Preschool or Early Childhood Development (ECD) education is prevalent in Nepal as Nursery or Pre-Primary School also known as "Bal Mandir". Children benefit from Pre schooling as their cognitive, emotional, social and physical potential are developed at this stage. The children admitted to Preschool are provided care and support along with educational activities. The teachers and caregivers are trained to handle the children in a fun-filled manner.
The children learn by fun as well as educational activities. While teachers carefully monitor their overall development, they maintain the child-centered development approach. Preschools or Montessori Schools have various sets of teaching methodologies including self-directed activities, hands-on learning, and collaborative play.
Teaching Methodologies
Teaching methodologies are based on various key areas. Children learn by exploration, building communication skills, encouraging positive peer interactions, theme-based concept, math readiness, language readiness, opportunities for motor development and cognitive development. They get involved in various activities like sensory time, story time, water play, sand play, creative time, library time, festival celebration, field trips, puppet shows, and technology familiarization. For the children who have learned the basic key skills, they get involved in art and drama, personal and social skills thereby instilling life long learning skills.
Importance of Preschool
Preschool is important as it provides child-centered development activities while parents attend to work or some parents can get involved in their activities. Preschool helps in the social and emotional development of a child. A child is allowed to interact with teachers and peers. Preschool develops school readiness by helping a child to learn phonics and understand numbers. Preschool promotes language and cognitive skills in a child which helps them with communication. Preschool develops self-confidence in a child by providing a lot of encouragement and appreciation.
Stages of Preschool
The number of Preschools or ECD Centers (Community-based and community school-based ) has reached to 30,448 with gross enrollment rate 81% of the target group of children in the academic year 2072/73 (DOE, 2015). Preschool or ECD education instills a foundation for children who grow up to attend Primary Schools. They perform various activities along with their peers thereby developing physically, socially, emotionally and cognitively. Everything is possible for parents who have demanding careers and are juggling work and family, by taking their child to a Preschool.
Pre-school comprises of 3 stages. The stages are divided into:
- Playgroup: Children between 1.5 to 2.5 years, start to explore the world in this stage. At Playgroup, they develop their latent language, social, aesthetic and motor skills.
- Nursery or Foundation I: Children between 2.5 to 3.5 years engage in school readiness activities such as reading, writing, counting, number recognition and problem-solving.
- Kindergarten or Foundation II: Children between 3.5 to 5.5 years, get involved in age-appropriate activities that prepare a child for formal school.
Characteristics of Preschool
Parents face a lot of questions that Preschool to choose for their children. Since Preschool prepares children for formal school, Parents should consider a few things before admitting their child to any Preschool.
Physical Infrastructure
Physical Infrastructure of ECD is considered one of the enabling factors in organizing learning and development activities for children. It is better to find a preschool in the local area or whether the school provides transportation. The Preschool should have spacious classrooms and designated play areas.
Resources
The availability of learning materials in ECD is another factor associated with child development and learning. Resources like: books, learning instruments enable children to perform better.
Teachers
Teachers should be well trained to provide care and support to the children in Pre-school. Training of the facilitator of ECD affects the learning of the children.
Health and Nutrition
Along with the fee structure, health and nutrition facilities should also be taken into account. The study by Education Review Office, 2018 mentions that the development and learning standards are better in the ECD having health and nutrition services to children in comparison to ECD without having such facilities.
