Is Your Little One Ready for Preschool?

As your little one begins to grow and develop into their own unique person, it can be exciting to start to guide them towards the next step in their child development and education. But before you search out “preschool near me”, it’s important to know that your little one is actually preschool ready. Luckily, we have some tips to assess preschool readiness, and all you have to do is ask yourself a few questions!

Is your little one:

Following Instructions – Your little one should be able to follow simple instructions or directions before attending your local preschool near me. Some examples they will hear in the classroom that you can practice at home are: 

• “Time to have a seat!” 
• “Time to clean up!” 
• “Time to wash our hands!”

Comfortable with Separation – Preschool readiness means your little one must be getting used to being apart from you, whether that’s hanging out with other little ones or being with other adults they trust. Even if there are tears at first, as long as your little one is learning to self-soothe and trust that you will come back, that indicates preschool readiness, and will help on their first day at your preschool near me!

Developing Concentration – Your little one should be able to work on an activity for an extended period of time (a puzzle, drawing, building, etc) to be appropriately preschool ready. You can practice this skill together by sitting and doing an activity with them and keeping them engaged. For example, if you’re reading a book together, point to the characters and ask what color clothes the characters are wearing, or what they think each character will do next in the story. 

Engaging with Other Little Ones – Your little one should be starting to get comfortable playing with others, even simply giving waves or “hellos” to little ones they see in public places, like the park or grocery store, is indicative of preschool readiness! If you are looking for spaces you and your little one can socialize, enrichment classes and playgrounds/play-spaces like Playgarden Tribeca (which may be your closest preschool near me), are great places for your little one to play with their peers and practice playing with others.

Learning Self-Care Skills – Self care includes a lot of different skills. When it comes to snack time, your little one should be comfortable feeding themselves. When it’s playtime, they help clean up. They may be taking their coat on and off, (teachers at your local preschool near me can help with buttons and zippers as your little one hones their fine motor skills). When it comes to using the bathroom, if they are potty trained or in the process of potty training, they are starting to communicate when they need to go. This all counts towards their preschool readiness!

Familiar with School – This is most likely going to be your little one’s very first school/drop-off experience at your preschool near me; let them know what they can expect. One of the best ways to learn is through books. Read your little one books about other little ones going to school for the first time. You can even share episodes of their favorite shows where their favorite characters go to school. Help them understand where they will start spending more of their time – they are going to be surrounded by new faces in a new place, even if it is the closest preschool near me for you – the more knowledge they have about it, the more comfortable they will be when they get there, and the more they’ll feel preschool ready!