How is Preschool Preparing Your Child for the Future
This is a partnered post.
As a parent, your child’s success is your most paramount concern. It’s your responsibility to expose your young ones to environments that edify and develop them intellectually, mentally, psychologically, physically and emotionally.
While providing your young ones with age-appropriate toys stimulates their brain as they approach kindergarten age, you should also consider enrolling them at a preschool that will engage their mind further with extracurricular activities. Preschool Singapore focuses on the basics of numbers and letters and nurtures social and cognitive skills to ensure your young ones can express themselves when they join kindergarten.
Kindergarten readiness encompasses all the cues a child needs to be well conversant with before they begin their educational journey. Preschool caregivers look at your young one as a whole human who needs more than a few isolated skills to thrive among other kids. They also help your child recognize their unique talents and abilities and how they can use them to stand out.
Here is how preschool helps you prepare your child for kindergarten and their future.
Builds Self-Regulation Skills
Regardless of age, every individual should be able to manage their emotions and reactions in different situations. This is perhaps the most important skill to foster in your child from a young age because it will come in handy throughout their life. Erratic behavior in children might have been normalized in many households, but it shouldn’t be something that parents settle for because young kids have the capacity to learn good and controlled behavior.
Preschools in Singapore teach young kids about self-regulation with the help of tailored activities and because preschool caregivers understand the impact proper emotional and behavioral regulation has on every child’s academic and personal success. Mastering how to navigate different emotions teaches young kids how to be learners. The teaching exercises preschool caregivers use help extend students’ attention span without taking away their curiosity and sense of wonder.
A child won’t have to jump from one activity to the next without really finishing what they start because their curiosity has taken over. Instead, they learn to use their curiosity to extensively explore one activity at a time with the intention of learning something from it. When a child understands how and why to react to different scenarios, they become accountable for their actions.
They’ll be in a position to discern good from bad behavior without requiring an adult’s guidance. Preschool caregivers use routines, musicals, prompts and games to reinforce the essence of controlled behavior. Redirecting children’s behavior from a young age puts them on the right path, so they grow up to be responsible and accountable individuals.
Fosters Playful Learning
Parents to preschool-aged kids’ debates come down to finding the balance between play and academics. On one end of the spectrum, the argument is that early childhood education robs kids of their playful years. On the other end of the spectrum, parents believe that the sooner kids are introduced to the school system, the better their academics will be over the years.
In reality, preschool-aged kids need both play and academics to achieve the social and cognitive development required for their extended academic and life experience. So, in essence, academics and play are equally important, and that’s why quality preschool institutions are big on playful learning. Incorporating play in preschool learning systems allows kids to interact with educational material without feeling like learning is a task.
Experienced preschool caregivers understand that playing is how kids at this age interact with the world. So, they playfully engage the kids under their care with toys, games, songs and other playful activities that make sense to their young brains. Kids are capable of learning more deeply when information is presented to them in a format they recognize.
Invests in Teacher Training
For the longest time, learning institutions used the skill and drill teaching model in classrooms. However, educators have recently observed that this approach is counterintuitive because instead of fostering curiosity and critical thinking, it forces students to cram information for the purpose of passing exams.
The skill and drill criterion also plants shame and anxiety in kids’ minds from a young age. This is because instead of reveling in the prospect of learning new things, they dread being introduced to new concepts because they might not master them as fast as the teacher expects.
To break this vicious cycle that steals students’ joy in learning, educators are advocating for teacher training right from preschool all the way to the tertiary level of education. Taking your child to preschool allows them to be cared for by trained teachers who prioritize the well-being of every student under their care. Trained and coached teachers are better positioned to accomplish extensive kindergarten readiness for your young one. Leaving the fate of your child in the hands of a trained preschool teacher gives you peace of mind knowing you’ve done the best to prepare them for the future.
Wrapping Up
Every parent does their best with the hopes that they’re doing enough to prepare their kids for a successful future. But, unfortunately, lack of knowledge causes many parents to fall short by not providing their kids with the necessary tools required to achieve prosperity in the real world. Enrolling your young one at a preschool leaves them in the hands of professionals who will appropriately prepare them for kindergarten.