Megawati
Kharisma Bunga Bangsa
Attending preschool is a
must as a preparation for children before they enroll in kindergarten.
Early childhood education is a debatable
topic among society. The concern is mainly on whether it is important or not enrolling
children under-age to school. Some parents think that registering their
children in preschool will only decrease their quality time with their kids.
However, many people say preschool has a lot of advantages for children,
especially during their growing period.
At the growth phase, children really
need to be guided, because they literally follow what people around them do. Therefore,
it is important to show them how to have a good behavior. Moreover, children
are superb at memorizing things. Therefore, it is the right time to teach them
the basic knowledge of academic. In order to prevent children get wrong
lessons, parents can utilize preschool as their choice. Preschool is a tool to introduce children both socially and
academically thing at the same time.
By enrolling children to preschool,
children will be more ready to enter kindergarten. In preschool,
kids are prepared to learn academic materials since a very young age. National Institute for Early Education Research
(NIEER) director, W. Steven Barnett, Ph.D. said that by attending high standard
preschool, kids will have better pre-reading skills, more various vocabulary,
and stronger basic math skills than those who do not. Besides, many people said
children learn best through fun activities, and preschool offers study and plays at the same time. Preschool students
will study about numbers while they are counting blocks, they learn alphabets
by singing songs, and they get to know shapes and colors by playing puzzle and
finger painting. Also, rhyming games and story time that teachers do in school
will help children to learn language and enhance their pre-reading skill. Thus,
preschool has an important role in helping parents to nurture children in
academic matters.
Furthermore,
children who enroll preschool will be more behaved.
They will be taught about having a good habit and a good attitude. Specifically,
kids learn how to be independent and confident in doing things they need. Angela
Capone, Ph.D., senior program manager at Southwest Human Development's Arizona
Institute for Childhood Development said children in preschool find out that
they are able to do things for themselves, such as getting food and deciding
what to do in their leisure time. This thing will make kids get used to doing
their activities by themselves. Also, they will learn about courtesy. Such as
raising their hands before they ask and answer questions, waiting for their turns
for stating their questions or opinions, and following for instructions. Then,
children will learn to control their emotions. As an example, when they get a
problem, teachers will let them figure it out, so they learn how to solve their
problem and control their anger. Another thing, because preschool students
spend some times with adults outside their family, they can learn to respect
others and know how to have conversation politely.
Afterward,
preschool will help to improve children’s social skill.
Kids will learn how to adapt to new
people and new environment, and they will know how to cooperate with others
through their learning process. It is important for them to find friends at
their age, get along with other children, so they could find their social self.
Especially for shy kids, these activities can help them to get over their
introvert tendency. Amy Flynn, the director of New York City's Bank Street
Family Center said that before a kid becomes a kindergarten student, s/he
should have got some friendship experiences. Hence, when they get into
kindergarten, they will easily get to know their new friends and wider their
circle of friends. Moreover, when children enroll to preschool, they will live some
hours with other adults, and it will teach them to build trusting relationship
with adolescence outside their family.
Childhood is a phase of human life when
children easily absorb everything they see and hear. In this stage, children
will imitate the things they get from their family and everyone around them.
That is the reason why it is important to introduce them with right things, and
preschool is one of the alternatives that parents can choose. Preschool does not only teach about how to
have good behavior and manners, but also prepare them before they enter
kindergarten.
There
are many things that children can gain by joining preschool. By paying
attention to the benefits that preschool offers, parents can begin to consider
entering their children to preschool. Preschool
is designed as an implement to help parents preparing their children for future
academic since an early age. As we know, it is important to conform kids, both
socially and academically before they enter kindergarten, and preschool can be
the right choice to support early childhood education.
References:
GreatSchools Staff.
(March 18, 2016). 10 good reasons your child should attend preschool. Retrieved
on Ocotber 9, 2016, from:
http://www.greatschools.org/gk/articles/why-preschool/
Kanter, B. (2007). Why preschool matters. Retrieved on
October 9, 2016, from:
http://www.parents.com/toddlers-preschoolers/starting-preschool/curriculum/why-preschool-matters/
New Kids-Center. (n.d).
Importance of preschool. Retrieved on October 9, 2016, from:
http://www.newkidscenter.com/Importance-of-Preschool.html