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
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.
