Why is pre kindergarten important

ABCs, s, red, blue, green, and yellow! These are the least of skills one kindergarten teacher believes all children should know upon entering her class. Kids are expected to know or to have had some exposure to these skills when they enter kindergarten on day one. However, that is not the case for many students. Keys has found herself spending great amounts of time on name recognition and spelling and alphabet recognition and sounds with many of her kindergartners.

In Keys class, percent of the students are growing up in poverty. This means academically the odds are against them because they may not have had access to resources needed to develop a solid foundation to be successful learners.

Growing up in poverty means families may have to worry about basic necessities for survival including housing, meals, and healthcare. Find a Center Locate our child care centers, preschools, and schools near you.

Log in to Schedule Backup Care. I'm interested in Looking for a child care center Accessing my benefits Providing benefits to my employees Joining the Bright Horizons Team. Why a Pre-Kindergarten Education Is Important During the early preschool years, children develop vocabulary and language skills , are introduced to a wide variety of materials, and begin to learn skills, such as working with peers and collaborating on projects.

By the time they reach the pre-kindergarten classroom, children continue building skills, but they are also gaining the confidence to work independently and use their skills to complete more in-depth projects with their peers.

More on This Topic Discover tips and resources for getting your family ready for kindergarten. See how one pre-k class learned about engineering by making predictions, working on designs, and testing and analyzing results. Categories in this article: School Readiness. Topics in this article: benefit of preschool , benefits of early education , Kindergarten Prep , preparing for kindergarten , preschool.

Bright Horizons Education Team. Read More. Related Resources. Learn what school readiness really means and how to prepare your kids. Rasmussen University may not prepare students for all positions featured within this content. Please visit www. External links provided on rasmussen.

Rasmussen University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, an institutional accreditation agency recognized by the U. Department of Education. Singing songs encourages speech and language development, enhancing vocabulary and communication skills. Students who struggle with a certain skill ABCs, counting or math patterns are able to show mastery through learning a song about it. Playing games is the perfect opportunity for kids of this age to express their curiosity, learn teamwork, practice sharing and develop problem-solving skills.

Request More Information. Talk with an admissions advisor today. First Name Please enter your first name. Last Name Please enter your last name. Contact Information Email Address Please enter your email address. Phone Number Please enter your phone number. ZIP Code Please enter your five digit zip code. Program Program of Interest Please choose a program. Teachers watch children and keep an eye on which activities they seem interested in.

At preschool, children are often given chances to practice being responsible. Preschool teachers teach and expect children to wash their hands, keep personal belongings in cubbies, and put toys back in their designated spaces. In addition to taking care of themselves, preschoolers learn how to take care of others. Teachers encourage children to help each other learn skills they are more competent at and view themselves as a resource for other children.

Preschool children may also be given opportunities to help out in the classroom. Teachers may ask them to set the table at snack time, fix the calendar, or help set up an activity, for example. Children learn language skills best in a language-rich environment. At preschool, teachers help children develop language capabilities by introducing new vocabulary during activities and asking thought-provoking questions.

With ample opportunities to try new things, listen to read-aloud books, act out stories, and sing, preschool children have a clear advantage in learning to communicate effectively. Children build cognitive skills through activities that challenge them to try new things, solve problems, ask questions, and simply observe the world around them.

Preschool emphasizes these types of activities, and children learn more as a result. While literacy, math, and cognition are important, brainy skills are not the only ones that young children should learn. Many preschool activities are designed to help children develop physical coordination and fine motor schools. Children are challenged to develop fine control of their fingers with projects that involve threading with beads, drawing, or even cutting with scissors.

Many preschools also offer daily opportunities for children to challenge themselves by jumping or climbing. Preschool may not seem highly structured at first glance. However, classroom space is always organized to encourage social interaction and skills development.

Preschool teachers provide opportunities to engage in group activities, listen to stories, and work together with other children.

In an environment with a range of activity choices, children can explore their curiosity while still getting used to structured activities.