Benefits of pre school: 10 good reasons your child should attend preschool

Advantages of Attending Preschool Before Kindergarten

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Preschool is more important than you may think.

A high-quality preschool program not only provides child care for busy parents, but also provides a foundation of learning that helps children succeed in elementary school and beyond. Attending isn’t a necessity; however, early childhood education gives kids a great head start.

If your child won’t be old enough for kindergarten for another year or two, consider enrollment in preschool. Here, the experienced educators at Lit’l Scholars explain some of the many benefits of sending your child to preschool before kindergarten.

Social Development

At preschool, your child will get the opportunity to socialize and figure out how to get along with other children. The setting allows kids to make friends and learn how to share, take turns and solve conflicts. In addition, attending preschool eases the transition to kindergarten, as it helps children become comfortable with separation from their parents.

Basic Knowledge

Preschool teachers prepare a wide variety of games and fun activities designed to help children learn their colors, numbers, alphabet and other basics – knowledge that sets them up for success in kindergarten. Your child will have a great time at preschool, and they’ll also learn a great deal.

Cognitive Skills

Children who attend preschool get to stretch their language skills, as teachers frequently ask though-provoking questions and introduce new vocabulary. With a high-quality preschool program, your child will also engage in hands-on activities that challenge observational skills and test new ideas.

Learning Needs

Children have different ways of learning, and experienced educators can determine which teaching methods work best for each child. If your little one attends a high-quality preschool program, the teacher can share information on their individual needs with their kindergarten teacher. As a result, your child will have an easier time with learning.

Fine Motor Skills

In kindergarten, children need to write, draw, use scissors and complete other tasks that require fine motor skills. At preschool, many different activities – such as threading beads, building with small blocks, weaving paper and playing with dough – encourage the development of these necessary skills, while also allowing kids to explore their creativity and simply have fun.

If you’re looking for a high-quality preschool program in Taylorsville or Salt Lake City, Utah, consider Lit’l Scholars Learning Centers.

Our experienced educators understand how to help children prepare for kindergarten, and we offer a safe, supportive environment where kids can grow, explore and learn. We’ll take good care of your little one, and every day at preschool will be filled with fun new experiences.

To schedule an in-person tour of Lit’l Scholars Learning Centers, or for more information on our approach to kindergarten readiness or our high-quality preschool program, contact us today.

Universal pre-K: The long-term benefits that exceed short-term costs

Georgetown University experts reveal outcomes from a groundbreaking, 20-year research study on high-quality, publicly-funded pre-K — from high school graduation and college enrollment to participation in civic life.

For more than two decades, Dr. Bill Gormley and Dr. Deborah Phillips, co-directors of the  McCourt School of Public Policy’s Center for Research on Children in the United States (CROCUS), and a multidisciplinary team of researchers have studied the effects of Oklahoma’s universal pre-kindergarten (UPK) program, available on a voluntary basis, free of charge, to all four-year-olds in the state. Their focus has been on the city of Tulsa, which has the largest school district in Oklahoma.

At a McCourt School conference on September 20, 2022, CROCUS experts revealed that Tulsa’s UPK program has successfully produced a wide range of outcomes — from early academic progress and socio-emotional development to high school graduation, college enrollment and even participation in civic life as young adults. Timothy Bartik, a CROCUS collaborator and senior economist at the Upjohn Institute, estimates that the benefits of TPS’ pre-K program exceed the short-term costs by 2.65 to 1.

The preschool advantage beyond kindergarten

A key motivator for this research is the “fade out” hypothesis, which theorizes that the benefits of early childhood education diminish or even disappear over time. In multiple studies, Georgetown University researchers have found that Tulsa pre-K alumni continue to perform better than a comparable group of peers, despite some fade out.

Many of Gormley and Phillips’ findings come from a cohort of more than 4,000 Tulsa Public Schools (TPS) students who entered kindergarten in the fall of 2006. Some of these students attended TPS pre-K or Head Start, while others attended neither program.  

