When your first child is born, your primary concern is for their immediate health and safety. However, as the days, weeks, months, and even years roll on, your concern expands to include your child's development. Development in early childhood can and does set the tone for your child's success in school, life, and their eventual career. As a concerned parent, you wonder then whether a pre-kindergarten program is the right choice for your child. After all, you want to give them every advantage and opportunity in life possible. In order to make this decision, get to know some of the important facts about pre-kindergarten programs and how they may benefits your child. 

What Is A Pre-Kindergarten Program?

Pre-kindergarten programs are academic and educational institutions and classes that offer children the opportunity to begin learning in a classroom setting prior to attending kindergarten. Most children in pre-kindergarten programs are between the ages of 3 and 5, but most of them 4 or 5 years old. 

Is Pre-Kindergarten Different From Daycare?

While you may think that pre-kindergarten is similar to daycare, it is quite a bit different in structure and content. Daycare providers are strictly responsible for supervising and caring for your children until you return to pick them up. While many daycare providers to give the children in their care activities to complete that are considered educational (reading stories, identifying colors and shapes, or doing art projects), they do not necessarily do so in a classroom setting and are not required to do so. Advantage Learning Center provides education programs, not just daycare.

What Are The Benefits Of Pre-Kindergarten?

Pre-kindergarten programs are in place primarily to get children ready for their educational future in the classroom, preparing them for kindergarten and beyond. This is a means of jump-starting your child's formal education and giving them an academic advantage from day one. 

Pre-kindergarten helps your child to learn acceptable social skills, how to function in a classroom setting, and of course important concepts and lessons that they will need in kindergarten. Children who attend high-quality pre-kindergarten programs also have better reading and writing skills when they enter kindergarten and show continued success going forward beyond kindergarten. 

Is Private Or Public Pre-Kindergarten Better?

There is much debate between the benefits of private and public pre-kindergarten programs. While the push for universal pre-kindergarten allows all students from any socioeconomic group, race, or other background to participate in public pre-k programs, some parents still feel that private is better if they can afford it.

Private pre-kindergarten programs often offer smaller class sizes and therefore more individualized attention. Materials and lessons may be more closely tailored to each child's individual tastes and needs, and students build close relationships with their teachers. On the other hand, public programs may offer more cultural and economic diversity. The choice between the two comes down to affordability and determining what your priorities are as a parent.

Now that you know more about pre-kindergarten programs, you can decide for yourself and for your child whether or not it is the right option for you. So, consider the facts and make the choice that makes the most sense for your unique child and situation.