The importance of early childhood education for child development
The child, an actor in his development and learning from a very young age: The importance of non-formal education in daycare
Your baby, a little explorer!
Your baby is born with a brain ready to learn everything, but he needs time to discover the world around him. At this age, he is like a little sponge, absorbing every detail. Every look, every word, every smile are fundamental steps in his learning. The first years of life are crucial for your child's development. Every discovery, whether motor, language or social, is an opportunity to learn and grow. By playing, singing, or reading stories, you sow the seeds of curiosity and learning. This is why providing a stimulating environment from an early age is essential for his development.
The active role of the infant
Far from being passive, the infant is an active little being who, from birth, seeks to establish a visual link with his mother. From the first hours of life, he makes considerable efforts to connect with those around him. This visual link is essential to his development and well-being. Your baby is a budding little scientist, who is constantly experimenting and exploring his environment. He learns actively and uses all his resources to stimulate his cognitive development. Social interactions play a key role in activating his neural networks and promoting his development.
The importance of the linguistic environment
Your baby is a true statistics genius! He analyzes the sounds he hears and identifies the combinations that are repeated. In this way, he learns to recognize words and understand their meaning. Babies learn their mother tongue by observing and imitating the people around them. From 6 months, they are able to distinguish the sounds of their mother tongue and understand their structure. At 2 years old, their brain restructures its neural connections, a process called synaptic pruning . This optimizes neural connections and promotes the emergence of new skills. This is why it is essential to offer them varied and stimulating activities from a very young age, such as those offered in our Les Mousquetaires nursery, with our STEAM approach.
The senses: The engine of its development
Your baby's senses are his windows to the world. Thanks to these senses, he discovers a universe of new sensations and emotions. At daycare, at home, during outings, his sensory explorations such as touching, tasting or moving allow him to build a coherent representation of the world. These experiences are essential for his cognitive and motor development. The baby is a little researcher, curious to understand the world around him. Encouraging his curiosity and allowing him to handle objects is essential to his learning.
If your baby tears, crushes, puts objects in his mouth or throws them, he is exploring the properties of these objects to better understand them. You are his guide in his discoveries, providing a safe environment that allows him to explore with confidence. Your baby's curiosity, stimulated by the pleasure of discovery, pushes him to explore constantly. Mistakes, far from discouraging him, are opportunities for him to learn and grow.
The key role of dopamine in learning
Dopamine, the neurotransmitter of pleasure, plays a central role in learning in babies. When they discover new things, they activate their reward system and reinforce their exploratory behaviors. Hence the importance of valuing their efforts and recognizing their successes. Play, in particular, becomes a testing ground where children learn through action. By repeating gestures, observing the consequences and adjusting their strategies, they develop cognitive and motor skills.
The game: A testing ground
Play accompanies children throughout their development. It allows them to understand the world around them, develop their social and emotional skills, and acquire problem-solving skills. From a very young age, play helps them build a solid foundation for their academic and social learning.
Play activities play a vital role in the development of children's executive functions. For example, play requires working memory (to remember rules), self-control (to manage impulses), planning (to develop strategies), and mental flexibility (to adapt to change). These cognitive skills, which are crucial for academic success and daily life, are strengthened over time through play experiences.
How to stimulate the emergence of executive functions?
To promote the emergence of executive functions, such as working memory and cognitive flexibility, it is interesting to offer children role-playing games and cooking workshops. These fun activities allow them to work on essential skills for future learning. By playing role-playing games, they learn to adapt to different situations and embody different characters. By cooking, they plan and memorize the different steps of a recipe.
At the Les Mousquetaires nursery: A fun and personalized awakening
At Les Mousquetaires nursery in Leudelange, Luxembourg, we believe in playful and personalized development. We offer a space where each child can develop their creativity, curiosity and social skills, in a stimulating and warm environment. These opportunities help to stimulate their overall development and prepare each child for a rewarding future.
Discover the unique educational approach of the Les Mousquetaires nursery and offer your child an environment rich in discoveries!