These days, there's a lot of talk in education about how much better school students fare in smaller class sizes. However, you may be surprised to learn that they're also beneficial even before formal education begins. Here are 3 reasons to choose a kindergarten learning program with a low child-to-teacher ratio.
Small Classes are Proven to Improve Success
Small class sizes boosting kindergarteners' achievements isn't just a theory — it's actually proven by research. Over the last 40 years, studies from the US have shown that children in kindergarten and the first few years of school do better academically when they're in a well-designed small class. Specifically, researchers recommended a class size of 18 children or less.
What's even more interesting is that the achievements kindergarteners make in small classes aren't just limited to the early years. Further research noted that the gains young children make in the early years continue even when they move into formal schooling. Choosing a kindergarten with small classes will give your child a solid foundation by helping them get better grades when they start school.
Small Classes Help Build Communication Skills
One of the biggest reasons why parents send their children to kindergarten before the prep year is to help them build communication skills with other children and adults. Small class sizes are much more conducive to this development than large ones.
You may think that a big kindergarten class will maximise your child's opportunity to make friends and connect with others, but often the opposite is true. Children often feel less comfortable speaking up in crowded classrooms. On top of that, it's easier for children to form close bonds in smaller classrooms, which gives them more opportunity to develop their social understanding as well as language skills. With less peers in the class, your child will also get more one-on-one time with adult staff, teaching them how to communicate with people of all ages.
Small Classes Can Focus on Learning
When you choose a kindergarten learning program over a play-focused daycare, you do so because you want your child to start building a foundation for the future school years. Education-focused kindergartens combine play with teaching to develop your child's basic understanding of mathematics, literacy, science, humanities and more. Of course, this learning can only take place in a classroom where kindergarteners are actually ready to learn.
In kindergartens with large classes, there's often too much time spent getting children to listen, behave, and generally get ready to participate in learning. In a small class, there are fewer conflicts and fewer children who need extra attention. Teachers in these classes don't need to spend as much time on basic discipline and instruction, maximising the amount of time your child spends engaging in fun and effective learning.
When choosing a kindergarten program for your child, consider choosing a class with fewer students for the added benefits.
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