The toddler and preschool years are the most critical in a child’s development.
In fact, if I had to choose between sending my child to either preschool or college, I’d take preschool any day.
Here’s why…
The Fragile Early Years
Without a strong educational foundation a child will likely never make it through college. Once they get to college it is too late to fix the accumulated damage that has been done by a poor start in education, and which often includes heavy doses of confusion, disinterest, lack of confidence and resentment.
The damage goes beyond any particular test results. A child’s passion for a subject, or even school and learning in general, can be severely dulled, even permanently extinguished.
They lack not just the basic knowledge to get through college, but the mental and cognitive equipment, the thinking methods, and the attitude.
But if their needs are met during their first encounters in the classroom, if their innate desire to know is fanned, and the basic building blocks of effective thinking laid… that solid foundation will very likely endure for the rest of their lives, making them passionate and lifelong learners.
Laying a Solid Foundation
Much of that foundation is set during the toddler and preschool years, when the child is having his first encounters with the world, struggling to understand it, and how he fits in. This is when the correct trajectory must be set, the basic concepts grasped, the basic skills developed, and the correct attitude fostered.
This is “the absorbent mind” stage, when the child is ultra-sensitve to these basics, and soaks in everything around him. It’s a critical period where the child needs a rich and challenging environment, coupled with the expert guidance of a teacher sensitive to the developmental stages of the child, his needs and his individual nuances.
Spending a little on your child’s education during these formative years pays massive dividends down the road as your child learns how to learn, how to think, correctly, and develops a genuine love of learning that stays with them their whole life, making them hungry for knowledge and self-improvement.
These are the years when children form their first self-concept and self-assessment, either blossoming into self-reliant and self-confident kids… or shrinking from challenges and retreating from the wonders of the world.
So the early years are a “small hinge that swings a big door,” a door that opens up the world to them and their future. That’s why preschool really deserves your careful consideration.
Without that solid base of burning curiosity, cognitive confidence and skill, a child may never make it through college. And with that solid foundation, they barely need college at all.
But a good preschool education goes far beyond the child…
Happy Child, Happy Family
A good school not only transforms your child, it makes parenting and family life easier and more enjoyable.
Many of our parents are thrilled at the changes they see in their child at home and in family life in general. Even the most “spirited” child, when in a loving, rich and challenging environment, are happier and calmer at home.
Just read some of our testimonials to see the wide ranging and lasting impact a good education can have on your child and your family.
I’ll Tell You Now, The Children’s House is Not for Everyone
Against the advice of my marketer and my accountant, I’m going to try persuade you not to consider The Children’s House, I’ll even give you some reasons why you should cross us off your list.
I’m doing it because it’s true, The Children’s House is not for everyone. And it’s to no one’s benefit to be caught in a relationship that is not right for all parties, your child, your family, and the teachers at TCH. We want what’s best for your child, and occasionally The Children’s House is not a suitable option.
It’s not for you if you see education as something that is fed in to children’s minds, i.e., that is somehow transmitted from the teacher to the child. Learning is a deeply personal, dynamic and interactive experience between the child and reality, with the teacher serving as a guide.
It’s not for you if you prize obedience over independence. One of the fundamental goals of The Children’s House is to nurture our students in to cognitive, physical, emotional and social independence, enabling them to confidently tackle tasks, make friends, and when necessary, stand up for what they know is right.
It’s not for you if you expect meekness from your child. Graduates of The Children’s House are accomplished in their own ways, self-assertive, and proud when their achievements warrant it.
And truthfully, it may not be for you if your eyes are on your child’s academic performance and you’re thinking about college already. We do not work that way. We put the child first, and focus on what he needs to maximize his development at the particular stage he is in, not on the parents academic expectations.
What to Do Now…
You may be skeptical, have doubts and worries. You should, it’s natural and in fact we encourage our students to look at the world and not take things on hearsay, it’s good critical thinking!
So if you’re interested, look into our school for yourself, read what parents are saying about us, seek out and question current and past parents who have experienced The Children’s House. Then schedule a visit, so you can see the children and our philosophy in action for yourself.
If you like what you see, we’ll take it from there.
You’d better hurry though, spots are filling up fast, and may even be gone by the time you read this.
I look forward to showing you our school.
Debbie Richardson
Director, The Children’s House
Tel: 704-975-6753
Email: debbie@thechildrenshouse.us
412 Armour St, Davidson, NC 28036