The Benefits of Early Education

I found a great article on TheLaborofLove.com.....

The Benefits of Preschool When Starting Kindergarten

Some parents send their children to preschool and other parents wait until it is time for kindergarten to send their children to school. What you do as a parent should be determined by your child and your personal convictions. However, there are many benefits for your child if he goes to preschool before starting kindergarten. Below a few of them are discussed in further detail to give you a good idea of why preschool can help your child prepare for kindergarten.

Social SkillsSending your child to preschool really helps him develop social skills. It might not seem like a big deal, but once your child is in kindergarten and interacting with other kids all day long it will become evident why social skills are so important. Enrolling your child in preschool, even if it is two or three days a week, will allow your child to make friends, learn how to share, learn to follow directions, and become a social butterfly. This is not to say that kids who dont go to preschool wont be able to socialize well in kindergarten, just that kids who go to preschool already know how to socialize when the arrive in kindergarten.

Basic KnowledgeA good way to prepare your child for kindergarten is through preschool. Most preschools teach the basics like the alphabet, numbers, colors, days of the week, and more. If your child has these basics when he enters kindergarten then he will have more confidence and be able to learn faster. This is really important and your child is the one who will benefit. Kids who dont go to preschool will still learn in kindergarten, its just that their learning curve wont be as accelerated as those children who attended preschool.

No Separation AnxietyAnother benefit of children who attend preschool is that they get over their separation anxiety earlier or at least reduce it significantly. If your child is accustomed to being with you all day long every day and you just all of a sudden drop him off at school for an entire day he may have some serious crying and tantrum fits and a big case of separation anxiety. However, if your child attends preschool and gradually learns that when you drop him off that you will return he will understand he is not being abandoned and can have fun at school.

These are just a few of the many benefits children who attend preschool before kindergarten experience. All children are different and so are their experiences, but these are generalized and will help you understand a little better what your child has to gain by attending kindergarten.

If I was able to "add" another category to the list of benefits, I would include early identification of developmental issues.  Many of the developmental lags that are identified early in childhood can be helped.  These lags grow in strength as the school grades progess.  Helping kids with the tools they need to overcome developmental issues is key to the child feeling success and having a positive education experience. 

Preschool is more than "a break" for moms and dads...it is the beginning foundation for the next step...being a successful Kindergartener!