When is the Right Time for Preschool?

-Lynn Hess, Director

June and July are often months when parents of preschool aged children wonder if their child would benefit from a school experience prior to kindergarten. Friends and family frequently influence this decision with opinions and recommendations based on their own experiences. As a mom, I sought input from many resources regarding good schools and appropriate ages.

FullSizeRenderWhen our oldest son was three years old, we toured many schools and selected one that would allow us to participate in the classroom. A few years later, our middle son started at The School of Grace as a two year old, followed by our youngest as a one year old. We based our decision on our family situation and what we thought was best for each individual child.

Now that our “boys” are 25, 21 and 18, I look back on the preschool decision and recognize that, although they each started school at different ages, their start dates were appropriate for them. They each moved seamlessly into elementary school and have continued to be motivated, enthusiastic learners, even through college. There is no perfect rule for when a child should start school. As a result of kindergarten becoming more academic and structured, research now indicates that children, who attend at least one year of preschool, experience an easier transition into elementary school.

At The School of Grace, all of the children in our program, whether they are 6 months or 5 years old, benefit as they:

  • Learn how to positively interact with their peers;
  • Explore new concepts;
  • Find success in a language rich environment;
  • Experience a variety of hands on, creative activities that they might not have at home (especially the messy projects);
  • Experiment with a growing desire for autonomy, in a safe environment;
  • Gain the understanding that they are loved, appreciated and accepted unconditionally by adults and classmates.

When is the right time to enroll your child in preschool? That is up to you. I suggest that you look at several schools, ask a lot of questions and talk with others before you make that decision.

You are welcome and invited to tour The School of Grace as you go through the preschool discovery process. Tours typically last an hour. During the tour, I will meet individually with you/your family to walk you through the registration process, explain our program and guide you through our facility. Our tours are for your benefit, so bring questions. Children are welcome to attend.

To schedule a tour, you may contact me at info@schoolofgrace.com or 919-787-4740.

In the meantime, I encourage you to read through our website, including the other blog posts, and visit us on Facebook and Twitter. We have a wealth of information we want to share with you!