Determining when your child is ready to start preschool is an important and incredibly personal decision. Before taking the next step, there are some developmental milestones and additional factors to ponder. Wonderschool is here to help guide you along the way as you decide when to enroll in preschool.
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Early childhood education (ECE) is for children from infancy to 8 years old. Many people think of preschool when they hear ECE, though, which is for children between ages 3 and 5. Preschool aims to support developmental milestones, such as social and emotional skills, cognitive skills, classroom life, fine motor skills, and the basics of reading comprehension.
Preschool or ECE helps your child get comfortable in an educational environment where they can adjust to new routines.
Interacting with other children helps your child develop important social skills, setting them up for success when they get to elementary school.
This might be your child's first time in a supportive setting where they can practice independence and personal hygiene basics like hand washing.
When to enroll in preschool depends on your child and their unique needs. These are the most important factors to consider when deciding whether your child is ready for preschool.
Usually, a child is between 3 and 5 when they start to attend preschool. Some providers will allow enrollment for children as early as 2 years old, though. Every ECE program has its own age requirements, so it’s always good to double-check. Preschools have age minimums that they monitor for based on the common times when children experience developmental milestones, such as potty training, which some preschools require.
How are your child’s listening skills? Does your child experience separation anxiety? These are important questions to ask when considering your child’s social and emotional readiness. If your child hasn’t experienced these milestones, a daycare program can help ease them into a more structured group learning environment. You can also consider a part-time child care option before going full-time to help ease your child into this new experience.
Beginning preschool with some communication skills is important so your child can communicate their needs to caregivers and interact with other children. Preschool is an opportunity to foster cognitive growth, but children can get more out of it if they enter with an existing foundation.
Every preschool starts at different times, depending on the individual program. You’ll most likely need to enroll your child in preschool around spring or the beginning of summer, which is the typical enrollment period for most programs.
It’s not uncommon for popular preschool programs to have a waitlist. If you’re interested in one, inquire immediately to learn their application timelines. Certain programs may even accept children with early applications.
Each child develops at their own pace. Though there are milestones associated with common ages, you don’t want to enroll your child before they’re socially ready. Your child will benefit the most from preschool when they can fully participate.
Navigating the enrollment process can be a lot to manage. Here are some resources to make the task a little easier.
Wonderschool is your neighborly support system, providing you with resources to find and compare preschool programs. With Wonderschool’s child care finder, you can search for preschools in your area. You can filter your search and customize it to your child’s needs, schedule, and budget.
The Parenthoods community allows you to speak with other parents who have gone through the preschool enrollment process. Feel free to ask specific questions or just overall experiences. This is a space to receive advice — after all, it takes a village.
When using Wonderschool’s child care finder and other resources, you’ll find peace of mind. That’s because we implement a strict vetting process for preschools, thanks to a deep commitment to quality early education. All programs are registered or licensed according to state requirements and follow state health and safety regulations.
There are steps you can take before your child attends preschool. With support and resources, your child’s path becomes quite clear.
If you’re thinking about preschool, chances are your child is close to enrollment. It’s a good idea to start researching early education options in your area, which you can do with Wonderschool’s child care finder. In your research, you’ll learn what documents and information to have prepped for enrollment, making the process as smooth as possible.
Visit and Engage with SchoolsOnce you find preschools that pique your interest, it’s time to visit the programs in person. This way, you can engage with educators, ask questions, and see the facilities. It also allows you to involve your child in the experience of touring their potential learning environments. Some schools have private tours, while others have open houses.
You can consult with fellow parents and guardians at Wonderschool’s Parenthoods online community. You can also take advantage of all Wonderschool resources, like program resources, the Wonderschool podcast, and much more.
With Wonderschool, your friendly neighborhood child care resource, you have a community at your fingertips. Find the perfect preschool in your area with our child care finder tool, which streamlines the search process and helps you narrow down top picks in a few clicks.
Simplify child care and ECE, connect with like-minded parents, and when it’s time to enroll, find trusted and quality care.
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