Search Results for: learning programs

Preschoolers are a whirlwind of energy and imagination. One minute she can impress you with her cooperative behavior only to frustrate you the next by having a meltdown at the mall. The social and emotional development of 3- and 4-year-olds transitioning from toddlers into school-age children is as important as her cognitive and physical development. According to a survey of kindergarten teachers by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, the most important factors in school readiness are health, communication skills, enthusiasm/curiosity, turn-taking and attention span. The National Scientific Council on the Developing Child states that the core features of emotional development include the ability to identify and express his own feelings properly as well as empathize with others. The tendency for parents and preschool teachers to push the basics (ABC’s, counting, shapes, colors) can sometimes cause socio-emotional skills to be overlooked.

LIKE most parents, I had always looked forward to the day when my children would finally enter school. During those early years of infancy and toddlerhood, when mothering feels like such a full-time job, I would assure myself that I would have a glimpse of my old life back …