Start your
MECK Pre-K application today!

Have you ever wondered when and how a child’s self-confidence begins to form? You may be fascinated to know that by age 5, children have a sense of self-esteem comparable in strength to that of adults.

The months of May and June are graduation season in many areas of the country. Graduations are important milestones in a young person’s life, helping them to recognize what they have learned and achieved, and encouraging them that they are ready for a new challenge.

Congratulations, your child has graduated from pre-K, and they are starting kindergarten in the fall! Now you may be wondering, “How can I help them hold on to everything they learned in pre-K over the summer?” Here are a few ideas, including free things to do over the summer.

In honor of Teacher Appreciation Week, we are celebrating teachers, and the many ways that quality educators impact a child’s life in a positive way. We’re also talking about how high-quality pre-K programs cultivate and support teachers so that they can bring their best selves to the classroom.

Most of us can remember a time when we curled up with a book as a child. We might have gotten lost in the story, not realizing how much time had passed.

But what about today’s young children? With videogames, streaming television, and other distractions, it may seem like an uphill battle to get them away from screens and into reading. But there’s good news: high-quality pre-K programs offer lots of opportunities for children to develop their reading skills in a fun and stimulating way. With well-trained teachers, age-appropriate books, and an engaging curriculum, children in pre-K develop literacy skills and confidence that can lead to a lifetime of reading for learning and enjoyment.

Have you ever walked into a pre-K classroom? You might see colorful decorations on the walls, child-sized furniture, and maybe even dress-up clothes. You might think, “this is cute.” But there is so much more that goes into the design of a pre-K classroom! A high-quality pre-K program will follow best practices based in the latest pre-K research to create an environment for learning and growth. Let’s break down some of the elements that go into designing a pre-K classroom.

MECK Pre-K students spend each day learning, practicing real life skills and expanding their knowledge. Teachers are trained to follow a child’s interests, build on previous knowledge, and provide real world experience based on that knowledge.

You may be surprised to know that pre-K teachers hold parent-teacher conferences, just like teachers in older grades! The main difference between an elementary and pre-K parent-teacher conference is the developmental age of the child. Children in pre-K are developing skills that will be used later in elementary school. So the topics you discuss with their teachers will focus more on pre-K skills and development.

You may wonder, “Why does early education matter to me?” For those of us without a child under the age of five, pre-K may seem like a distant concept that doesn’t affect us very much. However, it turns out, a high quality early education benefits everyone in a community, not just young children and their families!

You may wonder, “Why should I send my child to pre-K? Why not just wait for kindergarten?” In this blog post, we will explain why pre-K matters, address some of your questions, and provide research and examples.