While you often hear about school rating for high schools and colleges, you don?t usually hear about the quality of earlier educational programs. Some studies show that prep schools and elementary programs are just as important as the higher academic levels. There are many advantages of attending private schools, at both the high school and prep schools levels. These are some of the benefits of private school at the prep schools level.
Increased social activities
The earlier academic years are usually about advancing social skills and learning abilities. Until a child is old enough to attend school, they spend the majority of their time at home. They are not usually surrounded by other children and their social development might be limited. Enrolling a child in an early preschool program gives them the opportunity to develop these social skills. They are learning important social skills like communication, sharing, and even conflict resolution. By the time they reach elementary school, they already show advanced recognition of these important social skills.
Better academic development
Additionally, children are also exposed to academic lessons at the best prep schools. Even if they are too young to grasp this academic material, they show recognition in later academic programs. This level of recognition leads to a better understanding and overall, faster learning. Currently, there are 30,861 private schools in the United States, serving 5.3 million PK to 12 students. With so many private school options, parents can choose the best schools that fit with their child?s academic development needs.
Decrease in crime rates
Other studies also show that attending the best day schools, even at the preschool level, can reduce crime rates and increase graduation rates. When children are exposed to the academic system at an early age, they are much more likely to succeed. Private schools have nearly 1.5 times as much of their enrollment in larger cities when compared to public schools. More and more parents are worried about the quality of education that their child can receive from a public school system.
Increased cultural awareness
One of the problems with not enrolling a child into school into a much later age is that they are not exposed to other cultures. In order for a child to learn acceptance and understanding, they need to be exposed to those that are different than them. One of the greatest benefits of prep school is that they are often made up of varying cultural and racial backgrounds. Even having the ability to attend an academic program with the opposite gender can be helpful. Approximately 96% of all private schools in 2011 to 2012 were coeducation, while only 2% enrolled all girls and 2% enrolled all boys. Many prep and private schools are moving away from this separation model.
Understanding academic expectations
Children that do not attend a structured program until later in life often have a more difficult time grasping academic and social expectations. Children are at an important developmental age at preschool level. Enrolling them in a high quality prep school at this age gives them many academic and social benefits by teaching them about expectations. By the time they reach elementary school or middle school, they are already aware of expectations and can focus instead on academic success.
Most parents are aware that private school has advantages. It increases academic knowledge, self development, and college attendance rates. Yet, many parents are not aware that there are benefits of private school even at the prep school or preschool level. Children are learning important skills at the preschool age and enrolling them in the best private schools can help them develop these necessary skills.
