You can enroll your child in preschool when they’re ready, but what does that mean? How do you know if your child is ready for school? The answer is somewhat subjective, as each child develops at their own rate. However, there are some basic things that teachers look for when determining whether or not your child is prepared for kindergarten.
Your child must be at least 2 years old.
The age at which your child can start school is set by the state in which you live, but it is always at least 2 years old. In some states, it’s as early as 3 years old. Some preschools may have their own criteria for whether a child is suited for their program; this could include things like being toilet-trained and having good social skills.
Your child must be potty-trained.
Your child must be potty-trained. The decision to begin preschool is a big one, so it’s important that your child can use the toilet. You’ll want to start training your children around 18 months of age and work at making sure they go every 30 minutes or so. If you notice that your child is using the bathroom more often than usual (or if they have an accident), it’s time to increase their reward system!
Your child must have basic self-help skills.
- Your child must have basic self-help skills. He or she should be able to dress, undress and wash hands; feed and dress themselves; use a spoon and fork; use the toilet, even if it’s in a diaper (if they are still in diapers); clean up after themselves.
- Your child must be able to follow simple directions. This means they can listen to what you say and follow it through with actions—for example, “Please pick up that toy” becomes “Thanks for picking up your toys.”
- Your child must have developed an emotional stability that allows them to cope with routine activities such as going to school or visiting friends’ houses.* The emotional maturity necessary for preschool is related to their ability to tolerate frustration without becoming easily frustrated by minor missteps. They need enough patience not only with their own mistakes but also with those of others.* If your child has difficulty controlling his emotions or responding well when things don’t go according to plan, then he may not be ready for preschool.*
Your child must be able to control his emotions and behavior.
One of the biggest challenges of preschool is managing emotions and behavior. If your child doesn’t know how to control his emotions, he’ll be frustrated and overwhelmed in a classroom setting. Most four year olds will exhibit at least some level of emotional and behavioral problems that you should be aware of when deciding if your child is ready for preschool.
- Your child should be able to control his emotions. Four year olds have strong feelings, but they’re also learning how to regulate them in socially acceptable ways. They shouldn’t be throwing tantrums or having meltdowns every day, because those big upsets won’t fit with the structured environment of a classroom where everyone has their own assignments or work group tasks that need to get done on time (or else!).
- Your child should be able to follow simple instructions from adults who are not parents or caregivers (unless specifically directed by parents). This includes teachers asking students whether they need help during class activities; it’s also important for kids not just listen politely when an adult gives directions in the hallway outside class periods—they actually understand what they’re being told!
- Your child should be able to listen without interrupting others while they’re speaking–and vice versa–so there isn’t any unnecessary noise happening after school starts each morning! You may notice this especially around lunchtime: if no one wants something from vending machines near where tables are set up outside classrooms instead
Your child must have the ability to listen.
Your child must be able to listen to the teacher. This is a key factor in knowing if your child is ready for preschool, as listening will help them learn and get through their day.
- They can listen to their teacher’s instructions.
- They can listen to the directions given by their teacher.
- They can hear the words spoken by their teacher during class time or outside of class time (e.g., “Do you need me?”).
Your child must have the ability to follow simple instructions.
- Your child should be able to follow simple instructions
- Your child should be able to listen to instructions
- Your child should be able to follow through with instructions, even if they are not interested in doing so. For example, a teacher might ask the children in her class to take out their math worksheets and get started on them. If your child does not want to do this activity and protests, it is important that you teach him/her how to follow through with this task anyway.
Your child must have a small vocabulary consisting of approximately 50 words including nouns and verbs.
By the time your child reaches age three, he or she should know the basic words that make up sentences. These words include nouns (person, place or thing) and verbs (action word). Your child should also be able to use these words in context and understand how they work together to form sentences. For example: “I want juice” is a sentence with a subject (you) and an action verb (want).
Here are some examples of nouns: Mommy, Daddy, dog, cat, shoe
Here are some examples of verbs: run, jump, eat food
There are several things that your child should know before going to preschool
Before your child starts preschool, they should be able to:
- Follow simple instructions.
- Understand basic emotions.
- Control their behavior and bodily functions.
It’s important that your child has a good understanding of the world around them before starting preschool so that they don’t get overwhelmed by new experiences and are able to adjust easily when faced with unfamiliar situations or people during the school day.
Conclusion
So there you have it! There are a few things to consider before sending your child to preschool. You want to make sure they know how to use the bathroom and can handle themselves in a group setting with other kids. You also want them to be able to follow instructions and listen when spoken too so that they can learn new things while at school. Lastly, if possible make sure your child knows some basic words like nouns and verbs so that they can communicate well with their peers as well as teachers who will be assisting them throughout their day at school.