Anna Johnson, provost’s distinguished associate professor of psychology at Georgetown, is leading a parallel study of more than 1,000 disadvantaged TPS students who entered kindergarten in the fall of 2018. Recently published findings from her research lab, known as School Experiences and Early Development (SEED), reveal that the children who attended preschool maintained advantages over non-attenders into third grade; in particular, their math and self-regulation skills are better than those of students who did not receive an early childhood education.

Not only do new research findings from CROCUS and SEED suggest that preschool benefits are sustained beyond kindergarten, but evidence also shows that the positive effects of a strong, school-based pre-K program continue to reverberate through high school and beyond.

Sara Amadon, senior research scientist at Child Trends, identified a number of important differences at the end of 11th grade between students who attended pre-K and students who did not. 

The effects of pre-K that persist through adulthood

Beyond high school, Tulsa students in the CROCUS team’s longitudinal study were 12 percentage points more likely to enroll in both two-year colleges and four-year colleges and universities many years later. “We saw positive effects on two-year college enrollment for white and Native American students, on four-year college enrollment for Latino students, and on both two-year and four-year college enrollment for Black students,” said Gormley.

When it comes to civic engagement, preschool attendance is also a good predictor of whether young adults register to vote and, ultimately, cast their ballots. Karin Kitchens, a Georgetown alumna and assistant professor of political science at Virginia Tech University, reported that pre-K improves cognitive and socio-emotional skills, which are linked to voter registration and voting.

Growing support for high-quality early childhood education

Although attempts to pass legislation for government-funded preschool at the federal level have proven unsuccessful thus far, eight states, including the District of Columbia, and a growing number of cities have instituted universal pre-kindergarten programs for four-year-old children and even some three-year-olds.

“The findings from Tulsa are significant and prove that there is a successful model for government-funded pre-K, even in one of the poorest states in America, that could be replicated in other cities across the country,” said Gormley.

 “Our research underscores the importance of high-quality early childhood education and its capacity to alter children’s lives for the better,” said Phillips.

Learn more about CROCUS, SEED and their early childhood education research here.

Key benefits of early childhood education

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Nowadays, the learning process of a child starts at a very early age. It is clear that parents want the best for their child, including education. In this article, we will consider the advantages of preschool education in the direction of planning the future baby.

Kindergarten – preparation for school

Today’s kindergarten is far removed from the kindergarten of the past. In it, children receive important knowledge in literacy and mathematical subjects, which will allow them to smoothly, without undue stress, move on to learning according to the standards of school programs. Through Preschool Kindergarten, toddlers can learn how to behave in the classroom, learn to speak more complex sentences, learn about science with practical applications, and take part in extensive art projects to expand their creativity. The child will also have the opportunity to participate in music classes, various applied circles and excursions.

Children can benefit from learning when they spend school time away from their parents and other close relatives. When a 3- or 4-year-old becomes comfortable away from family, interacting with teachers and peers, the toddler develops valuable social engagement skills more quickly. Teachers working in preschools need to be able to convey the “warm” attitude that nurtures a positive relationship with their pupils. In return, children will receive practice in social skills, “manage” frustration, communicate appropriately with peers, and resolve conflicts.

Emotional Growth

Preschool education allows toddlers to learn and practice important emotional growth skills. They learn to follow the rules, take turns answering, show empathy for others, listen when others are talking – that is, think and communicate more effectively. Many of these skills require constant practice, which children can learn by participating in classroom activities.

Education in a similar environment

Children attending preschool can be successfully explained and taught how to interact with the student’s environment in a structured way, which is an excellent method to prepare for ongoing learning. Class rules, schedules, and activities will help your child adapt to these procedures. The environment also provides babies with many opportunities for social interaction and helps to strengthen these abilities.

