There are a variety of preschools in St. Petersburg and the general Tampa Bay area. Sifting through these in search of the best one can be difficult. Preschools can employ a number of different methods and philosophies. Obviously, you want to find the one who's various emphases best fit your child's specific needs. Whatever their approach, the best preschools in St. Petersburg will focus on three main areas of childhood development: social, emotional and cognitive. The following will further explain these three areas, and why the preschool you choose should focus on them in their educational approach.

Any of the quality preschools in St. Petersburg will emphasize social development. If a child is socially deficient, they have a significantly decreased chance at academic success. For example, many new kindergarteners haven't spent lots of time in a large group of like-aged children. The classroom setting can therefore feel foreign to them, making them uncomfortable, lonely, and even scared. These feelings can hinder their educational development. However, if they've previously spent time in preschool, they are used to the kindergarten atmosphere and are more ready to hit the ground running. By spending a year in preschools in St. Petersburg, your child will be much more likely to thrive in the kindergarten environment.

Preschool also provides many opportunities for emotional maturation. For one, preschool students learn to be comfortable while away from their home and parents. Preschool children are also presented with social situations that test their emotional fortitude. For example, almost every preschool child will at some point encounter someone stealing their toy. Though this may seem like an insignificant occurrence, experiences like this will help a child learn to deal with disappointment, sadness and frustration. By being enrolled in preschools in St. Petersburg, your child will be more emotionally developed than those who aren't enrolled.

Certain preschools in St. Petersburg can also help your child's cognitive skills. Preschool doesn't just teach children facts; it teaches them how to learn. The best preschools will foster cognitive development through active learning environments that present learning as an interactive process. This interactive process will make the children interact with both children and adults to achieve various learning objectives. Developing these kinds of cognitive skills will benefit them in all areas of their future schooling, since it emphasizes both learning and social skills.

If you're looking into preschools in St. Petersburg and the surrounding area, make sure that you understand the preschool's approach to learning. The best preschools in St. Petersburg will emphasize these three areas of development, and approach them in an integrated manner, since each one affects the other two. You might find that certain preschools do not have an adequate focus on these elements. If so, they might be more concerned with babysitting and not with actual learning development. You are much better off staying away from these kinds of facilities. However, there are definitely preschools in your area that really value social, emotional, and cognitive development, and who emphasize them accordingly.

preschools St. Petersburg