High Quality
Pre-K Education
MECK Pre-K Blog
MECK Pre-K Blog
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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!
Economic mobility has been improving in Charlotte, according to a recently updated study by Opportunity Insights, the Harvard University-based research group led by Dr. Raj Chetty. Economic mobility is the ability of children from low-income families to improve their economic status over time.
When you are choosing a pre-K program for your child, a big part of your decision is probably based on the childcare center itself. It’s important to know that your child is in a safe, nurturing, healthy environment that is in a good location for your family.
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.
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.
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.
January 2024 marks the midpoint of MECK Pre-K’s sixth year in operation. Launched in 2018, MECK Pre-K is a high-quality pre-K education open to all four-year-old children in Mecklenburg County at no cost to families. As MECK Pre-K enters its sixth year, let’s look back at some key milestones, and look forward to the 2024-2025 school year!
Have you ever wondered how pre-K teachers keep a classroom full of young children engaged for an entire school day? Do you feel exhausted just thinking about it? Well, fortunately, high-quality pre-K programs follow a specific curriculum that is designed to keep children engaged and learning all day, while leaving room for social time, play and discovery.
A high-quality pre-K program treats children like whole people, not just students who come and go from the classroom each day. Learning and growth happen all the time, whether children are at school, at home, on the playground or elsewhere. That’s why many pre-K programs offer support for families and students both inside and outside of the classroom.
We know that early education is good for children and their development, but what does the latest research tell us about the specific benefits of pre-K?
MECK Pre-K was founded in 2018 with the goal of providing high quality free pre-K education open to all four-year-old children in Mecklenburg County. In the ensuing five years, the program expanded to include 105 classrooms at 47 childcare centers.
Open-ended play occurs when kids play independently by examining and manipulating materials without a specific goal, set of instructions, or adult direction.
Unlike structured play, which typically involves an adult establishing predetermined rules and objectives, open-ended play has no clear endpoint or predetermined outcomes.
With the rise of online learning, parents face a dilemma, which type of education is right for their child – online pre-K or in-person?
While some educators believe online learning can be an effective alternative to in-person schooling, other educational experts strongly disagree, arguing that nothing can replace the benefits of face-to-face interaction.
So, how many hours does a pre-K day last? Pre-K programs vary, and may have different lengths. While some programs last a half day or about three to four hours, others have full-day options to accommodate children and parents.
The transition from preschool to kindergarten is a major milestone for children. Your child learns valuable skills all year long and has every reason to smile. Now’s your chance to reinforce their love of learning with a preschool graduation party.
It can be tough to decide whether to enroll your child in pre-k when they are only 3 or 4 years old. Yet, research has shown that children build a strong foundation in social, pre-academic, and general life skills during preschool.
Every child deserves a high-quality early childhood education. This may include both preschool and pre-kindergarten. There are some misconceptions out there concerning these two programs — namely that they’re the same thing. That’s why we’re going to compare preschool and pre-K, and discuss their many differences and similarities.
As a parent, you want to know your child is in good hands. That’s why we at MECK Pre-K are committed to hiring qualified teachers and assistant teachers in all of our schools. Learn more about what to expect from your child’s pre-K teacher and assistant teacher before the school year begins.
Pre-K is a major component of a great early childhood education. This program helps prepare children for the social and academic challenges ahead in kindergarten and all their schooling to come. Given the importance of pre-K, many parents experience stress about whether or not their child is ready, or how to enroll. We’re here to help by answering all of these questions!
The average age of a child entering pre-K in the US is between three and four, but typically pre-K starts at age four. Programs that accept children at younger ages may be categorized as preschools, not pre-K.
Believe it or not, pre-k programs aren’t all free of charge. Certain programs are limited based on income requirements, while others vary by state. Here are a few things to know as you search for free pre-K options in your area.
The key difference between preschool and daycare is the pre-K curriculum. A curriculum is what educators intend to teach their students over the course of a semester or school year. A preschool curriculum should encourage learning and growth in a number of areas to prepare children for kindergarten. This includes their literacy abilities, social skills, attitude toward learning, and much more.
Here is a look at what children learn, how they develop in pre-K and kindergarten, and why both are necessary for proper development for young children.