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How to Find a Preschool for Your Child

Preschool programs are becoming more and more popular among children these days. This presents a unique challenge for parents who are wondering how to find a preschool that will give their children the care and experience that they deserve. The percentages of 3- and 4-year-olds enrolled in preprimary programs in the year 2013 (42 and 68 percent, respectively) were higher than the percentages enrolled in 1990 (33 and 56 percent, respectively) but not measurably different from the percentages enrolled in 2000 or 2012. Such data shows you that there are more preschool programs than ever before. For this reason, it is even more difficult for parents who are wondering how to find a preschool that meets all the requirements that might be found on a typical preschool checklist. If you’re a parent and you’re wondering how to find a preschool for your child, then here are a few key things you should keep in mind.

Look for a preschool that makes grade school readiness a priority

While many parents make the mistake of thinking of preschool as a glorified daycare center, this could not be further from the truth. When you find the right preschool, you will notice an obvious difference in your child’s growth and mental faculties. Finding a school that places a strong emphasis on preparing your child for kindergarten and beyond is an excellent option for any parent who is wondering how to find a preschool. Start by searching for preschools that prioritize grade school readiness, and you will surely be off to a strong start on your search.

A good preschool will encourage students to explore their natural gifts and talents. Conversely, teachers will also have the ability to identify any areas in which your child is lacking. Once problem areas are identified early on, it is far easier to make the adjustments needed to ensure that your children stay on track in grade school and beyond. Setting up the right academic foundation in preschool is crucial toward creating a positive educational journey for your child as they grow and develop.

Don’t overlook the importance of finding a school with summer camp programs

If you’re not sure what to look for in a preschool, then it can be helpful to find schools that offer ongoing summer camp programs. With continuous educational and recreational programs throughout the summer months, you give your child more room to explore their environment, learn, and socialize. Summer camp programs often provide unique educational opportunities that just don’t exist in traditional preschool programs. Each one of these details can make all the difference when you’re stumped on how to find a preschool for your child.

Tour a preschool to get a better view of things

Finally, you should never be ashamed to request a tour of a preschool that you are considering for your child. In fact, many preschools offer tour days for prospective parents and students. A tour can be an invaluable resource, as it provides you with a more accurate picture of the day to day life of the classroom, recreational, and academic settings that your child will experience. A tour can also help you to learn a bit more about the school through speaking with teachers and other staff members firsthand.

Regardless of what stage you’re at in the process, it’s okay to be confused about how to find a preschool for your child. For most people, it’s the first time they’ve had to find a preschool, so there’s no shame in reaching out and asking for some help along the way. At Learn and Grow Academy, we pride ourselves on offering an excellent academic program and wide range of recreational activities that help to prepare your child for the academic and social environments of grade school. Reach out and get in touch with a member of our team today for more information. We would love to help you as you continue your search to find the right preschool program for your child.

How Choosing the Right Preschool Program Prepares Your Child for Kindergarten and Beyond

If you are a parent looking to enroll your child in a preschool program, then there are some key considerations to keep in mind. Finding the right program that offers a variety of preschool games and activities while also balancing superb academics can seem like an impossible challenge. If you continue to inform yourself and explore your options, you’ll put yourself in a position to succeed in finding the right preschool for your child. Of course, any preschool program is easily measured by its ability to prepare your child for kindergarten and later stages of schooling. Here are some important things to keep in mind as you search for the right preschool program to ready your child for kindergarten.

Preschools Prepare Your Child for the Responsibilities of the Classroom

When you send your child to preschool, they will probably not even be aware of the level of responsibility that they are taking on. Sure, they are being assisted by caring, helpful instructors and staff members, but a lot of their daily tasks are placed on them. This type of responsibility is important to establish early on, as it will help your child to be far more successful as they progress through the levels of grade school.

The Right Preschool Program Increases Your Child’s Literacy and Cognitive Skills

While you want to be sure that the recreational side of schooling is present in the form of fun, engaging preschool games and outdoor activities, you should never overlook the importance of a program’s academic approach. When it comes to establishing fundamental academic skill sets in your child, it is never too early to get started.

