Choosing Family Child Care has benefits for Kindergarten Preparedness
Why choose mixed age care, in a play based environment, for kindergarten preparation?
Children entering kindergarten need more than just academic knowledge to be successful in the school environment. They need self-help skills, time management abilities, and good communication skills. Children should be able to express their feelings in a socially acceptable manner and have the beginnings of problem solving skills. Mixed age care allows older children the time to develop confidence in their self-help skills and the confidence to help others. The mixed age setting provides all children with the opportunity to observe, emulate, and initiate a wide range of competencies. Having more diversity in ages allows children models that allow most to find a suitable model for their learning style. A mixed age setting is a more natural learning environment for young children; it emulates a natural family unit.
*Quote from a Kindergarten Teacher-
"As a kindergarten teacher, I feel that social and emotional skills are as important as academic preparedness. Many children come to kindergarten academically prepared, but some are lacking the necessary social skills to interact positively with their peers. A mixed-age environment will enable children to learn how to work well with their same-age peers, as well as develop maturity and empathy while interacting with younger children."