Sparking curiosity

Every child has a natural curiosity about the world around them, and early childhood education can be the spark to spark and direct that curiosity. They will be able to learn more and use additional learning opportunities with the support of teachers. Teachers have considerable resources at their disposal to nurture the natural curiosity and imagination that is present in every teenager, providing great opportunities for small discoveries. For this, various objects, “imaginary” games and open spaces are often used, which can help simulate students for an active learning game.

Once parents are aware of the benefits of preschool, their next step is to find an institution and program for their child. With careful analysis and research, you can find what best suits your needs and budget.
As a result of the parents’ decision about preschool education, they are more likely to find that the child likes such education. He enjoys being in this environment, enjoying the opportunities for creative play, communication and learning.

Pre-school education: pros and cons

Pre-school education: pros and cons

03/11/2022
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Elza LALIEVA, mother of two children:
– I think that children should go to kindergarten. Here the child receives not only the basics of education, but also upbringing. You also need to educate at home, but it is very important to adapt in society. By communicating with each other, children learn certain norms of behavior. Important in the educational process is also holding events, games, matinees. They can contribute to both the mental and physical activity of the child. I judge all this by my children and, comparing them with their “home” peers, I notice that mine are more active and independent.

Elvira KOCHIEVA, parent:

– To begin with, it was not easy for me to arrange my daughter in a kindergarten, which is closer to home. I had to wait a year and a half for my turn. What conclusions did I come to on the example of my child?

I attribute the basics of education to the positive aspects. The girl learned the basics of grammar, the basics of behavior in a team, communication with peers. It’s also good that my daughter participated in various performances at matinees and became more liberated.

There was an aggressive boy in her group who offended everyone. Sometimes this led to a daughter’s response or reluctance to go to kindergarten.

Rita MAMIEVA, seller:

– Every day I go to work past the kindergarten and my heart feels warm when I hear the cheerful laughter of the children, I see how enthusiastically they work with their teachers. But there is one “but”: there is little greenery in the courtyard of the garden and there are no flower beds. But flowers not only decorate the territory of a preschool institution – with their help you can bring up a sense of beauty in children, teach them how to care for plants. And I also noticed that the gazebo is not in the best condition, it clearly needs to be painted and repaired. I paid attention to the condition of the yards of other city kindergartens, in some of them the picture is about the same.

Rita LAZAROVA, Beslan, housewife:

– There are no complaints about nutrition in our kindergarten. In any case, my child has not yet complained, he goes to the preparatory group. I think a lot in this matter depends on the chef: someone cooks “for hell”, and someone, as for himself, with a soul. In our case, this fact became very revealing precisely with the transition to the preparatory group – at the same time, the kitchen worker was replaced in the kindergarten. If earlier the son could skip some meals because, as he said, of their “tasteless”, now he sweeps away everything. The menu itself is balanced: soups, cereals, meat, fish, fruits… I’m satisfied.

Zarina MAMITOVA, music teacher:

– In the current realities, special attention should be paid to preschool education. The workload in this area is very high. There are things that parents sometimes cannot explain to their children. Some don’t have the time, some don’t have the patience. And teachers, thanks to their experience, convey the necessary information. Nowadays, from an early age, children actively learn languages, are engaged in creativity, robotics, etc. And this is undoubtedly a big plus. Pre-school education allows not only to successfully prepare children for school, but also helps them to socialize at an early stage.

Diana VARZIEVA, journalist:

– Pre-school education is the foundation of the basics. Modern realities are such that we, working parents, cannot fully engage with children, educate, develop them. And not everyone can afford tutors, and does a child need them at preschool age? Of course, the level of education in a preschool institution depends on the head and educators, on their responsibility and dedication to the profession. But in any case, I am convinced that preschool education is only a plus. There are a lot of cons as well. But they are rather subjective, individual.

Before going to school, I had to send my older child to an additional paid preparatory department, because the level of classes in the kindergarten left much to be desired. With the available “baggage” of knowledge, we would have had a hard time in the first grade.