Starting preschool is a significant milestone of many in your child’s life. It’s a time for setting the foundation of their academic career, along with developing vital social skills and even lifelong friendships. However, not all preschools are the same; there’s a lot more that goes into a successful preschool education than simply learning letters, numbers, and colors. How can you make sure that you choose the right school for your child? Today parents are presented with many options; the choice can feel overwhelming.
Read on to learn more about the key aspects of a pre-K curriculum that will help your child have a rewarding, enriching preschool experience.
Factors To Consider In A Pre-K Curriculum
Below are some of the most important factors of a healthy, enriching curriculum that has been shown to help children grow socially and cognitively, in addition to academically:
A Focus On Nature And Outdoor Play
Playing outdoors is a childhood staple. Kids do it plenty in their own backyards, and they can do it at school, too! There are so many benefits to being outside in nature: from sunlight, which is a good source of vitamin D, to fresh air and physical movement; children can also learn about the environment around them by studying trees, plants, and other natural findings.
Outdoor activities help inspire curiosity and love for the world around them, while also allowing kids to burn off the energy that often prevents them from sitting still.
Hands-On Learning Opportunities
A good, healthy learning experience involves the use of all the senses. By allowing children to experience hands-on learning, whether through arts and crafts and other guided play, they learn creativity and motor skills. Other forms of hands-on learning may include storytelling, instruments, and sensory bins.
Meaningful interactions with others are crucial for social, emotional, and cognitive skills. Kids learn this through daily interaction with peers, which involves learning to share, working in groups, and having conversations. Kids are also encouraged to problem-solve by developing their own solutions. This not only helps prepare them for life, but also helps grow their independence and confidence.
Small Class Sizes
Private schools in particular are known for smaller classroom sizes. With fewer children per educator, children can have more individualized attention that is catered to their learning style and pace. Every child is different, and a smaller classroom better allows teachers to understand and focus on their individual needs.
A Focus On Literacy
Literacy involves more than reading stories (though that is important). Language and literacy can be integrated into everyday activities and conversations by asking questions about a child’s surroundings (“What color is that book?”).
STEAM-Focused Experiences
STEM refers to science, technology,engineering, art, and mathematics. These vital skills are incorporated into daily lessons to provide a well-rounded educational experience.
Florida VPK Is Integrated Into The Curriculum
VPK programs, or Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten, are programs that help prepare kids for kindergarten. It offers many of the same lessons you’ll find in a pre-K curriculum, such as reading, basic math, and other skills. VPK programs can often address any learning difficulties that parents and educators can catch early and work on before kindergarten begins.
A Nurturing Environment
Pre-K curricula are important for education as well as character-building. A quality program promotes kindness, respect, responsibility, and teamwork in each activity. In addition, a strong partnership with the children’s families supports growth and success in academics. When children feel confident to ask questions and take appropriate risks, they become happy lifelong learners.
How Is A Typical Pre-K Day Structured?
Parents understand the importance of having a structured daily routine for young children, and pre-K is no different. There’s a structure to preschool, too: from morning circle time to lesson time, outdoor time, snack time, and more. Structure helps children stay on task and build on developmental domains such as cognitive skills, social-emotional skills, gross motor skills, and more.
How Parents Can Reinforce Lessons At Home
While preschool involves minimal homework, parents can help maintain the lessons by incorporating similar activities at home. Daily reading, making up stories, playing outside, and reviewing numbers and letters are a great place to start. Your child’s teacher will have other ideas.
What Sets Parkland Children’s Academy Apart?
While there are many great pre-K curriculum programs in the South Florida area, Parkland Children’s Academy stands out for the following reasons:
We Are Family-Owned And Operated
Preschool is something that should involve the whole family. Who better understands the needs of families than another family? That’s what makes Parkland so successful: we are committed to the success of children because we’ve raised our own. It’s why family values matter to us, and our reputation as a school is built on that strong foundation.
We Offer More Than A Pre-K Curriculum
Preschool takes up a good deal of a child’s day, but working parents may require more care throughout the week. That’s why we are proud to offer summer camps in addition to schooling. Parents can rest assured that their kids are safe and having fun learning sports, doing crafts, and playing on toxin-free, antibacterial material on our playground, as opposed to wood mulch. The playground surface is 2.5 inches thick, which helps absorb impact from jumping and tumbling during outdoor play.
Choosing A Top-Rated Pre-K Curriculum In South Florida
Preschool is an important milestone that helps set children up for success. For full transparency, we recommend scheduling a tour of Parkland Children’s Academy to get a feel for our educational style and meet with our staff.
Every great adventure starts with quality early learning. Call today at 954-688-5877. We look forward to seeing your child this fall!