Preschool 101 Part 1: Why Preschool Matters

As your child grows older, the question of whether or not to send them to preschool will begin to ring in your ears. This debate is often a cause of stress for parents, and at Yellow Brick Road Early Childhood Development Center we are here to set the record straight that preschool is a highly beneficial choice for your child. To learn more about our child care facilities in Plymouth, Minnetonka, Maple Grove, and Eden Prarie, give us a call today.

It’s an opportunity for your child to begin learning

When your child goes to preschool, they are exposed to numbers, letters, and shapes. In the context of preschool they are exposed to the basics, but through games and play rather than the style of a school’s curriculum. Your child’s mind at this age is constantly growing and developing, meaning that they learn best in an environment of play and application. It gives them the freedom to indulge their ever-curious mind and explore. Preschool is an environment that fosters creative, well-rounded individuals, rather than academic milestones.

It creates an easier transition to kindergarten

In preschool, your child will learn valuable skills that will serve them well in kindergarten. For example, raising their hand, taking turns, and listening are all valuable skills to them that they will learn in preschool and create an easier transition to kindergarten. Not to mention being predisposed to a school-like setting will help them immensely with the fear of kindergarten and being away from their parents.

Gives them more structure

Preschool is an important opportunity to expose your children to gentle structure. Entering school without first being exposed to structure that is similar to school will be a big shock to your child. The preschool environment teaches similar structure to that of regular school. For example, learning in a group environment, getting used to a teacher, listening, and following directions.

Helps their social and emotional development

Along with beginning basic learning, children simultaneously learn social and emotional skills that will equip them for social and emotional health in their future. They are exposed to a group of other children and get to learn to get along, share, raise their hand, take turns, and share the teacher’s attention. Also, they learn how to compromise, use respectful language when speaking to their teacher and other kids, gain a greater sense of self, increase decision-making skills, and build confidence. It also helps them to become independent through time away from their parents.

What you can do at home to help with your child’s development.

While your child is in preschool, you can also help them to develop further at home. If you are not already implementing these behaviors at home, they are highly beneficial in helping your child develop socially and emotionally.

• Talk about their feelings. When your child is feeling upset, sit them down and have them talk about what they are feeling and why they are feeling that way. It is a highly effective tactic to help them develop the skills to process their own emotions and verbalize them, as well as bond the two of you as parent and child.
• Brainstorm problem-solving strategies. Teach and encourage your child to use tricks to learn self-control. For example, teach them to cross their arms instead of hitting or yelling when they’re frustrated, take a breath when they’re angry, and use their words to talk about their feelings instead of crying.
• Read to your child, but also have them read to you. Interactive reading is crucial to language development, as well as a great bonding activity.

Yellow Brick Road Early Childhood Development Center utilizes child-first curriculum to help your little one learn and grow in their style, and at their pace. Contact us today to learn more about enrolling your child at any one of our locations in the Plymouth, Minnetonka, Maple Grove, and Eden Prairie locations.