Your child starting preschool is a major milestone, and as a parent, you may have conflicting emotions. While you’re excited about them learning and growing, you may be sad that they will be without you. This is normal, and your child may be having some of the same feelings. When preparing your toddler for preschool, you can work through these feelings about the transition together and establish a new routine they understand.

According to the National Association for Educating Young Children (NAEYC), finding a great preschool can help alleviate a lot of those difficult feelings. At Inspiring Minds Preschool, we don’t just focus on academics but on creating a nurturing environment where every child grows emotionally, socially, physically, cognitively, and academically. They are all important for optimal growth and learning.

We balance learning with fun, which leads to better success later on. We also focus on each individual child and their needs, as not all children use the same learning style. Our goal is to create a place where children want to discover new things and explore new concepts every day.

What Constitutes a Great Preschool?

Establishing a strong foundation in your child’s early years perpetuates their zest for learning throughout their lives. Helping your toddler prepare for preschool is as important as choosing the right preschool. Children attending great preschools are more likely to succeed throughout their educational careers and earn more money. The first five years of your child’s life are the most important for their development.

When looking for a preschool for your child, consider these important factors in the best ones:

• Tailored Curriculum: A great preschool is focused on adjusting the daily curriculum to the needs of the class.
• Certified & Educated: Their teachers are certified in early childhood education and undergo training and professional development to ensure they’re up-to-date with the latest successful training methods.
• Individualized Attention: They have a low student-to-teacher ratio, which allows them to give individual attention to every student.
• Commitment to Safety: A good preschool will have secure entrances and cameras and do safety drills to make sure kids are always protected. All teachers and staff will be trained in first aid, CPR, and emergency response.

What Is In a Good Preschool Curriculum?

Preschool curriculum is catered to children as young as 18 months old up to age 5. These are some core subjects that it focuses on, including:

• Language Arts: This focuses on learning vocabulary, writing skills, beginning to read, and listening to and later reading literature.
• Math: Numbers and understanding basic math operations such as measurements, patterns, and shapes are explored in this subject.
• Socio-emotional growth: This involves learning how to communicate, share, cooperate in class, and show empathy.
• STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts & Math): This includes problem-solving tasks, art projects to simulate creativity, math puzzles, hands-on experiments to learn about the environment, weather, or animals, and using technology like tablets to read.
• Physical education: This allows them to learn coordination and motor skills as they grow.
• Music: Dance and musical instruments give children a way to express themselves.
• Art: Painting and crafts help with fine motor skills.

A lot of these things can start at home to help your child learn some skills or concepts even before they enter the class.

Ultimately, every child learns in a unique way, so a great preschool is one that adjusts activities as needed. They also encourage questions. Teachers work to guide children to find the answers and not simply dictate them without explanation. Collaborative learning teaches teamwork, problem-solving, and good communication skills.

Why Parental Involvement is Vital To A Preschool’s Success

Parents are their child’s first teacher. Collaboration between parents and teachers is the only way for your child to succeed. Whether conferences, family events, or just communicating by calls or emails, a good preschool will allow parents to monitor their child’s daily progress. This allows parents to step in when there are concerns.

When you’re trying to prepare your child for their first preschool day, here are six proven tips for success:

1. Familiarize them with the school: Go to the preschool beforehand to allow them to meet their teacher, explore their classroom, and get comfortable with the looming change ahead.
2. Establish a new school routine: Wake up, eat breakfast, get ready, and head out the door to prepare them for this new routine ahead of time. You may have to establish a new bedtime about two weeks before school to get them acclimated to this new routine.
3. Encourage independence: Start encouraging your child to pick out their outfit and dress themselves, brush their teeth, or pick up their room to start fostering independence.
4. Have a heart-to-heart: Address your child’s anxiety about their big day and help them to emotionally prepare ahead of time. Create a countdown of how many days until school.
5. Work on their social skills: Make playdates to help your child interact with kids their age and prepare them for school.
6. Celebrate this important milestone: Have a special day celebrating their transition and make it a positive experience and a new adventure to experience together. Do little things that work toward the big day, like buying a backpack together to get them excited.

Navigating the First Day

Plan to stay a little while on the first day, as it can help ease your child’s fears. Explore the classroom, meet other kids, and play together a bit until you see they are comfortable enough for you to leave. Say a quick goodbye and don’t linger too long, and reassure your child they will be okay and you’re proud of them.

Schedule an Appointment to Learn More About Our Tamarac Preschool

Selecting the right preschool is a monumental step for a child’s future education. You are choosing a community that will help establish a solid foundation for your child’s future. When you entrust your child’s early education to us at Inspiring Minds Preschool, we provide them a safe and nurturing environment to learn and grow. Register for preschool here today!