Preschool, Palmetto Bay

Starting preschool is a monumental step for both children and parents! It's a world of new friendships, discoveries, and independent growth. At Our Lady Of Rosary School, we believe a little preparation can go a long way in making this transition smooth and joyful for your child.
Nurturing Social-Emotional Readiness
Before stepping into a preschool environment, developing foundational social-emotional skills is incredibly beneficial. This isn't about perfectly behaved children, but rather about fostering their ability to navigate a group setting. Encourage your child to practice basic self-help skills like putting on their coat, washing their hands, and managing their toileting needs independently, as these contribute significantly to their confidence in a new setting. Familiarity with routines, such as sitting for a short story time or taking turns during play, can also ease the transition.
Exposure to other children through playdates or group activities can help them practice sharing, waiting, and communicating their needs and wants. It’s also important for children to begin developing emotional regulation – understanding their feelings (like happiness, sadness, or frustration) and learning age-appropriate ways to express them without extreme reactions. At Our Lady Of Rosary School, we cultivate a warm and supportive atmosphere where these burgeoning social-emotional skills are gently guided and celebrated, helping each child feel secure and ready to engage with their peers and educators. We understand that every child develops at their own pace, and our program at Our Lady Of Rosary School is designed to meet them where they are.
Building Early Cognitive and Language Skills
While preschool is primarily about play-based learning and social development, a foundation in early cognitive and language skills will enhance your child's experience. Encourage curiosity by exploring the world around them – pointing out colors, shapes, numbers, and letters in everyday life. Reading aloud together regularly is perhaps one of the most powerful preparations; it builds vocabulary, comprehension, and a love for books, familiarizing them with the concept of a story and listening in a group setting.
Simple counting games, recognizing their own name, and engaging in imaginative play also contribute significantly to cognitive development. Furthermore, being able to communicate their needs and desires clearly, even in short sentences, will greatly benefit their interactions with teachers and classmates. This includes being able to follow simple one- or two-step directions. At Our Lady Of Rosary School, our curriculum incorporates activities that naturally foster these early literacy and numeracy skills through engaging and age-appropriate play. Our goal at Our Lady Of Rosary School is to ignite a lifelong passion for learning, and the skills developed before preschool serve as wonderful building blocks for the exciting educational journey ahead.