Going off to school marks one of the biggest changes in your little one’s life.
It’s the first time that their primary learning environment changes from the safety and confines of home to the expanses of the classroom. It’s the first time your child will be learning how the world works from new people, new surroundings and new discoveries.
This is especially true when it comes to households with working parents, who simply may not have the time or energy to devote to the developmental stimulation young minds need at this age.
That’s where a high-quality preschool education comes in.
From interacting with teachers, other children of their own age and participating in an array of developmental activities, preschool provides your child with countless learning opportunities that may be harder to come by at home. This is also why it is very important to select a program that provides a diverse, expert-led balance of academic stimulation with a fun, playful approach that little ones will love!
Some of the questions you should ask yourself while browsing options are:
Will this program give my child personalized attention?
Every child learns differently, so it’s important to pick a program that brings a balance of individualized attention that children are used to receiving at home but that also teaches them how to co-exist in group social settings.
This is achieved by a low instructor-to-student ratio, with smaller classrooms allowing for teachers to really get to know each child and their unique learning habits.
Will this program help my child prepare for formal schooling?
This is what ultimately differentiates choosing to enroll your child in a preschool program as opposed to a childcare service in their early years- preschool helps your child socialize as well as develop a robust knowledge base to start kindergarten on a strong foot.
What you want to look out for is a program lead by trained professionals and a detailed curriculum that is designed with specific academic milestones your child will reach at the end of the program. You’ll want to make sure that it touches on a diverse variety of core subjects, including, for example: reading, writing, science and math.
Will it make a difference in my child’s life going forward?
An excellent indicator of how successful a certain program is at what it does is to look at results from alumni! Reading online reviews and feedback from parents whose children have been in the program is a great way to analyze its strengths and predict what your child’s experience there will look like.
At the end of the day, as working parents, we all experience the same worries, guilt and separation anxiety with being out of the home. But knowing that your child is safe and happy in an environment that balances play with academic stimulation, working parents can feel confident, supported and able to focus better on balancing their own and their family’s health and mental wellbeing.
For more information on RARE Learning preschool programs, check out our curriculum details at the link below: https://rarelearning.com/programs/curriculum/
