For many parents, preschool is the start of your child’s education. Once they start, they will begin to learn a lot in preschool or kindergarten. However, you can start preparing them to learn long before they enter preschool. You can help start your child’s education by doing the following.
Read Your Child Books
Children will learn the alphabet while they are in preschool. The teachers will also spend a lot of time reading to them. One of the best things that you can do to help your child prepare for preschool is to read to them early and often. Reading to your child helps building their vocabulary and also helps them be able to build their imagination and improve their communication skills. This can help prepare them for school, as they will have a larger vocabulary and be able to understand concepts from the books that they will be read in their classes.
Play With Your Children
Playing is an important part of learning. Getting your children toys such as children’s big building blocks or other similar toys helps them start developing hand eye coordination. If you play with your child, it also gives them the opportunity to learn cooperation and sharing, two important lessons when they start preschool. By giving them toys that they find engaging, you are helping prepare your child for the immense amount of free play that will be available to them during preschool. Learning to share is such an important skill, as they will need to learn this when they are in school as well.
Encourage Independence
Going to preschool will require that your child become more independent. They won’t be with you all day, so there are some things that they will have to do on their own. That is why it is important for you to encourage independence. Help them master skills like using the bathroom, washing their hands and putting on shoes without your help. Fostering independence in your child can be very helpful because it will help them get rid of any anxieties they have about doing many common things that they will need to do alone in preschool.
Take Advantage of Learning Opportunities
Learning does not have to always be structured. There are plenty of opportunities to teach your child without preparing a lesson. For example, when you are out grocery shopping, you can teach your child about different types of food. You can also take your child for a walk and teach them about nature and animals. Finding creative ways to add education to your every day routine will help make your child more inquisitive about the world around them as well.
Have Them Count Objects
Counting is something that your child will learn in preschool. You can make counting easier by having them count their toys or food. By giving your child tangible things to count, you are helping them establish in their brains that the numbers they are learning actually mean something and can be related to the real world around them.
It can be tough for your child to adjust to preschool. However, the above tips can help prepare them. By getting them ready with skills such as free play and counting, you help prepare your child for a time where you will not always be right there with them. By fostering independence, you can make the transition from home life to preschool that much easier.
