September 2007: Page 23 Contents
23www.SANDIEGOPREMIER.net selecting a pre-school PREMIER EDUCATION PREMIER EDUCATION PREMIER EDUCATION PREMIER EDUCATION PREMIER EDUCATION PREMIER EDUCATION T "The best investment you can make in this life is the education of your children," a proud parent tells me. And he is not alone. School administrators and educators alike are extolling the virtues of an early education, especially starting at the preschool level. Preschool, also called Pre-Kindergarten, is a half to full-day class for children from 4-5 years old. Some parents enroll their youngsters in school as early as 3, but traditional preschool learning starts the year before a child enrolls in Kindergarten. Preschool first and foremost gets your child out of the house and into a peer-oriented learning environment. This is important for many reasons, most of them behavioral. First, by introducing a classroom setting to children at an early age, you ensure that they will be comfortable doing typical tasks that will be asked of them in Kindergarten. These tasks can include such basics as sitting in a circle for group activities, quietly sitting at a desk for extended periods of time, focusing on the teacher as she gives her lessons, and participating in organized group activities. A preschool setting also teaches children the importance of sharing, an imperative step especially for first-borns or only children who are used to having one-on-one attention at home. The classroom also trains children to have patience, take turns, play nicely with others, and start to problem-solve. Most importantly, preschool gives your child a definitive leg up in education, putting them a step ahead of the game when they enter elementary school. Preschool teaches kids how to hold a pencil, how to count, and even shows them the fundamentals of the alphabet and phonics, putting them on the early path to literacy.
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