Sending Your Child to Preschool
All parents are greatly invested in the education that their children receive, since a good education is the key to any child’s future success. This means that when a child is ready for preschool or elementary school, or when the family moves to a new city or county, the parents will look up local preschools and day programs for their children. It may be noted that a good preschool is distinct from day care centers, since preschools are designed to improve a child’s grade school readiness. A good preschool curriculum will improve that child’s grade school readiness by getting them used to learning, and this is more than a daycare will offer. Preschool teachers will help a child get used to an academic atmosphere, and more American parents than ever are making use of this. How can parents find a good preschool for their child online to improve that child’s grade school readiness? And what are the advantages of summer camps?
Finding Those Preschools
Statistics and trends are showing that more American households than ever are sending their children, aged three to five, to preschool. From the year 1990 to 2000, the rate of children aged three and four being sent to preschool rose quite a bit, and then slowed from 2000 to 2008. In fact, three in four American children today take part in preschool programs of some sort or other. The numbers show that this is true for households of all racial backgrounds: 63.5% of Caucasian children aged three to six are enrolled in preschool, and the same is true of 68.4% of African American children, 68.4% of Asian American children, and 51.9% of Hispanic American children. This has also led to an increasing demand for early childhood education, and the employment of preschool teachers is due to climb 10% from 2016 to 2026. That is much faster than the average of all occupations.
So, what can parents do to enroll their children in this robust educational program and improve their children’s grade school readiness? Parents of children aged three to five may look into this, and they can look online to find good preschools if they do not already know any good schools in the area. This may be a good idea for families that have just moved, for example. A good online search may specify the family’s city/town name or even their ZIP code to keep the results local, and the clients may specify whether they want to find public or private preschools. A search might look like “good private preschools Boston MA” or “top rated preschools in southern Miami.” Doing this may bring up a whole list of local preschools, and the clients may strike out preschools that are deemed too far away, or those that are not accepting any new students anyway.
The family may then tour the most promising schools on the list, an visit each one in person. When visiting in person, everyone can get a fair impression of what that school is like, and the parents may look into the school’s level of funding and check out the educational programs offered there. The guests may also consult the staff and look into each teacher’s credentials, such as their educational background, work experience, and any awards or recognition they may have. The child may also form their own impression and see if they are comfortable in a given preschool. This may help the parents know which schools their children may enjoy attending. And the family can repeat this process any number of times until they find the ideal school, and enroll their child there.
Summer Camp
This is optional, but many students may get signed up for summer camp in between school years. Day camps are closer to towns or cities, and attending students may be dropped off there for the day and taken back home at night. More dedicated camps are those where students are taken there by bus and sleep in cabins on the premises. Either way, parents may appreciate this chance for their children to explore the great outdoors, get some exercise, learn some practical skills, and most of all, learn the value of teamwork and cooperation. Camps can be great fun for the students and help them feel better about themselves.