Measure your child’s growth at your child’s preschool

When parents pay to enroll their child in a quality preschool, they do so because they want their child to have every advantage possible. However, how do you know if your child is growing? Simple activities such as reading with the child, playing math games, or doing physical activities. Do this when the child first enrolls and then on a regular basis to assess the child’s development. A checklist and rating system can help make the evaluation more objective.

Literacy skills

When it comes to child development, literacy skills are at the top of many parents’ list of concerns. However, there are simple things that can be done at home to reassure parents. Just sit with the child and take time to read. Does the child understand printed concepts such as left to right and turning the page? Does the child recognize uppercase and lowercase letters and show some phonological awareness of sounds? Can you read high-frequency words?

Mathematical skills

Math skills are another area that preschools should address. To determine if a child is making progress in this area, play counting games or “I see, I see” games in which shapes and colors are identified. Sorting games in which a child has to put pictures into groups is another great assessment. By the end of preschool, children should be able to count to 20, identify six colors and four shapes.

Physical – Gross motor skills

One of the areas of child development that needs attention is gross motor development. Many think that children will develop them naturally, but this is not the case. To assess, parents can play games with their child that involve running, jumping and jumping, such as hopscotch. Also observe the child coming down the stairs, he must alternate his feet. If the child is unable to do the activities, the preschool may need to spend more time on these critical skills.

Physical – Fine motor skills

Because fine motor skills will affect a child’s ability to write, it is important to ensure success in this field. Children enrolled in a preschool should be able to hold pencils correctly, draw shapes and objects, and cut out those shapes with scissors. Assessing these skills involves creating a simple art project, such as drawing shapes and then cutting them out to create a pattern. Parents should carefully observe how the pencil is held and whether the child turns the paper over while cutting.

Emotional and Social

Social interactions and emotional intelligence is another area of ​​child development that must be carefully monitored. However, this requires a bit more ingenuity on the part of the parents. First, take time to observe the child every day at the preschool. How are you interacting with others? Does the child share? … show empathy for others? … follow the rules without being reminded? Also, take your child to the park or McDonald’s Play Land. Does the child make friends easily or is he introverted?

With a careful look at each of these key skill areas, parents should be able to determine if their child is experiencing growth in their preschool. These activities mainly consist of fun things that parents can do anyway. To take it up a notch and try to be more objective, consider using a checklist and rating the child during each assessment. In this way, parents can actually “see” growth instead of guessing.