For new parents of little ones, it can be hard to decide whether to send your child to preschool or not. We want to spend every minute with them but we know that might not always be the case. First, let’s start with what we love about preschool…
1. A learning environment that can be difficult to replicate at home We’re all for downtime, free play, and the value kids get from playing right at home. At the same time, preschool offers children a learning environment that can be pretty difficult to emulate at home.
The Katz JCC Early Education Center is structured with a curriculum. Even if you have a routine in place at home, you’d need to be intentional with teaching your child the skills other kids learn at school. Children consistently learn so much at school that might be difficult to teach at home. Reading and writing might be taught earlier, exploring states and capitols, daily art activities, swimming, singing and dancing
2. A place to practice social skills While occasional play dates or even daily trips to the park offer kids a chance to socialize, sometimes it’s not enough. At preschool, your child will be with the same kids all the time, allowing them to develop deeper friendships and practice social skills, encouraging an atmosphere to allowing kids to be able to resolve conflict on their own in a supervised environment. Your child will be able to experience and practice what it’s like to interact with their peers, all on their own
3. Relationships with other trusted adults Is your child extra clingy with you? Being the primary caregiver can mean your child has a difficult time being with other adults. Even family and friends can feel foreign to them, especially when they have grown so used to being with you and only you. Enrolling your child in preschool gives him or her an opportunity to develop relationships with other adults. They’ll begin to trust others in your place, and feel reassured that they’ll be okay even without you nearby. Your child will talk and listen to other adults more often, from voicing their concerns to complying when the teacher needs her to. They’ll also learn to wait, especially when they realize they’re not the only child calling for her teacher’s attention.
4. Exposure to new experiences Educational visits from the Cape May Nature Center, water demonstrations and fire truck tours from the Margate Fire Department, yoga classes with a specially trained yoga instructor, weekly swim lessons in our indoor heated pool and so much more expose kids to new experiences that would be hard to emulate at home.
5. Preparation for school At its roots, preschool is an environment that prepare your child for kindergarten and regular school. Daycare staff and nannies don’t always provide this kind of preparation—things like:
• Following the teacher’s instructions
• Playing with other children
• Waking up to get to school on time
• Eating lunch away from home
• Listening and learning in class
Preschool bridges the gap between home and big kids school, so that once they’re ready for regular school, the transition will be much smoother.
What are a few challenges you might run into?
1. Schedule Some preschools may be less flexible with schedules, from how many days they want your child to attend, to the hours they can be in school. The Katz JCC Early Education Center offers a variety of time frames from as early as 6:30am until 6:00pm, Monday through Friday.
2. Financial Aspect We know preschool costs can add up. One benefit of the Katz JCC Early Education Center is that we extend the monthly payments of preschool right into our amazing Camp By the Sea program if you choose to stay for the summer. We also have scholarship opportunities available to help provide assistance to families that might need a little extra help.
What are you waiting for? Enroll your child in the Katz JCC Early Education Center today! Contact Jan Higbee, Katz JCC Early
Childhood Education Center
Director, for more information
or to take a tour at 609-822-1167
Ext. 130.