When you position your child for academic success early on, it is far more likely that they will continue to succeed in their learning. There is plenty of data from research data to support this fact. For example, between the years 1993 and 2012, the percentage of three- to six-year-old children able to demonstrate early literacy and cognitive skills improved. Between these years, the percentage of children able to recognize all the letters in the alphabet increased from 21% to 38%. The percentage of those able to count to 20 or higher rose from 52% to 68% and those able to write their names increased from 50% to 58%. While these numbers may be surprising, they are owed, in large part to the proliferation of preschool programs that prioritize the building of strong academic foundations.

The right preschool program will give your child a place to explore their natural talents and abilities. Similarly, with high-quality teachers around, they will be able to identify areas where they are lacking, so that they can place extra attention there to improve as they grow and learn.

Programs that Offer Preschool Games and Activities Improve Social Interactions

For socialization and increased social acuity, there is no better option than choosing a program that offers a variety of preschool games and other interactive activities for students. Your child is getting socialized at every moment of every day from the time they are born, so it is important to place them in the right environments that will give them the space to express their personality while also getting exposure to people who are different from them. Everything from another child’s demeanor to their clothing and personality makes for crucial early learning experiences for your child. This process is made that much easier when children have access to preschool games that make social interactions go smoother and flow more naturally.

If you are unsure about what to look for in a preschool, then do not hesitate to reach out and get in touch with a member of our team today. At Learn and Grow Academy we have a wide range of activities and programs to make every day a learning experience for your child. With an excellent academic reputation, preschool games, and summer camp activities, we have something for every child. Reach out to us today for more information. We would love to help you take the next step toward placing your child in the right preschool.

The Benefits of Sending Your Child to an Academic Preschool

When you are deciding whether or not you should send your child to preschool, there are a few main factors to consider. The benefits of academic preschools are vast, especially when compared to other types of schooling (or opting to go with no preschool at all). While there are many advantages to sending your child to an academic preschool, we will discuss the top three benefits of academic preschool for your child.

A high-quality early education creates a strong foundation for the future.

As you probably know, it’s advantageous to begin your child’s educational journey sooner rather than later. Because the brain is malleable at a young age, this helps to establish a strong educational foundation and will lead to further success in grade school and beyond. When you place your child in an environment with attentive preschool teachers who have experience in teaching young children, you can rest assured in knowing that your decision will lead to positive developments in their brain’s learning centers.

Your child will experience ongoing academic success.

The academic preschool curriculum provides a range of learning styles. One of the main benefits of academic preschool is that it nurtures your child’s natural skills, talents, and abilities while also helping them to improve in areas where they might be weaker. This makes for an encouraging educational process that leads to continued success in later stages of academics. Preschool programs can help your child discover their natural aptitudes while also focusing on those subjects that may be a bit more difficult for them. Such an approach is vital for the challenges of higher levels of schooling.

When you are not sure what to look for in a preschool, it helps to know about average enrollment statistics. The overall percentage of three-to five-year-olds enrolled in preschool programs in the year 2015 was higher for those children whose parents had a graduate or professional degree (48%) than for those whose parents had a bachelor’s degree (42%), an associate’s degree (37%), some college (37%), a high school credential (29%), and less than a high school credential (29%). Ultimately, this means that parents who value education for themselves also understand the importance of early childhood learning. When you educate yourself on the current state of academic preschools and which facilities offer the highest rated programs, you will have an easier time finding the right type of environment that will provide your child with the activities and education they deserve.

A preschool program provides consistent social interactions.

Finally, a good academic preschool helps to improve your child’s social interactions. Ultimately, preschool is about more than mere classroom learning. While interactions with adults are important, the forming of friendships with peers can never be ignored. When you start your child out in a social environment, they are in a much better position to navigate more complex social situations. A good preschool also gives them the chance to express their personalities and interests in a setting that allows them to meet others in their age group who might become lifelong friends. Those who choose alternative forms of childcare or schooling tend to miss out on the chance to help their child make friends and learn how to socialize with a wide variety of different people from all walks of life.

