No matter how young your child is, it’s never too soon to start planning ahead. Sending your child to a quality preschool or day care, although it’s by no means absolutely mandatory, is a great way to build the skills she’ll need upon entering kindergarten. If you plan to enroll your child in a preschool or day care, look for a program that:
Puts an emphasis on learning in a fun, positive environment filled with lots of play.
Has activities centered around building socialization skills (serving lunch family-style, for example).
Encourages kids to question things and be curious.
Focuses on learning new things according to developmental readiness, not chronological age.
Has a low teacher-to-child ratio; the lower the ratio, the more individualized attention for each child.
Has educated teachers on-staff, with degrees in either child development or early childhood education.
Is licensed and accredited by your state, so that they must comply with state health and safety laws.
There are also a number of things that you can do at home, or on errands, in order to help your child prepare for school: