It's possible for parents to teach children many of the academic lessons learned in preschool at home. However, preschool can play a vital role in teaching a child social skills. Qualities like patience, sharing, waiting in line and learning to communicate their needs in an appropriate way are all skills that a child can only learn in the presence of his peers. Children who attend preschool also have the opportunity to develop listening skills.
Children who attend preschool learn academic skills that help them succeed in kindergarten and beyond. They are measurably better at recognizing shapes and colors, writing their first names, using books and understanding rhymes. Children who attend preschool also have greater proficiency in using crayons, counting to 10 and recognizing letters of the alphabet. Games that preschool students play with containers and water are often beneficial in laying the foundation for developing more complex math skills.
While it is challenging to let a young child leave the nest, the child who attends preschool will reap benefits in maturity and independence. For many children, preschool is the first time spent away from parents. They gain confidence and self-esteem as they learn that they can manage without parental supervision. They will also learn from observing other children's efforts to assert themselves independently.
The Chicago Longitudinal Study, conducted by Arthur Reynolds of the University of Minnesota and published in the June 2011 edition of Science, shows that the positive impact of preschool is experienced well into adulthood. Adults who attended preschool are much less likely to get arrested and may have better abilities to avoid addiction. In addition, they have a greater likelihood of landing a good job. The study followed Chicago students who attended a "high quality" preschool vs. a Head Start Program. Reynolds asserts that these benefits impact not just the individual, but society as a whole.