While these are just some of the main benefits of academic preschool, there are several more. If you are interested in enrolling your child in preschool, but you are just not sure how to take the first step, then get in touch with us today. We would love to help you find a program that meets your child’s needs and provides them with the social and educational foundation they need to excel in grade school, high school, and beyond.

5 Qualities of a Good Preschool Teacher You Should Not Overlook

Preschools provide the right setting to prepare your child for grade school. They are not just childcare centers for your child to play and interact with other children, but they are a place to learn as well. However, you need to pick the right preschool.

Among other things, such as safety and hygiene, pay close attention to the teachers when touring a preschool. Statistics show that the employment of preschool teachers will rise by 10 percent from 2016 to 2026, a rate higher than the average for all occupations. This growth is due to the increasing demand for early childhood education. However, not every preschool teacher will be right for your child.

Here are the qualities you should check in a preschool’s teaching staff before enrolling your child.

Good Education

Childcare centers are the initial points of education for your child. They offer your child grade school readiness. As you look around at a potential preschool for your child, consider the educational qualifications of the teachers.

Inquire from the school management on the criteria they use to hire their teachers. What is the minimum level of education that each need? A high school diploma is not sufficient. Preschool teachers should at least have a degree in education. It will ensure that your child receives a high-quality education.

Passion for Children

The best teacher will be working in the preschool because they love it, not because they cannot find any other job. Their passion for making a difference in a child’s life will be their driving force.

This passion will be apparent in their enthusiasm and motivation as they carry out their duties. Parents can sometimes be ungrateful, and some colleagues could be challenging to work with. Unless the teacher has a positive attitude and drive, they could unburden their frustrations in the classroom.

Creativity

The children in childcare centers will learn best using playful methods and things that involve using their hands. Every lesson needs to be fun for them to stay interested in. The preschool teacher, for this reason, needs to be creative. They should be capable of coming up with fun classes.

Creativity will not just help in assisting the children learn fast. It will come in handy when handling children from different cultures and backgrounds. They should come up with ways to make every child feel part of the class.

Warm and Humorous

Your child will be spending the better part of their day in the preschool. They need to be around friendly and fun teachers. It will help them warm up to the school and enjoy learning. When the teacher is free with the children, any child facing an issue will be more open to talking about it.

When finding the right preschool for your child, pay attention to the interactions between the teachers and the children. Is it strained? Are the children tensed? Do the teachers join in during games, or are they disengaged?

Patience

Patience is an essential quality of a preschool teacher. Children in childcare centers are between the ages of two and five years and they can be stubborn. It takes a patient teacher to handle a class full of them without losing their temper. An impatient teacher may be tempted to apply harsh disciplinary actions instead of positive and negative reinforcement methods.

Besides, children come with different learning capabilities. Some will be fast learners, while others will require special attention. Others will need the teacher to remind them about proper manners and good hygiene practices repeatedly, and this will require patience.

Final Thoughts

One factor you should pay keen attention when you’re assessing childcare centers is the teaching staff. You want your child to learn from well-trained and experienced teachers. The teachers should portray a passion for teaching children, high levels of creativity, and patience. They should be witty and easy with children.  With the assurance that your child is in good hands, only then can you have peace of mind.

Things to Do Before You Enroll Your Child in a Preschool Program

Over the years, a lot of changes have been made to the local school curriculum. Children are required to go through different programs at various stages in their learning. Therefore, if you are a parent, you need to know how to prepare your child for preschool. According to research findings, there was a 10% increase in the number of children joining preschool between 1990 and 2013. It is the beginning of their learning experience, and they have to start on the right footing. Many people focus on finding the right preschool, but there are many other factors that you have to consider. You will notice that every primary program has a different angle to the way they manage children. Here are the most important things to note:

Exceptional preparation for children

When you are taking a child to preschool, you will be enrolling someone who has no idea of what a school does. They have been under the care of their parents or daycare centers. Therefore, they will be looking forward to finding someone who will hold their hands and guide them through the learning process. The most reputable primary program is one that emphasizes on exceptional preparation for every child. For instance, they will provide academic preschool activities to make the children better.

