Once children reach three or four years of age, parents make a choice between keeping them at home or signing them up for pre-kindergarten. While some believe preschool is simply day care—a place to just play all day—it’s much more beneficial for your child than you think. At this age, your young one is asking questions and looking for new ways to interact with their environment, meaning they’re ready to start learning. Here’s why you shouldn’t let that curiosity go to waste.

Why Children Benefit From Pre-Kindergarten

1. Teaches Good Behavior

Bad behavior is a constant anxiety that parents of young children face. Self-control needs to be taught, and good pre-kindergarten programs supplement these lessons effectively. Pre-kindergarten shows children the value of patience, sharing with others, conflict resolution, and dealing with frustrating feelings from a young age.

2. Prepares Kids for Kindergarten

While some parents think their child is too young to be in an educational setting, pre-kindergarten smooths the transition from home life to kindergarten. While it is not as rigorously structured as kindergarten, pre-k gives children a healthy balance between play, creative exercises, and academics. 

3. Builds a Foundation for Life Skills

Core academic subjects are not the only topics introduced to children in pre-kindergarten. Social and emotional skills, as well as self-confidence, are all important parts of a healthy, mature mind. These should be developed as early on as possible. When children are confident in their abilities and able to interact positively with others, they’re better prepared to navigate through childhood and adulthood.

4. Develops Executive Function

Executive function describes the ability to arrange and manage your thoughts and emotions to achieve the desired result. Although this sounds a bit complicated for a preschooler, this is a facet of thinking that takes a lifetime to develop. Having the capacity to think clearly, organize, and accurately weigh risky decisions will benefit your child in every situation.

5. Sets the Tone for Educational Careers

The first year a child enters academics may define how they feel about school for the rest of their educational career. Kids who start with pre-kindergarten will see education as something that can be fun, nurturing, and collaborative. The best early childhood education programs instill excitement about academics and an eagerness to learn more.

When it comes to child care, Kids & Cribs Childhood Enrichment Center is more than your average preschool. Located in Fort Thomas, KY, this family-owned and -operated child care center is staffed by compassionate professionals who curate activities based on each child’s needs. Their pre-kindergarten programs are focused on self-guided learning, personal growth, language development, scientific thought, and mathematical reasoning. Contact them at (859) 441-5888 to discuss enrollment. Visit their website to learn more about their preschool program.