Why Preschool Learning is So Important to Laying the Foundation for Future Learning

When many of today’s adults were small children, preschool was not considered an important part of childhood. In fact, many of today’s adults never even attended kindergarten – they simply went to first grade and beyond. However, as the world continues to become a busier, faster, and more high-tech place to live, there is benefit in laying the foundation for future learning early on. Here are some reasons why you should consider preschool for your child.

Early Social Development

In many of today’s most prominent careers, the ability to interact with one’s peers plays a vital role. As a result, children who can learn to socialize with their peers appropriately at a younger age are more likely to succeed in those career paths. Children who can go into kindergarten and even first grade with a firm grasp of how to behave in social settings are more likely to succeed in their academic endeavors, as well. For many parents, preschool serves as more of an opportunity for them to help acquaint their children with socializing than with academics.

Fostering a Love of Learning

When children have the ability to attend preschool and even go to pre-K, they develop a love of learning very early on. They find themselves in fun, engaging environments surrounded by other kids just like them, and when they see those kids having fun as they perform enriching activities, they want to have fun, too. It really is that simple, and that is one of the biggest benefits of enrolling your child in a preschool program. It fosters a love of learning at a very young age, and that love will stick with your child for many years to come.

Acclimation to a Structured Environment

All parenting styles are different. As a result, children themselves are very different, and they all have different expectations of what going to school will be like for them. Some kids think the worst, believing they will no longer get to have fun and play like they do with parents, brothers, sisters, and friends. Other kids expect preschool to be a party of sorts – nothing but playtime from the time they arrive until the time they go home. When you enroll your child in preschool, you can help him or her acclimate to the structured environment that is school. This will serve your child well as he or she grows and moves up in grades through the years.

An Early Grasp of the Basics

A group of researchers put together a 25-year study looking at how preschool truly affects children, and it was published in the journal Science back in 2011. These researchers found that kids who went to preschool went on to college and had higher incomes as adults than the kids who simply started their education with kindergarten. The study found that there are critical times in a child’s life when learning is vitally important, and the preschool years are one of these times. In fact, the study even made the claim that depriving a child of information and learning during these years could prevent proper development in the future.

As you can see, there are tremendous benefits associated with enrolling children in preschool and pre-K programs. Not only do these children learn better social skills, develop a love of learning, and acclimate to the school environment more quickly than children who do not attend preschool, but they also fare better as adults according to studies.