A safe and friendly environment for every child

Everyone knows the importance of safety for every child. At this age, children are oblivious of the many dangers that they are exposed to. That is the reason they will get into danger without taking any precaution. When you want to enroll a child in a primary program, you should check the safety measures that are put in place to protect children. It is not only about their security, but you also need to know if there are any hazardous environments that they will be exposed to. In addition to that, you want the child to feel loved as they pursue academic preschool curriculum, even though they are away from home.

A curriculum that ensures readiness for grade school

The main purpose of enrolling a child in a primary program is to make them ready for grade school. You should, therefore, check the school’s curriculum to find out if they have any activities that make them ready. It is not just about knowing the reading and writing basics; you have to develop more skills in these young ones. A good example is the numerous summer programs that teach children to build personal relationships with their schoolmates.

A dedicated staff

How much does the team at the primary program want to see your child succeed? There is a difference between working to make a living and working for passion. This is the level where children look up to everyone as a parent. Your aim should be to find a local preschool program that has a dedicated staff. They should love their jobs so much that they think of the children as their own. When you find such, you will be sure that the child will get the needed guidance, and they will be good learners when they enter grade school.

The highest quality of preschool education

On your preschool checklist, the quality of education should be prioritized. Although it may only be a starting point, you will be surprised at how it affects the rest of their education. You need a program that focuses on providing the best quality of education. When it comes to quality, you should also look at the facilities they use. If it has been too long since they upgraded their facilities, they are not ready for the changes that have taken place in the education sector.

A primary program is where you start shaping the future of your child, and therefore, it should be chosen carefully. Think about what you want your child to become, and start developing them from the first instance. It is a good thing that no matter where you live, you will always get a preschool program that gives the perfect start to children. You only need to take the time and identify it, so that your child gets the best education.

The Benefits and Advantages of Preschool When Compared to Daycare Services

As a conscientious parent, you want what’s best for your child. Often, it’s easy to lose sight of this among the plentiful options of preschool and daycare centers. In the end though, preschool offers many benefits and advantages that daycare does not. By keeping your child’s best interests in mind as you find a preschool, you are doing them an enormous favor both for their early life and on into adolescence and adulthood. Follow our simple guide to get you started if you’re not sure what to look for in a preschool.

To begin, it’s important to look at some of the data in regards to the lifelong benefits of preschool education programs. In 2015, the overall percentage of three- to five-year-olds enrolled in preschool programs was higher for children who had parents with a graduate or professional degree (48%). For those whose parents had a bachelor’s degree 42% were enrolled in a preschool program, an associate’s degree (37%), some college (37%), a high school credential (29%), and less than a high school credential (29%). As you can see, the education levels of a family have a high relation to preschool and success in later adult education. For this reason and many others, it’s important to find a preschool that not only serves as a starting point of education for your child but also piques their interest in learning as a lifelong pursuit thereafter. It all begins with you.

Next, you may want to look at some of the specific services and benefits that your child stands to gain when attending a preschool program. As a foundation of learning and socialization, a good preschool will get your child used to interacting with others within a safe environment that is both mentally stimulating and socially nurturing. By exposing your child to peers early on, they have a much greater chance of building positive relationships through group communication, interaction, and involvement. When a child sees that their opinions, viewpoints, and preferences are considered valuable within a group setting, they are freer to construct a positive self-image and carry themselves with confidence through all their interpersonal interactions. This not only helps them take the initiative in their daily lives but also helps them adopt a sense of their place within a group setting and the community as a whole.

