Nursery Education and Child Development

Nursery education (for pre school children 3-5) is an opportunity for children in the 'Early Years' to develop key skills in literacy, numeracy and cognitive development. A key aspect of nursery education must be structured motor skills programmes, which through a series of pre school activities, can correct many developmental delays that are seen by teachers in Foundation Stage children entering Reception

The Problem at Reception

Teachers and Educational Psychologists have noted that children pre school coming from a nursery are not acquiring the abilities previously expected of them. Indeed more than half the children tested in one County failed to achieve the expected goals on entry to Reception. These failings result in children being unable to concentrate in class and also lacking in their motor skills (poor co-ordination). A structured nursery education including pre school activities with a high motor aspect can reduce these problems, most of which caused by parents not encouraging an active lifestyle in their young children.

Correcting this problem

In the County, teachers are now implementing structured motor programmes on children on entry to Reception with the result that at the end of the first term, the vast majority now reach the expected standard. It would, however be better if the children could learn whilst in the nursery through a range of pre school activities.

In the Nursery

If nursery education could be structured so that children could learn whilst pre school and acquire the skills needed then they would not have to go through the motor Programme in the first term. Realising this, an Educational Psychologist has produced a Child Development Programme for children the early years. This programme, designed for pre-school children in the Early Years Foundation Stage ( aged 3-5) concentrates on developing key skills in literacy, numeracy, motor skills and information processing. Pre school children can be taught both at home and benefit from nursery education, as well as Sure Start centers. They enjoy the preschool activities and the programme has the advantage over educational toys in that more than one facet of their early learning takes place.