The answer to the question, “Do kids need preschool?” is a resounding “Yes!”.
The child is the father of the man, noted poet William Wordsworth. What Wordsworth meant remains true, as childhood has a huge influence on the man or woman the youngster eventually becomes. Preschool can make a profound difference in the life of a child.
It is of paramount importance that the children follow the right trajectory of various stages of development. Preschool is the fundamental building block at the bottom of the pyramid of ECD, the absence of which hinders the natural trajectory of development, and leads to suboptimal learning outcomes. It‘s important to bear in mind that preschool is not synonymous with daycare. Preschool offers an academic curriculum tailor-made for 3- to 5-year-olds. During preschool, students get prepared for further education, especially as they pick up the necessary social skills by simply playing with their peers. Daycare does offer socialization opportunities, but educational opportunities are more limited if they exist in any formal capacity.
Here's how preschool facilitates early childhood education and development
• Helps in Social and Emotional Development: A warm and caring environment created by a teacher will strengthen the social skills of children.
• Learn To Make a Choice: It creates a sense of self-reliance and also allows them to make their own decisions which are valuable life skills.
• Learn To Be Independent: There are a number of basic activities you do for them at home, but they do those things at preschool (eating, sleeping, washing hands, etc.) on their own, making them independent, and it's a very good habit to develop again.
• Helps to acquire language skills: They are surrounded by a language-rich environment, singing songs, reading books, story-telling, etc., all of which help them improve their communication and language skills.
• Prepare them for higher classes: Preschool is a fun environment that combines time and academic learning to a large degree. Preschool helps your child learn to focus on activities such as circle time, story-telling, book reading, etc. There are many advantages to preschool, and it adds some fun to your child's growth.
The importance of early childhood experience for brain development
Children are born eager to learn and have a lot of learning skills for several years. They depend on parents, family members, and other caregivers as their first teachers to develop the right skills to become independent and lead a healthy and successful life. How the brain develops is greatly influenced by the child's contact with other people and the environment. Nurturing care for the mind is critical to the growth of the brain. Children grow up and learn best in a stable atmosphere, where they are shielded from neglect and from serious or constant external stress, with plenty of opportunities to play and explore.
There will be several transitory phases throughout their development process when children are transitioning from one phase to another. It’s imperative to have a plan for these transitions.
Consistency is important for everyone, more so for children. If the preschools you choose are well acquainted with them, they will have an innate sense of accountability to follow it.
Hence, the earlier we stress the importance of preschool, the more cognitive development occurs, and a base or foundation for future learning is created. This is where a parent's role becomes very important- choosing the right preschool and more importantly taking a timely decision.
Having said all of this., I can’t stop musing over a parent’s concern;
"But my child is so small!" Yes, they're still very young, but that’s exactly what a preschool is meant for. A high-quality preschool is managed and designed to prepare young scholars for future academic, emotional, and social success.
A shout out to all my young parent friends out there, ‘Hang in, you all are doing a wonderful job bringing up the future citizens”!!
Related Keywords
