Preschool and Kindergarten

It`s pretty common when you start to prepare your child for that first day of kindergarten for them to ask you, "But , why do I have to go?"

And while you have your personal answers ,you might ask yourself that question as well. It`s important that we, as parents, have a firm idea of what kindergarten is all about as well.

It is a mistake to see kindergarten as a huge academic leap into the future. When parents put so much energy into preparing their children to excel before heading off to kindergarten, they miss the point of this important year of school. Acting as though this first year was going to be their freshman year at MIT, you create even more stress and anxiety. The result is they go off to kindergarten already stressed and far more anxious than is justified.

Now this does not mean that preschool/kindergarten is not a good idea. Not only does preschool give them an early love of learning, it is also an excellent way to help them acclimate to the idea of going to school. And learning to go somewhere else and become part of an organized curriculum is a big purpose of kindergarten. So preschool gently starts that transition both academically and emotionally.

The main purpose of kindergarten is to help young children begin the transition to a structured environment of school. If by the end of the year, kindergarten children come to school happily, know how to work with a schedule, sit at desks, listen to speakers, write /draw things down and take them home and then bring them back again the next day, walking through the structured schedule of a normal school day, that is a huge step forward in preparing them for school life as well as life in general.

Yes, there is a curriculum in kindergarten and simple lessons are taught. Very often grades are not even kept or a good or passing grade is given just for being in class, participating in the group activity and trying to work with the program. The learning objectives that any kindergarten teacher will have for this year of life with these first year students is heavily slanted toward behavioral and social goals and not as heavy on academics. It is also a time to detect any learning problems, or other issues that may make school difficult in the future.

The kindergarten teacher is a much different kind of teacher. You will find your them to be very interested in each child as an individual and in helping your child make that transition away from living at home every hour of the day and toward using a significant part of their day at school. Commonly kindergarten teachers have special training in child psychology and are as much counselors and guides as they are teachers of lessons from books.

Get to know the teacher of your child`s kindergarten class. You will find he/she is eager to know all he/she can about your child to prepare each kindergartner for the years ahead. If you are in sync with those goals, you can reinforce the experience your child is having with encouragement and interest at home. Working as a team, you and the teacher will help your child have a wonderful and successful first year in school.

I taught preschool and kindergarten in a Quaker school setting for a few years. I personally saw how it helps and how children and parents both benefit from it.