Our son turns 2 in April and I am gobsmacked that I already have to start thinking about school. I swear he was just a baby yesterday! We are lucky to have found an amazing daycare that is kind, loving, fun and educational but they are the first to tell you that they are not a pre-school. There has been a slow realization in me and my husband that Kieran will be going to pre-school soon and we have no idea what we’re doing. Chris asked me the other day, “at what age do we send Kieran to pre-school” and I realized I only had a vague idea, “4’ish” I responded, knowing that there had to be more to it than that. Today, I read a great article from BabyCenter entitled, Preschool Readiness. I am somewhat relieved to know more now, but realize we have a lot of hurdles to jump, not the least of which is potty training, before K (or us for that matter) is ready for pre-school.
Here is an excerpt from and link to the BabyCenter article, How To Tell if Your Child is Ready for PreSchool, by Patricia Shimm with additional reporting by Sarah Henry (and no, Sarah Henry is no relation to me):
Highlights
Is your child fairly independent?
Has he spent time away from you?
Can he work on projects on his own?
Is he ready to participate in group activities?
Is he used to keeping a regular schedule?
Does he have the physical stamina for preschool?
Why do you want to send him to preschool?
Most preschools will start accepting children at around age 2 1/2, but that doesn’t mean your child is magically ready for preschool when he reaches that age. Readiness for preschool has more to do with where your child is developmentally. Is he socially, emotionally, physically, and cognitively ready to participate in a daily, structured, educational program with a group of other children?
Though it’s tempting to look for a quick answer to this question, to read a list of skills for instance, and say, “Yes my child can do these things, he’s ready,” that method isn’t foolproof. The best way to decide is to spend time thinking about your child and to talk to other people who know him well, such as your partner, your pediatrician, and your child’s caregiver. The following questions provided by Patricia Henderson Shimm, director of the Barnard College Center for Toddler Development in New York and co-author of Parenting Your Toddler, will help you think about the most important factors for preschool readiness.
Link to the full article on BabyCenter
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