How can you know if your four-year-old is developing the knowledge and skills in pre-K that they will need when they enter kindergarten? If you are enrolled in a high quality pre-K program, your child will go through a screening process.

MECK Pre-K uses the BRIGANCE Early Childhood screening tool, which uses observation, interviews, and child performance to pinpoint understanding in the domains tied to early development and school or kindergarten readiness.

Have you ever watched a group of young children play together? While it may seem like they are just goofing around, they are actually developing social and emotional skills that are the building blocks for how they will relate to others throughout their entire lives. This is a fascinating time in a child’s development, and we have learned a lot about how children develop at this stage. Here are a few fun facts about social development in pre-K aged children.

You’ve probably heard about the many benefits of attending pre-K, from the curriculum, to the social and emotional development, to the literacy skills they develop, and the growth you can see in your child. But you may have also wondered, “Do they really need to go every day?”

If you’re reading this blog, you are probably familiar with some of the benefits of pre-K. A high-quality pre-K program provides learning and exploration, with hands-on, project-based teaching that incorporates real life experiences into the learning process. However, as we know, there is more to a child’s development than what happens in the classroom. High-quality pre-K programs recognize that students and their families need support both inside and outside of school.

If you have a sibling, or your child has a sibling, you know how much one child’s behavior can impact another’s. Whether it is through play, mimicking each other, or managing conflicts, siblings have a strong influence. So, it’s no surprise that, when one child attends pre-K, their siblings can also benefit from the experience!

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.

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!