While preschool is not mandatory, we have found that there are many benefits to enrolling a child in preschool, and the experts agree. Ages two to five are critical in terms of development, and to set your child up for success, it is best to enroll them in preschool by age three. You may think, they’re just a baby! Why should they have to go to school before they have to? While this position is understandable, once you have the facts about the advantages preschool can offer your child, you may change your perspective. In this blog, we will go over the primary benefits of enrolling your child in preschool.
PREPARES YOUR CHILD FOR KINDERGARTEN
Children who attend preschool are better prepared for kindergarten. Preschool is the first opportunity for your child to enter a structured environment with an instructor and other children around them. This gives them the chance to learn how to follow directions, share, and start to develop academic and social skills that will serve them throughout their entire education. While some parents worry that sending their child into a school environment so young is robbing them of the opportunity to just “be a kid;” however, preschool is hardly a rigorous academic environment. While your child will be learning skills that will help them in academics, they will also be engaging in plenty of play time. When your child attends a preschool that understands the significance of young children’s development during this time of their life, they will learn important cognitive, social, physical, and emotional skills, all while having fun.
ENHANCES SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Preschool lets children benefit from a stable, loving environment while separating from their parents. It is healthy for children’s emotional and social development for them to be comfortable being apart from their parents and building trusting relationships with other adults. Preschool is the perfect environment for this because it gives them consistent caregivers. At Crossing Borders Preschool, we make a point to make care as consistent as possible for our students, so we always coordinate with parents about what happened during the day and what we can do to make sure the rules from home are as consistent as possible with the rules at preschool. With these consistency, children have the stability that they need to develop emotionally and socially. For the first time, they are introduced to conflict with their peers, which offers a great teaching moment for learning how to manage emotions such as anger and sadness and resolve their interpersonal problems. Before your child even begins elementary school, they can have a solid foundation in knowing how to cope with difficult emotions and interact with peers.
GIVES THEM SELF-SUFFICIENCY
You may think of your child as your “baby,” but once they are preschool age, it is time for them to start learning some independence. It may be hard to let go, but starting to foster self-sufficiency in them now is key to them becoming their own independent selves. In preschool, children are given many opportunities to develop a sense of competence and confidence in their abilities. They learn how to clean up after themselves, wash their hands by themselves, and keep their belongings in their designated cubbies. All of these serve to help your child to feel more confident taking care of themselves. Not only that, preschoolers are given many opportunities to care for their peers as well. Teachers will provide students with opportunities to distribute snacks, hand out art supplies, or even feed the class pet. This will enhance their feeling of competency and help them view themselves as a resource for other children. Additionally, children in preschool are encouraged to make their own decisions. When it comes to any skill in life, it is important to practice, and giving your child the opportunity to practice their decision-making skills now will allow them to be more decisive in the future.
ENDOWS THEM WITH CURIOSITY
The preschool environment is the perfect place to foster curiosity. It isn’t about having the “right” answers in preschool; it’s about asking questions in the first place. Preschool teachers are always asking students questions to encourage their curiosity. Once preschoolers become curious about a topic, the teacher can take any moment as a learning opportunity. Children are encouraged to use their vivid imaginations to engage in learning. Through make-believe, children can explore their world and open themselves up to many possibilities.
IMPROVES LANGUAGE SKILLS
During the preschool years, your child is at their prime in terms of language learning. That is why a language immersion preschool is the best way to teach a child a new language; at this age, their brains have enough elasticity to make learning a second language far easier and more likely to stick. Even in their native language, a child develops their language skills much more rapidly when they are in a preschool environment because they are surrounded by people who naturally help them enhance their skills simply by interacting with them.
Crossing Borders Preschool is a language immersion preschool in Houston, and we would love to provide your child with the many benefits of both a preschool education and a second language. If you are ready for your child to enter preschool, we would love to give you a tour of our child care facility so you can understand exactly why preschool is right for your child. Contact us today for more information!
