From 1990 to 2013, the percentages of three- and four-year-olds enrolled in preprimary programs increased by 9% and 12% respectively. That means that more families are realizing how big an effect local preschool programs can have on their children’s grade school readiness. It’s certainly true that academic preschool activities can allow children to reach higher levels of achievement in terms of classroom learning, but parents should also take other benefits of preschool into account. Case in point: the connection between preschool enrollment and the development of social skills.
Sharing, Cooperation, and Role-Playing
Very young children will engage in what’s referred to as “parallel play,” wherein they’ll play beside other children without much interaction. In preschool, children start to transition into interactive play, allowing them to engage with other children. This type of play often involves make-believe scenarios, which lets them explore grown-up situations like teaching, shopping, playing house, and more.
This is about so much more than playing pretend, though. In these scenarios, children start to understand sharing, cooperation, and acceptable behavior. Whether this happens through supervised exploration or through mimicry, children develop the foundation for skills on which they’ll rely throughout their lives.
Language: Speaking and Listening
Once you learn how to find a preschool for your family and enroll your child, it’s likely that your son or daughter will start utilizing their language skills more and more. Talking aloud to other children or teachers and learning how to use words to direct actions and express feelings will help quite a bit in this regard. Preschoolers also learn about the hallmarks of listening in class and how important it is to show respect, sit quietly, raise their hand, and wait for their turn to speak. Children start to develop awareness about the words they use and the power those words hold, too.
Self-Esteem and Emotional Expression
An increased sense of independence fosters self-esteem. When children establish and accomplish their own tasks, their self-confidence will start to grow. The same goes for being able to express their emotions and sense of creativity, to follow rules and routines, and to take on classroom responsibilities. It’s important that both parents and teachers take the time to recognize these efforts and accomplishments, as the praise preschoolers receive will reinforce their learning.
Knowing how to find a preschool can be difficult, but there’s so much your children will have to look forward to once you decide — including the development of these social skills.