The Best Pre-School
“What does my child need to know before Kindergarten?”
“What do I do with my preschooler all day?”
These questions sell a lot of educational products: workbooks, learning puzzles, kits, subscriptions, and curriculum. But what started as just honest, faithful questions can quickly spiral into anxiety.
The truth is that you don’t need to put your children into a fancy preschool program or buy an expensive curriculum to prepare them well for school. In fact, you don’t need to do anything special to prepare them for school. Instead, prepare them well for real life, and you’ll be giving them exactly the things they need to succeed in school. The best ways to do this turn out to be common sense:
Talk with your child. Your child needs to hear lots of words, and they need to hear them from you. Talk with them about what you are doing, ask them questions they know the answers to, answer their questions as best you can, and talk about things in books, nature, and the places you go.
Model and practice how to live daily life. Show them how to pray and worship God. Involve them in your chores. Teach them how to interact with other people. Give them opportunities to practice doing real things - washing dishes, folding laundry, planting flowers, sending thank you notes, taking turns in conversation, giving and receiving forgiveness.
Read them the Bible and great children’s books. Children’s bibles can be wonderful treasures, but also read the real Bible with them. Find a trustworthy booklist (such as Ambleside Online’s Year 0 or John Senior’s “1000 Good Books”) and re-read favorite classics aloud over and over. Don’t worry about whether a book will be assigned in school later, enjoy it now and your child will be excited to meet it again like an old friend.
Sing and laugh. Share music and sing with your child, no matter what your singing voice sounds like. Listen to recordings of classic children’s songs, hymns, classical music, and folk tunes. When the mood in your home is tense or gloomy, try singing to redirect your heart to the joy of the Lord.
Go outside. Give your child lots of opportunities to move their muscles, practice observation, and just enjoy the beauty and variety of God’s creation. Whether it be in your backyard, on the park playground, or on a walking trail, take them outside so that you both can get the benefits of the fresh air and exercise.
Have a rhythm including rest. Young children thrive with routine. Every day does not need to be the same, but there need to be predictable patterns and routines in place for your child to feel safe and secure. Part of that routine should include a good night’s sleep and naps (or quiet times) for as long as possible. A child who rests well will be able to enjoy all these other elements of “preschool" life better.
These natural aspects of parenting and a happy home are the best preparation for your child. They are not always easy. They still require intentionality and effort. But through these uncomplicated things, your child will learn how to interact with others well and have the foundations they need in language and physical skill to begin reading, handwriting, and math in Kindergarten.
When your child is ready, we’d love to invite you to apply for Clermont Christian School’s Kindergarten program.
