Preschool Gives Kids a Great Start In Life

Rosanne Fortier News Correspondent

Preschool has a huge impact on children developing all the essential skills for them to have success emotionally, socially, and academically at school and all through life.

Vegreville Preschool Open House on May 30 was an opportunity for children and parents to meet the preschool teachers and staff and future fellow classmates, as well as, play and become familiar with what preschool offers.

Preschool teacher, Brittanie Boyd said it’s essential for children who are three and four years old to attend preschool because long-term education is wonderful and it’s good to start children when they are young with this because when children are young, they want to learn and they are so ready for learning. Their brains operate well and they learn things so much quicker when they are younger. “At our preschool, we look at it as bridging the gap between home and school. So, we do focus a lot on academic skills like math and literacy. But our main focus is getting them ready to learn how to learn in an environment with other children. So, it is not just a one-on-one environment like they would be used to at home. But they are in classroom learning with other children and participating in an environment that size and they learn how to share that attention and it is about getting them ready to learn how to emotionally regulate themselves,” Boyd said. “Our curriculum follows the five developmental domains. There are more specific objectives which follow those domains in our programs for three and four-year-olds. As well, our programs are play-based as play is essential for their learning. At our preschool, family is also very important for their child’s learning. This next year, we plan to have more family’s nights.”

President of Vegreville Preschool Association, Amy Yakimetz said she would recommend for children to attend preschool because their family loves the preschool. “My oldest daughter has been in the program and my younger daughter is in the program right now. The preschool is really great for getting children ready to learn. But my favorite thing about preschool is it got my kids out and socializing, and it helped us to get out on a regular basis and make connections with the community. When children are small, it is so important for them to learn how to take turns, as well as, for them to learn other social skills and to learn how to make friends. When they make a little friend and have that connection, it gives them so much confidence. It makes them happy to know they can have that relationship. I cannot say enough good things about preschool. My oldest daughter was extremely shy when she began preschool and now when she comes back, she talks and talks to all of the teachers and educational assistants. She can talk about her feelings and everything.”