It is NOT just preschool! I hear this comment more and more frequently. I hear it from my friends who know what I do and my beliefs about early childhood education. Today, I actually heard it from a preschool teacher. So I am here to set the record straight.
Here are the facts:
-80% of a child’s brain is developed by the time they are five years old.
-Children who attend a high quality preschool enter Kindergarten with better pre-reading skills, richer vocabulary and stronger basic math skills.
-Multiple studies have shown the lasting outcomes of preschool being higher academic achievement, higher employment rates, lower rates of welfare use and lower criminal activity from children who attended a quality preschool.
-Preschool most importantly teaches children about interacting with others: learning to wait, taking turns, following rules, how to listen and learning the social skills necessary to interact with others in a positive manner. These are life long skills that are essential and should not be taken lightly.
Preschool should also provide a solid foundation of academic learning where children are exposed to literature, music, math, science, world culture, fine motor and gross motor experiences and a classroom full of rich language experiences. These skills may not be obvious to everyone, but if you look carefully you will discover a child learning about fractions in the sand box or gravity at the water table or the water cycle in a container garden or patterns at snack time. These are deliberate activities by the teacher to create a well rounded learner who is prepared for the challenges of school and the skills necessary to be a contributing member of society.
So if you are looking for a place where your child will be an engaged thinker while developing their social skills…..it is preschool!
Stephanie founded Little Scholars, LLC and helps children everyday, from preschool to high school, acheive their full potential.
