For both parents and children, sending your child to preschool sparks excitement. Parents are probably thinking about “Is this child ready for preschool?” Readiness for preschool is not simply age (while age can be a factor, there are certainly other indicators). Emotional development is also an important level of readiness for preschool. There are other factors too, such as communication, independence, and social skill levels that help children successfully transition into preschool. 

This blog is a guide for parents to learn how to identify signs of preschool readiness, to understand the developmental milestones for children that are important areas for readiness, and we will offer tips on preparation and admissions best practices. By the time you finish reading this blog, you will feel confident in your understanding of preschool readiness and the steps to prepare your child and to create a preschool admissions checklist. 

Understanding Preschool Readiness More Than Age

Parents want to know what age a child can begin admissions into preschool. Although many children start preschool learning experiences between the ages of 2.5 – 4 years old, is important to pay attention to their development. Of course, after one transition occurs (either developmental or in the social context), the child will show emotional readiness for that transition to any preschool life (i.e., the routines, learning experiences, or interactions with peers). 

Important Child Development Signs to Look For 

Social & Emotional Development Signs 

Young children can naturally feel at ease with peers. You will typically see children show recognition of the concept of another child using a toy and play with another child, but they are not expected to yet (they do not have to share or play with another child yet). These signals receive attention because preschool is a social context and teachers will be using collaboration and cooperation as a daily practice.

Separation 

The largest readiness factor for preschool is separation anxiety. If your child can be by him/herself for a few minutes regardless, he/she will probably be able to transition fairly well.

Communication

The next area to look for is the ability to communicate at a basic level. Your child should be able to express a basic need by using words, gestures, or speaking in a few sentences. Your child’s preschool teachers will expect to see children verbalizing their basic needs, “I am hungry.” “I want to drink water.” 

Physical Readiness 

Fine motor skills like picking up a crayon, turning the pages of a book, and stacking blocks, are just as important as gross motor skills for example, running and climbing, when it comes to being ready for preschool. Fine motor skills are specific skills that show your child can take part in activities in the classroom.

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Tips for Parents to Help Prepare for Preschool 

Prep Earlier than Later 

We recommend you conduct prep a few months prior to admissions.Actively engage in finding ways to talk positively about school, including visiting your school if you can, or purchasing books that endorse school language, etc. If children begin to understand school language, they will become familiar with it, which is the foundation to help create a Preschool Preparation strategy that can lessen some of the ‘school nerves’ that may come with being in a new school environment. 

Independence

Encourage independence! Teach your child to eat independently, wash their hands, and potty train. These are all things that are part of preschool admission checklist and once your child can do some of these small tasks on their own, it will make it much easier for them to transition. 

Talk Routines

Most preschools have a structure with a routine daily schedule. At home, prepare your child for the routine as that of preschool with consistent meal, nap, and play times to scaffold their experience. 

Preschool Admission Readiness Checklist Parents Should Consider

To help, here is a simple checklist that considers the growth of a child in all areas.

Domain

Indicators of Readiness

Social Skills

Engages and plays with classmates and friend(s); shares toys; takes part in planned group play.

Emotional Growth

Can separate from parent(s) for a short time. Can transfer to another adult or peers.

Communication

Can communicate basic needs with words and/or short phrases.

Independence

Can eat with less support if the food is placed in front of them. Can wash hands and use a toilet with some assistance.

Physical Development

Can walk, run, and climb; grasps a crayon to write in a relatively developmentally appropriate way; can stack blocks.

Cognitive Curiosity

Will ask questions and is interested in listening to and/or looking at a multi-page book/stories. Show some signs of wanting to learn about new things.

After parents fill out the preschool admission checklist, they can see how their child measures up against the above expectations, and also what areas their child may be ready for just a little more prep time.

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Tips for Preparing for Preschool at Home

Encourage Role Play

Pretend to “play school” at home. Parents and children can take turns being the teacher or student, and doing “school” at home means what it means in the classrooms. The majority of habits and hobbies are filled by direct instruction from the teacher model.

Plan Playdates for Children 

Make sure to set up playdates in order for your kid to engage and socialize in play with other kids. Socially practicing sharing and turn taking with peers would help build social confidence which will promote him/her playing with other kids his/her age in preschool.

Create a Daily Schedule 

You are trying to create a schedule at home that resembles going to school so you can support your child’s transition better, from getting up and going through morning routines. You are waking up, getting dressed, eating breakfast, and burning off a little bit of energy by doing a quick activity when you are done. As you are going through those three activities, think about the time you started, the time you finished, the amount of time it took to eat, and then the time it took for your child to burn off a little energy.  Your child’s morning will look entirely different when they are ready for preschool by you paying attention to these little details!

Parents and Preparing Their Child for Preschool

Emotional Support

Children have an intuitive ability to gauge what emotions their parent(s) are feeling. Therefore, if a parent has anxiety about the preschool enrollment or educational process, children are aware! Parents need to be supportive.

Parental Involvement

Even after their child starts preschool, it is equally important to support the child by asking them about their school day and achievements, and to remember parent and teacher involvement is important. Parental involvement in the child’s preschool educational process is tied closely to the parent involvement from preschool. Continuing to ask about the child’s school day and what they did while asking the teacher for feedback on how preschool is going, makes the child feel a constant connection between home and the school day. 

Ready for Preschool: What is the Best Age?

Having a “best” age is often the debated question! While there often will be a discussion regarding the “best” age for preschool, it is much more important to determine readiness with child development factors than simply looking at the age.Some children who are two and a half years may be ready, while others will be just as fine to come into preschool when they are close to four. Readiness and level of mastery and accomplishments relate less to running into a preschool classroom. 

Typical Issues

Separation

Even if a parent prepares their child for school, it is always going to be difficult for that child to separate from their parent for the first time. Staying calm, assuring them of their abilities, or just being quick, all help. This is all normal and occurs every year in preschool and kindergarten. 

Comparing Your Child to Other Children

One of the hard parts about working with children is that all children develop at different times and different things all together. Please do not look at your child and compare them to the child next door, the grandchild, or the child out of your relatives. The question is not “Is my child ahead of other children?” The more appropriate question is, “Is my child ready?”

Being Prepared

I am all for preparing children for preschool when it is a step that they have to take and has a child unsure of what the step is going to be like, however, you can also prep them so much that it is now anxiety provoking for the child. Preparing for preschool is a balance. Preschool is a cool step and fun time; it is not something we think and study about to be certain that they are going to pass preschool. 

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Benefits of Being Ready

Smoother Transition into the School Setting

Many children who have transitioned to preschool often will be the child who fits into the preschool like setting the easiest, interacts with the other children the best, and is enjoying the preschool experience.

Stronger Learning Context

When children are fully prepared for school, you can all but guarantee that they are worried about the basic beginning essentials of pre-academic (numbers, letters & problem solving) and this will again promote pre-academic growth. 

Developmental Capacity Independence

When children are developmentally ready they will have pride in their readiness and this leads towards good development of developing confidence as an independent learner and being engaged learner who learns academically for years. 

Conclusion

Preschool is the beginning movement into a larger educational arena. Knowing and understanding preschool readiness and general specification for development milestones and preschool admissions strategies, allows parent choices to the best informed choice. 

Then at the time of the child to prepare the child to move into preschool, with the preschool admissions process / check list you will consider if the question “Is My Child Ready for Preschool?”  There are many differing opinions about the one best age. What should be looked at is if your child socially, emotionally and developmentally ready to discover, learn and grow in a community based with their peers. Thus with a great deal of support from parents and time for the process a transition to preschool can be a short and smooth transition into a positive experience and positive place for their learning for many years.