Pros and cons of preschool and childrens development - Term Paper Example

What is a Pre-School? Preschools or playgroups are the centers where children learn and play in small groups. Preschools mostly “provide sessional care for children aged 2?- 5 years” (Bedford Borough Council, 2011). These sessions last a few hours in the mornings or in the evenings providing the parents ample time to complete their working hours and then pick their children from the preschools. Most preschools are registered and have an insurance certificate. Children need extra time out of their homes where they can engage in messy play activities and interact with other children during which process they learn how to socialize and communicate.

Preschools arrange such outdoor activities that help children learn how to use their problem-solving skills and make choices. Children should learn in preschools the basic knowledge base which should help them in their academics when they go in kindergarten and the following years. The goal of preschools is to make the children learn comprehension, making predictions and decisions, solving problems, drawing logics, and interrelating images and language. Hence, preschools focus on the cognitive development of children preparing them for actual academics.

They are taught concepts of time management, cleanliness, concentration, and innovation. Pros The activities and pretend play at a preschool is very efficient way of getting the preschoolers learn new ideas and skills that will help them in their coming lives. Their development can be “stimulated both by providing opportunity for children to learn on their own in play and by interacting in which the adults deliberately teaches some thing” (Dhingra, Manhas, & Raina, 2005). At 3 years of age, children want to initiate projects and play activities that help them build confident personalities, and the guilt or suppression can ruin their personalities for their entire lives (Erikson, 1994).

It is a very big responsibility of parents to help children learn and explore along with mess and a bit of risk. And for this, a preschool setting is the best. The caregivers create “the largest impact on the attitude” (Stoddard, Pike, & Thomas, 1994) of the kids by encouraging them to take active participation in all activities that the preschool can arrange. This helps the children build confidence and trust in their abilities and enhances their verbal and social skills along with a great positive impact on their psychosocial behavior.

Parents get to know other parents in their residential area and can share their parenting tips with them while children get to attain free nursery education while getting engaged in meaningful activities. Cons Some playgroups focus on group activities so much that individual attention, which is critically needed by every child, is ignored. If more than 7 or 8 children are assigned to one teacher, then it will be difficult for her to manage each child individually. Most preschools require that the child is potty-trained and the parents who have not yet started training their kids for toilet have to face a hard time because preschools may not give admission to the child.

Many preschools also charge an extra fee if the parents pick their child late. Last Word Since the pros of sending the child to preschool outweigh the cons, it is a wise idea to let the child attend one to facilitate his cognitive development. References Bedford Borough Council. (2011). Pre-School. Retrieved May 3, 2011, from http://www.bedford.gov.uk/education_and_learning/pre-school.aspx Dhingra, R., Manhas, S., & Raina, A. (2005). Play Pattern in Preschool Setting, 18(1), pp. 21-25. Erikson, E. (1994). Erikson's psychosocial crisis stages - meanings and interpretations.

Erikson’s Psychosocial Development Theory. Retrieved May 3, 2011, from http://www.businessballs.com/erik_erikson_psychosocial_theory.htm Stoddard, K., Pike, C., & Thomas, D. (1994). Integrating special-needs children into a preschool setting. Early Childhood Special Education, 22(2). Retrieved from http://www.springerlink.com/content/k07464906m12w875.htm