Most parents send their children to preschool when they reach a certain age but several milestones need to be considered when determining whether your child is ready for preschool.
Sending your child to preschool can be daunting for parents and children. Going to preschool is the first time, in most instances, that a child is placed out of their homes for long periods.
Crawford International Fourways Pre-prep deputy principal Kopano Dandala said there were no definite signs for children to start their time in preschool as children could develop in a variety of ways and not at the same time.
There are a few milestones parents would want to consider in determining whether their child is prepared for group instruction and the preschool environment. Some variables that possibly affect preschool readiness include basic self-care tasks, social-emotional development, and other academic and physical abilities.
“One of the basic and most common self-care tasks preschoolers should have mastered is to at least be fully potty trained. Preschools generally urge parents to leave a change of clothes in their child’s bag as accidents can happen at any time,” said Dandala.
Separating from parents is often easier for children who have attended daycare, however, separation anxiety can be a problem for children who had one parent stay at home with them all day. Dandala suggests practising something with your children if they feel sad when you leave them or have never left them before.
“Leave them with a friend or relative for brief periods while you go to the grocery store. To prevent anxiety during the preschool drop-off, it’s important that your child learns to part from you and to have faith that you will come back.”
“It is easier for children who are used to a daily schedule to adapt to preschool as this forms part of their routine. Therefore, before your child enters preschool, try to standardise your child’s days if each day is different from the last. Have a set time for having meals or get into a routine to visit the park once a week.”
Although a child does not have to talk a lot to function well in preschool, they need to be able to communicate their needs verbally or non-verbally. Children with good communication skills can understand what others say. They may not be able to follow instructions that need a lot of steps, but can understand simple words such as ‘sit down’ and ‘follow me’.
“A child’s speech should be generally understood between the ages of 3 and 4, and they should be able to construct brief phrases and respond to straightforward who-what-where questions.”
Dandala still encourages parents to trust the process if their child has not yet reached these milestones
“Inform your child’s preschool teacher if your child is not quite as expressive yet or still gets potty accidents from time to time.”
“Prepare your child for preschool by telling them about the environment and that they will be going to preschool in a few weeks. Let your child experience different schools during open days to allow them to become comfortable with the new environment.”
Children who are emotionally prepared for preschool are willing to attend school and want to make friends, even with little ability to do so. Simply wanting to make friends, discover, and learn is a fantastic place to start.
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