As a parent, you want to find the best possible early learning service for your toddler. To decide whether a service will be suitable for your child, you should consider visiting the service at least once - to observe what happens on a day-to-day basis. This can help you build a clear picture of whether the service practices will meet your family and child’s needs.
Your child’s brain rapidly develops in their first 5 years and research shows that children learn and develop at a faster rate during these years than any other time in their lives. Research also tells us that quality early learning services provide support and encouragement for the ongoing development of your child’s language, cognitive, motor and social emotional skills.
You and your family are the most important influence on your toddler, and when they attend an early learning service, the experiences and relationships that happen there are also important.
Some of the most important characteristics of a quality early learning service revolve around:
Quality early learning services place great importance on the development of meaningful relationships between children and educators. The many warm, friendly and respectful interactions between your child and the educators help to foster the development of your child’s social and emotional skills and general wellbeing.
In addition, educators work in partnership with you and your family to get to know your child. They do this when they speak regularly with you about your child’s needs, routines and experiences at home and at the service.
The following are particularly important:
Toddlers are beginning to develop an interest in others, and they often need adult support and reassurance to be able to interact and play appropriately with peers.
The following are particularly important:
Quality practice happens when educators make flexible plans and prepare for toddlers’ positive experiences using the knowledge they have about each child’s own interests and abilities.
The following are particularly important:
The physical environment plays an important role in toddler’s experiences.
The early learning environment should be rich with language and print, and educators should talk with children about what is happening to them and around them.
The following are particularly important:
Maintaining children’s health and keeping them safe is the most fundamental responsibility of an early learning service.
Children in service settings are more likely to come into contact with contagious illnesses than they are at home. It is particularly important that the service have clear procedures for minimising cross infection through hygiene practices and excluding ill children if required. The service should also ensure that families are provided with the service’s current policies on health, nutrition and illness.
A quality service should:
Some questions that you may find helpful when considering early learning for your toddler include:
For more information or to provide detailed feedback, please contact us