How Pre-Prep Prepares Your Child for Starting School

The journey of a child's education begins long before they step into the classroom. The formative years, particularly the first five, lay the groundwork for not only academic achievement but also social and emotional development. In this critical period, children embark on a path that shapes their future educational trajectory. Early exposure to quality learning experiences will give children essential skills in fostering confidence, resilience, and curiosity.

Research shows that up to 90 percent of brain development has already taken place before a child starts primary school. As parents and educators, understanding the profound impact of early learning is paramount in setting our children up for success academically, emotionally, and socially. This article delves into the importance of Early Learning education in preparing children for the transition to formal schooling, highlighting the holistic approach to learning and development.

The importance of early skill development

The first five years of your child’s life are pivotal, not only in the acquisition of language but also in becoming socialised and working as a member of a group. These skills are also crucial in developing long-lasting academic benefits. The earlier your child is exposed to quality learning experiences, the more confidence and resilience they will gain leading into primary education.

Kindergarten and Pre-Prep assist in improving your child’s health and wellbeing, the development of strong social interactions and actively promote a thirst for knowledge, making the transition into Prep a lot easier. During this period of your child’s life, you will see increased brain development, faster than at any other stage of their life. The breadth of your child’s early learning experience is more influential and has more permanent impacts on the brain than at any other point in their education and even in their career.

Pre-primary education then becomes the critical point of your child’s brain development and as it rapidly grows, children must be stimulated in order to process and be encouraged to retain and recall knowledge. The brain at this age is like a sponge: it soaks up information both consciously and subconsciously. The more knowledge, stimuli and practise you can feed your child’s brain before they begin Prep, the more nourished it will be for years to come. This is more significant than when senior students enter the workforce or adults change occupations. It may be hard to envision when they are so young, but by investing in Early Learning education, you will help your child move in the right direction for a bright educational future.

Setting your child up for success to start school

At the beginning of your child’s Kindergarten journey, they should feel excited to start a new chapter in their life. In the first year as a three-year-old student, the learning objective is focused on developing independence and resilience. As a four-year-old, academics start to play a prominent role in their daily regime. Literacy and numeracy lay the foundations for their learning as they are exposed to new experiences that enhance different parts of the brain. The brain controls our thoughts, memory and speech, movement of the arms and legs, and the function of many organs within our body.

Preparing for Prep

As they approach five years old, many children can organise themselves, go to the bathroom alone, brush their teeth, arrange their lunch boxes and recognise social and moral situations. The year from Pre-Prep to Prep is the biggest leap they will ever make in their academic journey with the change in environment from constant supervision to minor supervision (particularly at lunchtime), so it is vital that your child is equipped with the independence and resilience to excel in Prep and going to school.

It is never too early to begin learning

From the age of two, children can enjoy music lessons, dance lessons and playgroups at Toorak’s Early Learning Center. At Playgroup, children and their parents work together with other toddlers and adults. Children are taught how to turn-take, become more spatially aware and respond to the emotions of others. These skills are introduced through intentional social interactions, sensory tasks and motor skill development tasks. These can be sport-based; playing with soft balls to enhance their motor skills and coordination or performing arts-based; dancing to music, singing and interacting with others.

Your child’s interpersonal qualities will increase and be honed by exposure to other children. By having them participate in activities such as this, you can support their brain development and personal growth opportunities. As a result, your child is also observing other children playing, communicating and problem solving. These are all skills which are acquired much faster through observation and purposeful play.

The bridge between Kindergarten and Prep

At Pre-Prep, children learn skills that they will need throughout their life. They continue to learn how to play with others, begin to learn the art of compromise, develop empathy, gather emotional intelligence, recognise that words communicate meaning and convey emotion, and above all, develop a sense of who they are in the world. To ensure your child gains the necessary social, emotional and academic toolkit, enrolling in Early Learning is the best solution. When children are three-years-old, being invested in external programs will ensure regular brain stimulation. If they feel comfortable in their current program, it may be time to increase the days so that they maintain a level that poses challenges and rewards.

An Early Learning program should be well-structured: it should let your child spend a lot of time in nature, being outdoors, and participating in play-based, purposeful learning experiences. At this point in a child’s development, they begin to enjoy and rely on the routine of a daily program which responds to their curiosity, fine and gross motor skills and allows them to become effective communicators (verbal, written and pictorial). Developmentally, a four-year-old child will typically be able to recognise and draw shapes, speak in coherent, sequential sentences, walk and run in all directions with coordination, ride a bike, get dressed without help and be able to learn another language.

Learning specialist subjects at Toorak’s Early Learning Centre

At Toorak, our Early Learning students are exposed to specialist subjects that include Language and Library, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics), Performing Arts, Health and Wellbeing and more. In addition to these specialist subjects, Literacy and numeracy are heavily addressed in Pre-Prep. The intentionality of this teaching ensures that as children transition to formal primary school education, they already have a bank of knowledge and skills that they can easily recall. Success therefore comes more readily and a child’s self-esteem and efficacy increase. The amount of stimulation required to develop children’s brains is vast and therefore in a formal program, led by expert educators, differentiation is a strong consideration.

An Early Learning curriculum can encourage children to thrive and get ready for school

Research shows children who do not attend some form of preschool are more likely to start school as ‘developmentally vulnerable’ both academically and socially. When the first day of school arrives, these children may not yet have developed the resilience and routine of a structured day nor may they have had the exposure to the correct, foundational teaching of basic literacy and numeracy skills. Once beginning Prep, children who have not participated in an Early Learning program spend the bulk of their time working out routines, interpreting social cues and making connections with the formal learning presented. This may result in them not appearing as confident or unable to excel or progress at a similar level to their classmates.

Children learn instinctively through play and it is vital to allow this natural growth to occur within an Early Learning setting that incorporates both explicit and implicit learning. Early Learning covers the curriculums of social-emotional learning, language and literacy, STEM, creative arts and health and wellbeing. Although some parents can be hesitant about a child’s readiness for a five-day program, it is important to remember the rate of growth and development that children of this age experience and view your child as a capable learner. The five-day program at Toorak ensures your child is exposed to all learning curriculums and is thriving in routines before commencing Prep. Carefully planned learning experiences by highly educated staff ensure your child’s holistic educational journey is closely monitored and supported, which results in them reaching their full potential when school starts.

If you would like more information on our Kindergarten or Pre-Prep programs please visit our website or contact our Head of Admissions at enrolments@toorakcollege.vic.edu.au