Are we sending kids to school when they are too young? Parents facing the decision of whether to enrol their children in school or to wait a year should take note.

Recent research shows that kids who postponed school for a year showed dramatically higher levels of self-control than kids who enrolled earlier. Starting school too early creates a fear of learning and puts too much pressure on young children. According to a coalition of education experts, starting school too early causes a ‘damaging pressure’ on children to perform in class at a young age and this is causing ‘profound damage’ in a generation which is not encouraged to learn through play.

At Chubby Cheeks Nursery, we believe that the early years provide a crucial opportunity, when supported by well trained and professional care providers, for children to be children and that play is essential for children’s learning and development. At Chubby Cheeks Nursery, each area of learning and development is implemented through planned, purposeful play and through a mix of adult-led and child-initiated activities.

Through play, the children at Chubby Cheeks Nursery are able to explore and develop learning experiences which help them to make sense of the world around them, express themselves, process information, acquire knowledge and master skills.

During play, our children learn to:

• Make choices and decisions
• Use their own ideas, imagination and experiences
• Explore and Experiment
• Practise skills and learn new ones
• Make sense of puzzling situations, events or equipment
• Negotiate
• Coordinate ideas and feelings, and make sense of relationships with their friends and families
• Explore the world and overcome their fears and anxieties
• Try out new behaviors and practise old ones
• Exercise, develop and coordinate body, mind and brain
• Adapt and transform knowledge, attitudes and skills
• Follow an interest or line of inquiry
• Become confident and enjoy challenges
• Have fun with friends and/or familiar adults
• Cooperate and learn group values
• Be Curious, persistent and concentrate
• Expand and challenge their physical skills
• Respond to experiences with or without language

So, rest assured that if you have decided to enroll your child in school at a later age and keep him/her in nursery for a longer time, you have taken the best decision for your child’s learning and development!