Reasons to Enroll Your Child in a Preschool

It’s never too early to set your child up for success. Did you know that children start learning words as early as 15 months, and between the ages of three and five, a child’s vocabulary grows from 900 to 2,500 words, with sentences becoming more and more complex as time goes on?

Recent reports show that early education, such as daycare and pre-k programs can help to majorly enhance important educational skills such as reading, math, and language.

In fact, a recent study of 84 preschool programs showed that children gain about a year of additional learning across all of these subjects.

• Promoting Personality Development:

Children can become acquainted with and feel part of new people and group and further enhance their social skills in the 1-2 years that they typically attend preschool.

With time, they end up assuming different roles, taking on responsibility and building self-confidence.

Playtime is also another important part of this, either guided or spontaneous.

• Preschools Groom Children for Kindergarten:

Preschools will benefit children’s development and learning abilities, but it is important for parents to look for in preschool programs.

One thing is that the staff at high-quality preschools and child care programs are aware of the specific ways that children learn and develop.

And they organize time, activities and space to be in sync with child’s emotional, social, physical and cognitive abilities.

• Learning Social Behavior:

If the child has only been exposed to a family environment so far, they should learn how to deal with a whole new situation.

Typically, there are between 15 and 20 children in every preschool group. Children get to assimilate into these groups. Of course, conflict and fighting are normal and ought to be dealt with constructively and patiently.

Often, this is achieved with minimal intervention from the staff. Children in preschool end up developing a feeling for socializing with others and also learn new social behaviors.

This experience supplements the child’s home life and enhances his or her intellectual and emotional development.

• Promotes Language and Cognitive Skills:

Pre-k programs are considered “language-rich” environments, meaning that children are surrounded by language. From storytelling to interacting with peers and teachers, preschool helps to develop cognitive and language skills.

• Identifying Special Abilities and Needs:

Preschool is where special developmental abilities or deficiencies are first noticed.

The teachers get to know each child well and are thus able to address his or her specific gifts, strengths and weaknesses.

This also allows them to obtain professional help – where necessary – early on to ensure the child is well-equipped to start elementary school.

• Healthy Relationship With Learning:

Preschool instructors ask children questions, but they also encourage children to do the same.

During this vulnerable time, the right answer is not as important as growth and learning.

Enrolling your child in preschool can promote curiosity, feelings of self-worth, and an overall positive relationship with academic environments.

• Children Learn to Take Care of Themselves and Others:

Children’s sense of competence and self-worth grow as they learn to take care of themselves and help others.

Teachers appeal to a young child’s desire to engage in “real work” by offering him chances to help out in the classroom, for example, by setting the table at snack time or feeding the classroom hamster.

Children are expected to wash their hands before snack time, keep personal belongings in their “cubby,” and put away toys before moving to a new activity.

Throughout their school years, much of children’s learning will take place in the company of their peers.

In a high-quality preschool program, children are introduced to the behaviors required to function successfully in a kindergarten classroom.

For example, during group activities such as “circle time,” children learn to focus attention on the teacher, listen while others are speaking, and wait their turn to talk.

• Preschool Helps Develop Motor Skills:

Physical coordination improves, allowing the child to explore her environment — and to challenge herself in new ways. Young children are in motion for a good part of the day.

High-quality preschool programs provide several opportunities daily for children to run, climb, and play active games.

Activities are offered to help children develop fine motor skills, such as threading beads or cutting with scissors.

And children are challenged through a variety of activities to build their hand-eye coordination and balance.