Preschool is an important part of your child's learning, as it gives your child a head start to learning and will give them a school atmosphere before being put into the school system. It helps your child get ready for what's coming up and can be very beneficial. If you aren't sure if your child is ready for preschool, read on for some helpful information to use as a guide, as well as helpful tips to get your child ready.
Does Your Child Know Their Name?
Your child should recognize their own name, not just in writing, but when someone says their name as well. They should be able to answer when their name is being called and be able to say their own name. If your child doesn't answer when their name is called, they may not recognize it when someone else says it or may not be able to focus with other things going on around them. This is something that will come with time. Practice with your child at home getting them to recognize their name, spelling out the letters and listening to their own name being called.
Does Your Child Like To Socialize?
Socializing is an important part of being in preschool. There are a number of other children around them that they have to learn to share with and work together with. If your child is not very social, that's OK. Being at preschool is going to help with this, especially if you have just one child at home - this can be very beneficial. If your child doesn't work well with other children, puts their hands on other kids, or has a difficult time sharing, you can help with this by taking your child to the park or to a reading or playgroup where your child can have more time with other children in preparation for preschool.
Is Your Child Potty Trained?
If the preschool you choose for your child to go to requires your child to be potty trained, it's time to get to work with the potty training. Sometimes just sitting a child onto the toilet can help, but other children need a bit more work than just this. Get creative with the potty. For example, create a potty train if your child is into trains - put a potty onto the floor and place a few boxes behind it with their favorite stuffed animals inside. When your child goes potty, give them a reward such as blowing a train whistle or give your child a small piece of candy as a reward. Be sure to remember to bring extra clothing when your child begins going to school in the event of accidents.
If you aren't sure if your child is ready for preschool, talk to the preschool director about what is expected of your child. Prepare your child by talking about school and how much they will learn. Always talk positively about school and about how exciting it will be for them to help make it a positive experience for them. Reach out to a preschool center such as Advantage Learning Center.