Nurseries benefit children more than informal care

New research has shown that children looked after by grandparents are less well prepared for school than if they attend a nursery or crèche.

The research, by the Institute of Education, suggests that children looked after by grandparents at the age of nine months were considered to less sociable at three years of age than those children who had attended a nursery or crèche.

The study, based on a sample of 4,800 children born in 2000-2001 whose parents worked when they were babies, compares formal group care with informal care by grandparents.

The study finds that although informal care by grandparents does more to develop a baby’s vocabulary, qualified staff following a structured curriculum are more likely to aid a child’s cognitive development. Those three-year-olds who had been in formal group settings were able to show a better understanding of colours, letters, numbers, sizes, comparisons and shapes.

The findings show that childcare in nurseries and crèches could reduce early inequalities, as girls, children from two parent families, and less advantaged children all gained higher test scores after formal group care.

Little Angels is a pre-school nursery based in Market Harborough, Leicestershire.  Call us on 01858 469 708 to arrange a visit to see around our premises.