Deciding a generalised right age for joining
preschool is not an easy one. Parents have varied reasons for enrolling
their children in preschools at differing ages. For majority of the parents it
is a practical decision for the parents if both of them are working. It is a
big concern of keeping the little angel in the hands of a proper care group.
So, it is important that they look for a group care which is developmentally
oriented and that too pretty early.
Usually parents enroll their kids to a preschool by the time
the child is two to two and-a-half years old. But at times it is found that the
child may not be mentally prepared to adapt to the environment away from home
before the age of three. Keeping aside the professional lives, parents desire
to provide a social experience to their children and so they opt for the
preschool at a relatively early age.
What do the Research
Studies Say?
There are several studies conducted that look into the ideal
age for a toddler to attend preschool. It has been found that in order to
determine this it is important to see what sort of experience he is having
outside preschool. There are a lot of households that have a sort of home
school environment. There are certain attributes of such an environment like
- A wide
array of books on children literature stacked away in cupboards that are
within the reach of the child. These include story books, books on
superheroes, comic strips and fairytales along with science journals for
kids.
- There
is a huge collection of hands-on educational toys.
The kid has access to them whenever the need arises, be it for fun or for
explaining something.
- The
family has an active social atmosphere marked by frequent visits by family
and friends who are accompanied by children of similar age groups.
These are all attributes of a regular preschool environment.
So children who grow up in such an atmosphere do not require an early admission
to the preschool. This is because the home itself provides a good developmental
opportunity. Another important point here is that the parents need to devote a
fair amount of time with the kid during the learning and fun sessions.
On the other hand if the parents lack time or feel that it
is a tad too boring to keep on reading the same stories to the child over and
over again or playing
the same game repeatedly, chances are that you will not be wholehearted in your
approach. It will not be quality time that you are giving to your child as the
kid requires honest attention. Under such situations, it is advisable to start
the preschool early.
Now from a practical approach from the point of view of the
child, here are a few concerns that you need to note
Social Concern
It is usually found that a child can enjoy positive peer
interaction when they are older than two years old. There a few kids who enjoy
adult-child interaction even before they are two years old. It is therefore by
the age of two that the child becomes a social being. At the initial stage the teacher-child
ratio should be 1:3.
Health Concern
It has been observed that children living in group care
units happen to suffer from ear infections. Although the care givers are
generally careful with such issues, it is essential that the child is able to
take the basic care of him self. This requires a minimum level of maturity that
comes after the child completes two or two and-a-half years.
Therefore early enrollment is a viable option if the parents
are unable to provide the child with a positive environment that is conducive
to development. So when the child is between two to four years of age, you need
to judge the home environment and then decide whether you should consider an
early or a late enrolment. The most vital factor is to ensure the child’s
comfortableness in whatever environment he is placed into.
