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Does Kindergarten Really Matter? Your Guide to the Importance of the Importance of Kindergarten for Young Children

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Sofia Williams
Does Kindergarten Really Matter? Your Guide to the Importance of the Importance of Kindergarten for Young Children

There was a time not so long ago that kindergarten was seen as a luxury for wealthy families. The preparation year before first grade was not required in many parts of the world until a few decades ago, and in others, it still is not required. 

 

However, that stance on early childhood education is changing. More and more countries are pushing for a mandate on kindergarten. This includes many nations where expatriate education is thriving. Because of this, more and more families in India - and Asia at large - are choosing a kindergarten for their children - and seeing big benefits as a result. 

Formal Education at the Age of Five Isn’t Actually That Important 

Many parents believe that their child isn’t able to learn anything substantial at age five that couldn’t be taught at home. They feel that the foundations of reading, writing, number science, and more could be taught by family just as easily as they could by teachers. And they’re right. 

The truth is, the actual content that children learn during their kindergarten year is not the most important part of the grade level. In fact, many children do not really grasp the reading or writing skills until first grade or later. Kindergarten is much more about exposure to concepts through repetition and interesting, engaging activities than it is about ensuring that children retain what they are taught. 

What Comes Along with the School Environment is What Matters 

If kindergarten isn’t about formal education, then why is it so important? Why do so many childhood development experts, pediatricians, parents, and teachers agree that this year of schooling is vital for the modern child’s growth?

It’s because a lot more happens during the school day than just traditional instruction. When broken down by content, the kindergarten school day may contain very little traditional instruction, actually. Students may spend less than an hour a day engaging directly with number science, reading, writing, and other fundamentals. However, they are being exposed to these concepts all day, in small increments that make learning feel more natural. This low-pressure approach is one of the biggest benefits kindergarten has to offer children who are just getting started in school.

Another important aspect of kindergarten is the exposure to social situations that it gives children. Unless they went to a formal preschool, they may not have any familiarity with the formal school setting. Even children who did attend a school-like preschool will be unfamiliar with many of the concepts that a kindergarten student will work with during their school year, making this year a pivotal one in terms of childhood development. 

Children who attend kindergarten will learn to sit through classes without creating substantial interruptions. They will learn that they have to share the attention of the adult in charge of the classroom with their peers. They will learn to focus during class time and play and interact with peers during free time. Meal times will be structured and learning will be guided. It’s the best possible way to prepare students for the formal learning environments they will be part of when they get older. 

Kindergarten Fills in the Gaps Where Gradeschool is Failing 

Elementary schools in much of Asia use the method of rote to instruct students. That isn’t inherently bad, but it can lead to a lack of opportunities for students to grow and develop in other ways. There are lots of things a child needs guidance in other than the fundamentals of traditional education. 

The problem is, once children get into first grade and beyond, they have fewer and fewer chances to build social skills, learn societal norms regarding behavior, develop their imagination and creativity, and more. These are elements of childhood development that are too often overlooked in the elementary school classroom - but not in kindergarten.

As mentioned previously, the kindergarten school day may include relatively little traditional instruction. That instruction often occurs in small spurts, in pockets of time between more exciting, engaging activities. During those activities, though, children are still learning - and what they are learning is vitally important to their growth as people. 

Children who attend kindergarten in Singapore are much more likely to have well-developed social skills, as well as: 

  • Effectively communicate with both adults and peers.
  • Ethically judge simple scenarios as right or wrong, as well as ask for guidance from an adult when unsure. 
  • Think critically and analyze simple scenarios.
  • Understand the value of teamwork and collaboration.
  • Possess self-motivation and initiative. 
  • Create through imagination and creative thought.
  • Apply their knowledge - both abstract and concrete - to real-world situations. 

If these sound more like important factors in adult success in the workplace, it’s because they are. These building blocks begin in kindergarten and will travel with the child throughout their time in school and well beyond. That’s why so many school districts, private institutions, international schools, and the nations that house them are making kindergarten and everyday part of the modern child’s path to success!

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Sofia Williams
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