A reputable preschool does more than just provide adult supervision during the day. Research has shown again and again that children are gathering the most information about the world around them during the first five years of life. During this special time, it’s essential that children are introduced to resources and individuals in their community who they’ll encounter as they grow, such as emergency service workers, doctors, artists, musicians, and other occupations. Some preschools introduce these jobs through books or media, but a more compelling experience involves interacting with a real person in that role within their own community.
By hosting educational visitors and coordinating field trips to engaging locations, a preschool can distinguish itself from other educational institutions. When you’re considering a preschool for your child, think beyond location and closeness to your home. Instead, investigate their curriculum and their enrichment activities. You should feel empowered to ask about a preschool’s community partnerships that your child can benefit from. Here are a few unique relationships you should be looking for at your child’s preschool.
Relationships with Emergency Services
Many young children are fascinated by the flashing lights and loud horns of passing firetrucks. However, they may not understand the role that emergency service workers play in our world. Meeting these important individuals helps build trust and understanding between kids and service workers. In an emergency, it’s important that kids know they can trust adults in public safety roles. When they see ambulances, police cars, and fire trucks, they’ll understand that the people inside those vehicles are working hard to help keep them safe. Building intentional relationships with local law enforcement and safety officials also teaches children to respect and appreciate their presence and all they do to keep them safe from harm. Our students have been known to send thank you cards and artwork to local stations after natural disasters, too!
Relationships with Local Museums
Art, history, and music museums often house a wealth of information that they’re willing to share with their youngest patrons. A preschool partnership with local museums will bring experts intro the classroom to share the joys of a museum with little learners. An art museum may introduce children to the building blocks of visual art: colors, shapes, and different mediums. History museums may send characters dressed up as local historical figures. A music museum can bring song and dance into a preschool setting. Children may get to bang on drums, play an instrument, or listen to a recording of a song written in their city.
Relationships with Local Zoos
Preschoolers can feel a special affinity for the animal kingdom. They may want to pretend to be an animal, roaring like a lion or meowing like a tiny house cat. You may notice that your little one is fascinated by a crawling worm or hopping sparrow. Visits from zoo partners to a local preschool can jumpstart learning about biology and the natural world. A visitor from the zoo may bring snakeskins, pelts, and feathers for children to touch and feel. They may even have animals visit so kids can get a closer look. A field trip to the zoo is a great place to visit the animals in their habitats. Back in the classroom, books and songs can celebrate the great diversity of animals around us.
Relationships with Healthcare Professionals
Visiting a doctor, dentist, or other healthcare professional can make kids a little nervous. After all, they usually head to a doctor’s office when they’re not feeling well. To help build positive relationships between healthcare professionals and children, a visit from a doctor or a nurse in a nonclinical setting can help ease children’s fears. Doctors can talk about good food and exercise to help bodies stay strong or the importance of daily teeth brushing. By engaging with a healthcare worker on their turf, kids feel more safe and secure. This can boost kids’ receptivity to learning that doctors and nurses are needed to keep them healthy and happy.
Relationships with Community Organizations
At The Gardner School, we value the important role that many charitable organizations play within local communities. Through ongoing partnerships with local food banks, homeless shelters, humane societies, and other organizations like Make-A-Wish®, Toys for Tots®, The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society®, or The Salvation Army® that give back to the community, our staff, students, and families have the opportunity to donate items or volunteer time in ways that invest in helping those in need. These efforts help teach children the importance of looking beyond themselves to help meet the needs of those less fortunate.
Seek Summer Enrichment for Your Preschooler
Learning shouldn’t stop when the temperature goes up. Does your preschool provide educational opportunities in June, July, and August? During the summer, The Gardner School takes advantage of sunny weather to coordinate visits from fire stations, museums, and zoos. They also host visits from community members to introduce kids to local experts. At Camp Gardner, kids have an immersive experience that keep them learning and growing all throughout the summer.
When you pick your children up at the end of a summer day, you want to hear stories of the places they’ve been and the people they’ve met. A reputable academic preschool will provide your children with new opportunities on a daily basis. You can feel reassured that you’re offering the best possible experience during these crucial years.
The Gardner School Connects Children to Their Communities
The Gardner School loves being a place for children to learn and play. Our interactive curriculum, academic focus, and degreed and highly qualified teachers can keep kids engaged all throughout the summer months. To learn more about how we fulfill our purpose, set up a time to visit a location nearest you. We’d love to tell you more about how we bring the best in education to our students.
