The Importance of School Readiness

Finding the Right Time to Start School

The early years of a little one’s life are incredibly important to their overall development! Between language foundations, problem solving, and social skills, the experiences your little one has during their first five years become important building blocks for the rest of their lives. As a result, lots of parents want their little ones to have a head start when it comes to early childhood education. While this is admirable, it’s equally important to make sure that your little one is actually ready to enroll in school. Ensuring that your little one is ready to be part of a preschool program will make their time learning so much easier, and will allow them to absorb all of the skills needed for them to enroll in kindergarten when the time comes! 

Makes sense — so what should parents look for? There are lots of factors that can indicate whether or not your little one is ready for preschool. Some of these you can determine on your own, based on patterns you observe when you’re around your little one, while others may be determined by the programs you are looking at! One of the easiest places to start is by taking note of your little one’s age. Most children begin their early childhood education experience with preschool at age 3, so when your little one turns this age, it might be a good idea to start looking into programs that will fit their needs. Additionally, not all little ones develop at the same rate — and that’s okay! If your little one displays their preschool readiness in different ways or different amounts, it’s okay if their path isn’t identical to other children their age. 

Another extremely important factor to consider when thinking about preschool readiness is how well your little one handles transitions. Whether it’s being separated from you for periods of time, switching from activity to activity, or even getting ready for bed, it’s really crucial to consider how your little one reacts to change. It’s also important to note that even if your little one struggles with this, it’s not an automatic indicator that they’re not ready for preschool! Everything takes a little bit of practice, and sometimes your little one just needs some extra time to get used to changes. You can help them learn about this through something we call “previewing”. Previewing helps your little one prepare for changes before they happen. 

Social readiness is just as important as intellectual or physical development when considering your little one’s preschool readiness, too! Something to take note of in social settings is how your little one interacts with the people around them — whether those people are different adults or other little ones. By taking note of the way your little one plays and grows with those around them, you can start to pick up signs that they may be ready for preschool. However, preschool is also sometimes the first major social environment for many little ones. If your little one hasn’t had as much of a social experience yet, that’s okay too — it’s part of what early childhood education is for! 

Another good indicator of your little one’s preschool readiness is how they react to language and communication. Most little ones who are preschool age aren’t completely verbal yet, but many do have the ability to speak in very simple sentences. Additionally, learning how to follow simple directions or listen to others when they are speaking is a good indicator of a child’s preschool readiness! There are ways you can incorporate this into your life before preschool begins as a way of getting your little one ready, such as giving them easy tasks to complete. This serves a couple of purposes;  it will help your little one get used to listening and responding to instructions, and it will also make them feel like a handy member of the family, which can help with bonding!

While there is no set date, age, or time for your little one to start preschool, these are all factors you can consider when thinking about sending your little one off to begin their early childhood education journey! No matter what, though, trust yourself and how well you know your little one, and don’t be afraid to ask for advice from those around you. You and your little one will be sure to succeed! Try Our Online Preschool for FREE! Playgarden Prep offers educational videos from real teachers, and numerous DIY projects that support early learning and development.