Of course, academic development is another major benefit of preschool. Early reading and writing skills help cement important concepts that lead to the refinement of valuable skills that will serve your child through their education and beyond into adulthood. What may seem like only a small head start on basic subjects like spelling and grammar can have enormous compounding returns as your child hones their abilities and cultivates their specific interests. You should try to find a preschool that has a proven record of success in teaching basic skills to a wide range of personality types, as this is often a good indicator that your child will be encouraged to learn in their own way from the start. The earlier your child begins the process of learning, the more likely they are to succeed, regardless of their talents and inclinations. A trusted preschool environment gets them started on the right foot so that they may continue to pursue success throughout their academic journey.

When you’re trying to find a preschool, don’t get overwhelmed by the wide range of options available to you. It’s wise to talk to trusted friends, colleagues, and parents in your community to get a sense of what’s available, and which preschool programs come with recommendations. Once you’ve narrowed down your choices, you may want to tour the preschool to get a sense of how your child will benefit from attending. Enrolling your child in preschool ensures that they are challenged and stimulated throughout the day, as opposed to placing them in daycare where they are not actively improving through education and skill-building. In the end, doing what’s right for your child is the most important thing, and by choosing to enroll them in preschool you are doing just that.

Five Things to Look for When Choosing a Preschool

Research shows that preschools benefit children and families and that more and more families are using accredited preschool programs. Cognitive skills, literacy, and language skills improved among preschool-enrolled children by a dozen percentage points or more. As recently as 2012, almost 70% of children with a single and working parent were enrolled in a preschool program, a figure that dips only slightly among families with a single parent out of the workforce. And the majority of those families were using full-day preschool or academic preschool programs. Your family will likely need or choose to enroll your child in preschool. While it’s not hard to find a preschool, making an informed decision when choosing a preschool requires some preparation. It’s important to visit the preschools you’re considering for your child, and to closely observe the following elements of each preschool you visit. Here is a preschool checklist of five things to look for when visiting a local preschool program.

 

The Child-to-Teacher Ratio

This should be primary on your preschool checklist, as it has the greatest impact on the education and care your child will receive. Safety is a significant concern, as overworked teachers with too many children in their care can’t provide proper supervision. Academics is also a reason for limited child-to-teach ratio: younger children usually require direct attention and instruction in order to absorb and generalize new skills and structures. The laws governing staff ratio limits in preschools vary from state to state, so be sure you know the requirements in your state and the ratio in the preschools you visit.

 

Child-to-Child Interaction

One of the biggest benefits of preschool programs is the opportunity they provide for your child to socialize. But not all programs maximize this opportunity for children to learn socially, academically, and culturally from one another by playing, working, and building skills together. Observe how, when, and how well the children engage each other in each preschool classroom you visit.

 

Child-to-Teacher Interaction

Do the children in the programs you observe feel comfortable with and seem nurtured by their teachers and assistants when the children initiate engagement? Do the children frequently initiate engagement? Is the engagement social? You can learn a lot about a program’s dynamic by observing how the children appear to act in the direct and indirect presence of their teachers and assistants. This is an important element of a preschool program and shouldn’t be overlooked on your preschool checklist.

 

Teacher-to-Child Interaction

Conversely, and just as importantly, look closely at how the teachers and assistants engage with the children in their care. Are the teachers comfortable and confident? Are they nurturing? Do they try to make the children feel guided, heard, and respected? How do the teachers redirect children when necessary? How well do they prepare the children for what to expect before and during activities? Among the items on your preschool checklist, this will tell you the most about the quality of attention and care your child will receive in the programs you visit.

 

The Health and Safety Practices

Besides the crucial observance of state-mandated staffing ratios, other health and safety practices are important for the preschools you’re visiting to observe. Be sure to find out the preschool’s protocols for responding to illness and injury, as well as allergies and contagions. Other safety issues should be inquired about, such as appropriate division between pre-k and infant-toddler classes, emergency safety and preparedness such as fire drills, and whether the classroom environment appears safe and secure. 

