Criteria for Selecting Classes

Answer 1

Choosing the best classes for a child isn't just about the curriculum. The learning environment and the teaching methods used are important as well. The best choice may depend upon an understanding of the child's learning process. Asking the right kind of questions helps too. Ensuring that the school or facility has the same educational goals as the parent can help inform the best selection of classes.

Asking the Right Questions

Too often, the first question that parents ask is whether the classes will prepare the children for their next grade level. That approach may undervalue where the child is now in his or her development. Children are naturally curious and eager to learn. Fostering those natural traits may be the best way to ensure that children are ready for the next step. Questions should be centered on the effectiveness of the learning experience.

Learning Styles

Understanding a child's learning modality can help parents decide which classes are best. Learning styles tend to fall into three categories. Some children tend to learn by watching. Classes with visual aids, taught by visually engaging teachers, are best for this type of child. Visual children tend to be distracted by too much action or movement. Children with kinetic modalities learn best with a hands-on approach. For them, classes that involve a lot of physical activity and involvement are best. Auditory children are good listeners, absorbing information from verbal instruction. Unrelated noise tends to distract them.

The Right Environment

Parents can learn about the effectiveness of classes by observing the environment in which they are conducted. In a classroom, competition for sensory processing can enhance or detract from the child's learning experience. Even a too-hot or too-cold room temperature can distract a child from the learning process. In today's modern world, the use of media as a teaching aid is not only accepted, but may be essential for future success. But it's important that other methods are used too. Classes that employ a variety of teaching approaches can help ensure that a child's interest in learning is maintained.