When it comes to education, it is important to set children on the right path early on. Whether you have a child attending a nursery in Edinburgh and ready to start school next year, or you have a child in the early years of primary school already, taking some steps to equip them for the challenges ahead can make a huge difference to learning outcomes. Fortunately, there are a number of effective ways you can help them to gain a head start.
The Latest Digital Learning Tools
It is more important than ever for children to build digital literacy along with the more conventional areas of education, like writing and numeracy. For this reason, it can be a good idea to download a high-quality kids learning app for your phone or tablet. This can help your child to develop a combination of traditional and digital skills from a young age.
Digital learning apps can help to give your child a head start with memorising the alphabet, understanding basic shapes and numbers, or building their vocabulary. The best apps include gamification elements, helping to make the learning experience fun and engaging, which then makes it easier for your child to retain useful information.
A study on the effects of gamification in teaching found that a multimodal approach with gamified elements leads to increased interest and engagement with learning, improved cognitive skills and higher rates of achievement. This suggests that digital learning tools could play a valuable role in preparation for school.
Confidence Through Early Learning
In addition to teaching your children valuable information, it is equally important to try to build confidence and provide opportunities for social interactions. Again, there are several potential ways to achieve this.
For example, sending your child to one of the nursery schools in Edinburgh or capitalising on children and family centres in the city can help to build social skills and confidence. It may reduce the emotional impact of school attendance and can allow your child to get used to collaboration, sharing and having positive interactions with peers.
According to research funded by the Nuffield Foundation, there is some modest evidence suggesting that nursery attendance can improve assessment outcomes at the end of Reception. It may even play some role in closing the attainment gap between children from rich and poor families, especially during early years.
However, building confidence through early years does not always need to look like formal lessons or nursery attendance. One option is to try to turn your own home into an environment that is rich with learning opportunities. This can include having educational toys, books and games, and finding ways to explore language, numbers and creativity.
Final Thoughts
Every parent wants to give their child the best possible start in life and education plays a major role. By using the latest educational apps and tools and by providing opportunities for your child to build confidence and become engaged with learning experiences, you can give them a valuable head start during the early years of primary school.
