So what if your child isn’t eligible for these special programs and there are no alternatives available to you?

Just as with any grade your child will attend, the option of home schooling is always available. Whether your child is in school or not, it is always a rewarding experience to teach your child the cognitive skills necessary for a successful future, and given the fact that preschool isn’t always an option for many children, this is the best way to ensure your child will have the necessary skills to do well in Kindergarten. The very first thing you should do if you find that preschool is either unavailable or is too costly for your situation is to be optimistic. There have been television comedies that depict families who unscrupulously fight to get their child into some prestigious preschool. That kind of message says that your child will not have the same advantages as other children who are in top preschools, let alone children who cannot even attend a meager preschool. The truth is that many successful people have never attended preschool, and though it is important for your child to practice some basic cognitive skills, whether your child attends preschool or not will not be an indicator of your child’s overall academic success in the future.

But what if you aren’t a teacher? How can you prepare your child for Kindergarten and beyond?

Okay, as already stated, be optimistic. Don’t fret over the fact that your child cannot attend preschool.

Understand that the most valuable learning experience your child can get is through play. You don’t have to put up a small classroom, complete with blackboard and cherry red apples in order to afford your child a valuable learning experience. In an article entitled, “The 1, 2, 3’s of Math at Preschool,” by Diana Townsend-Butterworth, Author of Preschool and Your Child, notes, “Preschool teachers build on children's prior knowledge and capitalize on their spontaneous discoveries to further their understanding of mathematical concepts.” This means that you child will learn mathematical concepts by categorizing toys, such as color blocks, and by seeing varieties of shapes.

More and more, early childhood educators are capitalizing on a child’s natural inclination to play. Rather than only sitting a child at a desk to complete worksheets, they are using hands on experiences to cultivate cognitive development.

Children develop cognitive skills through a variety of everyday experiences. In an article entitled “6 Ways Preschools Build Language Skills,” Ellen Booth Church, Scholastic.com’s resident expert on preschool learning, says that children are learning valuable social skills through such activities as story time, group activities, outdoor play, and even through snack time. Dramatic play, according to Ellen, often escalates into conflict, and with the guidance of teachers (or parents), children often learn to resolve these conflicts in peaceful ways.