Whether your students are heading back to child care after lockdown or arriving for their first ever day at preschool, entering a busy classroom post-Covid will be a challenge for children and parents—and it’s your job to ease them into it while supporting key childhood development milestones.
From sensory development to advancement in language and literacy, early influences play a huge part in childhood development. But since Covid hit, children have missed out on a lot of the support they’d normally receive—leaving parents feeling increasingly anxious about the potential impact on their children.
This leaves many parents in a pickle. On the one hand, they’re keen to get children back into child care. On the other, they’re still worried about potential safety risks and the difficulties of saying goodbye after so many months together.
So, what can ECE leaders do to balance this Catch-22 and alleviate parent worries?
The answer is to do what you do best: Support and nurture children through tailored activities.
When it comes to creating your next lesson plan, it’s important to focus on activities that will help relieve anxieties, keep distance where possible, and make sure parents can stay connected throughout the day.
Ready to help ease young children (and parents) back into the classroom?
Let’s do this!
For the first year of a child’s life, their brains are like a sponge soaking up knowledge—and it’s your job to support them through each developmental stage.
Here’s how to nurture infants and show parents safety is your #1 priority.
By the time children reach two-years-old, their development is skyrocketing. Every year from this point they will reach new heights of developmental progress, which the right activities can help to boost.
Here are some of the best activities to help children hit those developmental milestones, while easing them into child care and alleviating parent anxiety through social distancing and safety precautions.
For a full list of early childhood milestones, check out the CDC website.
Activities for 4-year-olds
After a difficult year, families are hesitant about sending their children back into busy classrooms. But with the right approach and well-thought-through activities, you can reassure parents that they’ve made the right decision.
From activities that focus on developmental milestones, to socially distanced (but still social) games and songs, there are a ton of ways to help rebuild that trust and get parents feeling 100% secure in their decision to send their children back to preschool.
Remember to keep parents engaged throughout the day, especially during those first few weeks, by sharing photos, videos, and messages that show their child settling in and having fun.
Trust us, it won’t take long for your hard work to pay off!
We’ve got the latest data, tips, and tricks to make your early ed organization a great place to work and the top pick for families looking for exceptional early learning experience.