While preschool is not compulsory in Australia, there are a number of early learning government initiatives in place to encourage parents to enrol their children in preschool (also known as kindergarten). The Labor party have even pledged the largest investment in early childhood education in Australian History – an additional $1.75 billion.

So, it’s obvious that early education is hugely beneficial. But why? There’s overwhelming evidence that shows early childhood education has a positive impact on school and later life outcomes. So, what exactly are some of the key benefits your children can get out of preschool?

1. Develop a Love of Learning

Above all else, early childhood education is about nurturing a love of learning, primarily through play-based learning. Children respond well to hands-on, experimental learning through play and when they learn at their own pace through play, they view learning as a fun experience they can enjoy.

In preschool, learning is never about the end product, it’s all about the act of learning in itself. The focus is more centred around making it a fun experience they will enjoy.

Here at Balmoral house, the children under our care always have opportunities to test their skills, communicate and interact with others, and grow their knowledge in a fun and enjoyable environment.

2. Attention, Patience and Focus

When we say ‘play-based learning’ this doesn’t mean your children are just left to play on their own accord, unsupervised. The learning process involved is actually more focused. The activities your children take part in during the day are already planned out. All pre-planned activities are play-based, but the structure provided allows children to discover and get used to a more routine-lead program.

Through this, children can learn how to follow instructions, be patient, pay attention and focus. These are essential skills to have when starting school, and while play based learning offers a subtle introduction to these concepts, it creates the building blocks needed to prepare them for school.

3. Social Skills

While your child is probably already interacting with you, your family and their siblings on a regular basis, it helps to put them in other social environments too, so they know how to communicate and interact with all kinds of people in different contexts. These early social skills are essential for developing relationships with others, empathy and teaches them how to deal with a range of situations and emotions that come with social interactions.

Putting your children in more social settings has a range of other developmental benefits too. When children play with other children, they form social groups, challenge each other’s thinking, test out ideas and build new understandings about themselves, others and the world around them. Interacting with others also nurtures an acceptance of diversity and other’s differences. Developing this appreciation helps them to become well-rounded members of society from an early age.

In preschool, your child gets to develop socially in a safe environment with educators that can help guide their social skills in the right direction.

4. Resilience and Confidence

Preschool educators actively interact with children in positive and encouraging ways so that your children can come out of their shell, interact with others and be able to discover and express their own interests and personality freely. The more they interact with and discover new things and people, the sooner they will learn that not all interactions will be positive, and they need to learn how to deal with each unpleasant encounter rationally and emotionally. Learning how to face and overcome negatives is a necessary part of the human experience, and it helps to develop resilience as your children learn and grow.

Similarly, receiving affirmations and words of encouragement from teachers and peers when they have done well or achieved also helps build their self-confidence. While resilience and confidence can flourish at school, preschool helps to put your children ahead in these areas, so they are well adjusted and ready to dive head first into society sooner rather than later.

5. Preparation for School

All the benefits outlined above also contribute greatly towards your child’s progress towards school. After experiencing and being part of the preschool environment, they will feel much more comfortable and at ease once it’s time for them to start primary school. Preschool proactively creates a play-based learning environment that has close links to what they can expect to experience when they commence school.

If preschool is a priority for your child and you live in and around the Balmoral, Bulimba, and Hawthorne areas, we invite you to find out more about Balmoral House Preschool Programs. For more information about our preschool or to enrol, call us on 07 3899 2057 or email info@balmoralhousepreschool.com.au.