Engaging Preschoolers Over Summertime

How am I going to keep my child engaged this summer?
It’s a question parents struggle with every year. For many parents, summer camps and sports are the go-to solution. More recently, however, some parents have started opting for a year-round education (also called continuing education programs) instead. The main reason is more than just convenience, it addresses a concern for researchers, educators, and preschools for a long time, that a complete summer off from education breaks the learning routine and may cause what is referred to as a ‘learning slide.’

This learning slide makes the transition into fall difficult for children and affects their overall brain development as children tend to forget basic skills when they return to preschool. Since summer camps typically don’t focus on learning that involves analytical thinking, focus, or language development, it can lead to an education gap and development delays in children.

Why Every Day Matters?

According to the Center for Developing Child at Harvard University, 90% of brain development happens between the ages 0-6, a time when children’s minds are most absorbent. Year-round learning curriculums take full advantage of this ‘window of opportunity’. Pausing established learning patterns for 2-3 months during this period can disrupt the learning routine of children and slow down their progress.

“Early experiences affect the development of brain architecture, which provides the foundation for all future learning”
— Center for Developing Child at Harvard University

Year-Round Learning, A More Balanced Approach

Year-round learning programs not only include excellent physical activities tuned for summertime, they also reinforce the whole child development curriculum rich in Right Brain, Left Brain, and Movement activities.

Year-round programs are also well-researched and perfected over the years with inspiration from Dr. Maria Montessori, and Reggio Emilia which shape their curriculum and take into account every aspect of a child’s development such as analytical, social, and emotional. The curriculum has a structure that helps students in school readiness yet allows enough flexibility for children’s exploration and self-inquiry which is crucial for future progress. Group activities and independent play time are built into the program leading to whole child development.

Sustained Academic Progress 

Preschool Calgary summer programs ensure the skills and concepts students learn during the year have continuity and reinforcement over the summer. Children have diverse learning needs such as independent playtime, self-inquiry, imagination, creativity, analytical thinking, sensory play, numeracy and literacy, practical life skills, dramatic play, and much more. The preschool year-round curriculum is built around these learning needs.

Experts believe children’s learning needs are far too diverse to be replaced by a 3-month outdoor sports only, summer camps have a limited canvas focusing mainly on physical education. 

Strong Foundation and Easier Transition

Through the diversity of fun learning activities, a continuing education curriculum better assists children in developing brain architecture and executive functions, which form the basis of all future learning. It also makes the transition for children from summer to Fall smoother as the knowledge is retained and practiced more recently during the summer. 

Building A Healthy Routine

Daily routines are precious opportunities to boost a child’s learning and development while inspiring fun and pleasure. Routines provide the chance to build self-confidence, curiosity, social skills, self-control, communication skills, and much more. Building routines with children helps them to feel safe. It provides them with clear boundaries, expectations, and consistency. 

Calgary Preschools that offer year-round learning like Fueling Brains Academy are best known for maintaining a productive routine for children. Students anticipate the activities they love, from singing during circle time to making a cylindrical tower in their Left Brain class or say a farm-to-home pretend play activity in the  Right Brain environment. And who can forget the time allocated for Movement activities where students engage in fun dance, aerobics, games, and hurdles challenges that create energy and excitement for these young students? 

As children engage in these activities regularly, they understand and follow a daily routine and look forward to their daily activities. They are excited about the daily plan and look forward to upcoming events like playtime, class time, lunchtime, etc. Children build a healthy routine where they learn to manage their time better. They understand the importance of work time, play time, family time etc. As they grow up, they become self-disciplined and develop healthy habits such as studying, cleaning their room, etc.

Social and Emotional Development

One of the biggest advantages of year-round early learning is the emotional and social connections that children build with their peers and educators. This bonding teaches children important skills such as communication, and self-management, maintaining healthy relationships, and is a sheer joy for the preschoolers which helps them in becoming well-rounded students.   

Connecting the Dots

What’s fascinating about these year-round Calgary preschool programs is that they connect outdoor fun with classroom learning.  Students on a particular day might have a chance to play in the rain, and then come back to the classroom to learn about weather sciences and how water precipitates to form clouds and cause rain.  

About FBA

Fueling Brains Academy offers year-round programs at all of its locations across Calgary. Its unique Left Brain, Right Brain, and Movement programs and classrooms are breaking ground towards establishing the importance of brain development in early childhood education. Focusing on Executive Function skills and building strong developmental foundations so that all it’s students grow to be successful adults who love to learn. For more information about Fueling Brains Academy or to Tour a location please visit https://www.fuelingbrains.ca/locations/

– Written by Faisal Masood, FBA Marketing & Communications