While international education remains a privilege for most people, it is something every parent should aspire to obtain for their child should they have the opportunity.
International schools are a melting pot of different cultures, experiences, and perspectives—a place that is sure to broaden their understanding of the world around them.
If your child enrolls in one, chances are, they will also learn other valuable lessons that are just as important as academics.
Below are some of the benefits that early international education can have for your child. You can take them into consideration while looking for an institution!
1) Your Child Gets Positive Once-in-a-Lifetime Experiences
Most parents want to give their children interesting, positive memories as they grow up. Giving them an early childhood education in Singapore that exposes them to different ideas is perhaps one of the best ways to make this happen.
Getting an international education is a rare experience that very few people get to go through, let alone during their childhood. While it may be decades before they fully appreciate it, the things they will get to see, be involved in, and get exposed to as they study and mingle with their peers and educators will be the basis of countless treasured memories as they become older.
These experiences will be able to teach them life lessons such as being cooperative, thoughtfulness, and being hospitable to different people they meet. All of these will make them grow as a person also.
2) Your Child Gets Exposed to Different Ways of Doing Things
One of the most valuable lessons that anyone can learn is that there’s often more than just one way to do things. Nothing teaches this faster than day-to-day life in an international school, especially if it’s in a different country.
If they go to an international school, your child will be exposed to a multitude of cultures, not just from the host country but also from the home countries of the different students your child will interact with.
These interactions can be crucial in teaching them a wider, more cosmopolitan point of view.
Being an international school, they’ll be able to understand not only the cultures and races of different students but the way how everyone should be respected and treated.
Early on, there might be a couple of rough spots and some confusion. However, with time, your child will learn how to gradually understand and enjoy cultural differences. This empathy alone can be extremely valuable in helping them develop a more nuanced understanding of other people.
There is no better way for every child to learn something and everything around them than experiencing it on their own.
3) Languages Are Easier to Pick Up at An Early Age
It might be easy for your child to pick up new languages, especially if they’re around kindergarten to primary school age.
In a way, the brains of younger children are almost perfectly optimized for language acquisition, and they need little to no formal instruction for them to acquire a second or third language this early in life.
Additionally, a study conducted by researchers from the University of Washington Institute of Learning & Brain Sciences (I-LABS) showed that children who are exposed to a second language at an early age don’t just learn that language faster, they also learn better.
What’s more, they can develop these abilities even if they come from a monolingual home.
Always remember, that your child does not have to learn the language but also on how they communicate with people with different nationalities and languages. This helps in boosting their self-esteem and confidence.
4) Early International Education Can Help Your Child’s Personal Development
Having important values ingrained early can be a massive help in ensuring that your child continues to succeed in whatever endeavors they choose as they get older.
Children do not get values from lectures, but from mirroring others’ behavior. Choosing the best education facility for them is a good thing to remember in developing your child’s personality and attitude towards others.
Previously, we touched on how international education can help your child become more understanding and tolerant of other people. Given that empathy and tolerance are the foundation of many important interpersonal skills, such education can help your child in leadership and team activities, even well into adulthood.
Empathy isn’t the only thing your child will be learning either. If they’re enrolled in an international school in a foreign country, chances are, they will have to start figuring out a lot of things for themselves.
Learning how to be independent early in life can be instrumental in helping your child determine their own path to success later.
5) Your Child Can Enjoy a Wider Range of Extracurricular Activities
Most international schools have extracurricular activities to offer compared to regular schools. For this reason, graduates of international schools tend to have a reputation for having knowledge and experience in areas where graduates from regular schools don’t have an education in.
Some extracurricular activities that could be expected at these schools include those related to visual arts, foreign languages, music, athletics, and dance classes. The breadth of activities available at international schools also makes them attractive to locals who believe their children may get a better-rounded education in these institutions.
Enrolling your child in an international school can help ensure that they receive a well-rounded education with a global worldview. While there may be a few additional advantages of enrolling them at an earlier age, children of all ages can benefit from entering an international school.
Away from the familiarity of home, the experience can be a catalyst for your child to develop better empathy and independence, qualities that will remain important at every stage of their life.
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