Children learn through everything they see, do, smell, feel, taste and hear, as well as the places they go and the people they meet.
ECE services build on this learning and help them become strong, happy and successful in later life.
Children learn lots of new skills by participating in ECE, expanding on what they learn at home, and research shows that children as well as their family, whanau and wider community all benefit from quality ECE.
Some of the keys things they will learn will be:
- How to get on with others by making friends, sharing and taking turns, listening to others and communicating their ideas.
- Confidence and curiosity about the world.
- How to manage challenges and be resilient if things get difficult.
- Settle more easily at school.
- Build their language skills through talking, singing and listening to stories.
- Develop imagination and creativity through painting, dancing, music, dress-ups and pretend play.
- Understand maths and science concepts through puzzles, building and construction activities, caring for plants and animals, and playing with water and sand
