“Digging in the sand, painting a black mess, pounding nails, working puzzles, playing dress up, and finger painting all look like just play. To the child it is his/her work. Each activity develops large and small muscles, identifies colors, develops eye-hand coordination, and allows emotional release. Just as a house stands on a secure foundation that can not be seen, the child needs these kind of experiences as a foundation for later academic skills and life.”

When you pick up your child at the end of a long day and ask them what they did that day, what is their response? Usually it goes something like this, “I played.” When you look at a daily schedule at a pre-school or children’s center, it usually states that they had music, reading, indoor choice, outside time, and maybe a nature walk or a special cooking project. As a parent, you may ask yourself, “Is this all my child is getting for $700 a month? How are they ever going to be ready for school?” Well, believe it or not, your money is being well spent!

Children in the early years of development learn at a more rapid pace than any other time in their lives. Everything they experience is being absorbed into their memories and “learned” for future reference. When a child says all they did all day was play, you know that they have been given a quality environment that makes learning fun. If you asked an early care educator what the child’s day looked like, you might hear this; “ Today your child studied rhyming words and beginning and ending sounds by singing playful songs which will develop an understanding of language and a love of literacy. He/she worked on listening skills and self-control during circle time and learned differentiation while playing Simon Says. Your child acted independently while making choices between fine and gross motor activities and learned how to cook, take care of a baby, and clean up the house before meal time. She/he learned about spatial relationships and cause and effect while building a tall tower of blocks and they learned that you can have more friends by being nice to others rather than taking the ball from others before it is your turn.”

So how do you know if your child is in a quality environment?

There are many types of settings a child may be in during the day and each one has its positive aspects. Some children stay at home with a parent. Others might go to a relative’s house with siblings and cousins. Some may have a nanny come into their home and others attend family child care homes or child care centers. Each family must make a choice of care that is best for them and their child. There is no right or wrong type of care to choose from, but there are differences in quality that will determine how your child experiences learning. When looking for quality care, there are a number of questions to ask and things to look for. It is important to follow your instincts about the “feel” of an environment and you have to determine what your priorities are in the care of your child. Do you want a warm, relaxed environment with lots of free choice or do you want a more structured environment with a teacher directed curriculum? The following resources will help you determine the best type of care for your child.

Resource and Referral – www.fsacares.org

U.S. Office of Personnel Management – www.opm.gov/wrkfam

Tips for Selecting Child Care – www.lachildcare.com/forparnt/selecting.htm

CareGuide – www.careguide.com

Care About Quality – www.careaboutquality.org