Before preschools, playschools and daycare centers had made their entry into child care education, kindergarten used to be the initiating education point in a child’s life. Kindergartens hold a special place in defining child’s future. Usually, a child is sent to a kindergarten when he is about four years old. However, it is up to the discretion of the parents to find out whether the child is ready for the kindergarten. This question arises because of the fact that not every child grows at the same rate. Parents need to consider whether the child is ready to face long periods of time in an unfamiliar environment.
There has been a radical change in Kindergarten over the past ten or fifteen years. Earlier children were introduced to crafts and games for educational purposes but now the focus has shifted to academic subjects including computers and foreign languages. Some kids are ready for the newness offered by kindergartens whereas some others are not developed enough at four or five years old to deal with complex subjects. This readiness and development is subject to several factors like motor skills, child’s aptitudes, social skills, the capacity for concentration, curiosity and ability to follow a routine. Keeping these facts in mind, some kindergartens have started to take screening test and it includes simple activities such as body movements, drawing, use of language and auditory memory.
Parents should focus on developing child’s social skills from an early age. Parents can initiate the basics by teaching alphabets and introducing numerical games at home. There are different puzzles and building blocks games as well that can help child getting ready for kindergarten. Parents can also take help of internet and some books for preparing child for a brand new kindergarten experience.
