The Ethics of a Successful Private Preschool in Virginia Beach

Preschoolers playing with teacher in the classroom

In many public schools, underfunding, lack of resources, and strict lesson plans can prevent your child from being successful. This can lead to an ethical dilemma for parents who are looking to set their children up for success. In this article, Strelitz International Academy, a private school with a preschool program in Virginia Beach, discusses the ethics of sending your child to a private preschool program.

Pre K Private School

As their children grow, many parents are concerned about setting their children up for success. In order to get ahead of the curve, these parents enroll their children in pre-school. Pre-school acts as a way for students to learn motor skills while also playing and having fun. However, as later education (elementary school) becomes more intense, so too do the pre-schools. Instead of allowing 3 or 4-year-olds to be children, many pre-schools are moving to a stricter, academic environment.

However, unlike public schools, private preschools are able to provide balance. They can adjust these new academic expectations to fit the child’s needs. This shift towards a more academic environment has led many parents to an ethical dilemma. They want to set their child up for success, but they also want them to be a kid. This leaves them with one question in mind—should I send my child to private preschool?

Ethics to Consider of Private Preschool for 3-Year-Olds

Many parents are turning to private schools in order to better meet their child’s needs. Let us consider the ethics of sending your child to a private school. With a private preschool education, your child will have the resources, teaching style, schedule, foundation, and support system to succeed in middle and high school.

Resources

In private preschools, children are able to benefit from the abundance of resources that private schools provide. This can include physical resources such as up-to-date textbooks, advanced technology, or class space. It can also include intangible resources such as after-school programs, disability resources, liberal arts courses, or even highly-qualified teachers.

Different Learning Styles

Different children have different learning styles. As discussed in the International Baccalaureate Approach the best way to blend these styles is through hands-on learning. The hands-on learning style is a blend of visual and auditory learning, thus it works for almost every child.

When your child goes to a private preschool, they are introduced to an inquiry-based learning program. Because private schools do not rely on government funding they are able to adapt lessons. This allows them to spend more time with each child. Thus ensuring they learn in a way that is best for them.

Adjust the Schedule

Private preschools are able to adjust their schedule according to the needs of their community. Instead of relying on government-mandated school closures, the private school system operates independently and forms its own schedule. This allows them to close/open based on weather conditions, religious holidays, or even illness/COVID.

Strong Knowledge Foundation

One of the main goals of preschool is to prepare children for the lessons they will receive in later years. With a private preschool, they are able to continue with a strong foundation which will support them through middle and high school. With a private primary school/preschool experience your child is set up to thrive as a student and as an individual.

Lifelong Friendships

With a private school education, students are set up to have lifelong friendships with people who hold similar values. In preschool, students form a foundation of values and beliefs that persist throughout their adult lives. This set of values is a large part of student life in a private school. As they progress through the grades these values follow them and remain an important part of their education. Because of this, students grow and develop with children who share their values and belief systems, creating a supportive community of like-minded individuals.

Private Preschools Set Your Child Up For Success

As you can see, there are a variety of benefits to sending your child to a private preschool. With private preschool, your child has the resources, qualified teachers, and adequate funding they need. And they can learn and develop the building blocks of knowledge at their own pace. A Pre-K private school is able to focus on your child’s individual success. This ensures they are ready to move on to the next level.

With the International Baccalaureate approach to learning, your child learns the curriculum. But they also learn communication and social skills that set them up to be successful adults.

Private Preschools in Virginia Beach

Are you looking for a private preschool in Virginia Beach? Strelitz International Academy is the place for you! Our preschool curriculum fosters the natural curiosity/imagination of your child and funnels it into productive, academic learning. Teachers develop learning activities centered around student’s interests. Because of this, your child is set up to be a successful student and global citizen.

Interested in learning more? Visit our Early Years Program page to see a detailed “day in the life” of our private preschool in Virginia Beach. Like what you see? We are currently enrolling for the 2022-2023 academic year. We would love to schedule a campus tour with you! Reach out to us at 757-424-4327.

Importance of Pre-Kindergarten

Teacher teaching all Pre-Kindergarten students

What Is The Difference Between Preschool & Pre-Kindergarten?

Essentially, the goals of both preschool and pre-Kindergarten are the same – to get your preschool or pre-Kindergarten age child ready for kindergarten. One of the main differences between a preschool and a pre-Kindergarten classroom is the age and developmental abilities of the children who participate.

Depending on state licensing regulations and enrollment needs, the appropriate age for preschool is usually from 2 ½ to 4 ½ years old. Regardless of the child’s age, the learning is very similar, with emphasis on learning ABC’s, numbers to ten, and how to interact with other kids.

During the early preschool years, children develop vocabulary and language skills, are introduced to a wide variety of materials, and begin to learn how to work with others as well as independently. Both preschool and pre-Kindergarten classrooms emphasize learning through hands-on experiences, and exploration.

Pre-Kindergarten acts as the essential bridge between preschool and kindergarten and are designed for children who are 4 or 5 years old. While each child develops at his or her own pace, activities in pre-Kindergarten programs are focused on developing the skills and more advanced learning they’ll need to ensure success in kindergarten.

Why Is Pre-Kindergarten Important?

Research has shown that young children who participate in high-quality pre-Kindergarten programs enter school more ready to learn than their peers. A study in Michigan, New Jersey, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and West Virginia found that children in state pre-Kindergarten scored 31 percent higher on vocabulary tests and 44 percent higher on math tests than those of non-participants, placing them three to four months ahead of non-participants.

According to the Urban Child Institutes, school readiness, i.e., the cognitive, behavioral and social skills that help a child perform at an appropriate level in school, is a good predictor of long-term achievement. Research suggests that there are four key dimensions of readiness – language and literacy, thinking skills, self-control, and self-confidence.

When these four foundations are strong, a child is ready to thrive in kindergarten and beyond. When a child enters kindergarten lacking the necessary skills to be successful, it’s much hard for him or her to keep up with their peers and move forward.

Pre-Kindergarten is also useful because many students need an extra year to get used to a classroom, and an educational environment where they can get excited about learning. Pre-Kindergarten can help a child develop confidence, making it easier to master concepts and learn to cooperate with their peers.

If you’re interested in a private school pre-Kindergarten program, consider our Strelitz Early Years Program. Our teachers guide students in a loving and nurturing environment which encourages language development, creativity, logical thinking, problem-solving and exploration of the world.

We know Early Childhood Education teaches emotional and social lessons along with basic educational skills. That’s why the staff, administration, and teachers of Strelitz International Academy believe in inquiry-based education rather than the standardized curriculums used in public school.

It’s also a reason why we chose to meet the rigorous demands necessary to become an International Baccalaureate (IB®) school, offering their Primary Years Programme (PYP) to students between the ages of 3 and 12 (kindergarten through 5th grade).

We invite you to come join us, learn more about our curriculum and our dedication to helping children learn so we can get their journey started. Give us a call at 757-424-4327.

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