If you want to enroll your child in before and/or after school daycare in the Arlington, VA, area, you will want to look for a program that does more than simply providing supervision for school age children. While it is true that much of the reason that you need daycare services for your child is to ensure that they are safe when you cannot be with them immediately before or after their school day, that time is too valuable to simply allow them to vegetate in the presence of a responsible adult. A daycare that provides plenty of opportunity for reading, music enrichment, or even after school tutoring will be much more beneficial than mere supervision.
One of the most important things to look for when looking for a daycare in Arlington, VA, that will help to stimulate your child’s brain and imagination, is a program that promotes plenty of reading opportunities. Research has shown that when we read books with vivid imagery, our brains automatically create visual imagery that connects us to the story. In doing that, our brains get “tricked” into having had the experience, such that we actually gain valuable life experiences through reading. In other words, a daycare program that encourages your child to read after school will actual help to provide you child with valuable experiences that your child will need later on in life.
What is more, a daycare facility that promotes before and after school reading will help your child’s attention span. Studies indicate that the beginning, middle, end structure of stories encourages our brains to think sequentially and to associate cause and effect. That means that the more your child reads, the more your child’s brain becomes adept at sequential thought. Instilling story structure in a young mind results in greater fluidity in thinking and therefore increases the capacity of the attention span.
Finally, a daycare that provides ample opportunity for daily reading will actually be changing the structure of your child’s brain for the better. Scientists at Carnegie Mellon have discovered that the volume of white matter in the brains of those in a daily reading program increased in the portion of the brain that governs language. If your daycare supports your child’s reading habits, it will actually help your child’s brain to grow.
When you are searching for daycare options in Arlington, VA for your school-aged child, look for something more than just a before or afterschool repository. Find a daycare that will engage your child’s imagination and brain by promoting daily reading and other enrichment activities.
Sparkles! Daycare in Arlington, VA, provides working parents with school-aged children with before and after school programs that will engage their children in an environment that responds to their developmental needs – including the need for enrichment and reading activities. At Sparkles! we understand that it’s all about trust and you can rest assured that we will give your child the loving care and resources to develop a healthy mind and body. Visit us online today at www.sparkleschildcare.com or call us at 1.877.SPARKY6.
