10 REASONS THAT SHOW THE IMPORTANCE OF PRESCHOOL EDUCATION

It is rightfully said that children must be taught how to think and not what to think, and so, preschool education plays an important part in a child’s life as the first five years have so much to do with how the next 80 will turn out to be. Children’s minds were not built to sit and be taught. They were built to explore, play and learn.

There are reasons why early childhood is considered to be the most important phase of development. This is the stage which strongly affects not just their literacy, but also their mental and physical health and, ultimately, their success later in life. Thus, it becomes extremely crucial to monitor the trajectory of your child’s development at this stage.

If you are afraid that your child is too small to be placed in a structured environment like a preschool, then read on to find out why there is no reason to fret, since there is a lot that children can gain simply by attending preschool.

1. It is a great way for a child to get a head start by receiving a basic knowledge of numbers, alphabets and shapes which helps in grasping concepts much more easily later on as they grow up. It also helps in honing the child’s skills in areas like reading comprehension which is foundational in nature and sets the base for studying as the child goes on to higher classes.

2. A child develops crucial emotional skills by being placed in an environment where he needs to learn how to get along with other children. This also aids in inculcating values like sharing with others and contributing in a group setting.

3. A child learns good manners and gets accustomed to good habits like following instructions and raising their hand before asking a question.

4. Through activities and games like selecting the correct coins to pay for a purchase, preschool education can teach certain essential life lessons in quite a lighthearted setting. This can ultimately make way for the child to be a responsible adult in later life as well. Children are actually like wet cement. Whatever falls on them makes an impression.

5. Preschool can help instill a sense of confidence in the child by letting them discover that they are capable of doing things for themselves instead of always asking an elder to step in for the littlest of tasks. It is a great way to stimulate their brain and get their thinking caps on in order to carry out tasks like getting out their own snacks, pouring out their own juice, and helping set tables, making decisions through exploration, experimentation, and conversation.

6. Preschool can help a child communicate better with the parents. This is because of the simple reason that once they come back home from preschool, their inquisitive little minds are likely to have a bunch of stories to tell you out of sheer excitement, and probably many more questions to ask you in order to satisfy their curiosity.

7. Sending your child to preschool can allow you as a parent to show them that you can provide a safe space for them to open up to you and let them know they can come to you to talk about anything without hesitation. A child’s relationship with their parent can be improved by sitting down with them and discussing the events of their day, and how they felt.

8. Regular monitoring of your child’s health status from an early age can be carried out by undergoing regular health check-ups and receiving nutritious meals. You can therefore be rest assured that preschool will aid in taking care of not just your child’s education, but also their health and well-being.

9. Preschool can help in improving the creative faculties of your child. Because children tend to have an imagination that runs wild, it is a great idea to nurture that imagination which can potentially fuel their creativity and aid in learning. At preschool, children are encouraged to develop their own ideas and thoughts rather than imposing any one “correct” answer or behaviour.

10. As for the physical well-being, preschool can be a great way to improve fine motor skills in children. Through activities involving taking control of their fingers, such as threading with beads, drawing, jumping or climbing, their physical coordination can be improved.

Albert Einstein rightfully said, “Education is what remains after one has forgotten what one has learned in school”, and preschool education plays the most crucial role in this aspect.

Thank you!   

                                                                                                                                    Ms. Niti Srivastava (PRT)