As your sweet baby grows into a more independent child, you may be thinking about preschool. Even though it might be hard to send your little one off to school for the first time, providing your child with a quality private preschool education sets your son or daughter up for success.
The emotional skills and understanding of the world that children develop while very young will help them become constructive members of society throughout their lives. Research shows that preschool graduates are better prepared for school and eventually, earn more money as adults.
Here are some important reasons why private preschool is so important for toddlers:
Preschool Teaches Children How to Learn
Young children are constantly soaking up experiences like a sponge through playing and observing the world around them. Acclimating them to a school setting while toddlers is a great way for children to learn in ways that interest them, and instill the idea that learning, and school, is fun.
Preschool Develops Social Skills
Preschool is probably the first place where a child will spend long periods of time with other children and adults outside the family. This new environment provides the chance to learn essential interpersonal skills, such as how to pay attention, listen, cooperate, make friends, and learn the basics of conversation.
Preschool Teaches Children How to Self-Regulate
Inevitably, any time children play and engage in activities together, conflicts arise. Those times of frustration and anger are opportunities for teachers to provide “teachable moments,” where they can encourage children to notice the effect their behavior has on others and start practicing how to resolve conflict. These emotional skills will be vital to preschool graduates throughout their entire lives.
Preschool Boosts Pre-Literacy Skills
A big part of every preschool day are the variety of games and activities that help children build pre-literacy skills. These can include singing alphabet songs, learning rhymes to help distinguish between sounds, listening to stories read by their teacher, and playing with magnetic alphabet letters. An early positive association with reading often leads to a lifetime love of it.
Preschool teachers help children develop language capabilities by introducing new vocabulary and asking thought-provoking questions.
Preschool Gets Children Ready for Math
Along with reading, preschool builds the foundations for future success in math through calendar time, guided play and fun activities like sorting, matching, or counting games. Certain board games are also useful at helping young students develop an understanding of categories and numbers.
Preschool Nurtures Children’s Curiosity and Creativity
Young children have lively imaginations. It’s important to nurture their active minds to fuel learning and creativity. Preschool environments are set up to encourage and stimulate exploration. A good preschool teacher will encourage children to be curious and develop their own ideas and thoughts. They will ask questions and listen to children’s ideas rather than pushing “correct” answers.
Preschool Teaches Children How to Be Responsible
Preschool children are often given chances to practice how to be responsible. These include washing their hands, keeping personal belongings in cubbies, and putting toys back in their proper spots. In addition to self-care, preschoolers learn how to take care of others by helping other children learn skills they’re more competent at or by helping out in the classroom.
Preschool Helps Children Develop Cognitive and Motor Skills
Children build cognitive skills by engaging in activities that challenge them to try new things, ask questions, solve problems, and be more aware of the world around them. Preschool is centered around these types of activities, so children are able to learn more.
But the mind isn’t the only important part of your child’s development. In addition to outside play time, many preschool activities help children develop fine motor skills and physical coordination. For example they might be given projects that involve drawing, threading beads, even cutting with scissors.
Preschool Prepares Children for Kindergarten!
Over the years, kindergarten has become increasingly academic. A high-quality preschool education program will offer children the skills development they’ll need to prepare them for kindergarten and beyond.
After having learned basic social and communication skills, they’ll be more comfortable cooperating and asking for help. With strong pre-literacy, cognition, and math foundation skills, they’re less likely to struggle.
The Best Private Preschool in Hampton Roads
Are you looking for a private preschool in Virginia Beach for your 3 year old? The best preschools help children develop a drive to learn that they will take with them throughout their time in school and throughout their lives.
At Strelitz International Academy, our staff, administration, and teachers believe in inquiry-based education rather than the standardized curriculums used in public school. Our Early Years Programme follows the guidelines of developmentally appropriate practice promoted by the National Association for the Education of Young Children(NAEYC).
The Strelitz International Academy is an International Baccalaureate® World School for students between the ages of 3 and 12 (kindergarten through 5th grade).
A private preschool might just be the perfect choice for your toddler. 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. Click here to find out more, or please give us a call at 757-424-4327.
