Is Your Child Ready for Preschool?

2.2.12

I know you all have heard the buzz … it’s time to enroll your child for preschool. Most preschools in this area are taking enrollments for the 2012 - 2013 school year and we are doing the same here at Eastminster Preschool. We are already taking phone calls and giving tours to potential students and their families as they prepare for this big event in their little ones life.

1. Should I send my child to preschool for one or two years? and
2. How will I know if my child is ready for preschool?

Should I send my child to preschool for one or two years?
I believe two years of preschool is the best for young children. By giving them this amount of time they can achieve the goals they need to have for kindergarten at a more comfortable pace. This allows each child to make progress at their own developmental level and be very successful in their achievements. At Eastminster Preschool, our 3-year-old children are taught the basics that will help them to better understand the pre-kindergarten skills taught to them the following year in Pre-K.

How will I know if my child is ready for preschool?
Most children are ready for some preschool activities by the age of 3. However, preschool readiness is not only about age, but about where your child is developmentally. Is your child socially, physically, emotionally and cognitively ready to participate in a daily, structured, educational program with other children and without you?  

Here are some questions to help you make that determination if your child is ready for preschool.
•    Is your child potty-trained and can handle most of their personal needs?
•    Is your child showing independence by wanting to do things on their own?
•    Has your child spent time away from you?
•    Has your child been a part of group activities with other children?
•    Is your child able to sit for short periods of time to listen to stories or be in conversation with others?
•    Can your child follow simple one or two step directions?

If you can say “yes” to these questions, your child is ready to begin their school experience. If you have some of these areas that need to be worked on, you still have time to prepare your child before school starts in the fall.

Preschool is such a precious time in your child’s life and I know that you and your child will enjoy every wonderful moment. And we will enjoy sharing them with you, too.

Questions or thoughts on this topic? Just leave them in the comment section below and I'll do my best to answer them for you!