Our Vancouver daycare prioritizes a balanced approach to learning. Combining teacher-led and child-led learning, children get the most out of their early childhood education. In this blog, we’ll explore some of the most beneficial advantages of child-led education and why it is so effective for preschool and early learning.
What is Child-Led Learning?
Child-led learning is education that is driven by a child’s own interests, questions, and natural approach to learning. In a child-led educational activity, children decide for themselves what and how to learn. They ask questions and follow their own path to reach answers. In other words, children explore, experiment, and discover for themselves.
Benefits of Child-Led Education
1. Fosters a love of learning.
In a child-led learning environment, children are led by their own interests, curiosity and imagination, making learning inherently exciting. Children have so many questions about the world around them and unique ways of exploring those questions — letting them direct their own learning encourages them to truly love it.
For toddlers and preschool-aged children, developing a love of learning early on is ideal, as this can lead to a lifelong love of learning. At our Vancouver preschool centres, we are dedicated to encouraging this passion for learning.
2. Encourages persistence in learning.
When the motivation to learn comes from within themselves, children are more likely to persist in their work even when they come across challenges. Since they are intrinsically motivated to find out more about the subject they are exploring, children tend to see roadblocks as something to work through in order to reach their destination, rather than an immovable obstacle.
In this way, child-led learning encourages children to be persistent and hard-working during their education, even when things aren’t always simple or quick. In our Vancouver child care centres, child-led learning activities let children explore and persevere in their exploration.
3. Increases learning retention.
The intrinsic motivation that drives child-led learning not only makes them love learning but also encourages long-term retention of knowledge. Research shows when children truly care about what they are learning, their brain works harder to retain that learning.
Child-led education allows children the freedom to decide what to learn, and with it, the ability to remember new knowledge for longer.
4. Enhances creativity and imagination.
Children who lead in their own education use their creativity and imagination to help them do so. In thinking of ways to explore new concepts and ideas, they are forming long-lasting creative skills.
Harnessing creativity and imagination can help children develop stronger cognitive skills, critical thinking, emotional intelligence, and more.
In our Vancouver daycares, being creative and using child-led learning is an essential part of our every day.
5. Nurtures critical thinking skills.
During child-led learning, children ask questions, investigate, experiment, examine different perspectives, and come to conclusions on their own. All of this sets the stage for stronger critical thinking skills.
With critical thinking comes stronger reasoning, analysis and problem-solving abilities — giving children the tool kit to approach problems logically, infer and interpret different meanings, and identify practical solutions.
Child-led learning offers children the chance to design their own roadmap for their education. In doing so, they develop a love of learning, more persistence and perseverance, better learning retention, creativity, and critical thinking skills.
For a balanced approach to early learning, visit Rainforest Learning Centre’s daycares near you.
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Rainforest Learning Centre Vancouver child care centres are located in North Vancouver, Langley and Coquitlam and serve the surrounding areas of Upper Lonsdale, Central Lonsdale, Metro Vancouver, Burnaby, North Burnaby, New Westminster, Surrey and White Rock. We offer Vancouver group daycare, all-day preschool for ages 2 1/2 to 5, infant and toddler care for ages 1 to 3, half-day preschool for ages 3 to 5, and before- and after-school care for ages 5 to 12. Learn more here.