Why Preschool Is Important During The Early Learning Years

Most parents expect that their children will learn the most during the formative years of K-12 learning. It’s true – the valuable curriculum, social interactions, extracurricular activities, and education throughout those 12 years are important. However, don’t overlook the pivotal and essential learning opportunities that only come during the early learning opportunities at preschool.

When you enroll your kids in preschool, they’ll learn the necessary foundational skills to be successful in those later K-12 learning years. Discover 13 reasons why preschool is so important for early learning development, and trust Providence Children’s Academy to bring these advantages to your young children.

1. Boosts Cognitive Development

The Division of Early Learning and others cite research that suggests that children from birth to age three are the most important when it comes to child development. Play-based learning can introduce problem-solving and critical thinking to young learners. Cognitive development starts before they start kindergarten. And preschool is the perfect environment to foster that essential development. Through activities that include interactive games, puzzles, and storytelling, your children can learn the building blocks for a strong academic future.

2. Builds Social Skills

Assembling preschool learners together will also help young students learn essential social skills. Interacting with teachers and other students means learning how to share, cooperate, and build friendships. These skills learned early, will make it easier for students to adapt to similar environments in the later learning years of education.

3. Provides an Environment for Emotional Growth

Give your children a nurturing environment in which to improve their emotional development by enrolling them in preschool. Processing their emotions, learning to express themselves, and developing empathy are all core skills first learned in early learning spaces. What your little ones can learn in preschool about their emotions will help them transition and handle challenges they might face as they mature and grow.

4. Nurtures Creativity and Imagination

Art, music, dramatic play, and social activities in preschool are essential for inspiring young early learners to nurture their imaginations and creativity. In group settings with their peers, children can learn to develop their own ideas, are encouraged to ask questions, and explore imaginatively. Let their little voices shine early so they can embrace and develop their creative passions later.

5. Introduces Communication and Language Fundamentals

Preschool during the early learning years is also important because it’s an environment that introduces language fundamentals and communication techniques. It’s already a language-rich space, exposing young minds to new words and concepts. These early learning years are ideal for learning phonics and pronunciation, too. And preschool helps to form strong communication skills and builds language confidence.

6. Inspires Self-Regulation Skills

Preschool learning isn’t just about core academics. It’s also a safe space to develop self-regulation skills. Children learn how to take care of their belongings, follow routines to clean up after themselves, and get comfortable with organizing themselves and their personal spaces. These self-regulating fundamentals allow them to practice being responsible.

7. Creates Math Learning Foundations

Some of the most challenging curricula your little ones will face throughout their educational journeys involve math. For some, numbers and calculations come easy, while others struggle to grasp the work. However, those students who attend preschool, where sorting, counting, and positive association with math are introduced, tend to have better-learning foundations for math.

8. Enhances Pre-Literacy Skills

Story time in preschool, along with acting out stories and songs, is great for developing pre-literacy skills. Your children can build confidence with vocabulary and definitions now, which will provide them with significant literacy advantages as they grow into their next phases of education.

9. Welcomes Age-Appropriate Decision-Making

Encourage your young learners to make their own age-appropriate decisions when you enroll them in preschool. It’s in these safe and positive learning spaces that children are free to figure things out on their own, choose their activities, and develop their young personalities. It’s often during these earliest learning years that kids become aware of their unique gifts and interests. And it’s where they’ll be introduced to rewarding stimuli for making their own little decisions.

10. Encourages Empathy and Care for Others

Children in preschool settings quickly learn to identify how to be helpers. This urge to help is early learning empathy that inspires kids to be a resource for other students or the teacher. These acts of kindness and resourcefulness become essential throughout their later learning years.

11. Exposes Them to Structured Learning

In understanding how preschoolers learn, we know that structured learning and play helps them learn the routines and expectations of the classroom. This structure is beneficial in preparing children for the more formal setting of kindergarten and elementary school. It’s where they also learn to follow directions, complete simple tasks, and develop a sense of independence.

12. Develops Fine and Gross Motor Skills

Preschool activities are designed to enhance both fine and gross motor skills. Children engage in age-appropriate tasks, like cutting with scissors, drawing, and assembling puzzles. These hands-on experiences aim to improve hand-eye coordination and dexterity. Outdoor play is especially fun for the little ones, too. Physical education and outdoor play help in developing gross motor skills through activities like running, jumping, and climbing.

13. Encourages an Authentic Love for Learning

As your children go through school and the 12+ learning years ahead of them, you’re likely going to hear a protest about disliking school (at least once). While those isolated comments are to be expected, they don’t have to be the norm. In fact, preschool helps to foster a love for learning early on by making education enjoyable and engaging. Through a variety of fun and interactive preschool activities, children develop a positive attitude toward school, socializing with peers, and learning new things. This early enthusiasm for education often translates into a lifelong passion for acquiring knowledge and pursuing new interests.

The Providence Children’s Academy Preschool Advantage

Preschool is such an important steppingstone in a child’s life. When you enroll your child in preschool, expect these benefits and more. In Broward County, Providence Children’s Academy offers the Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) program, elevating student learning and preparing preschoolers for positive educational experiences.

Call (954) 570-6914 today to enroll your little learner in preschool with us at Providence Childrens Academy! Give your children the gift of preschool learning and every advantage that they can then carry throughout their learning years to come.