What immediately comes to mind whenever you think of preschool? Are you worried that your child is too young to be put into a structured environment? Are you concerned about how they will cope with separation?

Don't be. Preschool can be very beneficial for your child.

There are many advantages children gain from attending preschool – it is more than just being exposed to shapes, letters, and numbers. More importantly, a preschool environment gives the children the opportunity to develop emotional and social skills, and learn how to contribute, share, and get along with other kids. Preschool teaches children all the skills they need to be ready for ‘Big School’ - from Campbelltown to Shellharbour.

Research has shown that children who attend a quality preschool demonstrate stronger basic numeracy skills, richer vocabularies, and better pre-reading skills. These skills build the foundation and facilitate the children’s transition to the mainstream educational system.

Keep this in mind: at the age of 3 to 6 years old, children are like sponges. They are able to absorb a lot; in fact, so much more than you probably realise. As a parent, if we were able to make good use of this critical period, we will be able to help equip our young children with the key skills that they need for later on in life. Although homeschooling children at that age may give them a good head start academically, this type of schooling will not help to develop their emotional and social skills that are so critically important for their future. Such skills are developed through the children’s interactions with other children of their age group.

Developing good social skills early in life is extremely important. Development specialists at Mindset Mastery find that “the experiences and skills that we gain as children often affect us right into adulthood. Ensuring that your children are regularly exposed to healthy emotional and social interactions in childhood, like the ones that preschool provide, will give them a strong foundation for social interactions throughout the rest of their lives.”

The following are 6 reasons why preschool is beneficial for your child:

1. A foundation for learning, both academically and socially, is provided by preschool.

Young children are naturally observant and curious. They like learning the skills that are valued by society and their families - like choosing the right coins or bills to pay for an item or reading the instructions for how to assemble a toy. To help prepare children for the school's academic demands, preschool teachers provide a wide range of activities and games that can help them learn and develop the necessary social and academic skills.

2. Preschool provides an opportunity for children to be within a structured setting.

Preschool allows a child to be in a structured setting with other children and with teachers, where they can learn how to follow instructions and share, raise their hand to ask questions, share the attention of the teacher, and take turns. Before starting school, every child should participate in this type of group experience.

Structure is vital for children’s success, as it promotes time management, builds habits and teaches boundaries. This is backed up by Janine Brundle, who specialises in children’s health, saying “structure and routine is extremely important for children as it gives them boundaries and can enhance learning. Think of the way that we teach children to sleep or use the potty. More often than not, it is best to implement a routine of some sort as it allows them to learn more easily.”

3. Preschool helps to prepare a child for attending elementary school where it will be more academic-centric.

Don't be concerned that focusing on the development of pre-literacy and pre-numeracy skills will rob your children of their play time, and to experience their childhood. In fact, preschool curriculum is designed and planned in such a way that children learn through play. Activities are purposefully designed and structured like games. Through undertaking these fun and engaging activities, children achieve learning outcomes, while having fun.

4. Attending preschool can help your child develop emotionally and socially.

While in preschool, children learn how to solve problems, be respectful toward other children and adults, and how to compromise. Preschool offers a place for children to build confidence, socialise with other peers, explore, and achieve a greater sense of self. Children in preschool are more independent, and are often able to do many things for themselves, instead of having to rely on their parents for help. Some examples of self-help skills can be demonstrated through small tasks such as helping to set the snack tables and pouring juice, to taking on larger issues such as making decisions on how they will spend their free time. These are important learning milestones for children.

In addition, children who attend preschool are often more resilient and mature than those who do not. Aikido by Shin Sen, a martial arts dojo that runs children courses, says “we definitely can notice a difference between young children who attend preschool and those who do not. Children who do attend are usually more independent, and have greater social skills.”

5. Preschool can help your child find the answers to many different questions that they have.

It is common for 4 and 5-year olds to begin asking a lot of questions about their world, such as "do birds play?” or "What happens to all of the water after it rains?" Even as a parent, you may find it challenging at times when attempting to answer some of your child's questions. The preschool program helps children learn how to find answers to their questions through conversation, experimentation, and exploration.

6. They will learn their 123s and ABCs.

In preschool, children learn numbers and letters, but it is through playing games and at their own pace. In preschool, children are not sat down and "taught". Instead, they are taught through doing different types of activities that children find interesting such as playing with blocks, talking about stars to teachers, or story-time. For example, in order to help children strengthen their pre-reading skills and learn more about language, preschool teachers encourage children to tell stories and play rhyming games. To help children acquire their numeracy skills, preschool teachers will ask the students to do things like play memory games, use calendars for counting down to playtime, or counting food at snack time.

So, the overarching benefit? Preschool will broaden your children and allow them to grow

Just remember that preschool is all about small children acquiring social skills and having fun, while achieving key academic learning objectives. Children need to socialize and be imaginative since that is what helps to develop them into well-rounded and creative people. It isn't about whether they are able to multiply by 5 or able to read by 4 years old, although they may be able to.

Also, keep in mind: your child's education does not stop after they leave their preschool at the end of the day. They continue to have many questions and stories to tell.

Home is an extension of the preschool, and there are things that you can do at home to help your children continue to develop their emotional and social skills. For example, if your child is feeling down, sit down with her or him and discuss the events and their feelings that are causing them to feel a certain way. Find out what happened that day and how they feel about what has occurred. Also, speak about future events: how they will act and what to do next.

Brainstorming with your child is also a great way to develop his or her problem-solving skills. For example, you can read interactive books together. You can model problem-solving strategies with your child. Encourage her or him to use various techniques to regain self-control, take a deep breath in order to calm down, and use words instead of crying to describe how they are feeling.

The old school routine of reading to your child, and having them read back to you is also a critical way to language development.

Is your child currently attending preschool? If not, after reading this article, would you consider enrolling them in one?

With locations in both Campbeltown and Shellharbour, there’s a place for your little one to grow towards big dreams.

Author Bio:

Janet Harlow is a passionate freelance writer based in Sydney. She is a university student and has a major in philosophy. Janet loves to travel. She goes to several tourist destinations whenever she’s free. She is also passionate about animals.