Education for children begins when they’re born. Parents need to encourage their newborn babies to learn immediately, first with how to interact with other people, and then moving onto how to talk, then reading and writing. However, while there are many things that parents can do by themselves, there is a lot more to be gained by standardised education with trained professionals, of which their first introduction to is with nurseries.

Nurseries serve an important function for child development for a number of reasons. They provide structure to children’s lives, a place for them to practice social skills with children their own age, and interaction and education with trained educators. They are also often the first opportunity for the child to experience being regularly separated from their parents, which while unpleasant for both the parent and child is very important.

There are a number of different nurseries out there to choose from, and some will place greater emphasis on learning than others. These are likely to improve children’s academic outlook over the next couple of decades, but they can also lose something by missing out on a more balanced experience.