Footprints Childcare, launched in 2013, carves a strong niche for itself with its scientifically developed Highscope Curriculum and stringent safety measures including Live CCTV streaming.
Footprints Childcare
Footprints Childcare, launched in 2013, carves a strong niche for itself with its scientifically developed Highscope Curriculum and stringent safety measures including Live CCTV streaming.
Research has shown that 90% of brain development happens between birth and age 5. Not just that, studies have further gone on to show that neural connections forming inside the brain during this time are highly influenced by the environment in which the child is raised. Children who grow up in healthy and supportive environments tend to develop more neural connections and demonstrate higher cognitive and socio-emotional intelligence later in life, than those who grow up in not so enabling environments. In fact, the connections needed for many important, higher-level abilities such as self-regulation, problem solving and communication are formed (or not) in these early years. The quality of care, stimulation and interaction they receive in their early years, therefore, makes all the difference. Loving relationships are key to a child’s healthy development. While these relationships begin at home, they need to include other adults as well as peers.
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It is in this context that preschools become extremely important. The child’s first experience in a structured setting, it goes a long way in fostering personal growth. The preschool environment can be set up to be developmentally sound & to be emotionally supportive. With the right pedagogy the child’s active imagination can be nurtured to fuel learning & creativity & for the child to develop curiosity so as to become a learner for life. With a wide range of activities, children not only get to follow their interests but are also encouraged to make their own choices.
It is to ensure that children are offered a highly supportive environment in their formative years, that Footprints set up its chain of preschool & day care centers across the country. Among the several firsts to his credit, Raj Singhal, the CEO of Footprints Childcare, is also credited with offering Live CCTV streaming of classrooms that offer pre-school parents the much needed peace of mind, as their toddlers take their first independent steps out of home. Footprints, also comes equipped with a complete child-friendly infrastructure right from baby proof equipment to foolproof dispersal policies. In addition, the parents are also kept informed of the child’s activities by way of convenient & consistent in-app updates.
Other than ensuring physical safety of the children, Footprints is very well regarded for its Highscope Curriculum, one that it brought to India, for the first time. Scientifically developed since 1962 by the Highscope Foundation based in the US, this educational approach is consistent with the best practices recommended by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), Head Start Program Performance Standards, and other guidelines for developmentally based programs. The Highscope program advocates active participatory learning & addresses all areas of development through its six content areas & 42 key developmental indicators. Based on contemporary findings of human brain development, the program has seen to produce children with significantly better health, healthy relationships, improved employment opportunities and fewer criminal records. In short, the program is known to advance the development of children & significantly improve their chances of living a good life through adulthood.
The school is also highly preferred by parents on account of the fact that it offers individual attention to children, something that is extremely validating particularly in the formative years.
“ Individual attention has a positive impact on the child’s interest in learning. At Footprints preschool and day care, our focus is to make our little learners fall in love with the process of learning. It is for this reason that we ensure that we follow a healthy teacher: student ratio of 1:10”, says Raj Singhal, an alumnus of IIT Delhi & CEO of the group. The preschool is favored for its well-trained teachers who are not just proficient in teaching the Highscope curriculum but are also extremely passionate about making a difference in the lives of young learners. Happy and curious little learners at Footprints, stand testimony to these efforts.
A pet peeve with parents these days is the fact that their children are addicted to junk food, an addiction which when forged early could put the child at a serious risk for chronically unhealthy eating into adulthood. This is an aspect that Footprints is extremely mindful of. To this end, it ensures that experienced nutritionists undertake nutritious menu planning for the children, and that the food is hygienically prepared in-house. Parents can, therefore, rest assured that the child is fed wholesome food with fruits incorporated in meals and that there is no junk food included in the menu. In fact, the children are offered a wide variety of age-appropriate food that they look forward to. Other than eating healthy food, children also learn healthy food routines & eating habits, and thus what is also formed early, is a healthy relationship with food.
Run by IIT-IIM Alumni, Footprints then is a labour of love with a strong vision to make a difference in the lives of young minds and to ensure their holistic growth. “We are totally committed to make the developmentally important, first five years count, “ says Raj Singhal. With its innovative curriculum & pedagogy, the preschool focuses on nurturing young learners & in instilling the ever so important life skills that will stand the children in good stead throughout life. Above everything the preschool is committed to developing a growth mindset in its young learners; one that sees failures as stepping stones to future successes and considers challenges as opportunities to develop new skills. Whether it involves giving students the time and space to fix age-appropriate challenges, encouraging peer help or making space for frustration, a lot goes into creating resilient learners who can tackle the many curve balls that life may throw their way. Importantly, the core belief at Footprints is that each child is unique & has his own sets of strengths and that as adults we need to encourage these strengths while raising conscientious individuals who can live a life of happiness & fulfillment.
Little surprise then that Footprints Childcare has been consistently ranked among the top playschools in India. Most importantly, satisfied parents who are witnessing their little ones enjoy the process of learning, stand as the biggest evidence to the success of the school.
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