Selecting The Right Child Care Centre Based On Educational Philosophy

Since one of the key roles of a child care centre (also referred to as preschool) is fostering a learning environment, you must evaluate how such learning is carried out before you send your child there. There are different ways in which learning is handled in various institutions. This would be based on the educational philosophy embraced by such a facility.

Some educational philosophies place much greater emphasis on play-based learning, while others would tend to introduce math and reading early. There are also other centres that would use different kinds of strategies.

Various types of existing educational models include the Montessori Method, Reggio Emilia system and Waldorf approach. You would do well to find out exactly what is involved in these models, so that you can know how much you child would benefit from them.

Here's a further evaluation of the features contained in one of the educational models - the Montessori Method:

The Montessori Method

This educational model originated from Rome, during the early 1900s. It's actually named after the person who developed it, Maria Montessori, and offers a child-centred approach to learning. In this case, teachers only serve the purpose of guiding children as the children develop their own competence.

Although the main focus is academics, this approach considers play as a child's work, while the children are given ample opportunity to learn at their own pace. The system also incorporates specially designed toys, termed as manipulatives, which are self-corrective. What this means is that it would be clearly obvious to any child if he/ she assembles a puzzle incorrectly. Such puzzle toys are designed to fit together; hence, the child would know if anything doesn't fit without being told.

Since the child is supposed to discover his/ her way around the puzzle toys, a teacher's role is simply just guiding the kids along. Moreover, such a group of kids isn't organized based on specific ages; rather, each child would be able to work at his/ her own level within the same class.

Indeed, the fact that teachers don't really have to teach means that different age groups of kids can learn within the same room. It's much like each child is teaching himself/ herself. Therefore, you can have kids ranging from age three to five all learning in one room.

Having different age groups within one room would also have several benefits to the kids. Younger age groups would have the opportunity to learn from older kids, since such older kids would serve as role models. Older kids would also have the chance to assist younger ones. This helps everyone get vital exposure to kids of different age groups.

The aspect of enduring teacher-student relationships is a great benefit in this system too. This is because such a set up would usually have the same teacher guiding a child for the three-year period that such a child is in preschool.

Based on such a learning model, it can be clearly seen that those children are better placed to develop vital leadership and independence skills. Definitely, the social interaction is an added benefit that further enhances academic excellence, making for a much more socially adjusted child.


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Carolyn Leis is a dedicated early education professional at Making a Difference Child Care. Your child will find all the necessary resources and receive the best quality early education experience at the centre. Visit us at http://www.madchildcare.com.au/centres/frenchs-forest/centre-page/ to find out more.