My son is three years old. What’s the right age to put him in a preschool? He is learning a lot of stuff at home – the alphabet, numbers, rhymes, keeping hands clean, sharing, etc.
There are plenty of benefits of preschool; it can be a great place for children to interact with peers and to learn valuable life lessons such as how to share, take turns and follow rules. At the age of three, children are starting to understand some of these lessons. Children start to participate in cooperative play and the preschool setting encourages this interaction. Preschool can also prepare children for kindergarten and beyond.
But going to preschool does come with its fair share of emotions, for both the parent and the child. For a child, entering a new environment filled with unfamiliar teachers and children can cause both anxiety and anticipation. For parents, there may be mixed emotions over whether the child is ready for preschool. The more comfortable you are about your decision to place your child in preschool and the more familiar the setting can be made for your child, the fewer problems you – and your little one – will encounter. The best way to determine if your child is ready for preschool is to let him be involved in the decision-making. When you start to visit schools, bring him along and talk to him about the school, the activities that you see or participate in, and take cues from him.
Here are some additional resources:
