Why Preschool Is So Important

Experts discuss the importance of early childhood education.

BY MELISSA WICKES

Kids play together, sit in a circle with their teachers, and sing songs, eventually enjoying a snack. Maybe they discuss the weather or the calendar or learn about letters and numbers. From the outside, you’d be forgiven for seeing preschool as a nice-to-have, rather than a necessity—and, for those not in public pre-K programs, a potentially expensive option. Indeed, some parents have argued that preschool is a glorified day care, that anything taught there can be learned at home.

There is, however, more going on in that classroom than the untrained eye might observe. Educators and child development experts say early childhood education offers kids advantages long after they leave the colorful walls of their preschool classroom.

Research shows that the benefits of preschool are tangible and visible in more ways than one. Preschool not only provides more opportunities for children, it helps them learn how to face social interactions, according to Rina Patel, a former preschool teacher and director of the early childhood enrichment program Book Nook in Manhattan. There are, as a result, big differences between at-home learning and in-school learning.

“There’s a different expectation at home when there is a parent with a child versus a teacher with a child,” Patel says. “Children do naturally develop skills, but at home they are only exposed to a certain amount of materials, toys, or learning products. School is open to a whole different variety of learning materials.”

TRAINED TEACHERS AND GROUPS OF PEERS

Schools provide teachers who are professionally trained to be molding young minds and are equipped with certain skills parents alone may not have. An important aspect of in-school learning is instilling in kids the ability to interact successfully with other people. It may seem very straightforward, but getting along with others, especially at 2-4 years old, is not so easy. Being in a classroom with multiple children their own age allows children to develop social and emotional skills that cannot be learned solely at home, Patel says.

At preschool, children become accustomed to being in group settings, separating from parents, and making decisions on their own—even if those decisions are as simple as, “Do I want to build with LEGO or finger paint today?” All of the social experiences children undergo in preschool contribute to their overall confidence, according to Tovah Klein, Ph.D., author of How Toddlers Thrive and director of the Barnard College Center for Toddler Development.

“People think of it as the ABCs and 123s, but it’s much, much more than that,” Dr. Klein says. “Children gain a lot of confidence by being able to handle themselves away from their parents and then reuniting with them later in the day.”

Preschool classrooms also teach kids about resiliency and curiosity, Dr. Klein says. Being able to handle disappointment and moving on from it, learning to be proud of your work, and the ability to make decisions all play into a child’s curiosity and desire to learn.

PREPARING KIDS TO LEARN

Beyond the realm of confidence and social skills, preschool prepares children for life in other ways, such as getting them ready to learn in school. Today, skills such as reading are generally being taught earlier, prompting one study to ask, “Is kindergarten the new first grade?” With so much more expected of children in kindergarten, early education becomes crucial as preparation.

Attending preschool has been shown to improve children’s IQ, their receptive and expressive vocabulary skills, and early reading and math skills. By enrolling your child in a preschool program, you are preparing them to acquire academic skills that they will be expected to use as early as kindergarten.

Studies show that a crucial part of preschool education lies in stimulating interactions between students and their teachers. By supporting their students emotionally and academically, teachers help children learn to develop skills, respond verbally and physically, and enjoy learning. Young children often struggle with the transition from a play environment to a learning environment, which can cause a “learning anxiety,” or fear of learning, according to Patel.

TEACHING KIDS ROUTINE

Preschool also helps children develop and understand the concept of a routine. The school day is structured, which helps acclimate children into a daily routine and a learning environment in a gentle and enjoyable way. Being accustomed to a routine helps children prepare for higher levels of school and a professional life, Patel says.

“When I was in a kindergarten classroom with children who didn’t go to preschool...they were experiencing social anxiety and learning anxiety simply because they didn’t know what to expect,” Patel says. “Preschool fills those separation and learning anxieties, so your child has a better idea and is better prepared.”

In the process of preparing a child for a routine, parents likewise become accustomed to enforcing and sticking to that routine. The earlier you start bringing your child to a structured program every day, Patel says, the earlier you learn the importance of an everyday routine for your child. An aspect that is also beneficial for parents is, the earlier you begin, the earlier you can decide what works for you and your child and what doesn’t.

By sending your child to preschool, experts say, they will be provided the resources for proper academic preparation, and social and emotional development. Plus, they will learn more about themselves than they could from your living room.

Melissa Wickes is a graduate of Binghamton University and the NYU Summer Publishing Institute. She’s written hundreds of articles to help parents in NY.