 

Choosing a Preschool for Your Child

You will likely recognize more easily that a program is not a good fit for your family than that it is. It can be a process of elimination. Once you’ve visited a number of preschools, you should understand better what your family’s needs are and whether any of the programs you’ve observed will be the best fit and will be ready to either make a decision or resume your search reinforced by a preschool checklist that will help you find the very best option for your child.

3 Reasons Day Care Centers Aren’t Always the Answer

day care centersSimply put, working parents need reliable and affordable childcare. It’s considered a necessity in today’s society. But there isn’t necessarily one type of childcare that’s right for every family. With so many options available to today’s families, it can be difficult to know which kind of childcare arrangement will serve your needs. But if you thought that day care centers should be at the top of your list, you might want to rethink your strategy.

While there are some high-quality daycares out there, these arrangements are not always in the best interests of both parents and children. There may be some viable daycare alternatives you’ll want to consider after you read through today’s post.

3 Reasons Day Care Centers Aren’t the Only Answer For Childcare

  1. The staff might not be as qualified as you’d think.
    Although some day care centers do promote the presence of staff members with advanced degrees and childcare experience, you don’t always have absolute control over who cares for your child. Daycare staff members may come and go on a frequent basis, with some facilities choosing to hire anyone with a limited background in caring for toddlers. These staff members may be perfectly lovely people, but they might not meet your own qualifications due to their level of experience (or lack thereof). What’s more, you might not always be told about changes to staffing or be informed about the credentials of a given staff member. When you enroll your child in preschool, however, you can rest assured that staff members have the training, knowledge, and the first-hand experience to provide a high-quality education to all young students.
  2. There might be too much screen time.
    Ultimately, day care centers are not meant to provide educational stimulation for young children. They’re meant to provide care, supervision, and fun. Through these activities, natural development will occur. But the main focus is not educational. Therefore, staff members might rely on activities like television or screen-based games to keep young children occupied and quiet. That’s not always the case in an everyday care facility, but it may be a concern for parents who are making an effort to limit screen usage at home. If you’re looking for a facility that will provide mental, emotional, social, and physical development, you may want to consider having your child join the three-quarters of young children in the U.S. who participate in a preschool program instead.
  3. There’s a lack of communication between staff and parents.
    Before you choose your childcare facility, it’s essential that you closely examine the philosophy of the program and ask about its level of communication. Ideally, the lines of communication should be kept open between family and staff, as this is one of the best ways to ensure your child is adjusting and progressing. Daycare programs might not always prioritize these communications. Alternatively, staff members might be overworked or inexperienced enough that they cannot provide the information to families in the way they should. There are exceptions, of course, but it’s essential for families to probe for information prior to enrolling their child in daycare or preschool if your aim is to stay up-to-date with your little one’s benchmarks. While many of those updates are built in within a preschool setting, the same cannot always be said for daycare programs.

Your decision pertaining to childcare should depend on the individual facility itself, rather than the generalizations about the type of arrangement. However, it’s important to become familiar with the potential advantages and drawbacks of certain facilities so your family can make an informed decision. As this post shows, there may be considerations you hadn’t considered that might make you pause prior to enrolling your child in daycare. To find out more about why our preschool programs are beneficial alternatives to daycare centers, please contact us today.

Three Ways That Preschool Benefits Your Child

Preprimary classes, which encompass nursery school, preschool, and kindergarten, offer educational enrichment for children. Between 1990 and 2013, the percentage of children three to five years of age who participated in these types of programs rose from 59% to 65%, with the entire growth period taking place between 1990 and 2000. As of 2015, approximately 51% of these children attended all-day programs. Because of the rising demand for these types of programs, the employment rate for preschool teachers is expected to increase by 10% between 2016 and 2026. This is a faster growth rate than the average for all other occupations.

With 75% of young children in America currently attending preschool, it’s important to ensure that the experience enriches your child. After finding the right preschool and enrolling your child, these are three of the areas in which the program you’ve chosen will benefit them, according to GreatSchools.org.

