Dynamic Minds

What Will My Child Learn in Preschool?

When parents bring their child to a preschool for the very first time,  one of the questions often asked is this, “What will my child learn in preschool?”  It is a wonderful question actually.  If I were sending my child to a preschool, I would want to know what the school has in store for her.

I’ve observed that parents apparently have varied intentions.  Some would like their child to socialize with other kids, “She doesn’t have any playmates at home, so I want her to play with other kids her age.”  Others want their child to be disciplined, or learn to read or write, or escape from home where the child spends endless time watching television.  Whatever your reasons are, asking the school where you want to enroll her is imperative.

Here are different areas which you could ask about:

• Developing Cognitive Skills: What is the curriculum?  Is it developmentally approriate?  What is the teaching method employed? Are there enough activities to develop both the left as well as the right brain?

• Developing Language Skills: Do they have time for interaction, storytelling, pretend play?  What is the medium of instruction used?

• Developing Psychomotor Skills: Are their activities that help the child build their gross motor skills?   How about activities for fine motor skills?

• Developing Self Help Skills: Do they teach the kids how to be independent as they learn to do certain things by themselves?  For instance, like practice wearing of their shoes, returning their books and toys to the proper place.

• Developing Socio-Emotional Skills: How do they handle children having conflicts?  What is their disciplinary measures?  Is EQ important for them?

• Learning about Values: Do they teach the kids values that can help them with deal with the people around them?  Values like having manners, being respectful, honest, compassionate, being a good sport and more.

These questions can be asked by parents to assist them in making the decision to enroll their child in a preschool.  The things that kids learn in a preschool is the basic foundation essential to an individual’s growth.

Related Article: Beyond ABC’s:  What Every Child Should Learn in Preschool