You may wonder, “How important is it for my child to attend preschool before he or she goes to kindergarten?” You may not have attended a child care or preschool when you were a child. Why consider this for your child or grandchild? Today’s kindergarten is not the same as previous kindergarten classrooms. Research has shown us that young children are eager to learn in their early years – and that their bodies and brains are able to learn much more than we previously thought. In a developmentally appropriate pre-kindergarten and kindergarten classroom, where children learn through their play with other children, young children learn social and emotional skills – how to get along with others, how to manage their strong emotions such as anger and frustration, and how to keep working at a task even when it’s difficult. In addition to these social and emotional skills, young children are ready to learn how to write their names, identify numbers of objects, and “read” simple picture books. It is a unique period in childhood, where a child’s brain is growing so quickly, he or she has hundreds of questions every day that can be explored in a high quality early learning setting. My two-year-old granddaughter, Isabelle, is getting ready to attend preschool. She is already so curious about her world. She is learning about shadows with a flashlight and her hand with her Papa. She learned to climb a climber from her three-year-old family friend. And she learned from her mother how to take deep breaths when she’s sad about leaving Gigi’s house (yes, that’s me). Preschool will allow her to learn from even more adults and children. These early skills set the foundation for children’s later success in school, and in life. Preschool has significant advantages, and that is why you see more and more investment in early childhood programs. It is not too late to search out an early childhood program this year, even if your child is four years old. A few months of preschool this year before attending kindergarten next year can help you and your child learn about today’s kindergarten expectations. You can even get ideas for your child to do over the summer. A few openings are currently available in Waynesboro and Greencastle’s First Start Partnerships classrooms. If you would like to learn more and apply, check out our new website at www.firststartpartnerships.org. Together with our families, schools and communities, we can ensure each child arrives ready for kindergarten. You can do your part, and connect the children in your lives to high quality early learning experiences.
Dr. Annette Searfoss is the President & CEO at First Start Partnerships for Children and Families (formerly Franklin County Head Start Program). First Start Partnerships currently provides early education for 671 children and their families across Franklin County, in 35 Head Start, Early Head Start and Pre-K Counts funded classrooms.
