From providing a safe childcare environment to helping your child make new friends, preschool offers a wide array of benefits to both parents and their kids. However, one of its most important roles is to facilitate a smoother transition into early childhood education. The staff at First Steps Southbury Day Care and Learning Center in West Haven County, CT, are here to explain how enrolling your child in preschool will help to prepare them for kindergarten.

3 Ways a Preschool Will Prepare Your Child for Kindergarten

1. Social Skills

Kindergarten will be your child’s first immersion into a formal school setting, and they will be surrounded by other children. Preschool will help your child develop the social skills they need to make friends and politely interact with their peers. It will also expose them to situations in which they will be required to play nicely or share with others.

2. Cognitive Skills

Preschool involves many activities that will stimulate and build your child’s cognitive skills. These include completing puzzles, singing songs and repeating rhymes. By the time they reach kindergarten, they should be able to repeat stories, match rhyming sounds, and follow instructions.

3. Motor Skills

In addition to cognitive development, preschool also helps your child develop their motor skills, which are important in kindergarten. During art projects, they will learn how to properly use writing utensils and scissors. They will also play physical games that involve jumping, running, and catching.

If you would like to learn more about the benefits of enrolling your child in preschool before they begin kindergarten, contact the staff at First Steps Southbury Day Care and Learning Center by calling (203) 264-3735. They offer a wide range of activities and programs to expose your child to new social experiences. You can also visit their website for more information.