So, Why is Preschool Important Anyway?

There are a number of reasons that preschool is so important for a child to go to, but the main reason is that it helps with kindergarten readiness. The following are some of the reasons preschool is important:

1. Kindergarten academic readiness- Kindergarteners are supposed to go in knowing the basics, their numbers, their letters, shapes, etc. When a child goes to preschool they are introduced to the beginnings of academia on a regular basis, and are able to pick up on that stuff before kindergarten. A parent can certainly teach their child these things without the help of preschool, but if they aren’t going to, or do not have the time or ability to do so personally, it helps to have a preschool that will.
3. Socialization- Another reason preschool is important is that it helps children socialize and learn how to interact with their peers. When kids are preschool and kindergarten age, they often struggle with social experiences like sharing, and group activities. By sending a child to preschool, they learn how to handle the social dynamic of a classroom, and cope with not being the center of attention with the teacher, etc.
5. Authority figure- preschool helps children learn to listen to and respect authority figures other than their parent. It helps them learn that certain people play roles where they must listen and obey to their instructions.
7. Separation- Preschool is also very helpful because it helps children learn to handle separation from parents. Some children really suffer from separation anxiety, particularly if they have a stay at home parent they are not away from often. Having them attend a preschool a few times a week prepares them for when they will enter kindergarten and be away from their parent daily. It can also help parents as well, who may miss their child.
9. Schedule- Preschool is important because it helps kids to learn how to live on a schedule, and follow a routine that they will need to do the rest of their academic life. It may help them get to bed on time, or at least get in the habit of doing homework, reading daily, etc.
11. Responsibility- Last but not least, one of the reasons that preschool is important is that it teaches children some academic responsibility. They learn to keep track of their backpack, know when they have homework due, and other things like keeping track of their shoes so that they can get to preschool on time in the morning.

Preschool can be a great experience for a child, and if you can’t afford to send your child to preschool, there are many state funded preschool programs available in elementary schools. It may be worth checking with your school district to see if they have any free or subsidized preschools that your child could enroll in, and get started in their academic career.