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Week of the Young Child

 

Week of the Young Child Article 2024
Echo Press publication

Is Preschool Important?

This is one of the most commonly asked questions of staff at the Early Education Center. Does my child really need preschool? If you ask an educator, preschool can be an essential step in a child’s educational journey for many reasons.

Preschool can prepare a child for the experience of kindergarten both socially and pre-academically in a playful, safe, and developmentally appropriate way.  Preschool is a setting to practice following a routine, engaging with peers, taking turns, experimenting with learning materials, and exploring scientific and mathematical concepts such as patterns, habitats, gravity, and quantity, to name a few.  As children learn to read, they will benefit from practicing with the shapes and sounds of letters, acquiring new vocabulary, and strengthening the small hand muscles that allow them to create letter shapes. Finally, preschool offers a unique and vital setting to practice peer collaboration, interpersonal communication, creativity, and early leadership skills.

Though young students can significantly benefit from a preschool experience, parents will want to ensure a positive and playful environment with highly skilled educators for their child. This includes continuous staff development, program accountability, and an environment that welcomes parent involvement.

Many families begin even earlier with the Early Childhood Family Education program, where they can play and learn together in an educational setting where parents are empowered as a child’s most important teacher. In this program, parents and children attend together to practice being in a school setting, make connections with other families, and gain insight into their child’s development. If this, or a preschool option, sounds like a fit for your family, you are invited to visit at any time. Just let our front desk know you’re coming to see what you and your child might learn at the Early Education Center.

April Larson
Parent Educator, Early Education Center
Alexandria Public Schools

ECF 50 year anniversary logo

50th Anniversary of ECFE Press Release

First page of the PDF file: 50th_anniversary_press_release