Throughout the United States, many parents are getting ready to enroll their children in preschool this year. Statistics show that nearly 75% of young children in the United States participate in some type of preschool learning program. With that in mind, it’s important to know how to prepare your child for this big day. While this might be your child’s first time attending class, these back to school tips will make sure everything goes smoothly. In this post, you’ll learn helpful preschool preparation tips.
Preparing Your Child for Preschool
Many parents find it’s wise to encourage reading with their child. Teaching a child to read is one of the most important skills they’ll learn throughout life. Considering that, now is the perfect time to start reading to your child. In time, you’ll find that your child will likely begin to understand new words.
It’s also important to allow your child to feel independent. Of course, there will be faculty at a preschool to ensure your child’s safety. However, certain children might be uncomfortable having a teacher accompany them to the bathroom. Therefore, it’s wise to teach your child about being independent.
Don’t forget to schedule a play date for your upcoming preschooler. Play dates allow your child to play with other children. In turn, this helps children build and develop important social skills. Learning these skills will help ensure that your child doesn’t feel shy or too nervous to speak with others.
Dealing with Separation Anxiety
The problem of separation anxiety is common as a child enters preschool. A study from 2015 found that 51% of three to five year olds enrolled in preschool attended full day classes. For many children, this will be their first time away from their parents. Therefore, this situation is understandably difficult for a young child to process and could cause separation anxiety. However, there are important tips to help avoid separation anxiety on your child’s first day of preschool.
One of the best ways to prevent separation anxiety from occurring is to speak with your child about preschool. However, it’s important to remember that children don’t get excited about basic information. Therefore, use positive language and get very excited when speaking about preschool with your child.
One of the best back to school tips involves having your child tour where they’ll be attending. With that in mind, it’s a great idea to have your younger children tour a preschool. This allows them to be familiar with their preschool during the first day of class. In addition, preschool tours allow both parents and children to meet teachers and other faculty members. This allows both you and your child to feel more comfortable after enrolling.
To summarize, it’s important to properly prepare your child for preschool. While this task might seem daunting, following a few steps makes it much easier. Attending preschool helps children with grade school readiness. In turn, what you learn now will make for great back to school tips throughout your child’s life. Many parents are ensuring all requirements for preschool are met. Preschool has become so popular that one study found the demand for preschool teachers will grow by 10% from 2016 to 2026. Therefore, it’s important to register your child for preschool as early as possible. This helps to avoid any chance of dealing with a preschool being at maximum capacity.
