Kindergarten exposes children to unfamiliar ideas and a large group of other children. This exposure teaches your child to cooperate with others, learn patience and follow basic rules. Children also learn self-control and empathy in a safe setting through their interactions with peers. In addition, most kindergarten teachers give students simple classroom tasks or jobs to teach responsibility and to instill confidence in young learners. For some students, kindergarten is their first opportunity to learn and play without the constraint of constant adult supervision and allows them to make their own discoveries and foster their independence.
Exposure to teachers and a language-rich environment, with access to many conversational opportunities and books, gives kindergarten students the opportunity to build their blossoming language skills. Students who attend full-day kindergarten programs in comparison to those in half-day programs, experience gains in reading that can be tracked to at least third grade, notes the nonprofit research and development agency WestEd policy brief, "Full-Day Kindergarten: Expanding Learning Opportunities." Children of kindergarten age are often eager to read and teachers are well trained to help them understand the basic principles of language so they can begin to read and write independently.
Kindergarten classrooms introduce students to problem-solving skills such as working out an argument with a classmate or solving a simple math problem. Teachers assist children and encourage positive discoveries, which helps build self-esteem. Students who attend kindergarten often have higher grades and standardized test scores over an extended period of time compared to those who did not attend, notes WestEd. Kindergarten also gives children the chance to learn about science and social studies, and provides the opportunity to spark a child's interest in a new academic topic.
Children who attend kindergarten, especially students enrolled in full-day programs, are better prepared for first grade because they know what is expected in a school setting, notes WestEd. Students who attend kindergarten are also more likely to have better attendance rates throughout their time in school and are less likely to fall behind in their learning, which makes retention or remediation less likely.
Placing a student in kindergarten also allows some stay-at-home parents to return to the work force.