The first few months of a child’s life can introduce a variety of emotions. Not only do parents want to bask in the joys of watching their child take in their surrounding environment of new sights and sounds, but parents also want to make sure they’re doing everything they can to ensure proper and timely development for the child. While some parents choose to stay home with their child in these early stages, others have career obligations that require them to enroll their children in preschool as early as six weeks old.
In either case, many parents often ask the question, “How do I know when my child is ready for preschool?” and even “Is it possible to send my child to preschool too soon?” The Gardner School is proud of our motto, “Where Learning Begins,” and we believe it’s never too early to begin a child’s education. So, in addition to noticing some early indicators that a child is ready for preschool, there are several reasons to support the case of preschool enrollment during a child’s first year.
Parental Needs and Desires
Whether parents need to enroll a child in preschool due to work obligations, or they desire to get a head start on their child’s educational development, preschool can be a win-win for parents. The Gardner School is more than just a day care, as a child’s educational journey begins as soon as 6 weeks old in our infant program. With a day full of warm and nurturing interactions, movement and playtime, our infants have every opportunity to grow and develop a sense of trust and confidence in a secure learning environment.
Child Expression and Interaction
As children begin to express and interact with parents in new ways, that’s a great early indicator of preschool readiness. Even more, a preschool environment lends itself well to opportunities for children to interact with others, especially other children who are growing and developing along with them. For young children, meaningful and long-lasting learning requires active thinking and experimenting to find out how things work. The Gardner School’s comprehensive curriculum focuses on observation and assessment to help your child reach his or her highest levels of development, which includes even includes sign language communication sensory tools.
Child Health and Social Development
While some parents might hesitate on enrolling a child in preschool early on due to fears of greater chances for sickness, many children will build stronger immunities to sicknesses that can help them be healthier as they get older. Even more, children who attend preschool at an early age can develop stronger social skills, as they become accustomed to time away from mom and dad, as well as a healthy level of comfort with other children and adults.
Child Routine and Schedule
When enrolled in preschool, children greatly benefit from a daily routine and schedule that will help them have healthier eating, sleeping, and playtime patterns. For parents who have demanding work or life schedules themselves, this is a great indicator that it’s time for preschool enrollment. At The Gardner School, we communicate with our parents throughout the day with our online communication platform and app, PreciouStatus, which offers real-time updates and photos sent directly to parents, so that they can observe their child’s developmental assessments and moments of growth and progress your baby will have during their daily routine.
We know that every child and family has their own individual needs that can affect your preschool enrollment decisions. From infants to toddlers to pre-k, The Gardner School is equipped to provide a rich learning environment that will stimulate your child’s physical, social, emotional and intellectual growth. We invite you to schedule a tour and see for yourself how our preschool environment can be your family’s home away from home.
