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Preschool Prep Series
How to Hit the Ground Running
By Tara Swords
For most children, preschool is the dawn of education. Yet as a mainstream option, it's a fairly modern educational phenomenon. Preschool has gained in popularity as more and more women have entered the workforce over the last few decades. Because of this, some parents of preschool-aged children never attended preschool themselves. But even if you did go to preschool, it's likely that the memories are a bit fuzzy, leaving you with questions about what your child will encounter when he gets there.
Regardless of the type of preschool you choose for your child -- traditional or alternative -- there are certain things every child should be prepared to tackle. And you may be surprised to know that the steps to take in preparation for preschool shouldn't necessarily be academic.
Proud parents often boast to one another that Sally can already count to 10, knows her ABCs and writes her own name. The earlier the accomplishment, the better -- right?
Not so, say experts.
"Those are not necessarily good preschool tasks," says Judy Myers-Walls, associate professor of child development and family studies at Purdue University. "Numbers and all academic things come better in kindergarten and later. Kids can learn to recognize some of those things, but they really won't understand concepts until they're ready cognitively."
That means your child may or may not be ready to count at age 3. Experts in the field of early childhood education debate many things, but they all agree that every child is different.
Every preschool is also different, especially in teaching philosophies. For example, if your child attends a Montessori school, he'll learn some academics at his own pace. But if he goes to a traditional preschool, he'll probably deal mostly with socialization and life management skills. That means he'll learn to play with other kids, put on his coat and shoes and put away toys, among other things.