If you have ever seen a child crying hysterically when his mother leaves him alone at daycare--or if your own child does this--you are witnessing separation anxiety. This is a stage of development many children go through, says Susan Sundeen, a family education instructor in Woodbury, Minn., in an interview on Preschoolertoday.com. Ushering your child through it during preschool will help ensure that he is ready for kindergarten. By elementary school, his mind can focus on learning instead of worrying about being away from his parents for the first time.
One of the key relationships a child must learn to navigate is the relationship with authority figures outside her home. Preschoolers may know how to listen and behave with their parents, but in an environment with teachers and other children, listening to authority figures becomes critical if they are to learn how to function in the classroom and in the outside world, according to "Scholastic Parent & Child Magazine." As iVillage.com says, following a routine and obeying figures of authority are important social skills children learn in preschool.
Children who attend preschool get an early start on meeting peers and forming their first friendships with people outside their family. Learning to share toys and cooperate with others are important skills as your child learns empathy, according to "Scholastic Parent & Child Magazine." In preschool, the absence of the familiar family structure encourages children to find new avenues to communicate with others. "Scholastic Parent & Child Magazine" says communication is the basis for future education skills, including reading, writing, science and mathematics.