In today’s situation, online classes have appeared as the go-to solution for students. Despite lockdown, they still can resume classes and continue learning.

But many parents think that paying for online classes, especially for Early Years, is pointless. Some parents also opt to skip this year. As a result, the question ‘what the effect of a gap period will be’ is overlooked by most of the parents.

Did you know? The first five years of a child is not only fundamentally important, but this is also when they are prepared to become the person they are going to be.

Now, you might think that Early Years is anyway all about play, which can also happen at home. So, why should I pay for online classes? On the other hand, some people believe that the child’s brain develops every day, and we cannot afford to miss even a single day. Because, for brain development, children need to receive the right kind of stimulation, which only teachers can provide. So, where are you on this?

Let’s learn from our expert Ms.Kathakali Roy, who is a Nursery & EY1 Grade Level Coordinator as she shares how playing at home and playing at school differs from each other.

Ms.Roy said, Our goal in Early Years is to help students learn to ask questions, express themselves, collaborate with others, and take creative risks. We also want them to retain their natural curiosity and to never lose the excitement of learning something new. All those things are achieved by making virtual learning fun for children.

• Children gain a lot from attending their online classes because they become exposed to numbers, letters, and shapes there. But, more importantly, they develop social and emotional skills and learn how to get along with other children, to share and to contribute.
• The 3-6-year olds are like little sponges at that age. They can take in so much; even more than we can think. Parents should make use of this time to equip their little ones with the skills they need in their lives. Homeschooling your children at this age might give them a good academic head start, but this type of schooling will fail to develop their social and emotional skills that are of utmost importance for their future. And these skills get developed by children being able to meet virtually other children their age when they are unable to meet their friends physically.
• Virtual school is an opportunity for them to be in a structured setting with teachers and groups of children where they will learn to follow instructions, raise their hand when they want to ask a question, take turns, and share the teacher’s attention.
• Our Virtual school provides a place where children will gain a sense of self, explore and build confidence. Students during online classes while learning through playing usually discover that they are capable and that they can do things for themselves instead of always asking parents to step in. They will learn wonders – from small tasks like pouring their own juice and helping set their Learning Centre, to tackling bigger issues like making decisions on which songs and rhymes to be included for their virtual classes. Isn’t that a great step for them?

As a parent, we need to understand that if we do not provide the right kind of information at the right time, we will be hampering the child’s brain development. As a result, online learning becomes the right kind of way to provide children what they need. After all, online learning is not about sitting behind the screens. Their classes are well-planned and structured by the teachers to maintain the balance between learning and screen time.