Every vigilant parent wants to track what their tiny toddler is learning in a preschool or is it just all play?
While most individuals consider preschools to be just games and fun, these educational institutions contribute more to the child’s development process than one can think of.
In fact, preschools are imperative for the child’s social, cognitive, emotional, physical, fine motor, and gross motor development.
Children for the initial six years of their lives are highly susceptible to the stimuli present in the surrounding environment and dependent on their sense of the world.
Hence children during their initial stages of development often learn best through autodidactic education and self-directed play.
Preschools provide children with all the right activities and opportunities that promote the development of skills required for mathematics, language, and scientific concepts.
Preschoolers also develop school readiness skills that help them to adjust to a traditional school environment, socialize with peers, and work in groups.
With that being said, if you are a curious and vigilant parent who wants to keep a check on their child’s learning process, look no further.
To help clear your doubts and reservations regarding preschool education, here is what your child learns in preschool.
What is a Preschool?
Preschool education is a critical milestone of a child’s life that allows the child to socialize, helps lay down a firm foundation, and facilitates emotional development.
The main aim of enrolling your child in a preschool is to prepare the child for kindergarten and give the child a head start for their future academic prospects.
Preschools are also referred to as playschool, pre-kindergarten, and even daycares that prepare your child for traditional educational programs.
Preschools are educational institutions that facilitate education for children between 2 to 4 years of age.
A preschool is an educational establishment that offers early childhood education to children before they start their compulsory education.
These educational institutions can also be regarded as informal nurseries for children between the ages of two and four.
Preschools lay down the necessary foundation for developing children to help them adjust to the elementary school environment.
Preschool education provides children with the requisite tools to prepare them for traditional educational institutions.
What will your child learn in Preschool?
The misconception of a traditional preschool being all fun and games is far from true.
Your traditional preschool institution is more than just a daycare facility, in fact, it is a major milestone that prepares the child for kindergarten and elementary education.
You can compare the structure of a developing mind for the initial six years to a sponge that absorbs appropriate stimuli from the surrounding environment.
Preschools can be regarded as educational programs that facilitate the holistic development of children between the ages of 2 and 4 years.
These educational programs recognize the needs and requirements of the early development stage and provide them with appropriate tools to achieve optimum development.
Several studies have indicated that preschools provide children with an opportunity to socialize, develop cognitive skills, and promote emotional development.
To help you understand the benefits of preschools here is a list of ways these educational programs promote optimum development in children:
1) Fostering good habits:
Preschools provide children with a systematic routine from a very young age.
Daily systematic routines are a great way of fostering healthy habits such as self-care and developing qualities of grace and courtesy.
Daily routines also provide children with opportunities to develop good sleeping habits.
In fact, preschool programs promote children to independently perform tasks such as getting dressed and washing their hands.
The Preschool educational environment is systematic and structured which promotes the child to independently perform tasks and coordinate with peers.
2) Development of emotional resilience:
Emotional resilience refers to the ability to respond appropriately to stressful or unexpected situations.
Preschool programs promote children to develop appropriate social skills and build healthy relationships with their peers.
With the help of socialization and opportunities to interact with peers, children in Preschools develop the ability to communicate their feelings.
3) Promotes socialization:
Social Development during the early childhood stages contributes to the child’s overall physical and emotional development.
Social development involves the ability to regulate one’s behaviors, interact with other individuals, and build healthy relationships.
Socialization during the early stages of development promotes children to become confident and independent.
Preschools provide children with ample opportunities to step out of their comfort zone and socialize.
Preschool programs promote children to collaborate and cooperate with each other in the classroom.
4) Develops a foundation for STEM skills:
STEM education is critical for developing problem-solving skills, critical thinking, and a passion for innovation.
Preschool programs encourage children to develop a firm foundation in Science, Technology, Engineering, and math concepts.
5) Academic Excellence:
Cognitive development refers to the way an individual explores, thinks, and comprehends information present in the surrounding environment.
It is important to promote cognitive development in children during early childhood stages to enhance their problem-solving skills, comprehension, and critical thinking.
Preschool programs provide children with opportunities to indulge in activities that stimulate their brains and enhance their thinking skills.
6) Love for learning:
Preschools are an introduction to a nurturing educational environment from a very young age, children are promoted to develop a lifelong love and appreciation for learning.
With the help of exciting educational activities, appropriate sensorial stimuli, art projects, music, and socialization children are encouraged to become seekers of knowledge.
Exposure to early childhood educational environments allows children to develop a passion for knowledge.
7) Development of self-confidence:
Preschools are the best way of developing a child’s confidence and self-esteem.
In a traditional preschool program, the child is encouraged to venture out of their comfort zone, socialize, and learn how to independently perform activities.
In the preschool environment, children are promoted to interact with peers, educators, and their parents.
This exposure and positive reinforcement promote children to become self-reliant, independent, and confident.
8) Enhances the child’s attention span:
Attention span is the ability to pay attention and perform tasks diligently with prolonged periods of focus.
Attention span also refers to the ability to intentionally eliminate or block unnecessary stimuli while performing tasks.
Preschools provide children with appropriate opportunities to develop their attention span.
Preschool programs promote children to determine timings for work, study, and play from a very young age.
These designated timings for work, and play, by eliminating unnecessary stimuli allow children to develop an attention span.
9) Physical Development:
The development and enhancement of gross motor skills, as well as fine motor skills, is integral for a child’s overall physical health.
Gross Motor Skills are abilities that are required for the movement of Large Body Muscles to perform basic activities like walking, climbing, crawling, jumping, and even sitting.
Gross Motor skills involve the movement of larger body muscles- arms, legs, feet, and the core muscles present in the torso.
Fine Motor skills refer to the ability to make deliberate and precise movements with small muscles situated in the hands, wrists, and fingers while coordinating eye movements.
These Movements are different from Gross Motor Skills and are important for activities like academic work, self-care, hygiene, and grooming.
Early Childhood Education Programs promote the development of both gross motor skills and fine motor.
Activities in Early childhood programs also promote the development of hand-eye coordination in children.
These programs accommodate the physical needs of the child and provide them with appropriate activities to promote physical development.
Resources:
https://insights.gostudent.org/en/skills-children-learn-in-preschool
https://www.scholastic.com/parents/school-success/school-success-guides/guide-to-preschool.html