Parents who take out second mortgages in order to enroll their children in just the right preschool (to ensure that they will then get into just the right prep-school so that they can be assured of getting into just the right Ivy League school) are frequent fodder for TV scripts and stand-up comedy. While it is good for parents to be concerned about what goes on at a child’s preschool, elementary school, and high school, research shows that parents who are more focused on their children’s present development and successes will have a higher impact on their child’s achievement than an excellent curriculum or a good teacher. When searching for a preschool in South Riding, it’s important to balance what the school has to offer with what the parent will be contributing.
Studies have recently been published that indicate that 15-year-old students whose parents read books with them during the students’ preschool years score remarkably higher on tests that measure their problem solving abilities which are the foundation for the skills most needed for success in college and in life. This improved performance was present regardless of other factors, such as educational or socio-economic background. This same research indicates that when a parent asks a child about school that day and shows a real and genuine interest in what the child is learning, it can have the same impact of hours of private tutoring. And, actively engaging with a child is something that can be done by any parent, regardless of background, at any stage of a child’s education: preschool, early adolescence, and high school.
Research is also showing that parents who are involved from preschool onward with their child’s education at home have more of an impact on future success than those parents who merely show up to meetings or events at the school. In other words, parents who are involved with their child’s education at home make whatever preschool, elementary, or high school educational experience that the child is involved with a better one. This is important for parents to remember when looking for a preschool in South Riding because the parent or parents will be helping the child to succeed at the preschool, it may not be the prestige of the preschool that will matter so much in the child’s future successes as the ability of the parent to engage the child while at home about what is going on at the preschool.
Preschool South Riding – At Sparkles! Preschool, we know that parents are a child’s greatest educators. The approach in our preschool in South Riding is based on the belief that love and respect for the individual and the utmost respect for family life are paramount to our young charges. We will work in concert with you to help your child to succeed in preschool and beyond. If you are in the South Riding area, visit us online today at www.sparkleschildcare.com or call us at 1.877.SPARKY6.