  1. Development of Language, Pre-Math, and Motor Skills.

The vocabularies of children aged three to five grow from 900 to 2,500 words, and they begin forming lengthier, more elaborate sentences. Preschool teachers promote this process by incorporating new vocabulary into their lessons and by encouraging children to tell stories, sing, and ask and answer questions.

A good preschool program also gives children opportunities to be active by running, climbing, and playing games requiring physical activity. Fine motor skills are also improved by using scissors or stringing beads. The development of balance and good hand-eye coordination is also stressed.

When preschool children engage in games that involve counting or sorting, that prepares them for math in the future. Board games and puzzles also help children solve problems and recognize numbers and patterns.

  1. Development of Emotional and Social Skills.

Preschool programs foster trusting relationships with other children and adults that aren’t family members.

Children also learn how to manage conflicts and emotions appropriately with the help of their preschool teacher. The classroom lessons also teach children the importance of self-respect and respect for others, and they learn how to interact in group situations.

  1. Development of Imagination and Curiosity.

Children are naturally very curious and imaginative, and the best preschools fuel these qualities through imaginary play and other types of role-playing games.

By finding the right preschool for your children, they’ll be inspired to explore their innate curiosity and imagination. In addition, the language, pre-math, social, and motor skills they develop will prepare them for success in primary school, and provide them with the ability to make their imaginings become a reality.

Preschool vs. Pre-K: What’s the Difference?

By 2013, the percentage of five-year-olds enrolled in preprimary programs (such as preschool, nursery school, and kindergarten) amounted to 84%. While these kinds of programs are considered essentials by most parents, not all families are quick to agree on which are the right types of programs for their children. With so many options to choose from, this decision-making process can be extremely confusing. Should you enroll your child in preschool or opt for pre-K? And is there really that much of a difference between the two? We’re answering some of those questions in today’s post.

What Do Preschool Programs and Pre-K Classes Have in Common?

Although these two types of programs are not synonymous, they do share certain traits. They both fall under the preprimary category, meaning they’re intended to promote kindergarten readiness in young children. In many cases, both pre-K and preschool curriculums will embrace the importance of play, discovery, and hands-on experiences to encourage learning. Each may involve activities like music, dance, art, dramatic play, and some academic activities. Both provide a safe setting for skill development and social opportunities. And in most cases (though not all), both types of programs are considered to be optional.

How Do Preschool Classrooms and Pre-K Courses Differ?

There are distinct divergences between these two kinds of programs to keep in mind. When you enroll your child in preschool, you can do so when your child is three, four, or five years old. It often depends on their ability to meet certain preschool requirements and independent benchmarks, rather than an exact age. It’s seen as the first step toward preschool learning, which means that the preschool curriculum typically serves as an introduction to these concepts. Most preschools are privately owned and operated, meaning that families are responsible for paying the costs associated with tuition. Although there are some full-day preschool programs, many facilities offer half-day programs to benefit both children and their parents.

Pre-K, on the other hand, is geared towards slightly older children who will soon be entering kindergarten. While there may be some overlap in age, most pre-K students are four or five years of age. The curriculum is a bit more structured and geared towards developing the skills required to make a smooth transition into school. That’s because young children are tested for the skills they’ve acquired before they’re able to enter kindergarten. Most pre-K programs are full-day programs; although some are private, others are run by the school district and receive state funding. In certain cases, pre-K may be a requirement for young children, which is usually beneficial.

Which Option is Best For Your Family?

Some families may not actually need to choose between these two options. While some children may be ready for school after attending only a pre-K program, others may not acquire all the skills they need through pre-K alone. That’s why many families opt for both preschool and pre-K to set their children up for a high chance of success once they start school.

If your district is one that actually requires pre-K enrollment, you may still want to enroll your child in preschool first. This can help them to not only develop the educational skills they need later on, but it can also provide valuable social and emotional tools that can prepare them for life. Whether or not pre-K is essential, preschool can play a powerful role in your child’s formative years — and that’s an opportunity your family will want to carefully consider.