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In Early Childhood Education

Quality Preschool Education is Important

Hand puppets at The Dorris-Eaton preschool in Alamo, CA

Research clearly shows the lifelong impact of brain development during the early years.

Linked to success throughout life, early experiences of children from birth to age five have a profound effect on the nature of their development as well as the quality of their brain’s architecture.

Enter the world of preschool. How important is it?

Kids running on the playground at Dorris-Eaton Preschool in Alamo, CA

Kids running on the playground at Dorris-Eaton Preschool in Alamo, CA

There are some who believe that enrolling a four-year-old in music, gymnastics, and dance classes will offer all of the early experiences necessary for success.  However, what preschools do that individual classes don’t do is teach children how to be students.  Preschoolers don’t automatically come with the ability to take turns and compromise, be respectful of others, raise their hands, and share the attention of a teacher.  Students who enter kindergarten with these skills—coupled with the ability to easily separate from parents—tend to be the ones who are ready to learn and gain the most during the kindergarten year and beyond.

Preschoolers don’t automatically come with the ability to take turns and compromise, be respectful of others, raise their hands, and share the attention of a teacher.

Experts have found that students who attend high-quality preschools enter kindergarten with better pre-reading skills, richer vocabularies, and stronger basic math skills than those who do not.  So what defines a high-quality preschool environment?  Results of studies highlight stimulating activities that promote teacher-to-student and student-to-student interaction; a sequential building of instruction and curriculum; a well-designed outdoor play area to promote the development of gross motor skills and opportunities for social interaction; and a variety of activity areas with well-stocked materials such as books, art supplies, blocks, puzzles, and other manipulatives.  But by far, experienced, well-trained teachers are the key ingredient.  Teachers with college degrees with specialized early-childhood education and training have more positive interactions with children, provide richer language experiences, and are more engaged with their students.

So continue with the valuable music lessons and gymnastics, but in order to provide your child the best possible outcome for early brain development and educational readiness, make sure to include a high-quality preschool experience.

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In Early Childhood Education

Ready or not — kindergarten here I come.

Most parents don’t take a cavalier approach with their child’s first formal educational experience.

However, overanalyzing every move a four-year-old makes isn’t productive either. So, how do parents determine if their child is ready to begin kindergarten?

The first consideration is usually age because most private and public schools have a cut-off date: the date by which a child must be five. However, experts agree that chronological age is only one piece of the puzzle. It should not be the determining factor. A child’s social/emotional, physical, academic, and learning preparedness are the considerations which should help guide the decision.

Dorris-Eaton T.K. class in Alamo, CA

Being ready to learn can be critical to success at school.  For a child about to enter kindergarten, look at how well he communicates and listens.  Does he speak in complete sentences most of the time and understand and follow two-step directions?  Is he focused and attentive when a book is read?  Is he able to wait when the need arises?  Can he successfully follow a routine?

Does your child wonder about the world around him and ask questions?

Another consideration is academic readiness.  Being curious is key.  Does your child wonder about the world around him and ask questions? After hearing a story, is he able to reasonably retell the story and connect it to his own life?  Letter and number recognition shows readiness.  A conceptual understanding of math includes the ability to count, recognize one-to-one correspondence, and identify quantity—groupings which show greater than and less than.

Sometimes there is a tendency to overemphasis a child’s cognitive ability. A child’s social/emotional development is critical to enjoying school and being successful.  Can your child express his feelings?  When interacting with other children, how well does he share, take turns, compromise, and problem solve?  Assess your child’s independence.  Is he able to separate from you, dress himself, and take responsibility for his belongings?

Fine- and gross-motor skills are also important.  Does your child use drawing or writing tools with control and intention?  Can he copy a straight line, circle, and triangle? When drawing himself, does his picture have a head, body, arms, and legs?  In terms of gross-motor skills, look at how well your child catches and bounces a ball.  Is he able to hop on one foot, jump, and run in a straight line?

It can be difficult for parents to objectively assess their own child’s readiness for kindergarten. So, seek the opinion of skilled educators, childcare providers, or adults who know your child well. Meld their assessment with your own so that you can make an informed determination as to whether your child is “ready or not” to begin kindergarten.

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