Preschool - Necessary or Unnecessary?
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Carol Gray
Carol has been advising mums on the very best New baby pushchairs to buy for over 30 years. She welcomes all questions on what to buy and why. So if you want to buy Travel Systems please feel free to ask By Carol Gray
Published on 03/9/2010
Although it may seem like you just brought your baby home from the hospital, the time may have come that you are now considering whether or not preschool is right for your child Sending a child off to preschool is always a subject of debate that is equally divided amongst experts and parents alike as to whether preschool is the best option for children
Although it may seem like you just brought your baby home from the hospital, the time may have come that you are now considering whether or not preschool is right for your child. Sending a child off to preschool is always a subject of debate that is equally divided amongst experts and parents alike as to whether preschool is the best option for children.
The debate largely surrounds the idea of whether a parent can supply the type of socialization and learning that takes place in a structured environment. Let’s take a look at the two sides.
Good Idea
Many experts and moms alike agree that preschool is the perfect setting for a child to learn in. The educational system has really changed and modern expectations hold that children entering kindergarten should know basic things like their numbers and “ABCs” that were once taught only in kindergarten.
Many experts say that most parents will not spend the time and effort needed to teach a child the way an organized learning environment will. They also site the socialization factors as well. Basically preschool has replaced what kindergarten was once geared to do.
Kindergarten used to be the place where a child went to learn group based social skills, but these are now required prior to beginning kindergarten – and that’s why this type of setting prior to entering “real school” is recommended by so many.
Experts also cite the idea that children learn better when they are in a group of peers. Preschool also provides moms with a little down time as well, while working to wean the child from being at home all day with mom. In this way, a structured setting can be a stepping stone to kindergarten without the sudden split from mom and home.
Most kindergarten programs are full day programs now so it can be quite a difficult transition from staying home all day with mom to suddenly having to go to school for six hours a day. In many ways, this forms a transition period for both the parent and the child.
Bad Idea
There are just as many experts and parents on the other side of the coin who deplore the idea of sending tiny tots off into the world to “fend for themselves”. These folks think of the structured setting as a waste of time and even think that it might be detrimental to the child.
Many parents feel that they are the best teachers for their children at this age and feel that shipping them off to school prematurely is a waste of time and money. Their stance is that children only get to be children for such a short period of time that enrolling them into school too early only cuts into those precious few years that they get to spend at home with mom or dad.
There are some experts that feel putting a young child in preschool can actually hinder the learning process because they are so young and do not have the cognitive ability to learn what is being taught – and some further cit that preschool is a competitive type of setting that can actually turn the child “off” when it comes to learning.
The choice to put your child in preschool or not is a personal decision and should be based on the maturity of the child and the level of comfort that both parents and child feel with the idea. Your child may be ready to get out there and meet new people and learn, or he may need a couple of more years at home with you. That decision, ultimately, lies in your hands.
The debate largely surrounds the idea of whether a parent can supply the type of socialization and learning that takes place in a structured environment. Let’s take a look at the two sides.
Good Idea
Many experts and moms alike agree that preschool is the perfect setting for a child to learn in. The educational system has really changed and modern expectations hold that children entering kindergarten should know basic things like their numbers and “ABCs” that were once taught only in kindergarten.
Many experts say that most parents will not spend the time and effort needed to teach a child the way an organized learning environment will. They also site the socialization factors as well. Basically preschool has replaced what kindergarten was once geared to do.
Kindergarten used to be the place where a child went to learn group based social skills, but these are now required prior to beginning kindergarten – and that’s why this type of setting prior to entering “real school” is recommended by so many.
Experts also cite the idea that children learn better when they are in a group of peers. Preschool also provides moms with a little down time as well, while working to wean the child from being at home all day with mom. In this way, a structured setting can be a stepping stone to kindergarten without the sudden split from mom and home.
Most kindergarten programs are full day programs now so it can be quite a difficult transition from staying home all day with mom to suddenly having to go to school for six hours a day. In many ways, this forms a transition period for both the parent and the child.
Bad Idea
There are just as many experts and parents on the other side of the coin who deplore the idea of sending tiny tots off into the world to “fend for themselves”. These folks think of the structured setting as a waste of time and even think that it might be detrimental to the child.
Many parents feel that they are the best teachers for their children at this age and feel that shipping them off to school prematurely is a waste of time and money. Their stance is that children only get to be children for such a short period of time that enrolling them into school too early only cuts into those precious few years that they get to spend at home with mom or dad.
There are some experts that feel putting a young child in preschool can actually hinder the learning process because they are so young and do not have the cognitive ability to learn what is being taught – and some further cit that preschool is a competitive type of setting that can actually turn the child “off” when it comes to learning.
The choice to put your child in preschool or not is a personal decision and should be based on the maturity of the child and the level of comfort that both parents and child feel with the idea. Your child may be ready to get out there and meet new people and learn, or he may need a couple of more years at home with you. That decision, ultimately, lies in your hands.