Every parent wonders whether it is necessary to send their children to pre-kindergarten. A mother’s anxiety often stems from the fear that the child may not be ready for the all-week, all-day schedule many preschools follow. Wouldn't pre-kindergarten be traumatic for a child who has never been away from home? Perhaps this is right, but it is easier for a child to adjust at pre-kindergarten than entering school later. This is because most schools emphasize the concept of “play and learn.”
Preschools present a great opportunity to introduce children to regulated learning. This is important because the early years are critical to a child’s development and working parents often find it difficult to stimulate the child like a pre-kindergarten curriculum does. Moreover, children have access to broader social and interactive opportunities at pre-kindergarten than at home. Also, not all home environments can provide the regular and sustained stimuli that preschools offer during early childhood.
Many parents feel “forced” to send their child to pre-kindergarten. Some basic measures of kindergarten-readiness include the ability of a five-year-old to be independent but non-disruptive in a group, capable of tying shoelaces, and the ability to not suffer from separation anxiety. With teaching standards rising steeply in kindergarten, five-year-olds are expected to be socially well-adjusted and ready for academics.
Studies indicate that children who attend pre-kindergarten are more likely to succeed in the customary school environment and in early academic activities, besides exhibiting improved kindergarten-readiness. The pre-kindergarten curriculum introduces the child to math, science, reading, creative arts, social skills, technology and even, perhaps, religion. Using play, it approaches learning as an active exploration of the senses with songs, games, hands-on material, and more. The pre-kindergarten curriculum also concentrates on growing the child’s independence and exposure to people from backgrounds different from their own.
The effectiveness of a pre-kindergarten curriculum can be seen when the child turns out socially and emotionally confident and is a good communicator capable of tackling challenges. The effectiveness of pre-kindergarten can hinge upon the child’s readiness, the breadth of the pre-kindergarten curriculum, the quality of teaching, and the parents’ ability to afford a chosen program. Parents’ should zero in on the best prekindergarten school by considering all the above-mentioned prerequisites.
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