1) Preschool is an opportunity for growth For many children, preschool is their first experience in a structured setting with teachers and groups of children. It’s an opportunity to learn to share, follow instructions, and begin the foundation for learning that will occur in elementary school.

2) Preschool prepares children for kindergarten As kindergarten becomes more academic, many parents look to preschool to launch their child on the path to success in school. At the same time, parents may worry that the current trend to focus on pre-math and pre-literacy skills in preschool cuts into important play time and pushes a child to grow up fast.

3) Preschool promotes social and emotional development In order to learn, a young child needs to feel cared for and secure with a teacher or caregiver. A 3-year-old child is able to spend time away from parents and build trusting relationships with adults outside the family. High-quality preschool programs nurture warm relationships among children, teachers and parents. And teachers build a close personal connection with each child in their care.

4) The preschool environment is structured, A highly structured environment helps young children learn to make friends and play well with others. Classroom space is organized to encourage social interaction, and minimize congestion and conflicts.

5) Children get to make choices Children have several choices of activities a child who is wandering aimlessly is encouraged to choose one that interests him. Teachers are alert to a child who can’t figure out how to enter other children’s play and may offer him suggestions on ways to join the group.

6) Children learn to take care of themselves and others Children’s sense of competence and self-worth grow as they learn to take care of themselves and help others. for example, by setting the table at snack time or feeding the classroom hamster. Children are expected to wash their hands before snack time, keep personal belongings in their “cubby,” and put away toys before moving out of school.

7) Preschool promotes language and cognitive skills Preschool-age children’s language skills are nurtured in a “language-rich” environment. Between the ages of 3 and 5, a child’s vocabulary grows from 900 to 2,500 words, and her sentences become longer and more complex.Children have many opportunities to sing, talk about favorite read-aloud books, and act out stories.

8) Preschool teachers nurture a child’s curiosity Teachers observe, ask questions and listen to children’s ideas during these activities — “correct” answers are not the goal. To nurture their curiosity and motivation to learn, teachers use children’s interests and ideas to create activities. And even a simple, chance event – such as a child’s discovery of a snail in the outdoor play area — can be turned into an exciting opportunity to learn.

9) Preschool activities boost pre-math and literacy skills Young children show growing interest in pre-math and pre-literacy skills. They are curious and observant. Kindergarten, offer a wide variety of games and activities that help children acquire the pre- math and literacy skills.Matching games, sorting games, counting games, and board games, children’s understanding of number, categories and sequence, which supports later math learning. Putting together puzzles encourages children to notice patterns, plan ahead and problem-solve.

10) Preschool helps develop motor skills Physical coordination improves, allowing the child to explore her environment preschool programs provide several opportunities daily for children to run, and play active games. Activities are offered to help children develop fine motor skills, such as threading beads or cutting with scissors.

When you choose a high-quality program that suits your child and family, you can feel assured that your child is well cared for, is enjoying activities and making friends — and is building the knowledge, skills, and confidence to do well in kindergarten.

Parents and teachers partnership:

Involving parents in the care and schooling of their children helps parents, teachers and children themselves. Most importantly, children have better academic and social outcomes when their parents and teachers work together.

For parents:

Involvement gives parents the opportunity to discuss their childs interests with staff and to have some input into the program.

Parents who are familiar with a program feel more comfortable in finding solutions with staff.

Positive partnerships with staff can relieve parent stress.

When parents feel comfortable in the school environment, it makes them more likely to ask for help or support related to their child.

Parents who get involved are likely to understand and support any particular approaches that are being used with a child and will support these strategies at home.

Parents who get involved take a greater role in their childs education and activities around schooling, which leads children do better academically and socially.

For children:

Children perform better at school when their parents are involved in their education.

Children feel valued and important when their parents take an interest in their lives.

Children observe and learn positive interactions through watching others interact.

Keeping in contact :

Interaction between teachers and parents can help with a child s development and well being. The way this interaction happens has a major impact on how parents relate to you as a teacher and to school.

Parent must always attend meeting kept in school as they get latest feedback about there child from teachers with whom there child spend much of their time.

*All the above mentioned content is informative in nature, which is updated to help parents and make them more informed.