Voluntary pre-kindergarten, or VPK, has many benefits for your growing child. One of the most important opportunities VPK offers is its ability to immerse children in an environment in which they begin developing lifetime social skills. VPK is often a big change in your child’s routine and may seem scary to them at first, but it will teach your child key social skills they will use for the rest of their lives.
Children Learn Social Skills in VPK
VPK provides a fun and educational setting where children can further their social skills through their interactions with teachers and peers. The language and cognitive skills that develop in VPK are essential to communicate and build relationships with others effectively. Students also engage in imaginative and cooperative play while learning to make decisions, share, and work with others. The necessary skills and knowledge children learn in VPK are the building blocks of good social interactions for their future.
While attending VPK, your child will interact with other children and spend crucial time learning how to engage well with them.
They will learn to:
- resolve conflicts
- control their emotions
- follow routines
- care for their friends
VPK can also benefit dual language learners who will have additional opportunities to learn English.
Emotional Literacy is a Vital Social Skill
Emotional literacy, or the ability to talk about and identify emotions, is a crucial step in your child’s social development. VPK provides an environment for your child to learn and practice this skill. Preschool teachers may have children engage in activities that allow them to voice their emotions, such as reading a book and then asking the children how they feel about the events of the story. Emotional literacy leads to better problem solving and fewer tantrums, as children learn to express their needs in a positive manner. When a child is emotionally healthy, they have an easier time forming and maintaining relationships with those around them.
Prepare Your Child for Kindergarten
Enrolling your child in VPK will also prepare them for kindergarten. They will become familiar with the structure of a classroom setting and spending time away from their parents. Developing lifetime social skills begins in voluntary pre-Kindergarten. While this may be a new experience for your child, it will expose them to a place and routine they aren’t used to, as well as to people they don’t know. This change teaches children to be independent and develop the social skills they need to interact with others on their own.
Bayside Discovery Center is located in Palm Bay, FL. We incorporate a “learning by doing” philosophy in VPK, preschool, as well as before and after child care programs. Contact Bayside Discovery Center to learn more.
September 6, 2018
