Should I send my child to preschool? This is a common question for parents. As in any situation, there are pros and cons. However, the benefits of sending your child to a high quality preschool by far outweighs any disadvantages. In fact, preschool is no longer just a child care placement for working parents. We now see more and more "stay at home" parents sending their child to preschool after realizing the multiple benefits of doing so. A child who has attended a high quality preschool often enters kindergarten with better social, emotional, and intellectual knowledge than a child who has not.
The Social Benefits
Learning good social skills is just as important for your child as learning their colors and ABC’s. Unlike most academic knowledge, social learning cannot be taught in just any environment. Preschool allows your child to be around other children and adults, providing them with a constant social environment. The children will form relationships and learn from each other as well as their teachers. Not only will their social skills improve, but their communication and language will also flourish
The Emotional Benefits
Perhaps the most underrated, but equally important, thing your child will learn in preschool is emotional knowledge. Young children are typically more emotional than older children and adults. This is mostly because young children have not learned how to understand, control, and verbalize their emotions and feelings. The consistent routine and structure of a preschool classroom can help teach the proper emotional response in a situation. In a preschool program, your child will learn emotional independence, which is a very important life skill to acquire.
The Intellectual Benefit
If you were to ask a parent their number one reason for sending their child to preschool, most would probably answer that the introduction and continued growth in academics is top priority. Learning their ABC’s and numbers are great skills and definitely a huge benefit of preschool, but there is so much more to learning than just acquiring academic skills. Your child’s intellect is their brain’s ability to not only learn/know information, but also to fully understand that information and its context. When your child learns their ABC’s they are not just learning their letters; they are learning how to apply that knowledge in their surrounding environment.
Sources: BabyCenter.com | FamilyEducation.com | EverydayLife.GlobalPost.com
The Importance of Preschool
Shandy Marso, Contributor
