At Growing Kids Learning Centers, we are highly knowledgeable in child growth and development, and we formulate our curriculum, learning environments, and daily schedules to help each child continue to thrive. Enrolling in preschool at our South Bend (at Ireland Road, State Road 23, and North Bendix Drive), Elkhart, Valparaiso, Goshen, Bristol, or Chesterton locations is one of the best ways you can help your child continue to hit those milestones. Learn more in our blog, and place your child in Northern Indiana’s best preschool and educational childcare programs!

Language Comprehension

By the time a child enters kindergarten, they should be able to both respond to questions, as well as ask their own. It’s pretty typical for your toddler to repeat “Why?” about as frequently as they take a breath, though sometimes, kids might need a little bit more direction (such as saying “do you have any questions about _____?”). Kids at this age should also be able to speak clearly, though many preschool-aged children have some minor to moderate struggles with certain letters and sounds. If this is the case with your own child, talk with their pediatrician and see if any language interventions may be necessary.

Why It’s Important: Teachers judge a lot of understanding off of verbal communication, especially at an age where written concepts are still forming. If your child can’t communicate what they understand (or what they don’t), teachers may have a difficult time addressing their academic needs most appropriately.

Print Awareness

Children don’t need to necessarily know the entire alphabet by the time they enter kindergarten, but they do need to know at least some of the letters. Print awareness also includes holding a book the right way — children in preschool should have a general sense of line direction (we read from left to right), and know to turn the pages from the right to the left.

Why It’s Important: Even if your child isn’t reading at this point in time, they’re continuing to develop concepts to prepare them for the moment it clicks. It’s like how before playing sports, they need to know what the ball is and what it’s like.

Fine Motor Skills

Fine motor skills are tough to grasp (literally), but are essential for entering the academic world and society as a whole. By the time your child enters kindergarten, they should be able to pick up a writing utensil (crayons work too!) and make marks on a piece of paper. Pouring something into a glass, practicing cutting with scissors, velcroing shoes, and painting with a paintbrush are all ways to help develop these skills.

Why It’s Important: These days, knowing how to type, hold a pencil, and use an iPad or other touch screen are all necessary skills for people to know, all of which require fine motor development.

We’ll continue with some more milestones in our next blog, but in the meantime, know that the preschool programs at Growing Kids Learning Centers are designed to help your child thrive. Preschool is the most important grade, and so much of this is because it helps children get on track for the rest of their school years (and life) to come. Enroll with Growing Kids Learning Centers today!

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But why exactly is preschool the most important grade? We’ve discussed how preschool is incredibly beneficial for your child, but today, we’re going to discuss why this is the grade that is most essential to success — both academic and as a whole. Find out more, and enroll your child in preschool with Growing Kids Learning Centers in South Bend (at Ireland Road, State Road 23, and North Bendix Drive), Elkhart, Valparaiso, Goshen, Bristol, or Chesterton!

Sets the Tone for Academic Success

Learning and hitting essential academic milestones, particularly in the math and literacy departments, are thought to be huge indicators for later academic success. In one study, it showed “that preschool boosts a child’s chances of doing well at school and going on to take advanced level examinations,” as reported by The Guardian. This, in turn, contributes to the direct correlation between children going to preschool who later go to college. Simply put, an early academic start helps children be prepared sooner, and play less time catching up.

Reverses the Effects of Poverty

From the University of Wisconsin – Madison, a study on poverty and childhood was conducted with some incredible results. Poverty has known to be detrimental not only to the state of a child’s life, but to their actual development and growth as a whole. Children born into poverty have a lower chance of being academically successful — which is especially problematic when about half of all public school children are living in poverty.

One of the biggest things that can change and reduce the negative effects of poverty is early childhood education. With early interventions, children can be caught up to speed with their peers of more advantageous backgrounds. Some of the main resources to help a child grow — books, educational activities and games, and a well-balanced diet — are difficult to invest in when the main priority is keeping everyone alive. Preschool offers all of these things, where families might otherwise not be able to provide these things.

A Positive Long-Term Outlook

Here are just a few of the things that preschool is believed to have an impact on:

• Grade retention — fewer occurrences when children have gone to preschool.
• Special ed. — fewer placements among children who attended preschool.
• Graduation rates — higher rates of graduation for children who went to preschool.
• Crime and delinquency — it’s true: preschool is thought to lower crime rates.

While every grade is important, preschool is truly at the foundation of education, contributing to some of the greatest examples of later success. Not only is it instrumental in helping a child prepare for school, it gets them on track for the years to come. This means leading all the way up to and through college, as well as setting children up for success in life as a whole.

Growing Kids Learning Centers has an incredible curriculum at each of our preschools, implemented to help each child thrive — both in their time with us, and for the time after. With locations all across Northern Indiana, it’s never been easier for your child to have the positive educational experience that will truly shape their life. Enroll your child today for the upcoming school year before space fills up! We can’t wait to start the school year with you!

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