Preschool is a huge part of early childhood development. As your child is getting ready for kindergarten, opting to enroll in a preschool program that helps them prepare for their journey sets them up for success.

The benefits of a preschool program are robust. Children:

• Develop social skills
• Adapt to a learning environment
• Adapt to being away from home for longer periods of time
• Build a foundation in problem-solving skills, coping strategies, motor skills, and cognitive development

Social Development

Preschool gives children the opportunity to start interacting with children their own age prior to starting school. This brings a lot of benefits outside of the obvious. They certainly learn to build friendships and develop important social skills like learning to share and being good communicators, but there are other social benefits of preschool that aren’t always at the forefront.

By allowing children time to gain social experiences in a preschool program, you give them the opportunity to learn how to be social in an educational environment. This means that when they do enter kindergarten and start their school career, they are more equipped to balance learning and social interactions. Children given this opportunity are proven to have better listening skills and retain more of what they learn when they enter kindergarten.

Learning to Learn

In a strong preschool program, children simply learn to learn. The approach is different than what they will encounter in their school years, yes. But the benefits and the concept are the same. In preschool, children learn at their level – most often through play – and they learn how to accept information, retain it, and then apply it in succession to things they continue to learn.

Without learning the foundation of how to learn, children may struggle when they enter kindergarten to try and develop these skills at the same time they’re being asked to absorb a world of new information. A preschool education can help them develop those tools early on so that they are more than prepared to learn on their first day of school.

Adapting to a Structured Environment

One of the biggest advantages of preschool – and early childhood education in general – is that children learn to adapt to a structured learning environment. But a preschool program that is designed around learning through play and hands-on activities serves as almost an introduction into a structured environment that isn’t home.

In addition, preschool gives children experience being away from home and learning to take direction from teachers and adults alike. Children who attend preschool have proven to display better listening skills and more respect for their peers and teachers upon starting school.

Cognitive Development

This is the advantage of preschool that is the most frequently talked about in statistics and studies – so it should never be ignored. Activities that children engage in in a preschool environment serve as the foundation for major cognitive skills. Scribbling and drawing daily helps build motor skills for writing. Being read to even an extra 30 minutes a day has shown to drastically improve reading capabilities and language development.

The advantages of an early childhood education extend beyond just early school years, too. A study done by JAMA Pediatrics followed 1400 children from preschool age until they were 35 years old, with one group having been enrolled in preschool and one group skipping preschool. The study found that the group that did attend a preschool program were 48% more likely than their counterparts to obtain some form of higher education. The benefits your child will receive from a quality preschool education extend well beyond just their elementary, middle, and high school experiences.

There is no manual when it comes to raising children. We know that better than anyone. But when it comes to major decisions like whether or not your child needs preschool, doing the research is your best bet. If you’re teetering on whether or not preschool is important for your own children, reach out to a few local preschools near you to schedule center tours, speak to teachers and directors, and discuss the benefits of enrolling your child in a local program. The statistics speak for themselves – you will be glad you did!