Nord Anglia Education
WRITTEN BY
NAIS Rotterdam
07 March, 2025

Why Play Matters at NAISR - The Importance of Early Years Education

Play STEAM
Inspired by the latest Nord Anglia INSIGHTS article exploring why the Early Years are the most important years of a child’s education, we know that a child’s most significant learning happens in the early years—in ways that are not always immediately visible.

 

Often parents think the most important learning in a child’s life happens when the stakes are highest: in the run up to exams and university admissions. Developmental scientists beg to differ. They point out that ages zero to five are when the foundations of a brain are built. But the way those foundations are laid is not through sitting at small desks or learning to read by age three. It happens through relationships and through play.

 

Early Years Blocks

 

 
Reflecting on the article, our Primary Academic Lead, Dougie McNeill, has this to say about the importance of early learning:

 

"The earliest moments of development and schooling are crucial in helping to nurture confident and motivated young learners. Play is an integral part of a child's development, and our use of the International Early Years Curriculum places play and the experiences of the child right at the centre of everything we do here in our Early Years provision."
 

 

Dougie

 

In our Early Years classrooms, our youngest learners find themselves immersed in an engaging environment with multiple open-ended opportunities to play, discover and create. Our teachers understand the importance of when to follow the child's lead and when to support, challenge and extend learning through guided play-based activities.

 

The Early Years of childhood establish the foundation for continued educational success. Learn more about our Early Years programme here at NAISR and how we nurture thoughtful young learners by watching this webinar, visiting this page of website, or by scheduling a tour (which can also be done right here via our website).

 
Together, we can help your child thrive from the very beginning.