5 Things to make your tike preschool ready
Our oldest is a few short months away from graduating preschool, I want to share with you some important things to be aware of as your toddler becomes preschool ready. Their are many school philosophies and options out there, public, cooperative and private, and from Steiner to Piaget and Waldorf to Montessori, and with each option are their own expectations for incoming kids, hopefully this list transcends these philosophies and highlights the basic needs.
- Gross Motor Skills Development – basic play skills, climbing stairs, playing with rider toys (tricycles and such) as well as push toys (includes strollers, shopping carts, et al.) will help them keep up during play time. If your kid doesn’t like to swing on swings, or climb the jungle gym it is not a deal breaker, you may see them break those fears trying to keep up with their friends when they go to preschool (and if not, it’s still okay).
- Fine Motor Skills Development – basic skills holding and cutting with safety scissors, chalk and crayons is a good start, dealing with closures of clothing (ie. zippers, snaps, buttons, etc.) will all keep them ahead of the curve. Playing with puzzles, legos and other building blocks are fun ways to build these skills.
- Language Development – of course teachers have realistic expectations on what is capable for their age group but putting an emphasis on helping the kids express their immediate needs (rather than the dreaded grunting, screaming and pointing us parents are used to dealing with) will put them ahead of the curve. Don’t worry so much about their grammar or pronunciation. Bonus points earned for the occasional “please” and “thank you,” but then again that’s true for any age group.
- Social and Emotional Development - again, teachers understand that there may be the expected issues with “sharing” and “playing well” with others but there is a wealth of social cues to be gained by having your toddler experience other “class” environments leading up to preschool. A good example of this are the type of story time classes at your local library, kids yoga classes, and mommy and me classes that may be offered in your area, as well as basic play dates with local kids.
- Potty Trained – depending on where they go and when the start preschool this may be mandatory or it may be a bonus. As you may know most toddlers between the age of 2-3 years old (depending on your kid’s development) will be prime for being training. When touring various preschools find out what their policy is on potty training.
These items came from a couple conversations with various preschool teachers and educators, so consider this an inside perspective of what will ultimately help your kid adapt to their new environment.
Whether you are a first time parent or not, we all have our own expectations and understanding of where our kids should be developmentally, but it is helpful to know what your kid’s school expects of them as well. Use this list as a springboard to ask your local preschool what they expect from incoming kids.
Sited and Related Links:
Wikipedia | Philosophy of Education
Family Education | Your Preschooler: The Social Observer
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