Interacting and playing with both peers and adults presents an immense amount of learning opportunities for young children. Even toddlers and infants reap the cognitive and emotional benefits of interacting with others. The right socially interactive environment will help children develop strong language skills, creativity, social intelligence, and confidence.
Language Development
Language involves using symbols and making connections to communicate and understand ideas. Strong language skills are due mostly to practicing communication with others. In a child care facility, children get the opportunity to practice sharing and learning ideas from their peers and the adults around them. The more people that children have the opportunity to communicate with, the stronger their vocabulary and comprehension will be.
Creativity and Imagination
In a child care center, children will be able to collaborate with others to engage in play and exercise their imagination. Dramatic play or "playing pretend" allows children to experiment with various ideas and to better understand abstract thinking. Playing and interacting with others allows children to gain inspiration and insight from other minds in order to master new concepts in a fun and creative way.
Social Skills
Learning new skills requires practice, trial, and error. Child care centers provide a safe and comfortable setting for children to experiment with and practice skills such as sharing, cooperation, taking turns, and showing respect for others. Children also learn the value of controlling impulses and curbing aggressive behavior in a social setting. Even with infant day care and toddler child care, children are exposed to other viewpoints and perspectives; in turn, they can start to develop the ability to empathize with others and consider various perspectives.
Self-Esteem
The social skills and the cognitive development that come from interacting with others in child care centers allow for a higher self-esteem. A child with a high self-esteem and confidence will be much more willing to interact with and learn from the world around them. Strong self-esteem and confidence allow children to be more comfortable and successful in a future school or career setting. Social interaction is important for the immediate and long-term future of children.
Where Can My Child Get Social Interaction?
There are many exceptional environments for children to interact with others, whether it is at home, a play date, an organized activity or an infant or toddler child care facility. However, some of the best opportunities for learning through social interaction are during play. Child care facilities can benefit children of all ages by providing more opportunities for open-ended play, for choosing and making friends, and for learning how to communicate with adults.
Help pave the path to your child’s future by enrolling him or her in child care services at your local Tender Care Learning Center. With services available in Connecticut and throughout the Pittsburgh area, the teachers at Tender Care Learning Centers make it their goal to help your child succeed. Our highly trained teachers work to understand how your child learns and grows, and will work with your child to help them develop the social and mental skills they need for future academic success. Visit your local Tender Care Learning Center today and discover how our program can help your child learn and grow.
