The Benefits Of Private Preschool For An Only Child: This Is Where True Growth And Personal Development Take Flight
Posted on: 6 November 2017
If your family is among the 20 percent of American families with only one child, you know how challenging this situation can be. Although doing laundry and the dishes may be easier with a single child in the household, only children can be underexposed when it comes to social situations, sharing the spotlight, and other important areas. These issues may be even more evident when your little one starts school, increasing the importance of the decisions you make regarding preschool and how the learning process is approached. For many parents, the private preschool environment is very appealing, but for an only child, this type of facility may hold even more value.
Advantages Of Sending Your Child To A Private Preschool Over A Public Preschool
Most preschools will have a program in place to guide the curriculum and students along; however, private preschools do provide a number of distinct advantages. It is these advantages that motivate parents to seek them out and these advantages which really make a major difference in the outcome of the educational process:
- Instructor-to-student ratios are more favorable in private preschools, meaning your child will receive more one-on-one learning, redirection, and encouragement, as needed.
- Parental involvement is strongly pursued by private schools.
- You have the choice of what type of education your child is presented with, such as including (or excluding) certain philosophies, educational approaches, religious beliefs, etc.
- Greater resources may be available to students in private schools, especially considering the funding issues faced by most public learning institutions, which limit after-school activities, teacher training, and more.
- Private preschools go beyond the books to encompass a greater assortment of enriching programs, such as art, music, sports, and field trips.
How A Well-Designed Preschool Program Helps Your Only Child Achieve New Heights
You face special challenges as the parent(s) of an only child, and preschool is the place to meet these challenges. Especially if your child hasn't had a lot of exposure to other little ones, the intense, supervised, and structured preschool environment introduces your child to the big, wide world in a nurturing but calculated manner. While this new learning platform holds unique value to everyone in attendance, the only child now has a place to explore new sides of the growing world and new sides of themselves. You'll see the changes right away, from the new friends your child acquires to the new perspectives taken on everything they learn about.
Specifically, preschool programs will directly address the needs of your developing child that simply can't be met in the absence of other young people:
- The importance of cooperation is introduced through taking turns at play and completing learning tasks, such as saying the alphabet. Working together to meet a common goal is one of the most valuable lessons taught to early learners, and it's one they'll retain for a lifetime.
- Respect for others and their property might be a new concept to your little one, not because they're mean or selfish, but simply because they haven't really interacted a lot with people of their own size and stature. Preschool helps all kids respect themselves and each other, and especially with a healthy teacher-to-student ratio, your child will understand how to successfully integrate, while appreciating what others have to offer.
- Honesty and personal integrity are also emphasized, which matters when little ones are prone to exaggerate or even tell a fib for the sake of getting what they want.
- Admiring without jealousy can be challenging for any child, sometimes more so for an only child, but once they attain that self-control, they'll make lots of friends, like themselves more, and be able to get along under different circumstances.
- Having responsibility is important in preschool and in life, and answering for one's neatness, academic duty, and treatment of others in this environment will help your child become more responsible and aware.
- Getting along with others poses difficulties for many kids; however, the structured nature of a good preschool program puts them together in situations that foster diplomacy and the management of personal feelings and emotions.
- Leading and following is also introduced to the young students, helping each learn their strengths and weaknesses, with a focus on improving those characteristics which help each individual put their best foot forward.
- Sharing attention is a necessity in a classroom environment, and learning this skill helps your little one develop many useful traits.
Helping Your Child At Home
Because everything is now changing in your child's world, it's important that you coordinate your parenting efforts with the preschool's curriculum. For example, if your household allows for baby-talk, the language of preschool should now take over, encouraging a greater vocabulary, with an emphasis on factual and actual words, rather than the made-up ones (no matter how cute they are). Also, because your child has no siblings, they're likely accustomed to having the spotlight all the time at home, but with the gentle guidance of teachers and even other students, your little one should be gaining patience, and with that, the ability to wait longer, allow others their say, etc.
Test your little one constantly, presenting them with small challenges that strengthen their ability to interact successfully at home, and you'll be giving them a major boost for the classroom environment. These important skills will help your child succeed academically and socially, with a little bit of self-discipline thrown in for good measure. Before long, your only child should be demonstrating remarkable improvement in how they're able to get along, accept direction, and interact with the world around them, making all of their experiences more enjoyable and beneficial, to them, as well as everyone they meet.
Contact a preschool like Advantage Learning Center to learn more.
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