How Preschool Prepares Infants and Toddlers for Future Learning

Your child’s earliest years are precious. During the first five years of your child’s life, they will begin to make connections that are a foundation for lifelong learning. Care, nurturing, and education are critical during this period. Early learning experiences will contribute to their success in school and beyond.

It’s important to give your child every possible advantage throughout their lifetime. This begins with where you send your child to preschool. Research shows that high-quality preschool programs can prepare a child for kindergarten. Good preschools provide a solid foundation of knowledge and skills that give kids a head start toward lifelong learning.

This article will explore how early learning programs can prepare infants and toddlers for a lifetime of learning. You can find high-quality preschool for infants and toddlers at Little Sunshine Preschool. Contact our incredible educators now to learn more or schedule a tour.

Table of Contents

• How Preschools Are Preparing Infants and Toddlers for Learning

  • Early literacy skills

  • Math

  • Social-emotional skills

• How To Find a Great Infant and Toddler Preschool

  • Do your homework

  • Take a tour

  • A curriculum

How Preschools Are Preparing Infants and Toddlers for Learning

Learning centers offer early childhood education programs for infants, toddlers, and young children. Generally, preschool programs focus on getting kids ready for kindergarten. But what do kids learn in preschool?

Here is an overview of what infants and toddlers may learn in a preschool program.

Early literacy skills

Caring for infants requires a lot of time, care, and energy. At any child care center, meeting a baby’s basic needs is the bare minimum.

However, learning centers offer enriching learning environments, fun activities, and time-tested curriculums that support brain development. Teachers spend time engaging in learning activities that support early literacy skills, including:

• Reading books out loud

• Asking open-ended questions

• Following children’s cues when reading out loud

• Singing songs

• Using visual aids to introduce letters

Early literacy skills in a child care setting can give babies a foundation of knowledge. They’ll build on this foundation while learning more complex concepts as they grow.

Math

Some people may think teaching math concepts to infants and toddlers is impossible. However, even very young children can benefit from this kind of learning.

Infant and toddler development experts know learning begins early in a child’s life. They advise parents and caregivers to start talking about math when a child is very young. Here are some ideas to get you started:

• Count out loud throughout the day. Count your child’s fingers and toes, the number of Cheerios in their bowl, toys on the floor, etc.

• Use visual aids that show pictures of

• Sing simple songs that use numbers and basic math, such as “Five in the Bed”

• Talk about shapes you see in the environment

Simple math lessons throughout the day can add up to serious learning in the preschool years.

Social-emotional skills

Children must have strong social-emotional skills to be successful in kindergarten. They must be able to:

• Listen to a teacher

• Pay attention to instructions

• Maintain focus on stories and activities

• Respect others

• Make friends

• Work as a team

This learning can begin in an infant or toddler preschool program. Teachers model good social and emotional skills. They set reasonable expectations for the classroom and enforce rules.

Infants and toddlers benefit from the routine, care, and education they receive in family child care programs.

How To Find a Great Infant and Toddler Preschool

Babies and toddlers need a nurturing environment to support their learning and development. Focusing on health and safety is crucial, but it’s important to provide educational experiences, too.

Here are some tips to help you find a high-quality infant and toddler preschool.

Do your homework

Look for local preschools with infant and toddler programs. Find a learning center that focuses on kindergarten readiness. Look at features like:

• The center’s educational approach

• The center’s location

• The hours of operation

• The types of programs the center offers

Narrow your list by choosing centers that most closely meet your needs.

Take a tour

Schedule a tour of the learning centers that meet your needs. Spend time in the center and get to know the staff. Explore classrooms and learn about the center’s daily schedule. Observe how staff members interact with the children.

Look for other signs of high-quality care, including:

• Clean, well-maintained learning spaces

• A warm, welcoming atmosphere

• Classrooms with separate spaces for eating, playing, resting, and diaper changes/bathrooms

• An engaging, developmentally appropriate outdoor play space

Spending time in a learning center can give you a lot of valuable information when making this important decision.

A curriculum

Look for a learning center that follows a time-tested curriculum–even in the infant and toddler care programs. Learn about the center’s approach. Look for a center that provides plenty of interactive, play-based activities.

If you are looking for an infant and toddler care program that can prepare your child for future learning, get in touch with the team at Little Sunshine Preschool. We are happy to answer your questions and schedule a tour.