Educational Daycare

High-quality daycare programs provide enormous benefits to children. An educational daycare with the right teaching and learning framework, an engaging daily routine, and enriching materials and activities can drastically benefit a child’s development.

But finding daycare — an educational and affordable daycare; the best one for your family — can be tough. Once you start your search, there’s a lot to consider, and it’s important to explore your options. Here, we’ll cover the benefits of an educational daycare. Take a look!

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Benefits of Educational Daycare  

Wondering what to expect at a daycare? Curious what, exactly, your child will get out of an educational daycare experience? Here are seven benefits.  

 

School Readiness 
An educational daycare typically follows a curriculum that focuses on whole child development and helps children build the skills they need to be ready for all the big steps ahead. Plus, enrolling your child in a daycare program means they’ll be in a similar environment to school — around other children their age, engaging in fun and educational activities, with a teacher or caregiver present. Many parents notice that children who go to daycare have a smoother transition into kindergarten.  

Daily Routines 
Educational daycares follow a daily routine. Why? Because routines and repetition help children feel safe, learn, and remember what comes next. Daily routines include meals, naps, open-ended play, classroom activities, outdoor time, and more.  

Developing Skills 
Children who attend high-quality educational daycare programs gain self-control; self-esteem; social-emotional skills; reading, writing, and math skills; and so much more. 

More Independence 
Teachers help children develop self-regulation and self-help skills, too. Children become more independent at an early age through participating in child-led activities and having the opportunity to pour their own water or milk at mealtimes, set up their nap area, and get themselves dressed after water play. 

Better Communication 
Children can learn how to communicate more effectively by hearing and watching their peers and teachers speak and interact with each other. An educational daycare provides the opportunities they need to interact with others and work on multiple areas of communication. 

Increased Confidence 
Young children also develop self-confidence in an educational daycare setting, which helps them become more comfortable in social settings.  

Community Participation 
You’ll also likely find that educational daycares celebrate diversity and get involved in their communities. This provides new experiences for children and exposes them to diverse cultures and different lifestyles. Parents can also take advantage of community involvement — this can help you find support and build a network of connections. 

WHAT SHOULD I KNOW ABOUT EDUCATIONAL DAYCARE?

Is daycare considered educational? 

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Similar to babysitting, most daycare centers focus on the care of the child, rather than the academic aspect. There may be educational activities, but there likely won’t be a specific educational curriculum in place — unless your child is enrolled in an educational daycare, early learning center, or high-quality child care center.  

Be sure to do your research so you’re confident you’ve found a care program that fits your standards and expectations. 

Is daycare the same as early childhood education? 

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No. Early childhood education, or ECE, typically follows a curriculum that focuses on whole child development and school readiness, and helps children prepare for the future. ECE can certainly be provided at daycare facilities — especially educational daycares — but you’ll need to look into each center’s specific offerings to see what their curriculum includes, how experienced their teachers are, and more.  

What is play education?

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Play-based education is exactly that — a method of teaching that helps children learn through play.
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Bright Horizons is a United States–based child-care provider and is the largest provider of employer-sponsored child care. Employees looking to become a child care teacher are offered the opportunity to earn an early education degree for free as part of their corporate benefits. Search by zip to find a child care center near you. Bright Horizons Global Headquarters are in Newton, Massachusetts, USA.