The necessity of preschool is often debated and some parents feel their child is too small to attend preschool. Because recent studies show the human brain utilizes 50% of its learning capacity in the first five years of life, there are definite benefits to attending preschool.
The activities and programs of preschool will amplify and expand that learning, allowing children to get the most from their early years. Of course your child will learn at home, but preschool will expose them to other children and cultures earlier and on a broader scale. A high quality preschool will lay the ground work for you child’s future academic, emotional, and social success.
Preschool Prepares Children for Kindergarten
Preschool is typically a child’s first experience in a structured setting. They will learn how to follow teacher’s instructions, preparing them for their formal education. They will also learn the value of sharing and getting along with other children.
Early childhood education professionals understand the way children learn and develop. All activities, educational and recreational, are designed and implemented with children’s social, emotional, cognitive, and physical abilities in mind.
Since kindergarten has become more academic, there is concern that the focus on early math and literacy skills could significantly reduce the child’s time for play. A high quality preschool will properly prepare your child for kindergarten while preserving their play time.
Preschool Promotes Social and Emotional Development
When children are able to spend time away from home in a safe environment such as a high quality preschool, they are able to develop trust in adults other than their parents. Programs are designed to nurture the relationship between teacher, parent and child.
Regular communication between a teacher and parents helps provide a consistency between home and school. This allows a child to feel secure and thrive. The parents are kept informed of the child’s activities and progress at school. Teachers endeavor to understand and support the parent’s child rearing beliefs and values.
In the preschool environment, young children learn social skills and emotional self-control. Under close supervision, children are allowed the opportunity to resolve their own conflicts. Trained to know when to intervene, they can make a child aware of the impact any selfish or hurtful behavior may have on other children. Without shaming a child, these issues are handled as “teachable moments”.
Preschool Promotes Language, Cognitive and Motor Skills
Between the ages of 3 and 5, a child’s vocabulary increases from 900 to 2,500 words. Their sentences get longer and more complex. Through thought provoking questions and conversation, teachers help children stretch their language skills and introduce new vocabulary. Children are encouraged to sing, read-aloud from a favorite book and act out stories.
Through a wide range of hands-on activities, a child is challenged to observe closely, ask questions or solve a problem. Young children do not possess adult style logic and sometimes rely on their senses rather than reason. These preschool activities strengthen their cognitive skills.
High-quality preschools offer programs to help children develop fine motor skills. In addition to opportunities to run, climb, and play games, activities such as stringing beads or cutting different shapes from construction paper build their hand-eye coordination and balance.
Preschool Nurtures Curiosity
Young children have active imaginations that fuel learning. Teachers often use children’s interests to create activities that will nurture their curiosity and motivate them to learn. Often these activities involve make believe play.
An imaginary play area in a high-quality preschool may be stocked with costumes and child sized props that encourage this type of play. This area of activity is where young children progress from solitary play, to one-on-one and group play.
While high quality preschools do offer programs that boost early math and literacy skills, they realize the importance of time to play, imagine and socialize as well as and the lessons learned from these activities.
At Home Away From Home Academy, we are leaders in early childhood education. It is our belief that the greatest atmosphere for learning is an environment that has been built on trust, compassion, loyalty and fun. Our approach to discipline respects the right of the child, the group, and the adult. In complete cooperation with our parents and faculty, we seek to advance and enhance the development of each individual student, while paving the road for their future education. Contact us and take a tour to see what we have to offer your child.