Why Should Parents Be Involved In Early Childhood Education?

Parents are the primary teachers in a child’s life, especially from birth to age six when a child’s brain develops faster than at any other time in her life. This is one of the main reasons why it’s important for parental involvement to continue when your child starts a Brookline infant care program. This is also true as they enter child day care in Brookline, and later, a preschool in Brookline.

In fact, research strongly suggests that children whose parents are involved during the crucial development stages of preschool and the early school years, often experience academic success later on. Additionally, studies indicate that when parents are involved in their child’s early educational experiences, say, at a Brookline preschool, they tend to be more satisfied with their academic performance in elementary school and beyond with higher aspirations for their child.

Being involved in your child’s early education experiences at their Brookline preschool or Brookline childcare center benefits both you and your child, not just academically, strengthening skill development for instance, but by strengthening parent child bonds and making the transition between leaving home and attending a preschool in Brookline easier for the child.

Staying involved in your child’s early educational experience in a preschool in Brookline or Brookline childcare center also shows your child that learning is important and that you take a strong interest in her education. Equally important perhaps, is the message that he is part of a larger community beyond the family unit and it helps form positive partnerships between schools and families, and within the families themselves.

Fortunately, parents can stay involved when their Brookline infant attends child daycare in Brookline or their toddler heads off to a preschool in Brookline in a number of ways, from being a classroom helper to reading to your child at night and talking to your child about the school day.

As a parent of a child attending Brookline childcare or a Brookline preschool, becoming involved also benefits you by providing opportunities to interact with your child’s teacher or caregiver on a regular basis and gives you a better understanding of your child’s daily activities. It’s also a chance to meet and network with other parents at the Brookline childcare center your children attend together, and enables parents to gain insight into what school life will be like in the future years for their child.

Jane Bartlett is a retired educator who spent much of her career in leading Brookline preschool programs and providing daycare in Brookline. She now writes extensively on early education issues and remains active locally in Brookline's preschool community.