As an expat family in Singapore with a young child on hand who perhaps does not quite know much English , is not used to spending time away from you or is from a culture very different from that in Singapore, you might be terribly worried about whether your child is ready to go to preschool.
Maybe for a change, let’s ask is there a preschool out there that is ready for your child!
A preschool that will let your child be a child and help them child feel safe and secure enough to deal with the challenges of going to school for the first time. Because that is what a good preschool does: it helps you cope with the stress and pressure you might be feeling about sending your child to school and supports your child through the journey. With a school like that, every child could be ready for preschool!
As the Head of Preschool at GESS, Laura Munaro, says,
I believe every child is ready for Preschool! Every child is a unique individual and ever child that joins preschool will bring their unique history, social and cultural background and prior experiences. At the GESS preschool, we welcome all children and we celebrate their diversity of origins, languages, cultures, experiences and needs.
Part of that involves understanding that every child does not have to reach a certain readiness point before they can come into our preschool and thrive. The educators meet each individual child exactly where they are and help them move forward and reach new milestones at their own pace and time.
But there are some things that every child is indefinitely given access to.
A safe and secure environment where the child can take social, physical and emotional risks without any judgement or fear and with support from the educators. Maybe some children need some extra support when it comes to making new friends while others need support learning how to express their needs or focusing on a task on hand and they will be guided appropriately to do these things.
And of course there are also some things you can do at home with your child to get them prepared to enter preschool! Eventually, let go of the worries you might have that your child is not ready for preschool and let your child embark on this journey in the right place and your child will adjust accordingly in no time.