Preschool Readiness: Rite of Passage or Not?

By Angela Gartner

How will I know if my child is ready for preschool? Is preschool a necessary “rite of passage” or is it OK to let my child stay home with me until kindergarten. How do I prepare my child for preschool? What do I do if it doesn’t work out?

These are all valid questions a parent might be asking as their child nears the preschool age. The answers are unique to each child and family situation.

Danielle Knight of Painesville Township , mother of 4-year-old twins, was struggling a year ago about a decision to send her children to preschool.

"I knew (my child) didn’t have the words yet to get his point across which would cause him a great deal of frustration (when interacting with the teachers),” Knight said.

She wanted preschool to be a stress-free and a fun environment for herself and her children.

“Preschool should be about fun and letting the children realize learning should be fun,” she said.

Many parents often worry about how they will handle sending their children to preschool. Patricia Zele, a Tallmadge mother of three, spoke about her feelings when sending her first and last child to preschool.

“I was worried about my willingness to let go. I wanted them to remain babies and was sad because they were growing up,” she says,

Getting the child ready for preschool helps to alleviate these types of stresses and helps the parent determine if the child is ready. Some of the ways a parent can help prepare the child for preschool is to teach or make sure the child has basic developmental skills for their age. Preschool preparedness does not mean parents have to buy various worksheets or flashcards. In fact, many experts believe worksheets are ineffective teaching tools for young children. Parents and experts agree that children best learn through a hands-on approach.

“Have realistic expectations,” Zele says, “(Children) learn better through play, not rigorous testing.”

According to the Ohio Department of Education Preschool Academic Standards handbook, a child’s first teacher is his or her parents. The book suggests that parents can assist their children by teaching the foundations of the content standards for preschool learning.

Nakiaa Robinson, program manager of the Office of Early Childhood/Invest in Children Program in Cuyahoga County , spoke of the early-learning content standards.

“The state of Ohio implemented certain standards for preschool programs which are to help a child attain certain benchmarks in social studies, mathematics, language/arts and science,” she said.

She suggests parents can do simple activities to incorporate content areas in daily play. For example, taking a walk in the park and explaining the different plants to your child is science. Reading to your child or going to story hour at the library can teach socialization and language skills, as well as understanding community resources. Skills in math can be learned by having the child know his or her age each year.

“(Before enrolling your child into preschool) parents have to ask themselves questions,” said Martha Deavers of the Childcare Resource Center .

She suggests parents should assess if their child can take care of basic needs. For example, can the child feed himself or herself, wash his or her hands, and is the child potty-trained and can the child clearly communicate their needs to the teacher. Basic communication and socialization skills are necessary for a child to be successful in a preschool environment.

A child’s ability to communicate with the teacher is an important aspect when considering preschool. The child has to be comfortable in speaking to the teacher if they need help with an activity or if something is wrong. Robinson says working with a child every day, reading books and talking to them will help with language development.

             Jane Brown, director of the Early Childhood Program at Hathaway Brown School in Shaker Heights , suggests ways children can learn to socialize with their peers.

“Provide an opportunity for your child to interact with other children in a relaxed and yet stimulating play-based environment. Playgroups that correspond with a child’s age help children learn language by engaging with peers,” Brown said.

Community playgroups, story times at the local library, a Gymboree or Mommy and Me class can bring children and parents together. Knight thought putting her children in social situations would help them learn to listen and follow directions from someone other than herself or her husband. Such social interaction can also aid in reducing separation issues between children and parents. The safe environment of the childcare center at the YMCA allowed her children to learn interaction and allowed them brief periods of being away from mom and dad.

This might be your first child going off to preschool or it may be your last child – your baby. Parents often experience separation anxiety when thinking about sending their child to school. Knight dealt with these same issues. Her method to overcome such anxieties was by talking with other parents who went through the preschool process.

“Talking with other parents reassures me that all kids learn at different speeds,” Knight says, “to not worry or stress out about what they don’t know. Anything they need to know (preschool will) teach them all that stuff anyway.”

Deavers offers some more advice.

“When the parents have anxiety about child separation, a child can often pick up these anxieties. It is important (for the parents) to gradually accept the concepts (of preschool). Key is to discuss preschool early on, make sure the parents are comfortable with the arrangements and look at all the options,” she says.

Ultimately, sending your child to preschool at any age or if at all is solely your decision.

“Parents will just know,” says Jane Booth, Teaching Learning Center coordinator at Lakeland Community College . “Parents know a lot more than they give themselves credit for. No one knows their child better than the parents.”

In the end, preschool preparation is about a child learning through play and having an opportunity to learn with other kids in their age group. Therefore, don’t stress too much about preschool readiness. Your child has their own time clock when it comes to development; just make sure they are having fun while on the clock.

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Angela Gartner is a freelance writer who lives with her son and husband in Northeast Ohio .

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Visit www.hb.edu or contact the admissions office at 216-320-8098 for more information on Hathaway Brown School for the early childhood education program.

Visit www.lakelandcc.edu/tlc/ or call 440-525-7500 to learn about the Teaching Learning Center at Lakeland Community College for available 18 months thru Pre-K programs.

The Childcare Resource Center in Lorain provides a referral service for childcare options. Visit www.ccrcinc.com or call 800-526-5268 for more information.

The Ohio Department of Education Academic Content Standards for Preschool Learning and Grade K can be found at www.ohioacademicstandards.com.

For more information on the Invest in Children Program, visit  www.investinchildren.cuyahogacounty.us or contact Starting Point at 216-575-0061.