A nursery is the first place for a child to be without their parents or carers. For the first time, a child steps out of their parent’s arms to step into a nursery and explore the world. They meet other children, interact with people who are not their parents or grandparents, and start learning vital life lessons. But since these children are new to the world and learning, they are easily distracted by their surroundings.
So, how do you keep children learning in nurseries?
Organising the room
A nursery room is chaotic! So, you need to organise the space so that what you teach reaches every child no matter where they are seated. There should be demarcated areas in the room for reading, play, food, timeout. Also, have ground rules surrounding these areas. The idea is to separate the noisy regions of the room from quiet ones, and when you demarcate the boundaries of the space clearly, it helps build relationships in the room.
Exude warmth and reassurance
A teacher or caregiver creates an atmosphere through their tone and demeanour. Little children are pretty perceptive of other people’s attitude towards them. So, a caregiver must exude warmth and reassurance so that children can relax, open up, and communicate with them.
Provide children tools to convey their feelings
The children in nurseries are just starting to see the world outside their home and parental comfort. Naturally, they don’t know how to express themselves. If a child appears upset, instead of asking those ‘what’s wrong?’ caregivers can encourage the children to sing, paint or move in a quiet space away from the group. This way, the children can learn to manage their feelings in a ‘safe’ space until they are ready to express or participate back in the group. A caregiver’s gentle assistance can help children handle their feelings and carry on with the rest of the day.
Unsegregated learning environs
Creating an environment that helps children develop their visual, auditory, and social/emotional areas needs a comprehensive approach. When a nursery has unsegregated learning environments, it allows children to explore, play, and develop their minds. These learning environments include different learning sections that appeal to a child’s senses. Since children just learn to explore and soak it in, it is crucial to keep the environment simple not to feel overwhelmed.
Balance between activities
Some activities will make your children jump in excitement, while others will calm them down. When you keep a balance between the two, it promotes a child’s characteristic development. When children indulge in playful activities, it helps them release steam and focus during calming activities.
Concluding note
There are several ways to keep children learning in nurseries, but a caregiver must enjoy their job first to make children learn. When the caregivers are happy and feel indulgent, children will automatically follow their lead and learn more. Cheeky Chums offers excellent childcare services that are designed with a child’s overall development in mind. Contact us to find out more!
