7 Important Reasons Why Preschool Is Good for Your Child

Did you know that children who attend high-quality preschool programs develop better pre-reading skills, stronger basic math skills, and richer vocabularies than those who don’t? 

While you may fret sending your little one off to preschool, it’s essential to equip your child with all of the necessary skills for their growing years.

Give your child the advantage of developing skills through early learning by enrolling them in preschool. 

If you’re still not convinced, keep reading for seven reasons why preschool is important for your child.

1. Learning in a Structured Environment

Preschool programs don’t run on a strict schedule, but they provide a structured learning environment to encourage kids to make friends and play well with others. In a high-quality preschool, the day is structured in a way that’s invisible to children.

A preschool classroom space is organized in a way that encourages social interaction while minimizing congestion and conflicts.

Your child will learn how to follow instructions, share with others, and raise their hand when they need to ask a question. They’ll learn to take turns and share the attention of others. This is an experience that every child should have before they head to primary school.

2. Developing Motor Skills

With improved physical coordination, your child will learn how to explore their environment and challenge themselves in new ways.

Young children are continually on the move, and preschool provides the opportunity to climb, run, and play active games. They engage in activities to strengthen fine motor skills, such as cutting with scissors or threading beads. Your child will be challenged through activities that will build their hand-eye coordination and balance.

3. Making Choices 

When your child is presented with several choices of activities, they may wander until someone encourages them to choose what interests them.

Preschool teachers look out for children who can’t decide how to enter other children’s play and often offer suggestions on how to join the group.

4. Preparing for Elementary School

You may worry that lessons focusing on pre-math and pre-reading skills will cause your child to grow up too soon—that they’re missing out on free play and interacting with the world. 

You don’t have to worry, because children in pre-school get both. Preschool programs are based on learning through activities and play, so they have fun while they learn. And then they’ll be ready to graduate to elementary school with ease.

5. Learning to Take Care of Themselves and Others

As children learn to help others and take care of themselves, their sense of self-worth and competence grow. Preschool offers children chances to help out in the classroom, such as feeding the class pet or setting the table at lunchtime.

While in preschool, your child is encouraged to wash their hands, keep personal belongings in their cubby, and put away items before engaging in a new activity. 

Preschool will also encourage your little one to view themselves as a resource for other children. For example, a child who can pour water may be asked to help another child who is still learning. Or a teacher may ask a returning preschooler to show another child where specific toys are kept.

As children develop, most of their learning takes place in the presence of their peers. 

The benefits of a preschool education include introducing children to behaviors that help them function successfully in a classroom. They will learn to listen while others speak, focus on the teacher, and wait for their turn to talk.

6. Nurturing Curiosity

In preschool, teachers don’t ask questions to get “correct” answers.

They use children’s interests to nurture their curiosity and create new activities guided by a motivation to learn. The smallest of events, such as a child discovering an earthworm on the playground, can be turned into an interesting opportunity to learn.

Preschool-aged children have a naturally active imagination and love make-believe play. The line between reality and fantasy is often unclear, but imagination is the magic that fuels learning.

For example, children who set up an imaginary ice cream shop will assign roles to each other, practicing cognitive and social skills while they play. It is in these situations that children graduate from solitary play to complicated group play.

7. Promoting Language and Cognitive Skills

Between the ages of three and five, a child’s vocabulary grows from 1000 to 5000 words, and their sentences become longer and more complicated.

Your child’s cognitive skills will be strengthened as they engage in a wide range of activities that challenge them to ask questions, test ideas, and observe closely.

Preschool helps children stretch their language skills by asking new questions to provoke thought and introduce new vocabulary. Children experience opportunities to take about their favorite things, sing, and even act out stories.

What You Can Do at Home

Just because your child goes to pre-school doesn’t mean you can get in on the fun at home. 

Foster their growing education by asking them about their day. What did they do? How did those activities make them feel? Did they learn anything new today?

Take the time to brainstorm new problem-solving strategies with your child by reading interactive books with them. You can never read too much to your child, so keep reading until they can read to you. This, combined with preschool activities, is essential for language development. 

Choose a High-Quality Preschool Nursery Education

When you decide to send your child to get a high-quality preschool nursery education, you can rest assured that they’re building the skills, knowledge, and confidence they’ll need in kindergarten.

At Pear Tree Elementary, we have a team of master-educated teachers that inspire academic excellence while nurturing each child’s individuality. Your child will build confidence by cultivating real-world skills that will serve them well in life.

We’d love to meet with you to talk about the educational adventures your child will have at Pear Tree Elementary. If you’d like to schedule a visit, please click here.