Skip to main content

Style Magazine

Preschool

Aug 31, 2008 05:00PM ● By Super Admin

To say that young children are impressionable is a blatant understatement. From birth to age five, the physical framework and wiring of a child’s brain develops largely based upon his or her experiences during those early years.
Quality experiences are the goal of First 5 California’s investment of nearly one billion dollars into affordable, quality preschools for all.
First 5 Executive Director Kris Perry explains, “A series of studies over a period of 40 years shows that children who participate in high quality preschool programs are less likely to be in the court system, are less likely to require social services, are more likely to graduate from high school and college, and are more likely to make higher earnings.”  
Experts say it’s the basic lessons learned in preschool that set the stage for success in school, and in life. ...

What Parents Can Do at Home
Whether or not a child attends preschool, caregivers can play a key role in kindergarten preparation. Many ideas are offered through First 5’s Kit for New Parents, available online or through the First 5 county offices.
“The best advice is to talk, talk, talk… all the time,” says Perry. “Narrate the world. If you have a young child, don’t keep your thoughts to yourself.”  She says the number of words young children are exposed to correlates to their success in school and life.
To help build social skills, parents also should provide ample opportunities for peer time in the form of playgroups, story time, and activities at a local park or pool.
Taking simple steps now, to enrich the precious formative years of a child’s life, gives the best possible chance for success in the future.


For more Preschool Inforamtion, be sure to pick up this month's copy of Style-Roseville Granite Bay Rocklin edition. Click on the "Get Your Copy" link on the bottom of this page for some of our newsstand locations. Or, to order a copy of this issue, please email Gloria Schroeder at [email protected], or call her at 916-988-9888 x116.