The importance of a childcare centre is often underestimated, particularly because it is structured as a place where children leave their children because they have no helper at home. However, the Singapore childcare centre can reveal so much about your child.
Some of the best childcare centres in Singapore give assessment reports on a child’s progress, even though there is little to no structured learning. Caregivers usually look at a child’s development progress over time and the changes they see in the child since the time they joined childcare in Singapore.
A child’s childcare assessment covers the following:
- Learning interests. As children play, they are exposed to lessons they will encounter in kindergarten, such as colors, numbers, and shapes. Children tend to have a special interest in certain areas, such as a preference for learning colors over numbers.
- Potential learning difficulties. It is important to point out that the assessment of potential learning difficulties is not definite. However, caregivers may note down their observations, which may alert parents to developmental issues that may affect a child’s ability to learn.
- The child’s strengths. Although your child is still young and has yet to develop specific interests, their personality will highlight their strengths. For example, an empathetic child will find socializing and getting along easier with other children. Some children develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills quickly, and this is evident in the games they play.
- Milestones. Caregivers will note the changes they have observed over time. For example, if the child didn’t know how to hold a pencil when they joined daycare but can scribble after a few weeks or months, this is progress. A child who successfully potty trained at the childcare centre has achieved a milestone.
Child assessment can cover different areas of growth and development, and they may vary from child to child. Parents need to follow these assessments because they also give them an idea of the support the child gets at the Singapore childcare centre.
For the Singapore childcare centre, the assessment helps determine if the approach they use is beneficial. If children don’t seem to be making much progress in one area or another, the childcare centre can change the programs to stimulate progress.
Challenges Of Childcare Development Assessment
Assessment in childcare centres is important, but the process has loopholes that may not give the true picture of what is being assessed. So, parents and teachers need to be cautious when analyzing these reports.
Here are the common challenges childcare centres face when assessing early childhood development.
- Children develop at different rates. Childcare centres may use a standard list of what they expect children to be doing at a specific age. However, due to different family backgrounds, cultures, and exposures, some children develop faster than others.
- Distractions. Young children have a short attention span, and it may be impossible to determine if a child has learning difficulties just because they are easily distracted.
- Different home environments. The home environment influences how a child communicates, behaves, and even interacts with others. For example, a child with siblings may be better adapted to socializing than lone children. Some children may be unfairly assessed, yet their home environment did not expose them to situations where they would develop socializing or problem-solving skills.
Despite the challenges, caregivers can use different ways to assess children without relying on fluid factors, such as age to determine cognitive development. Parents can still find ways to help their children using childcare assessment reports, especially since childcare centres prepare children for kindergarten.