How Preschool Prepares Children for Elementary School

October 16, 2021

For most parents in Singapore, the decision on whether to take their children to preschool is tough. The country boasts one of the best education systems in the world. However, preschool isn’t mandatory and parents have to determine the benefits of early childhood education individually. The foundation of the country’s successful education is a rigorous system. For your child to settle into this system comfortably, they need some solid ground, which is where preschool comes in handy.

If you’re wondering whether preschool Singapore is the right decision for your child, this post is for you. Read on to learn how preschool programs in the country prepare children for elementary school.

Socialization

The basic system of socialization for a child is the family. Children grow surrounded by family members and pick behavior from this environment. While the family is an idyllic setting to bring up a child, most parents today are unavailable because of work demands. Your child might not enjoy the same level of contact that you did when growing up with the entire family around you.

To ensure consistent socialization for your child, choose the best preschool program. Socialization helps children become part of a team, learn to solve problems, learn to coexist with their peers, respect authority, and understand the importance of cooperation and compromise.

A child who leaves the family setting directly to the elementary class struggles to fit in. They face challenges settling in a new, controlled environment. If your child has been in a preschool setting, they’ll not experience such hurdles. The child fits in easily and starts making friends and learning.

In the family setting, the child is the center of attention. They receive everything they ask for and get away with so much. This early stage of development has a big impact on later behavior. With parents struggling to find time for their families, preschool can help with social and emotional development. Preschool plays a critical role in socializing your child, which is an important part of the preparation for elementary school.

A Foundation for Formal Education

Many parents have a misconception about preschool and consider this as playing and fun. However, the best preschool programs in the country, such as Lorna Whiston preschools have highly trained teachers and other specialists. These professionals prepare learning materials and design learning activities to suit this age.

A lot of learning happens in the games, songs, and simple tasks that you might have noticed at a local preschool. These kids’ activities create a solid foundation for formal education. Preschool prepares your child for a more rigorous formal education. They’ll get the basics of formal education, including reading and writing, mathematics, logic, and problem solving, pronunciation, listening skills, discovery, symbols, creativity, and so much more.

There’s a significant difference between a child who has attended preschool and one who heads directly to elementary school. A pre-schooler already has the blocks required to build a foundation in formal education. They’ll understand maths better, read more easily, and use skills learned earlier in solving problems. This is a great reason your child should join the best preschool program in the country.

Introduction to Structured Environment

Life involves a lot of structures and they’re an integral part of life. From school, work, business, to the government, everything seems to follow a universally accepted design. For a child who’s used to pampering at home, fitting into a structured environment in elementary school isn’t easy. These children struggle to obey authority and observe rules. It takes a lot of time before they finally acclimatize to this new way of life.

Preschool can make things much easier for your child. Here, you have a teacher who’s the head of the class. The children come to respect the teacher as an adult and head of the class. This is the first rule they learn, and it has a big impact on the rest of their preschool life. Children also learn what to do and at what time. They gradually learn to enjoy this structured environment. Such a child has an easier time once they enter formal education in elementary school.

Learning Personal Responsibility

Children depend on adults for virtually everything. At home, your child gets most of the stuff they need. It’s your role as a parent to provide and take care of the child. If a child grows in this setting, they don’t take responsibility fast. The child expects you to always help out.

Teachers at the preschool program guide the child to take responsibility for some aspects of their lives. The child knows they have to take initiative to make friends, protect themselves from injury, wash their hands, and keep their stuff safe, and many other things.

Preschool has a significant impact on your child’s social, emotional, cognitive, and physical development. This phase of early childhood prepares your child for elementary school and shapes their future traits. These are reasons enough to enroll your child at a good preschool program in the country.

About the Author Prabhakaran

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