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Ready or Not...

Here Comes Preschool!

By Shel Franco

So you can breathe a sigh of relief once your child has been potty trained and can function well in group situations. Not so fast, say experts. "I feel that it is never intellectual [development] but emotional that determines a child's readiness," says Toni Healey, a preschool program director near Washington, D.C. "A child [should] separate well from the parent. If a child is continually crying the entire time he is at preschool, then he is not ready."

Parents need to be honest with themselves about their child's emotional strengths and weaknesses. "If the child is very fearful in new situations, he is probably not ready to be cooperative in a school situation," says Nesset. "He has to be at a developmental level of being able to tolerate being away from Mom before he will be amenable to outside influences."

As a result, a child with extreme separation issues may not find preschool to be advantageous. Nesset points out that spending time at home with a caring parent who exposes the child to educational and social opportunities might be the better course of action.

After all is said and done, you still may be wondering if your child is ready for preschool. In this case, you might never know unless you try. If you decide to take a "trial and error" approach, be on the lookout for signs that your child is not adjusting. "An obvious clue would be if the child is reluctant or crying when it's time to go to school," says Nesset. She stresses that during the initial period of adjustment, some tears will be normal.

A good rule of thumb, according to Joanne Kathy Estes: "If the child has not mastered the basic group routine in one to two months, he may not be ready to participate in a preschool program."

Want to see more?

• Preschool Prep Series: The Waldorf Method
• Preschool Prep Series: How to Hit the Ground Running
• Cooperative Preschools: A Parent-Participation Learning Experience
• Selecting A Preschool: Why? When? Where?
• Is your child ready for preschool? Tell us about it at the Preparing for Preschool Discussion Board.
• What are some of the things you should be looking for when choosing a preschool or daycare for your child? Use our printable checklist to jot down notes when calling and touring preschool and daycare centers.
• Preschool Prep Series: The Montessori Method