There are many different ways to start teaching your child before he or she officially enters a school. You may opt to start teaching your little ones through the technology available to you, such as educational apps or TV shows. Other options include things like including learning moments in their day-to-day routine or taking time to run through the alphabet with them. These are all important ways to teach your children little by little, but extensive research has shown that enrolling your child in a pre-kindergarten is beneficial in more ways than one, both for the child and for the education system as a whole.
Finding the Right Preschool Program
While research shows that preschool programs are highly beneficial to your children, it also shows the preschool program you choose must be of a high quality. As you start looking for a good program in which to enroll your child, you must take special care to find a pre-kindergarten program that will work well for you and your child.
Some things you should look for when considering different preschool programs include:
- Proper attention to safety
- The mood of both the kids and the teachers
- Student/teacher ratios
- Good communication between teachers and parents
Immediate Benefits
Studies by the Urban Child Institute have shown children enrolled in pre-kindergarten programs start to benefit from immediate results over children that aren’t enrolled. Enrolled children are more prepared for school at age 5, have less need for special education, and graduate high school and attend college at higher rates than their peers.
Unfortunately, children who fall behind at the beginning of kindergarten will often stay behind for the rest of their schooling. Pre-kindergarten programs better prepare children for the years of schooling ahead of them by introducing them to learning principles earlier. Preschool can also help children learn how to follow directions properly and work independently. Both of these benefits help children excel at school by the time they start kindergarten. The head start that pre-kindergarten programs provide can help kids start ahead of the curve and stay ahead of it for the rest of their schooling.
Long Term Benefits
These kinds of programs can help kids excel early in their schooling career, but they also provide benefits in the long run. After leaving school, everyone will need to face the real challenge of finding a career and making a living. The same study from the Urban Child Institute shows that children who have been in pre-kindergarten are substantially more successful than children who weren’t in preschool. Preschool children demonstrate higher rates of owning homes, making more money, and being less involved in unsavory lifestyles.
Encouraging and enrolling children in pre-kindergarten programs doesn’t only affect the children. Communities can benefit greatly from these same programs as these children grow up. Better educated children means less crime and more money for communities.
Benefits for Everyone
Big things always start small, and children are no exception to that rule. Through participating in pre-kindergarten programs, children have a better chance of succeeding in school and, as an extension, life. This rings true for children of every ethnicity and economic class.
