- drawing lines and shapes
- making collages
- foil painting
- blow painting
- identifying numbers
- numbers and counting
- identifying various shapes and colors
- parents should read aloud story books to their children
These kinds of assignments and activities enhance the IQ level of the children and make them more active.
Learning through playing
This is a process of teaching followed in preschools. Through various games and activities filled with fun and frolic, little kids learn about their surroundings, natural beings, objects, language basics and all that they see and hear.At home also, parents should engage their children in such playful activities through which, they can learn and at the same time, enjoy learning.
Love, above all else
It is most important to realize and remember that children are like budding blossoms – pristine, delicate, and sensitive, and thus, they should be treated with utmost love, care, attention, and patience. At home and in school, it is essential that parents and teachers understand the children, their needs, their strengths as well as, their shortcomings. Every child has his/her own strengths and weaknesses, and varied learning competencies; teachers and parents should patiently help children to overcome their limitations and bring out the best in them.
Make preschool homework interesting!